GRAND EVENING ON EGMONT

Taranaki Daily News, 16 January 1933, Page 9

GRAND EVENING ON EGMONT

MUCH ACTIVITY ON MOUNTAIN.

FINE WEATHER REMOVES SNOW.

“A most wonderful evening” was experienced at Mount Egmont last night, in the words of Mr. H. A. Nodder, manager of the hostel. The twilight seemed to last unusually long and as day merged into night the deep blue of the darkening sky was fringed near the horizon with an aurora-like display of brilliant colour. The atmosphere was perfectly still and at 9.30 guests and staff reluctantly agreed that night had fallen and the lingering twilight had gone. >. The last three weeks have been an excellent holiday season at the hostel. The weather has, almost without exception, been excellent, although visibility has been bad because of a haze that disappeared yesterday. On Sunday afternoon the whole province, the coast and the calm breaker-fringed sea stood out in? bold relief, while low rumblings and lowering, black clouds behind Inglewood told of thunderstorms. There was no rain at the hostel yesterday. Such has been the effect of the weather that it is now possible to climb to the crater without setting foot on snow. There have been ascents every day for the past ten days and the sequence seems likely to continue. Sir Charles Kingsford Smith was among a party Of 15 that visited North Egmont on Thursday. The Southern Cross in the hands of Sir Charles was brought down close to the hostel on Saturday morning in the course of the round the mountain cruise. On Friday Mr. and Mrs. H. D.. Skinner and -their son, Dunedin, made the ascent to the summit and found visibility extended to the South Island.

Visitors are arriving at the hostel in good numbers and the hostel was a popular place yesterday. The holiday trade is fully as good as in previous years. Among visitors who have arrived since Thursday are Mr. and Mrs. Boyle (Wellington), the Rev. McDonald Aspland and Mrs. Aspland (Auckland), Mr.’ and Mrs. G. H. Dolby (New Plymouth) and Mr. and Mrs. H. T). Skinner.