WEST COAST SOUNDS

Evening Post, Volume CXIX, Issue 33, 8 February 1935, Page 4

WEST COAST SOUNDS

MONOWAI'S CRUISE T

AN ENJOYABLE TRIP

I At the conclusion of, the second of this season's cruises 'from Wellington fto' the South Island, the Union- Company's passenger. liner Monowai returned this morning after amost enjoyJ able trip; '<;V;, '■.'■:' ."; ' '".■ .■''.."■■ ■.'"!

"J. With: spine 350. *passehgers on board; the Mondwai-left Wellington last Mon-* day night Pfor Milford Sound and arrived; off .the- entrance early on Wed-, riesday. morning after a trip down the West Coast in glorious' weather. All the tourists were up and about to catch a. first glimpse of the entrance to this great scenic attraction, but instead of the eagerly : sbught vision of rugged mountain^peaks what met their eyes ■was a bank:'of;dense fog; they could ! not see : much' more than a ship's length ahead.: All that could be done was. to_ wait,outside the Sound for d favourable opportunity- to enter, the! steamer cruising in ' circles ■at dead slow speed; After one false start when the ;fog lifted for a moment'and then -fell again as -thick as ever," the ship "was able to proceed. Then the mists,were.suddenly.whisked awayrarid the monumental ' grandeur of wild mountain' heights reaching into cloudy fastnesses was revealed. Between bushgrownwalls the Monowai nosed her way into.the sound, the channel sometihaes narrowing to 500 yards. As the ship steamed further up the inlet thegjbry of native foliage could be seen stretching far up the mountains, presenting, a picture of wonderful delight ttf the tourists. Milford Sound is only ten miles,long,-but it holds a wealth of scenic beauty, probably unequalled in' tlie 'Southern Hemisphere--:the -Pembroke glacier,..- the; spectacular-crystal brilliance of .the Bowen and "Stirling Falls, and the sheer walls of Mitre Peak and Lion' Rock. ■....." A TRIP ASHORE. Owing to the late entry to. Milford Sound; Captain A. H; Davey decided to abandon.the. intended visit to George Sound and allow passengers who cared to; do' so to; land on the shores of ; the inlet. It was .a chance eagerly accepted, and the tourists were taken ashore in Government launches and the ship's lifeboats. Morning tea was provided at .the.-Government Hostel; and a record was established in the number of telegrams dispatched that day from the post office at Milford. The views from the shore of the lovely Bowen Falls and the Pembroke ■' Glacier amazed and delighted the travellers. ■The Monowai -left Milford at about 2 p.m., the decks being crowded with tourists feasting their eyes on the magnificent scenery. :

From Milford the Monowai proceeded, to Pelorpus, Sound in splendid weather, deck^ahiesfigynilffianas^arid a treasure hunt being conducted oil the return trip up the West- Coast, £ast night a gala dinner and a fancy dress ball were heldSih Tennyson Inlet, and early this moxiung tße%hip set": out on the final stage j^, her r to iferences were "made to the fine seamah- | ship of Captain payey in taking his ship in and out of Milford Sound and to the sery^cesikpi; the ship's staff in ensuring a! trip "of wonderful comfort and entertainment.

Results of competitions held during the cruise are.'- published on the "Women's Page. «,