MOUNT COOK.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16641, 25 January 1922, Page 11

MOUNT COOK.

GREAT HOLIDAY RESORT* "’The attraction of Mount Cook is obviously great in Australia,” said Sir Jbhn Findlay to a “Star ” representative .last night. “ From my own experience and from what I have heard there, almost as many Australians as. New Zealanders have-visited the Hermitage this season. I met there, tao, several visitors from England, and all who have *ny knowledge of alpine scenery elsewhere seem to be agreed that in beauty and striking individuality our Alps are not surpassed anywhere m the world.” Sir John Findlay has made on. annual visit to Mount Cook for the last, thirty years, and therefore his impressions from year to year constitute an jfuteresbmg unofficial commentary on the state and management of Non’ Zealand’s chief tourist attraction, apart from the thermal region of Rotorua. - Speaking of Mount Cook as alpinists find it. Sir John said that he had found it necessary to give up even the very moderate amount of climbing lie used to do, and therefore he did not claim to be qualified to speak from the high climbers’ view, but lie thought that any ootnparatr e views he had expressed would be borne out by high climbers from all parts of the world. Sir John Findlay has watched the development of the Hermitage from the time when it was the property of a private company, managed by Mr Huddlostone. When lie was in office os Minister, he stated, he did what he rightly and justly could to assist Canterbury members to get fair consideration from the Government for the Mount Cook district as a scenic resort. Indeed, it was rather amusing that the interested enthusiasm he had shown in. the Mount Cook district, and incidentally in the motor service, had led soxnt to infer that he had a private financial interest in the Mount Cook motor service. He would not have obtruded this personal matter, but he was assured on his recent visit that this inference was working prejudicially in some respects to that service, and he felt it his duty to Bay that he had never had, directly or indirectly, any interest whatever in tho sendee. “ No better proof can be had of the excellence of Mount Cook as a holiday resort,” skid Sir John, “ than the constancy to it of a majority of those who visit the Hermitage. Quito a number of the same people whom I met there twenty or thirty years ago are going there ns often as they can get, and they have found, as I have found, that there is no place in New Zealand which is better for the recuperating of a man run down or overworked. The elevation of the Hermitage is some 2500 feet. The ajr is delightfully stimulating without being in the slightest degree uncomfortably cold in summer. There is exercise of all kinds for those who desire it, either in the shape of strenuous climbing, minor climbing, or in easier walks and m visiting the nearer sights. Canterbury should indeed be proud of possessing alpine scenery and an alpine district second to non© in the world, and in my opinion this resort will one day draw as many visitors as ill© chief tourist ■ resort* of the North Island. “ The slump and tho increased tariff at tho Hermitage have been responsible for a slack season so far/ 5 he added “ Tho tariff is now 25s for front rooms and 22» 6d for back rooms, and as the motor fare is £9 return it will be easily seen that it is now rather an expensive holiday. In this connection I would call tile attention of the Department to the fact that in a number of Government publications the tariff is still stated at 15s per day, and I found that this had mislead a number of visitors who. finding the tariff was eo much higher, were compelled to greatly shorten their stay, and thus to dislocate their holiday plans. 11 I know that this is not the time to advocate the expenditure of any Government money except what is actually necessary, but even at the present time plain business principles should apply. The Government has spent a very large sum of money in providing roads, bridges, mountain tracks and alpine huts and in electing the Hermitage, which is a great credit to tho Dominion, although in ordinary seasons not nearly large enough for its purpose. With the very large amount of public money spent in this district the aim of the Department should be to make the resort at least as nearly selfsupporting as possible. One of the many effective ways to do this would be to provide a road to the Ball Hut. on which a motor-car or lorry with proper seating could take visitors. The distance is only thirteen miles, and I believe that a verv large proportion of all those who -visit the Hermitage would go on to the Ball accommodation house if they could so so by ear or lorry. Tho present track could be converted into a road at no great cost. The lorry could be used in the off season for the carriage of supplies to the Ball Hut and a considerable part of the distance to the King Hut and the Malte Brun Hut, and c*Quld also bring supplies from Fairlie. The Bull Hut would no dqube require to be enlarged, but tho pressure on the Hermitage would bo very great!v reduced, and the extent of the additional accommodation required there proportionately diminished. If access to the Ball Hut were provided the number of visitors to Mount Cook would be greatly increased, for the majority aro not high climbers. Many are not climbers at all, and really desire to see from the closest available point the grandeur of glacier and alpine scenery. “ Tho Hermitage itself could be most cheaply enlarged by a system of comfortable hutments at the rear of the building, and these could take the place of the tents that now have to do service in the height of the season. The charges in these huts could Ik> made Substantially loss than in the main building, and no doubt they would be eagerly sought by those who could not afford the higher charges. The* management of the Hermitage Sir John Fidlay described as excellent The present manager and his wife were doing tho work as efficiently aa it had ever been done They had started a , vegetable garden and he was amazed ; to find what a splendid crop of peas.

j beans, potatoes and lettuces and other I vegetables were coming on The man- ! age- was a wonderful gardener, and j was also an enthusiastic poultry far- | mer, and it seemed possible that roulI try would make ;ts appearanoo oecai sionally on the table. Tfi conclusion Pir John said that he would like to remove the impression that Mount Cook was a resort where the weather was cold and where heavy clothing was requisite. For the greater part of the season tho weather was even on the warm side, especially during the day, but at no time in tho season was it severe or uncomfortable, and one required no further clothes than one would •-equine in Christchurch.