THE HAAST PASS AND BEYOND

Hokitika Guardian, 19 November 1929, Page 7

THE HAAST PASS AND BEYOND

LECTURE BY MR ERIC JAIMES

(Otago Daily Times.)

Mr Eric James, of Makarora, who is

at present engaged in a publicity campaign on behalf' of the Westland Progress League, the Westland Tourist Association, and the Upper Clutfia Progress League in connection with the opening up of the country beyond the Haast Pass as a tourist resort, gave another interesting lecture at the Returned Soldiers’, Association on Thursday evening. The lecture, which was illustrated by a series of about 200 lantern slides, was fully appreciated by the audience, which was a fairly large one. Mr J. S. Skinner occupied the chair, and introduced the lecturer.

Mr James said he would deal first of all with the early history of .the district. The first that was known of it was when gold was discovered there. This led to the forming of tracks, and the country was gradually opened up to the mining settlements of Gillespie’s Beach, Bruce Bay Beach, Paringa, and the Okuru Haast diggings, the lastnamed having been discovered by Mr George Housing, a well-known writer. Air James went on to detail the proposal that had been set on foot to foster the method of horse traffic as a means of conveying tourists to the places of interest. This would be better than walking, as the 14 rivers and six mountain saddles to he negotiated made it a difficult route for tramping. Mr James was hopeful of seeing a motor highway formed from the bend of Lake Wanaka to the glaciers—the Fox and the Franz Josef—in the near future. He went on to describe the different beauties of Nature, mentioning that there were many rivers in the country which would offer excellent sport for the angler, and which had never yet been fished.

In conclusion, Mr James referred to several old identities of the district—notably one “ Arawata Bill” O’Leary, an old prospector who lived, for months at a time, over cO miles away from any sort of civilisation ; the mailman who brought the mail once a fortnight from the Fox Glacier down to Okuru, which was the most isolated settlement in the South Island, and others. Mr W. Watson officiated at the lantern. At the conclusion of the lecture a hearty vote of thanks was accorded to ] the speaker.