TOURIST FACILITIES.

Hokitika Guardian, 19 June 1924, Page 4

TOURIST FACILITIES.

A L’ROGRFFS RKI’OKT. .Mr L. .). Hay field, officer in charge of tlio Christchurch liraiu'li of tlu* Government Tourist Department. recently completed a tour ol the West Coast including tile Franz Josel and Fox Glaciers. 'When interviewed. Air llayfield stated he (onsidered tliaL the West Coast, particularly South Westland, held scenic beauties which must in time heroine it very valuable asset to the. Dominion generally and the West Const in particular, lie had been over all the tourist routes in the Dominion and he considers the motor trip from Iloktnlca to the Franz .Josef Glacier and twenty miles further south to the Fox Glacier, the finest combination of bus'n, alpine, lake and glacier scenery to be found anywhere. The tru> to the Fox Glacier was especially line and arrangements have been Hindi with Newman’s .Motors of Hokitika, to run regular trios to the Fox Glacier from Wailto next season. Next season Newmans will also run right through from Greymouth, thus providing enmlortahle and convenient transport l>y motor right through to the Fox Glacier. afessrs Graham Urns, have roeeutly completed a new wing to their hotel at Wailio, so that sixty people can now he com fort."lily accommodated, as a matter of fact its many its one hundred people were at Wailto at one i time during the past season. Tenders I are now being called for the erection of a bridge over the Wailio River hut until this is completed Newman Rros are arranging to keep a car on the South side of the river. Next season it is a Iso hoped to have it regular service lo I’unalcailii, also a daily afternoon trip from Greymouth over Die Old Marsdcu Road taking approximately two hours. Visitors wdl thus he well catered for its regards sight seeing trips. The activities of (lie Tourist Department have to a certain extern been (ttrtiiiled during the iccen: "lean” years experienced by tile Dominion but with the return to "good times” at present predicted, it is hoped that more will he done to develop the .scenic resources of the Dominion. The Government .Statistician's figures show that approxinmtley S.flOl) people visited the Dominion las| year from overseas solely with the object of seeing the scenic attractions. It is considered that each of these people spent, at least (JIOO in the country—some. Americans in particular, would spend anything up to ki.lflO. From these figures it will he seen that at ’lnvery least of new money was brought into the Dominion and left here in the course of twelve months. The arrangements made for tourists and travellers of all description by the Department’:, various bureaux are becoming more popular every year—more than one world traveller has staled that the system of arranging accommodation, booking passages, etc., free of charge is the finest he has come across. -Mr Rayliehl stated that with the extra publicity given New Zealand tit the Wemhlev Exhibition and in America and Australia during this year, a considerable increase in the Tourist traffic could bo confidently looked forward to. I