GLACIER VISIT.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20509, 10 January 1935, Page 15

GLACIER VISIT.

Duke Enjoys Hours on the Ice. MAGNIFICENT VIEWS. (“ Star ” Special Reporter.) GREYMOUTH, January J 9. A break in the strenuous programme set out for the Duke of Gloucester’s West Coast tour was furnished by the unofficial visit which his Royal Highness paid to Waiho. He and all the members of the Royal party appreciated the respite after the fast and almost continuous travel of the previous da} r s. After overnight rain this morning broke fine, and shortly after breakfast the sky w@s almost cloudless. Parties set out in brilliant sunshine for the Franz Josef Glacier. The Duke made the trip from the hotel to the hut at the terminal end of the glacier on horseback, and was able to enjoy to the full the attractions of the magnificent track. Arduous Going. With members of his personal staff, and guided by the Graham brothers, his Royal Highness went up as far as the two pinnacles. The going was very arduous, owing to the broken character of the ice and the constant danger of slipping, but the Duke thoroughly enjoyed the experience and frequently brought his motion-picture camera into action to take views that appealed to him. He expressed astonishment at the size of the huge blocks of ice that had been forced up by the pressure, and was particularly impressed by the ice cliffs that occur in many places at the terminal face. After a couple of hours of very strenuous exercise the Royal party returned to the hut, where there was a picnic luncheon, and the Duke then sent the horses on ahead, preferring to make the return journey along the densely wooded track on foot. Many Waterfalls. The Waiho River was still swollen as a result of the rain and roared down the gorge with almost waterfall velocity, carrying thousands of miniature icebergs. The river itself provided an interesting spectacle, while many of the waterfalls, dropping hundreds of feet down the mountain sides, added to the variety of scenery which pleased the Royal visitor. In one or two instances these falls were so high that the water in the lower stages of its descent provided a mist effect that was particularly beautiful. The Fox Moth of Mr J. C. Mercer, which was in the aerodrome at Waiho, was in demand and a number of flights were made early, but a change in the direction of the wind made taking off impossible later in the day. Among those who made flights was Mr H. H. Sterling, chairman of the Railways Board. In the bright morning sunshine the glacier and the surrounding mountains presented wonderful spectacles from the air, particularly as Mr Mercer was able to fly quite low. A Happy Party. The party at the Glacier Hotel has been a very happy one. Every moment of the all-too-brief stay was availed of, arid even in yesterday’s rain, walking parties explored the beauties of the bush and the lower end of the glacier, while one party made a motor jaunt to the Fox glacier. Not the least welcome part of the break at Waiho was the opportunity it gave the members of the partv to get in some physical exercise, of which everybody felt the need after being coooed up so long in motor-cars. The return journey from Waiho to Ross was made under ideal conditions. The Duke was again at the wheel of his car. In most of the motor runs in the South Island he has shown a preference to drive himself, and he has left no doubt that he is an expert behind the wheel of a car. At Ross the party boarded? the train for the second time in the South Island. They did so with a good deal of thankfulness, for despite the excellence of the roads tt-, versed and their scenic attractions, most of the members of the partv had grown very weary of motor travel.