IN SOUTH WESTLAND

Hokitika Guardian, 6 March 1930, Page 7

IN SOUTH WESTLAND

0 DISTRICT ENGINEER'S report

ill* A. Johnston, District Engineer to liti’ Public Woriv.s, woo lias just returned Imm a Visit of inspection ol Aoiiili West! ;'j ul, stated licit, witli tiie exception ol ii lew short stretches the highway in Smith Westland, to Weh.elca was m good order. Oil cue or two of tlie narrow sections below Ross widening had been recently carried out and additional turnouts provided. If the Highways Hoard could make additional funds available it was proposed to improve sections further. On the Hnkitika-W’aiho highway the last remaining stream of any size was McDonald’s creek, which was now being bridged, and it was anticipated that the work would, be sufficiently advanced in a few weeks’ time to permit of cars crossing.

Materials for five other smaller bridges were on order and the erection of these would be put in band immediately after the completion of McDonald's Creek bridge l . Though these imbridged streams were carrying a fair amount of water during periods of heavy rain, none of them was likely to bold up ears for more than a few hours. Tin? position therefore, so far as the southern highway was concerned, was that, possibly, before the end of this month visitors to Wailio need not anticipate any difficulty either coming or going. Retween Wailio and Welieka the Oinoeroa stream, which had field up many motorists in the past bad now been bridged, and open for traffic.

At Dooherty’s creek the pile-driving for the new bridge had been completed and every endeavour was lining made to open the bridge for traffic at the earliest possible date. Two smaller streams, which normally, were easy enough to cross, O’Connor’s creek and •Stillwater Creek, would be bridged before next season.

The Great South road beyond Welicka was now in hand, as an unemidovmont relief work. The first section formation up to the Fox river, was practically completed, while contracts had been lot for most of the work between Fox and Cook rivers. A number of the unemployed were also'engaged in widening and improv•m'nt works between Wailio and Welieka.

In connection with the Fox Glacier tourist resort the formation of a track into Lake A'lathieson had been completed, and the trip to this lake, which commanded a wonderful view of the Alps.- was well worth the undertaking. A temporary suspension bridge over tin; Fox river enabled tourists to make full use of the recently-formed track to a point on the glacier behind Co~i rock.

A substantial permanent footbridge was norv in course of construction. At the Frans Josef Glacier tourist resort a new track was recently completed up Cana van’s Knob.—which commanded some beautiful views of the

mountains, of the Wailio river, and of Lake Mapourikn. i At both the Franz Josef and the Fox glacier resorts the tourist tracks generally were in excellent order. This lms been one of the best years for tlie rata bloom ever experienced in the Soutli. In tliis connection the District Engineer stated that lie bad never seen anything liner in New Zealand and visitors lmd ail remarked on the profusion of the blooms, which, at the present tinm, provided an additional charm and interest to the trip, which at any time, never failed to interest tlie visitor.