The World's Best.

Hokitika Guardian, 22 March 1923, Page 4

The World's Best.

NEW ZEALAND SCENERY. “J see the Canadian Government haagreed to take Hit'll Swiss farmers into its country, but what I should like to see would he the importation of a hundred Swiss hotel-keepers to teach the young New Zealanders the art ol hotei-keepiiitr,” said Air Julian Grande, the well-known journals-t and alpinist, to ;t “Lyttelton Times'' lepresentnlive.

Mr (!rail'll' Las I in New Zealand lor the past two months, most of this time in the Soiiili Maud. lie lias spent some lime in the Soil! hern Alps, and early in tile month he made llu' first, west to east traverse of the .Mill- j arets and the Dr In Heeke peak. The next week In- made the hirst ascent of the unnamed M-dte-l peak of the Trial. . and this he named liarnieoat. after his late wife. ('on-l anre. daughter ol th" lion .1. \V. liarnieoat. of .Yelson. Mr Orande has seemed some wondetfiil photographs of this new traverse, as well as of the peak, and tlicv will ho shown at a lecture to he tdven next Monday under the auspices; of the Y.M.C.A. fspenkiim of his trio In the West Const., Mr f.'rando said there was no scenery in the world as far as lie had seen ■ and lie had seen mtieli and knew the Kaiss, Italian and l''i'ene!i resorts

I nun eml i.l eml - 1 lint com pa red with that ill New Zealand. !1" A in- in New Zealand are more suite ! im explorers ibau amateur climbers. The glaciers in New Zealand am gin nt* compared with tiio-e "I Sw i: -.ei la in I, and l here is im glaeiei in *be sin- or I'ri'iieli Alps that ciiiii- " in I'm-m or beaut \ wit h t lie I'ranz. Jnsel, and lliore is eertainli nc ehieii r in Fitmnc ! ' at has ;■ hut sprin • ; - be b n tom. *l*l a■ peaks and pas-,.< m l be 1 1 1!i New hind Alp- are only '■u:ta ! i|c nr experl climbers with firstclass guides. "Tin. one thing (hat is lacking" ■aid Air Cramle. 'is good hotels. At present there are only two climbing cell ires Irmn which ascents can he 'cade .lie ai The Hermitage and the . , at ,|,e Wniho (Jnrage.“ lie n..I.ieed several other elimhing ecu Ims wlieie Itotels could very well be put. Kcicrring to tin- cost of alpine hotel aeeoiiiinodat ion b" -aid that he did not complain of the price, but the nre.immodatiiin in .■Switzerland was I(10 per cent hotter. The same aeeommndation would probably cost ,]ieie ahold seven sliillings a day. New Zealand had a great future before it It it would set about encouraging teiirists. fsw it zerland hefore the war had four million tourists annually, ami supposing that each spent that means tg'-l!.o ! >n.riL(i hut in tin

I cmnurv. r, ’l;(- 1-1 - wei'c IA ,00(1 people ell - ■ -11 1 m (he hu-iiicss. and ii t the tnuiisis left each Cl in tips that - would mean a further L‘1.000,000 Tin-re were 0000 litoel- and pensions in a oouiiti'v alimit ipiarter the size of New Zc ill,ltd. 'tr flrande. who will remain in Now Zealand until Afa; . i- a rerugllised ■ am ! '.u'ii v mi alp- and inimutain climb ing. During tlv la -1 twenty-tiro icar-' lie cliiul.“d the EtPOPi'an Alp- from cue to end ascending the most flifit. i:i; 1 real . imm dilTereni si" erai i lines, X, l l onlv is he an alinuist ol the lir-t or'ii r. but also an explorei and Oriental scholar, having spent a coiisidorah!.. jitne in exploral ions among tic gigantic m,hi ll ii• 11 1 .of Egypt. in c-a-iiaii 'U- in the |!nlv Land, and in ■-: 11 ’f-. i>li !;c niarvel- and invsteries cl Uetra and l-idmon .Mr Grande -pen! mo-i his t;IV. Joiiafl a- , u-respondent t o ttrit i-?= i lew -1 ia [ifi's and during Hie war lie ; ml w':" were engaged voluiriari!\ in iceioria'it work for the British <b v.'i niiietih.