MOTOR TOURS.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXIII, Issue 18760, 26 December 1930, Page 7

MOTOR TOURS.

ATTRACTIONS OF SOUTH CANTERBURY. HINTS TO VISITORS. South Canterbury often is referred to as a motorists’ paradise, and people ; who know it intimately agree that the I title is justified. Those car-owners who seldom or never depart from the main roads, have little conception of j the many and varied routes to beauty | spots of mountain, gorge and river. I Unfortunately, visitors to Timaru and | district have little opportunity of learning anything about the by-ways 1 of the territory, and soon become tired | cf the highways, which do not all provide good motoring. Any guide books ; which have been published, give only scanty and often misleading informa- ! tion concerning South Canterbury, and I until recently the- district was inade- ! quately sign-posted. The last-men-tioned defect is rapidly being remedied jby the Automobile Association. To the ! visiting motorist one may safely say ! "Go West!” Go north or south at the 1 outset, but sooner or later go west. | when a wonderful vista of scenery will 1 open to view. One of the attractions ! of motoring in South Canterbury is the j variety of routes by which a tourist may ! return from almost any point. With I the object of enlightening visitors, the | following brief notes have been conj tributed: —

One of the easiest and most picturesque trips is to Geraldine, via Temuka and Winchester. From A'rowhenua to Geraldine the scenery is pleasantly varied. After a visit to the Bush Domain, the motorist should return via Speechley’s Bridge, the Kakahu Road and Epworth, rejoining the main road at Arowhenua Pa. If desired, an extension may be made by detouring to the right south of Barbarafield, and proceeding to Point by the Saleyards bridge, and back to Timaru by the main Point road. Peel Forest, the biggest piece of native bush now remaining in Canterbury, is an easy run of 38 miles by good level road. Proceeding to Geraldine, the traveller should cross the Orari bridge and Cooper’s Creek, then take the westerly road, which will lead first in a straight line and then bear to the left to Peel Forest. (Woodbury can be reached by taking the first turn to the left after passing Geraldine; the second turn to the left leads to Orari Gorge.) Another excellent trip will be found to Kakahu. Take the main north road till the Opihi bridge is crossed, then the first turn to the left. Turns to the right, left and right again will put the motorist on the Kakahu road, which should be followed until the second finger-post pointing to Hilton. Proceed through Hilton, to Kakahu Church. (A turn to the right leads to Fairlie.) Travel straight up the hill, and follow a switch-back road until a turn to the left up a stiff hill is reached. This will take the traveller to Hanging Rock bridge, from which Timaru is easily reached via Pleasant Point. Haehaetemoana —popularly known as Te Moana—is another favourite trip. The gorge is about 28 miles from town, and is comfortably reached in an hour. The route mentioned above to Kakahu should be taken, but instead of bearing to the left through Hilton, the traveller should proceed straight on till a curve in the road brings Speechley’s bridge in sight on the right. Proceed str. ht on in a westerly direction, and the road will eventually bend north-westerly and take the tourist to the mouth of the gorge. The return trip can be made by crossing the river and travelling down the north bank and joining the main road between Geraldine and Winchester; or via Woodbury.

To reach Hanging Rock, the visitor is advised to take the main Mackenzie road to Point, and turn to the right at the hotel. After crossing the Te Ngawai bridge, proceed straight on until a turn to the left is made at an oldfashioned, picturesque house. The way then to the Hanging Rock bridge cannot be mistaken. After a walk up the terrace road, the party should return via Waitohi. Following the road from the river in an easterly direction, a small side bridge is met. Immediately after crossing this a road to the right up a hill will lead down to Opihi Terrace, and will take the motorist almost straight to the vicinity of Temuka. An hour’s run in a semi-circular direction to the westward, which will provide unusual variety of scenery, can be made by travelling to Gleniti, via Hadlow, and up a gradual ascent until the Tycho Valley is overlooked. Turning to the right, the motorist can follow' the road round the crest of the hills, obtaining some magnificent views, until the Rosewill School is seen in a. valley to the right. A turn down the hill leads to the school, where a turn to the left will take one to Timaru via Kelland’s Hill.

Another fine trip, of approximately 50 miles, can be made by taking th< road via Beaconsfleld, to Priest’s bridg(

over the Pareora. The first turn to the right leads straight to the Pareora Gorge, which is crossed by a winding and hilly, but well-graded, road. Some fine scenery is met with on this section of the route. Af'c descending to the flat, the road runs north until it bears to the right to cross the river again. Still bearing slightly to the right, the road runs past the Cannington fingerpost and over Cave Hill. From Cave, Timaru is reached by the main Mackenzie road through Point. An alternative route home is found by crossing the railway line a couple of miles south of Cave and taking the Tycho Valley road.

Still another pretty run can be made via Beaconsfleld, turning at the top of the rise to the left and over Brassell’s bridge. The first turn to the right eads to Southburn School and monument, where a left turn and soon after a right one and again a left one, lead to the Otaio river and a nice bush terrace. Crossing the river at Drinnan’s bridge, two right turns brings the traveller to a ford through the river. After ascending a terrace road, to the right, the trail runs through Gordon’s Valley to Holme Station, from whence several easy alternative routes can be taken to Timaru.

Some of the best and most compre hensive views of South Canterbury may be obtained from near the summit of Mt. Horrible. Proceeding past Glen iti store straight down the hill, through Claremont to the Whalebones, the roac turns to the left. The first turn to th* right puts the motorist on the road t' the summit, which is reached by skirt ing Claremont homestead. Rhode.* Bush, a scenic reserve, lies on th' southern slope of the mountain. One of the star trips, covering ju?< over 80 miles, is a round-trip to Fairlie Proceeding first to Point, turn to th' right and over the Tengawai bridge The first left turn leads to Totara Val ley. At the blacksmith’s shop a turr to the right leads to Raincliff, either by Hazelburn or by the more southerly road. Crossing the Raincliff bridge, the trail runs to Cattle Valley and Middle Valley, through valley and hill country, over Mt. John to Fairlie. The return trip can be made by the gentlysloping main road, which adjoins the railway line practically all the way except for a detour about two miles out from Fairlie.

Lake Tekapo, beyond Burke’s Pass, lies about 24 miles above Fairlie, and can be reached by the main road in a little over two hours from Timaru. The climb to Tekapo is so gradual that the 1000 feet is scarcely noticeable until the return journey is undertaken. Fairlie may be reached also from Geraldine, via Kakahu and Opuha bridge. Further south, fine trips may be made to the Hunter and Hook districts, and to Kelcy’s Bush, near Waimate. Still further afield is the Waimate Gorge, leading to Waihao Downs, McCullough’s bridge (with a fine swimming hole), and Kurow. Many other runs of varying extent are to be found in South Canterbury. The back-country roads generally are good, and though hilly at times, are quite safe, and present no difficulties to the moderately careful driver. The configuration of the country once the plains are left is apt to be confusing to a stranger, who is bewildered by the succession of hills and valleys, but once the ‘‘lay of the land” is obtained this difficulty rapidly disappears.