NEW TOURIST ROUTE.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1992, 24 February 1914, Page 5

NEW TOURIST ROUTE.

TO THE THERMAL COUNTRY, 1 The remarks made by the Hon, John Duthie, M.L.C., advocating the early completion of the new road between .Waima'rino and Taupo are, according to Mr. Horace Cramona, manager forThos. Cook and Son, in season. Mr. Qramond knows tho country fairly well, 1 arid on : his return from a' centre of■ tho island tounin Septembepjast pointed qut,,in a most emphatio way the obvious advantages'to Be gained by having this shorter route between the Main Trunk line and Tokaanu-made. / ayailablo at the earliest possible date. .. ...■.' "How tho Waiotiru Road ever, came to •be-made is a. mystery to me," said Mr. Gramond. "The route, is a long ono, and 'it traverses the ,dusty pumice country—pumice that grinds up into, a fine' powder, and simply smothers you. Tho other, route—the partially . completed road-that skirts along the north side of Tong'arirp and Ngaimihoe—is shorter, a great deal moro picturesque, and the road has a scoria basis which is not nearly so dusty as the Waiburu Road.' ',-, "Tho great advantago of the new (tourist, route is that it will bring the ipermal district much nearer to Wellington ■ than is at present the, case. ' fWcllington.has always'been badly handicapped as regards communication with the. thermal district, ■ and! five out of every, six tourists come .to New Zealand to see the wonders of '.Wairakei and Rotorua. Even after the Main Trunk, railway got through the trip to Rotorua from Wellington meant a wait of over ten hours'at Franlcton, Junction, and that .'continues up to the. present, when only'one express is running. This is hardly what it should.be, for, with the exception of • the Canadian-Australian steamers, all tho best intercolonial boats from Sydney touch at Wellington first." , "Mr. Duthie," continued Mr. Cramontl, "points to tbe advantages to bo gained by. tho completion of the new road'and leaving by the 9.10 p.m. train, but I think those advantages will ne even greater for tourists leaving Wellington by tho 11.50 a.m. express— the one which runs all tho year round. Leaving by that train travellers would arrive'at Waimarino at 10.20 p.m. There they could get a good night's r'est'to enable them to enjoy the.motor ride 1 through Tongariro Park to Tokaanu ■Amlv a'"two hours' trip: thence by launch to Taupo. reachine there in time fbi 1 luncheon. Mr. Duthie is certainly on the ; rieht track in advocating , the rapid-pushing oh of, this road'. The new route, too. will'become doubly imports aiifc with the completion of the OngarueStratTold .railway line, as it .will bring tho thermal region so much closer to the people of the Tarauaki and Wanganui districts."