WITH TENT AND MOTOR

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 72, Issue 291, 7 December 1929, Page 12

WITH TENT AND MOTOR

CHRISTMAS IN THE SOLTH ISLAND •By “Trip.”) (All Kights Reserved.; Motorists who want further information about roa.is or motor camping may write to “Trip.’’ o “Chronicle,” Wanganui, enclosing a stamped addressed rn- idopc for reply. Queries are dealt with in rotation. If it were possible for everyone to have a lengthy holiday each year, people would wander leisurely ahold, camping in the places they liked best, and there would be no need to make long distances in order to see as much as possible in the shortest time. Unfortunately such ideal holiday conditions are attainable by very few. and the great majority must be content with a holiday of from ten days to a fortnight each year Naturally enough motor-campers with only that short time of freedom, like to pack into those few days as many experiences as they can. and round trips are popular, no matter how strenuous the going. The queries received by the writer show that there is a definite want on the part of motorists for the hurried tour which embraces as much .as possible of either island, ami although there will perhaps be few who will ba sufficiently' enthusiastic who want to cover everything in ten days as did one correspondent, there are many who do not mind hard going over roads that provide constantly changing scenery. It is for these that this article is principally designed It is easy to say that it is far better to go a short distance and see only one or two places; circumstances often make this inadvisable, but 1 do think that if you are certain of taking a motor-camping holiday each vear. it is far more interesting, md far more satisfying to see each island in sections. Hurried journeys such as are outlined here, are inclined to lead one back home with a contused impression of lakes, mountains and bush, and inability to clear up the image and remember exactly where and what were the things that proved most interesting.

A Fifteen Hundred Mile Tour. I One North Island reader,«• asked whej ther it would be possible in fourteen • lays, to visit Queenstown, Mt. Cook, ' Franz Josef glacier and the West j Coast It would be. but it would in- ! volve a seventeen hundred mile journey over some pretty steep and rough roads and would leave very little time [indeed for stops en route. I suggested I that in this case it would perhaps be i wiser to cut out the Franz Josef section, leaving lift eon hundred miles to fie covered By travelling hard it is possible to cover this ground in eight days, leaving the balance of the time for visits to lake and mountain. The starting point does not greatly matter, for motorists anywhere can link up with this round trip and make back to the original starting point. Taking Dunedin as a starting point, the first day’s run would be to Queenstown. a distance of ISO miles. Southland motorists, of course, would make up through Gore to Bae’s Junction and then follow the main road through Boxburgh. Clyde ami Cromwell. Two days could be spent there, or else one day there, and one at Lake Wanaka, with Pembroke as headquarters. Then follows the strenuous journey over the Lindis Pass to Mt Cook, a distance of about 200 miles (from Queenstown), and as the road is both steep and winding a spell of a couple of days at Aft. Cook will he very welcome. The next stage, from Alt. Cook to Christchurch is the longest drive of any, being nearly 250 miles, but if an early start is made it could be covered all right, and the last’ stage, between Tiinaru and Christchurch, is easy going. From Christchurch to Greymouth is a fairlv easy day, especially if the car be put on the tram from Springfield to Otira. This is usually advisable, and often cheapest in the long run. Horses are needed to pull you through sonic of the river crossings on this section, and the road over Arthur s Pass is now fairly neglected and very steep and difficult for cars. The Earthquake Region. The run from Greymouth to Murchison on the road through Maruia can be made quite easily in a day, the distance being about .120 miles. (A full description of this section will be given next week.) This area will naturally attract many visitors this summer for

there is a fascination in seeing the dcsstruction wrought by the earthquake. After seeing the recently formed lake, one can better understand the tremendous forces which have gone to the making of other West Coast lakes, and also to such giants as Lake Waikarenioan. We in New Zealand to-day have seen earth movements that people in most countries have only read about—have in fact seen geological history in the making—and the only pity of it has been the sad loss of life and the terrific damage to property. It is awesome and saddening, but it is awe-in-spiring too, and at least day should be spent in the vicinity of Murchison.

From Murchison to Blenheim is 160 miles and as the worst of the roads are over by this stage, the journey will present no difficulties. Blenheim to Christchurch takes one over an entirely different class of country and the road, especially in the vicinity of Kaikoura gives wonderful glimpses of coast line This journey is a little over 200 miles’, as is also the final stage between Christchurch and Dunedin. One day has been left in hand in case breakdown at any stage necessitates delay. This round trip is a decidedly strenuous one. and should be tackled only by experinced drivers who don’t mind long days over hill roads. Shorter Round Trip.

A very much shorter and less strenuous journey can be made by those in the southern portion of the South Island, this giving much more time for staying by the wayside and enjoying the" lakes to the full. To anyone who wishes to see the lakes alone, this is indeed the ideal route. Taking Dunedin once again as a starting point the first day’s run would take you to Invercargill where there is a very well situated motor camp. From here you would make up through Lumsden to Manapouri, and as this is only about 100 miles it makes quite an easy day. A few days can be spent there, and the run made to Te Anau, which of course, is the starting point for Milford Sound. Although there isn’t time to make that journey, the trip across to the head of the lake is worth making and there are numerous excursions to be made to other places round about the lake. To go on to Queenstown you make back to Lumsden and then go on to Kingston where you can put your car on the boat and" have it taken to Queenstown for the modest charge of one guinea. After spending what lime you can here, the run can be made to Pembroke, time spent at Lake Wanaka, and the return journey made through Cromwell, Clyde, Roxburgh and Lawrence. The West Coast Again An easier journey for those who make Christchurch their starting point, and who wish to see the West Coast, is to make across to Greymouth, and then go down through Hokitika to Franz Josef, spending some days there, and then coming back and going north over the ground previously outlined. This gives much more time to spend at places en route, and is actually much •more of a holiday although it covers very much less ground.