WAR AND PLEASURE

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2367, 25 January 1915, Page 6

WAR AND PLEASURE

OUR TOURIST TRAFFIC NO CURTAILMENT VISIBLE ALPINISTS SCARCE While New Zealand has spent tlic lust five months or so busily preparing for war, it is still going about its ordinary work in the usual way, and, moro extraordinary still, it continues to take its customary pleasures in almost the same'care-free'spirit which marked its holiday jaunts in times of peaco. On overy hand- the cloud of war weights, however .lightly, but the general bearing of the people is.similar to that which was characteristic of cheni in the days when war was merely a red vision.-This year our tourist resorts are being well patronised. Some of them are crowded. ■ The. Lakes district of the South Island is reported to be doing well for tourist traffic, and -Mount Cook is in great demand. The Hermitage at Mount Cook has been crowded for some time, but, notwithstanding that intending patrons of the big hill have been warned about the difficulty of securing accommodation at The Hermitage, people have flocked there all the season, and are. still doing so. This season large numbers of tourists and holidaymakers have been advised that they cannot get accommodation, at this famous mountain house, but they refuse to be deterred. They go on with their trip, and when they arrive they simply say. '-'We've come, and "we're prepared to put up with shakedowns or anything at all." Seemingly, these people have made up'their minds to take the trip, and as their holiday leave, is probably defined within certain dates, they have to overcome such obstacles as shortage of accommodation or lose their chance of making that particular trip. Information as to the patronage which is being accorded Milford Sound this year is not yet available, but it is understood that a good number of people are visiting the noted haven, and' this notwithstanding that the Milford Sound run is expensive compared with most New Zealand holidays. The long stretch of motor-car transit is one of the things which send the bill up, but, of course, the journey.is cheap when its incomparable beauty is taken into accounut. The Southern Lakes. There is one thing about the South Island resorts whioh is interesting to New Zealanders, and that is a small change of policy on the part of the State Department which controls tourist resorts. Most New Zealand people have learned to call the lakes in the southern portion of the Souht Island "The Cold Lakes," and thepieee of country which holds these valuable national assets has long been known as "The Cold Lakes District." Ho.vever, to this title the Tourist Department objects, and we all have to speak and write of these waters as "The Southern Lakes." The change is dictated by a desire for accuracy. The Department does not wish to mislead tourists froin abroad, and it has been found that "Cold Lakes"' is a title likely to convey to prospective visitors the impression that these South Island sheets are at certain periods of the year, or for a considerable portion of their time, completely frozen over. As this is very far from fact, and as the waters are redly temperate (not cold) lakes, they are to be referred to in future as tho Southern Lakes.

In the North • Island, large numbers of tourists and holiday-makers havfe been moving about. Rotorua has not experienced the same extr-iordinary rush season that has fallen to its lot in some years, | but the numbers of people- visiting it and the Hot Lakes District generally are very large. There is a tendency on the part of many people to pay more attention to the Waitomo Caves, which is a cheap trip, entailing but little spare time. The beautiei of the Wanganui River have not by any means beon forgotten by tourists, and very many, who can do so nonv take that Touto on the way between Wellington and Auckland.

No Census Now. For certain reasons the Tourist Department has ceased preparing a census of the tourist traffic m the Dominion, and, therefore, no definite figures aTe available to show liow. this year compares with others in the matte of patronage from tourists. However, tho Department is in a good position to form an opinion on the ma'iter, and the opinion formed is that neither New Zealanders nor Australians who come aoross here have curtailed their travelling this season.

In one class of person it seems certain there"will be a shortage. This is tho alpine climber. It is not a numerous class, so far as we are concerned, hut, of course, all these mountaineers are very welcome and very interesting. A fflir number of people have visited Mount Egmont, but the season for enjoying the Tafanaki rise has only just commenced. From January to March is the best tim© to do Egmont. New Plymouth and the'Mokau River are reported to -have secured a very satisfactory share of tho holiday traffio, and -Kapier too— About AVellington the tourist, local "and overseas has been a great deal in evidence. Large numbers have spent a good deal of time in the.city, and a very great proportion of the whole of the New Zeland tourist business passed through this city. Plimmerton and tho Sounds district have been the chosen retorts of many "Wellingtonians who have not desired to go far afield.