THROUGH HOMER TUNNEL

Southland Times, Issue 24104, 18 April 1940, Page 6

THROUGH HOMER TUNNEL

COUPLE’S TRIP FROM MILFORD

WADED IN WATER UP TO ARMPITS

After wading through water up to their armpits, Mr and Mrs N. C. Berndtson, of Milford Sound, succeeded in getting through the Homer tunnel and are the first residents of Milford to come to Invercargill by that route. Mrs Berndtson is the first woman to pass through the tunnel. It was an exciting experience and, as "they described it, “very eerie” at times.

Gaining entry to the tunnel from the western side is a much more tricky business than entering it from the Homer. It involves swinging on a rope, descending a ladder into a shaft and groping under a ledge. Mr and Mrs Berndtson wanted to come to Riverton and decided to try the tunnel route in preference to the usual sea trip. They went by car as far as they could—a distance of about nine miles and a-half—and walked a mile and a-half. When, accompanied by an engineer, they reached the shaft leading to the tunnel they found that the grating over the entrance was locked on the other side, and as there was no indication that anyone was in the tunnel at that end and as water was pouring down the shaft, they gave up the idea and decided to return to the hostel. After walking about half a mile they looked back towards the shaft and saw a light—it was dark by now—and retraced their steps, meeting another engineer who had just emerged. It was then decided to carry on with the originial intention. With the grating opened the travellers prepared to descend the shaft, which is about 4ft square and 18ft deep. They lowered themselves on a rope until they reached a ladder leading to the bottom of the shaft. Then, bending double, with their faces almost touching the water, and holding their packs out in front of them, they waded under a ledge into the tunnel proper. When they were able to straighten up again they found themselves in much deeper water, and for about 12 feet they were up to their armpits. While Mrs Berndtson picked her way cautiously along the side of the elec-trically-lit tunnel holding on to pipes, Mr Berndtson and the engineer pressed forward, each holding a pack above his head. Once through the water Mr and Mrs Berndtson found the rest of the going comparatively easy, and by 9.30 p.m. had reached the eastern portal of the tunnel.

After spending the night and the next day at the Homer camp they came on to Riverton by bus. The Ranui left Milford about five hours before Mr and Mrs Berndtson, but did not reach Bluff until after they had arrived in Riverton.

Mr and Mrs Berndtson expressed the opinion that the trip from the sound to Invercargill would easily be done in one day.