WAIHO GORGE

Hokitika Guardian, 26 July 1930, Page 2

WAIHO GORGE

■MORE RAPID ACCESS. MR PETER GRAHAM’S PLAN. Wit.li the co-operation of the Railway Department and a motor service Air Peter Graham hopes to brin; AVaiho Gorge and the Franz Jose! Glacier within one day’s journey oi Christchurch. This would greatly increase the value of the Glacier as a tourist resort, enabling visitors t( spend there the extra days which ar< now' occupied in the train journey tc and from Hokitika. It is Air Graham’s plan that visitor from Christchurch should leave the train at Otira, making the rest of tin trip to AVaiho Gorge by service-car the same day. For the return, they W'oulc travel from AVaiho to .Otira befor< boarding the train. At present., thin ini mum time for the trip, allowing only one day at the Gorge, is five oi even six. days. The change would reduce this minimum to three days. AMPLE TIME FOR. TRIP. On a recent trip to Christchurch, Air Graham himself tested out his scheme. Leaving AVaiho at 4.30 a.m. in his own car, lie reached Hokitika at 8.10 a.m, spending an hour there for breakfast. He arrived at Otira at 11,15 a.,m., joined the train there at 1 p,m. and reached Christchurch at 5 o’clock the same evening. His total travelling time by car was 5 hours 4c minutes and a service-car, he suggest' could improve considerably on this time. A service-car leaving AVaiho at 7 a.m, would, with a stop at Hokitika for breakfast, reach Otira in time to connect with the express. For the journey from Christchurch, he hopes to persuade the Railway Department to dispatch the West Coast express at about 8,45 a.m., so that it would arrive at Otira about 12.45 p.m. After lunching there, passengers for AVaiho could leave by car, and would reach their destination in time for dinner at 7 p.m. i PRESENT POSITION UNSATISFACTORY. At present the position was not very satisfactory. Whereas service-cars left AVaiho on Sundays, Tuesdays, and Fridays the AVest Coast express left, Hokitika on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. This difference meant that unless a passenger left the Gorge by Friday’s car he would have to spend, not one, but two nights in Hokitika. In many cases, the trip took six days, with only one day at AVaiho. Such a long travelling time was inconvenient, not only for individual tourists, but also for parties of excursionists. Air Graham, who is now in Christchurch, will leave for Wellington tomorrow to interview the General Manager of Railways (Mr H. H. Sterling), in the hope of having the necessary changes made in the service to fit in with his scheme. “Alore time at AVaiho —and less wasted time in travelling,” is how r Air Graham looks upon the change.