THROUGH SERVICE

Hokitika Guardian, 17 July 1929, Page 6

THROUGH SERVICE

NELSON TO WESTPORT. ■> NEWMAN’S SERVICE. (By Telegraph—Presa Association). WESTPORT, July 16. Mr Jack Newman, general manager of Newman Bros.’ Royal Mail Motor Service, who came through from Nelson on Monday, interviewed by a representative of the Westport News, gave an account of the trip. Mr Neuman stated that he left Nelson, at 5.30 on Monday' .morning, and proceeded to Murchison, ahead of the service cars which lc)ft at 8 o’clock, to make sure all arrangements were completed for the transfer of passengers at the six-mile slip.' He had arranged with Mr Lynch to use pack horses to transport passengers, baggage and mails as far. as necessary. On arrival at the six mile, they found that the water of the lake had been backed im across the road owing to heavy rain. When the service cars arrived at 12.30 p.m., with nine through passengers, a boat was obtained to ferry the people across a sheet of water 50 yards wide. This;'waif safely negotiated, the depth of the water being about five or six feet.. Normally the lake was low--r than tKefijoad. Once the tourists ueie across the lake, two pack hprscs w?je usedfefcit/tlib'hexti'four miles- tunclr, was obtained at a Puldic Works Camp, half a mile beyond the lake at 1 p.m. At tills.,point,:} three. of th^passengers, who .were-firemen going to join? their boati; [ atf Westport, ldft the party l and we nit • back to., the, car A Their liquid refreshments ' had evidently "damped their ardour for the rest of the journey. After lunch the party commenced to walk in earnest, and after negotiating terraces, bush tracks and slips, for a distance of about two and a-lialf miles, they arrived at 3.45 p.m. at the end of the walking part of the trip. Aff.or waiting for about half-an-hour they hailed with joy the appearance of a car from Reef ton. They were safely tucked on board with luggage and mails, aiufiproqeeded oh, up the Mataki-. taki Vallby7 As. the joufiney continued signs idfl filie earthquake^ ; bechme-." less' marked, the only indications being one ; or two slips in the Maruia Saddle (whiplUiis, 1780-*feet above, sea, level) ; some (if ,t)he ? couriers : are very ' sharp and ivilfdiaVeitbJbe cut away and much inn)) , ove4' : bc'fore ;the road can be used regulaidy fofi motor traffic. A pleasant run was experienced down WahWiek galley as far. as LesteHs'Acconimodatiqh House, ,wliicli . ivas reached at '5.45 p.m. Here the party had tea and started off again at 6.30 p.m., following up the Maruia River until they came to Williscrofts, where a conveyance was waiting to. haul the touiv ists across the rivpr, which was top high for the cars to negotiate. They started off again up the liahu Saddle,' and ran into snow, lying a foot deep in places. This -part .of . the '-road*. y n;ning to be very rough unless the Main Highways Board clears off the snow and does a considerable . amount of metalling. The Raliu Saddle ;is about 1800 feet above sea level. Although both the Maruia and Raliu Saddles are about the same height there was no sign of snow on the Maruia Saddle. From both of these saddles a beautiful panorama is obtained of the surrouiiding country. From the foot of Saddle tourists followed the Tnangahua River to Reefton, passing on the way old quartz mining settlements, ’"chiding the Keep-It-Dark, Progress. Wealth of Nations, and others, arriving at Reeffton at 9.30 p.m. The section from Springs Junction to Reefton, says Mr Newman, is undoubtedly . the prettiest of the whole trip and equals in grandeur the best parts of the far-famed Buffer Gorge. The final lap to Westport was begun at 10 p.m., and the arrival at ‘Westport was made fit 12.30 Mr New-. m-11 added it was intended to proceed with a • daily‘service by this route, and it was hoped to cut down travelling time by at’'least ’three hours, ’ and eventually when the slip is cleared and a through-run with one ear is obtained, to do the trip from Nelson to Reefton in 1-1 hours, and to "Westport in 134 hours. In summer time and under favourable conditions the times will lie ■ improved much further. The extra distance from Nelson to nestport is 63 miles, while the Maruia route will prove useful as an emergency. The need ifor hastening with the reopening of the old Lyell route cannot lie stressed too much. Asked regarding the Old Man of + l ’-> Buffer, one of the outstanding features of the Buffer Gorge route, Mr Newman stated that there was no apparent change when viewed from the Bullor River side (the old route), but on Maruia side, big slips were noticed. This gave rise to the belief that this notable landmark was obliterated.