Hokitika Guardian & Evening Star WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25th. 1920

Hokitika Guardian, 25 February 1920, Page 2

Hokitika Guardian & Evening Star WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25th. 1920

| A discarded resort, The reply of the Hon. Minister for Tourist and Health Resorts on the subject of improving the road to Lake Kanieri proves one of two things. Either the Hon. Mr Nosworthy, is ignorant of the natuial beauties of Lake Kanieri and its surroundings, or else is determined to treat Westland in the same way as his predecessors in office, as the Cinderella district of the Dominion Tourist Department. We fear that our charge against the Minister must lie under the second heading, a rather deliberate attempt on the Minister’s part to keep up the almost total indifference of the Department to the natural attractions of Westland. It was Lord Glasgow, when Governor of this colony, who spoke so glowingly of the remarkable beauties of Lake Kanieri, and its surroundings. Since then many Government publications have extolled the beauteous; features of the lake country, and distributed many fine photographs showing views of the locality. Mr Will Lawson who has travelled i much in the Dominion, in his booklet issued only last year, describes Lake . Kanieri as “one of the loveliest—it would be difficult to find a more charming lake than Lake Kanieri.” Jsvid_ 1 e-nce of thi s nature might be repeated ( by the colujrpp, but sufficient has been said to prove its natural beauty and unsurpassed -splendour. -Then as to its potentialities, we know that already in , quite a minor way hydro-electric pow,cr is derived from its store of pent lup wafers. As one of the Ohautauqua lecturers remarked the other day, , Like Kanieri is so situated as fo be possible of development into a source ! of great power—and this is an olbviou.s i fact. When, therefore, Mr Nosworfchy puts pen to paper, and records i that “neither the immediate nor prospective potentialities of Lake Kanieri; as, a national tourist r.esorjh warrant the expenditure” for an improved ‘road, he misstates the facts and shows glaringly ignorant of outstanding truths which he, as a responsible Minister carrying on the administration (if the counfry should be familiar with.

Lake Kanieri has .wonderful possibilities as a tourist re-sort. Its attractive beauty is such, that given the facilities for ready and safe traffic, streams of tourists and holiday makers will find their way to Lake Kanieri. A push ypad. is necessary right round the lake side, with access to upper Dorothy fails improved. Above all facilities should J)e given to reach the summit of Ait, I'll hue- overlooking the lake, whence a most expansjyp mountain and seaward outlook is attainable. At ltotorua and the Cold Lakes no expenditure if deem, ed t-oo much to cater for tourists. The same applies to the road up Mt Egmont, and to the costly buildings there, find at the Hermitage. Nothing of this character is done for Westland. On the contrary, the Minister pooh poohs a reasonable expenditure for good road access, and robs the district of the chance of competing with the other more Government favored places of the Dominion. We trust the Minister’s dictum will not lie quietly accepted, hut on the contrary a strong protest, and a fresh application will he made to ensure a measure of fair treatment.