ACCESS TO MT. EGMONT

Taranaki Daily News, 18 July 1933, Page 4

ACCESS TO MT. EGMONT

NEW RAILWAY TIME-TABLE. VALUE TO AUCKLAND PEOPLE. That Auckland winter sports and tramping enthusiasts, when the Strat-ford-Main Trunk time-table announced yesterday comes into operation, will find Mount Egmont much cheaper and much more accessible than Tongariro National Park, was the opinion expressed to a News reporter yesterday by Mr. J. C. Robins, chairman of the East Committee of the Egmont National Park Board. Although it might have been more satisfactory as far as week-end- parties were concerned if the time-table made provision for the southward journey ,to be made on Friday evening and for trains to leave New Plymouth on Sunday nights, said Mr. Robins, the fact remained that it was possible to leave Auckland on Thursday night, spend four full days on Mount Egmont and be back at Auckland in time for work on Tuesday morning. As far as university students and tramping clubs were concerned, the arrangements would ,be very suitable. For those who could not afford Friday off connections would still be possible by the train leaving Taumarunui at 3 a.m. - \ , “The splendid thing about, it from the point of view of Taranaki,” said Mr. Robins, “is that Mount Egmont is more accessible for Auckland people than the Tongariro National Park. Stratford is only nine miles from the nearest mountain house, there is good and more diverse accommodation at Stratford itself, and cheap transport is available. The coSt for parties bringing their own food and staying at. the hostel will be infinitesimal.” Mr. Robins drew attention to the fact that although .one left Auckland. for Taranaki by the same train as was used for access .to the Tongariro National Park, the greater distance caused no actual loss of holiday time as all the travelling was done at night. He thought, concluded Mr. . Robins, that once Auckland people realised how accessible Taranaki and its mountain hostels were they would patronise Mount. Egmont in increasing numbers.