THE BOTTOMLESS LAKE

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 725, 26 January 1910, Page 5

THE BOTTOMLESS LAKE

WAKATIPU IN HOLIDAY GARB

(Br. "Gee Ghb.")

- Qoeenstown: is orowded just.now. 1 ' The Wakabptt township, once the busy centre iof\ an extensive"' mining ■ district, has in theso later days become one of the most popular tourist resorts. -Visitors have . . gone there from-all mparts of ,the . world, spent,a few full, days of .enjoyment,- and > - passed: on, , with- tho pretty 'lakeside sot-' ' tiement pictured in their . memories: to give lasting pleasure. The placo has : •.;: poonliar charms, which> in the opinion , :; of many travellers, are equal .' to anything • that 1 can.be. found, in tho northern pan. ... of - the islands. And ■ Queens town ■ itseit is '/ 35 surrounded on all sides, by /other , ideal holiday resorts, well known to southerners. "i'Ke means of 'approach have been' , improved somewhat, and city peoplo may .'. spend' pleasant - holidays at Lake Wanaka, , ' #jnon§ the deer: .they may aiako fishing : ' . expeditions ,to and numerous other trout nvers; they, may walk tho '. overland track to- Sfiliord/ and see New .' •Zealand bush, mountain,' and river < 6cen- ■' ' • eiy.m all its .wild beauty;: they; may en- • joy"complete rest at Stewart.island; or ::- t&y'may sojourn at Biverton (now , in-: creasingly patronised by: Invercargill resi- ' > dents), aid have delightful launch: oxcur- -- - ,v eiohs :up the' shaded. waters. of - tho Pourakino.Elver;: This last trip, the local,people are proud to relate; was- made on one occasion by his 'Excellency the Governor.

Tbe Ferries. , '■.■■■■ The business done: on the Lake Waka- ■■■',: tipu femes hasv.been as brisk- these holi-. days as . ever - before. I'/flie ■ special wcek- • end:,excursions have; commenced. ,'. So • : heavy, has . been the traihe that once. or. 1 . • tinea great, anxiety has.been felt for ;th>. i safety of passengers carried /across/the lake.on .the little steamers. ■ A recent trip down the lake caused a stir in the .[town., v Thn .vessel was '. uncomfortably: crowded, and«as Bhe rounded-the white beacon a few. hnndiied yards out from the wharf she lurched over ominously.: Tho passenPreceiv.ed a shockj , aid Catchers from had grave ,C fears,' ;,b'ut:/ : the. .. . ierry soon righted . herself. 'The incident was: reported to a southern paper, which pommented -editonally as follows:— ~. : 1 "Sumruor alter summer proves conchi- ■; ■xrely ■' onouglithat tills particular steamer is too small a .craft for pas- : ganger-carrying on -the.:lake; ••and it. is time that the last .was .heard of;..the • • risk :•: which,. many . warning notes sug- - gesfc,' aro taken' through, her ..continued ■■■ r. :•:■; employment •' in ; . 1 this ? important service.■ From tho revenue, standpoint the present. ■ /arrangement: for the. steamer ,service can . .'only., be 'regarded 'as , bail'.policy,'. Of ,', ' cburM, if the Government desires to pro- . i.::tipu, at- cannot- do jbetter than- keep .the : \ ' :Beh: Lomond - in' regular cominission . diir- : ing the height of tho tourist season, but - it.has' not proclaimed: any intentions. of this kind. . ... .- .Truly/ nothing : , could>much better, illustrate -the gap be- ; tween promise and performanco than this .-matter-of the Wakatipu: service, .for years . 'have passed,'\'tho :steamers. '.have grown .more and ' more.- venerable,::the::.tourist ' •, trafSc has largely, .increased; and .the •''.';K.:;.-;v;'gam'e':fleet' as} existed; in ;1903.iis:still>inade. . to meet all the. requirements of the: . ... traffic.-. _ The ..'new. steamer,■; capable of ; ... carrying 1000 passengers,and' steaming . up to eighteen knots/ though not an :air1■ ship, lis still .in. the clouds 1 . i'l'he Government that would aspire to run a large ocean ferry, service may bo reasonvj. r .-ably expected to show, first that it. can' ; iucoessfully run a small lake, service.". -^ i ; l if*?:;Uii.V'i : - : ;from ilake'' 1 ' ! l;,Wakatipu;.td/lake 'Te }Anaii',\and;it'-,niay. :... •bo'travorsed-in. a.'fonr.'days'.Wiilk. ; The. : track was opened' • recently,- the -first t..', .• party being, guided' over it last-.Friday .• week.' It commences at Elfin.Bay, ; near .the-head;of.l^ko'..Wakatipu, and, .as;it, , . . . .. avoids ; thethilly'. ,«>untry, V whiles'till. }.''py'}:;:,-affording}'a|. splendid;-^6w"-;of^;the};lfikes, '-.::.',:thVnewpa , th ; :islikely.tb-be. ; .yisited^by: many 'tourists. 1 Here, again,- is .further. :/ : :.;^'a^u^t;in -fwqiir}pf-.t&a propipti'bwifc a.'suitable: lako'steamer; ithe Mother jtraoksj 'the Vwalksfrom -3 v'SElfiii'i.Bay}! to»:jTe^'^nSiaris.; . ' stages,-and one' doos.not. require to -be a . :•.-. tallied • athlete' to ; accomplish :'the.. trip.. -.often go-.-on' these-long .walks, ~. and . only-. aif ew days ago,:, one: of •; tho ; ;;: : judgesof ,■ the; :Supromc ',Courts and,'.his' "/' . . party .went/over:.the Milford.,track."... /Ben Lomond. ' . A visit ; to .Queenstown ■ involves tho ■ climbing .of .'■ Ben Lomond- — almost • . necessarily. , Although the : mountain' is •..' : ; 5700. feat' high, large. parties,. of mixed . ' agesi make tho ascent nightly dnring .tho holiday' is;to ? .. . gcb the sun rising over.the.mountains— ,■ truly, a .glorious -iSight—and...the: 'town .• : must therefore be:left.at:'about: ; midnight.'. :..,': ■:■ The," other ;■ day ■: a' -particularly. stout :■■■■; v old v lady , announced her': intention.... of K climbing .' tho hill, . whereat • the young: pftople.were 'smile; among', . w.Tiselves.'-The. party- duly le'ft tho - h'.tel at the dead of mpht, and the. :./r;,. < . elderly:^^person'^as' 1 one/of'the; number.'' - Se'ven o'clock in '.the -morning; saw. them. • .'. . trooping home/ and there was; a-, glint of ■■■;■.. : - .victory in tho old- lady's:oye. ■. "Oh, yes,; - : certainly; ' and :it : : was. gTa-ndy" : she -re-; plied to numerdus'. iriqiurersi/Jwho boldly'; asked, if-she had "done it." .';The young men,of'the. party straggled in later, and ;'S; ";-'v,';;vma4e that'the: stout ' /?Si?ASdame;had. pven;upythei'cUDab"wheh about. .. ; ' half Away ; between the hut arid' : • init; Tho.item was passed in undertones- -. . round':. the.- breakfast tables and great ■ iwas tho-merriment when a stay-at-home humorist, -who vhad . been, listening--to J ."-/i; tho" old • lady's- enthusiastic ..storiv. mur-: -H';..^^';r.:'.mured;^' ; in |'av tired,-' .voice :;,"Somef people.. • . are very . like : Dr.';'C6ok!"', iThe'. porridge : was. left untouched for , two minutes. .''Beri',; Lomond all/- however;: Mountaineering is only ono of the attractions of the lake village. Tho au- .' thoritiea. have',: given: some : thought' to the , ; '• preservation of. the natural beauties of '... • tho place, and -'convenient roads'iruri to . ..- - all of the nearer resorts. The'park is. nicely;;; lai3 }■ ;'crat;* * iHtli green, •■;/. -.miniature lake^.'-baii'd/rotiiiida,j.Maori house;' and''innuirierable'.seats ; about'tho': : - nowerbeds.' Swimmers: are accommodated ™U^uilt/dressing"shed-and. div-' uig platform/, opposite, a fairly safe '. ' i?® 3011 - • Leaving tho. town one may walk L t?®.-,,"waterworks, . climb/; (Jueens- . .town .Hill/.. visit : neighbouring cherry, / 7 ; gardons, 'or simply, 'wandor . round ' : ' t- 6 .. lake :'.. .side,, - having.: ■ ho ■■ des- ■ - tination- and -desiring none;' When .. , . the lako is.glassy .the lover may .take his .. lass for a quiet row in an 'open boat, . . . paddling down the jPrankton . arm- to . .. -yfe:Kawarau Falls, rowing up the, other sideof .the-lake to ■; examine; the rocks.as thW ;.- go down .precipitously: into; the depths, or ,-; just dodging' round the bay/-..- •'. -•

Other Trips, :: - an .exciting drive to Skipper's,' : .-almost l j as - interesting, to irrowtown. parties '■ for which are ireadilv made, up : The head of the: lake and Paradise must not be omitted, and other trips :^ai < -TO r/ .W^. ; maacilfa>laßnches, : ' to Elfin : Bay and .. Bob's Covb. The -Rei,maT??bles;;snow:capped and stern looking - ,occa^maly..^entice;.mountaineers; .-to go [ or , a I'ard climb, but no one has yet com© back,-.disappointed-from .that 1 -expedition; From the 1 double -;cone one':,may .see- tho ocean /south of . the Bluff, ..and, may also discern-.Mount Cook.

n e bestday's.-: walks about Jineenstown-'is- out. to the' Seven-mile, iii behindv.Wedge'Peakripast- ' . Kirk- , ..patrick . and'-Moke Lake, and 'down Moke k, joining- the road at Arthur's Point, distance -to :be.'tramped;is roughly, :.?;estimated,at.from 22 to2sfmiles; < but. the leads'--i-ttoough Moke 'Creek,-:which used: to be : ' ? ne , oL? 0 - The valley •.. had o(X)0 people, in it- in -a bygone year; and now. there.are not, more-than . 'including several Chinese. , ' Wakatipu ls .'a favourite resort l : of ; honeymooncouples; .who might'' be - ; - ex- . pected to enioy tberaselves quite' as well ,-in places withi only half.the : attractions of Queenstown. ':But.' they 'will come, and the natives . .have .y: become ■ hardened, v Oueenstown has acquired a, Bohemiaiiism all its own, and there whilo r'-.-'-.l - "Pancy dreams, Of sac Ted fountams, and Elyslan groves, ■ isd vales of . bliss," • -

6he-.cfiy ,disease of :.taedium . vitae is effectually cared in ; anatmosphere-, of restfulness hardlypossible away from the' deep blue waters of Wakatipu.