OTAGO'S BACK DOOR

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1969, 28 January 1914, Page 10

OTAGO'S BACK DOOR

STATE OF THE MILFOED TRACKI Mr. B. 31. Wilson, General Manager of the Tourist Department, who lias just inspected tho tourist track from Wakatipu to Milford, returned to Wellington yesterday morning. Ho reports thai he had fouud both huts aild track in first' rate condition. The bridge over the Aithur River, which was carried away in one of last winter's Hoods, had been replaced, end that over tho Poseidon Creek had also been Thetelephone, wag in good working order fr6m Glade Houso to I'ompalona, and from Qninton to Milford. ..In order to ensure the track being in. good order for the scasDiv'thc. trackmen had been sent down some weeks.■earlier than was usual. The new suspension bridge over the Arthur River had been a .very largo order, but. the work had been satisfactorily carried out, and entirely by tho men on the track. He had timuigcd with the track overseer to throw a couple of small suspension bridges acrois the branches of Roaring Creei, which, in bad weathcjy.j.werG occasionally a source of trouble; vTbaVwwii was t-j bo put in hand at once. "J'he joimiey across could now be made under nost enjoyable circvur.stane-es*'" '■'•. ■ •••

Mr. Wilson also stated that he wasmoro than e'vfir iinprossoil with, tlio' scenic beauty iflf "tho .finest' walk in the «T-rkl," which lay. at Otilgo's feck-door. Tourists canto from '. all parts of the [world to traycrse the track, and enjoy it:! wonderful * pansrainaSj and lio thought that New. Zeal tinders' , themst'lves should talio ,ti» opportunity of seeing Nature inlior grandest moods from the roof of the.Pomimou. Capable Pjiides and cominodious huts wore pro', vidod. and. tho walk to' Milford aaid' back to Wafc'atipu-took.very little time. He flatly contradicted the statement reado a i'etv weeks, ago tliat\tho tra-ck was not in good ord«r. Ho had been accompanied on thft trip by a native, of the North.of England, a-visitor from Warwickshire, and '-a . much-travelled Frcn'chnian (SI. Trevoux, ._of Lyons). The last-named was emphatic, in declaring, that no view lih Switzerland ftould comparo with that obtained from the top of the. Mackinnon .Pass down the Clinwn aiirl Arthur Valleys.

Speaking with .rep.ard to tlie momoriai ciirn to f>© orbcttd to tho .mosiwry oE Sir. Quiutoii ?t[ackinnon,. tli<> discoverer of-tho pass*.Mr.' Wilson';.sai'l tkit tho stoiiomason mid'tiis assistant- had.jcouo up to tho top of the.pass some tiirio npo,aiKl the men were now ongaßod in gritirig thc i stones together to build the' cairn. Tiic- momoi'ini t.iWfli {executed I>s - Jlr, Hftlycr, of TVcHingion) w.-is already on.' tVio spot, and would te in pesition by tho end of the Mason,