ALPINE ADVENTURES

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2896, 7 October 1916, Page 15

ALPINE ADVENTURES

MT. : OOOK - REGION IN THE ' "MOVIES."

Why New Zealand has! not been thoroughly advertised throughout the world by means of .tho "movies" is a constant sourco of surprise to many. Weekly wo seo many scenic films of plaoes that are ..iiot to be compared with Now Zealand from a sccnic point of view, and we are all interested' in sucli. How much more interest, then, would the grandeur of our magnificent lake and mountain scenery creato all over tho world sif the "movies',','were utilised as they could be. An idea of how wo are neglecting our chance was given a number of people yesterday morning, when some very beautiful, novel, and impressivo moving pictures of tho famous Mount Cook district were privately shown at the King's Theatre. They ivero taken by Mr. S. B. Taylor (tho. Agricultural Department's photographer and cinema expert) for the Tourist Department, and are a credit to him, seeing that ho had never visited the district before, and, knew not its cinema conditions. There are 'about 2800 ft. of film in all, and it took just about, half an hour to rim through the, machine: As a matter of fact, Alpine scenery does not lend itself to cinematography, as up among the glaciers and mountain tops all is so still and white that, barring the movements of the Mack figures of the party making tli© trip with' the operator, there is little movement or action to record other than that made by the revolving camera. Tho. pictures, photographically, are splendid, and, as a beginning, should attract-many holidaymakers during the approaching season. The Eoenario embraces a trip 'from Timaru, via Favrlio and Lake Pukaki, to tho Hermitage, and over the Alps into Westland by way of the Copeland Pass (the "Great Divido"), on to AVaiho, then back by way of the Franz Josef Glacier and Graham's Saddle to tho Canterbury sido again. Tho character of this region of Alpine wonders isfinely conveyed. A party is depicted leaving the Hermitage, and' next one sees them battling across the ice-crags of the Tasman Glacier to the Ball Hutt. and then to the sombre Malta !Bruu Hut, from which altitude glorious panoramas of the Tasman Glacier and tho Alps from Hochstotter Dome to Mount Cook arc shown "aspiring tho' clouds." Then tho journey is pursued to tho Haast Memorial Hut, where frozen [ Nature reveals other vistas of these I, mighty rivers of ice. From Mount Amietto is shown tho great ice fields of the Alps, aiid on the plateau a party of devotees of tho ski ivero taken, sliding gracefully and falling disgracefully in the soft, snow that covers a meadow of ,i'ce. Up still higher'went the party to Ihe Copeland Pass,' where there is a rare bit of climbing to do up a haro rock face, and on the top a gentle rise/of ice, slashed'' with crevasses of no known depth—black with exceeding depth. Then down tho rugged tr'aok that is Westland. By bush and burn the, traok lie pursued to Welcomo Flat Hut, whero,. close to tho snow-line, there is a splendid 1 hot mineral spring large enough to bathe in. Thoro tho party is pictured- pursuing a- way through glorious scenery to Scott's and on to Williams's homestead, taking in tho placid beauty of Lake Mapourika, wonderful for its fringo of ferns and bush. Then 'tho picture glimpses tho Fox Glacier, the Waiho Hotel (at the foot of tho Franz Josef), shows some mighty "black and white studies" from Defiance' Hut, Mount Moltke, and the Aimer .Bivouac (at tho head of tho Franz Josef Glacier). Tho camera then'pursued its interesting way over Graham's Saddle, back into Canterbury. ' ' ' •

Tlie pictures; which ivero tliorougfily enjoyed, aro'to bo shown throughout New Zealand and Australia.