The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. SATURDAY, DKCEMBER 29, 1928. FURTHERING TOURIST TRAFFIC.

Hokitika Guardian, 29 December 1928, Page 4

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. SATURDAY, DKCEMBER 29, 1928. FURTHERING TOURIST TRAFFIC.

Onk ot the needs of the town bro light up during the holidays now current, is the- fixing of a camping ground for motorists. At present touring motorists who are enjoying an out of door Lour after a year of otliee work, prefer to camp in the open rather than take pot luck at hotels, which is the inevitable experience at this time of the year when the hotels are full of regular holiday visitors patronising the sports in progress The Automobile Associations of which the membership in the several provinces is now very large, make it a point of organising these country wide tours, and naturally those touring are attracted where the conveniences for camping en route are ot a somewhat satisfactory character. As a consequence many of the smaller towns of the Dominion now feature camping grounds for touring motorists, and naturally such centres are being well patronised, and accordingly well advertised. Hokitika has so many reserves liere that it should not he diffi-

cult to select a camping site for the touring motorists, where with water laid on and perhaps facilities for a shower or a plunge bath, and of course lavatory conveniences, the resort might be very popular. Touring motorists to the Coast promises to increase in number for the reason that with the improved and improving toads to so many attractive resorts, the Westland district in particular must always enjoy a vogue, ft would appear that to ensure this popularity, more must lie noised abroad about the routes and resorts of this district, and the provincial Automobile Associations should be acquainted with all particulars in tliat category. Space should be sought in tile year hooks the Associations now issue direct to their members, as well as providing a local booklet with details of tours. Very little has been done in that direction so far, though there is ample matter to work upon both in illustration and letter press. Seeing that this coming year ail the stream crossings, at least as far as Waiho Gorge, are to be bridged, it would be a very suitable opportunity to celebrate so important an event with a special publication for motorists, and see that it was distributed far and wide. If done betimes in the coming year, next summer holidays would see a greatly enhanced number of touring motorists in Westland. If tin’s is to be undertaken there is all the more need for a local camping ground for the touring motorists, and the matter should be taken up with a goad deal of interest. At the recent meeting of the local Automobile Association the matter was mentioned in some correspondence, and it was decided to write the Hokitika Borough Council on the matter. '.Vo doubt that body will take the matter up with interest, but we should say some ndvico as to direction might lie given by the motorists themselves as to the host course to take in regard to what is evidently a much needed want. The business people should also interest themselves in this question, as it is one capable of affording much useful advertisement. for the town and district, and should lead to the place being more widely known, and so both directly and indirecLly the town and its environs attracting year by year more and more visitors.