HOLIDAY RESORTS

Hokitika Guardian, 22 December 1930, Page 3

HOLIDAY RESORTS

IN WESTLAND.

With the. holidays at hand, numerous excursions and picnics . will be planned lor a day’s outing, while visitors arriving here on holiday will often ask where to go and what to see. Some general information on resorts in and about - Westland will therefore be. of interest, . and serve to focus attention on many of the popular localities where nature unadorned may be. adored at her best. Lake Mahinapua in times past, waH a place for regular rendezvous. In those days the popular approach was by boat, along the canal-like stream from tlie river estuary to the lake waters. That, route has fallen largely into disuse since the advent of the railway, to a point near the lakeside, but of late Mahinapua. creek lias been cleared substantially and a boat landing provided at the lake, and the wonder is .that more boating, parties do not use the aquatic means of reaching the. lake.. Now that motor boats have remedied the, necessity for plying the oars, it is all the more wonderful that the trip by water is not oven more popular than of yore. It is strange that during the holiday period -at least, motor, boat, trips are not advertised as tlie regular moans for tlie coolest and pleasantest of picnic outings.

.As indicated above, the railway in , .the fi'rtst instance robbed the creek of t its. patronage. Travelling by rail is of' course, easier, quicker, and cheaper, , and larger parties may oganise. Next ,‘TSundav, for- instance;-' the-- -Railway Department is organising a special excursion from Greymouth through to the lake, picking up passengers by the wav. This special outing is sure to be well patronised. Lake Mnhinapua and itf environs constitute ideal surroundings for mass picnics— I there is so much room and opportunity , for variety of pastime. The -train* lands passengers in full view of open paddocks where all kinds of games and snorfs are possible. Nearby can be heard the roll of. the ocean, and ; there is a pleasant breezy sea beach - on which to disport or enjoy sea bath- ! ing. Mahinapua. Lake when approached by rail, is reached by a short walk through a delightful, hush, glade, which is a writable fairvlnnd prepared bv nature itself. Tt is a most entrancing walk through the native 1 bush, 'with a wonderful natural j

fernery by tlie track side.. Tlie Lake i itself is completely bush-girt, • and .has | numberless Conors of sylvan .beauty. | A motor boat can explore all the nooks and corners with the greatest corn fort to picnic parties, yet this means is absent all too often. From the shores of the lake-, a fine panoramic view of the Southern Alps is , obtainable, one of the finest known South or Mirror Creek flows into the: lake at its lower end. This was once the gem of Westland in scenic re-j flections, but the glory of the tall timber has departed, with the wonderful reproductions ' mirrored into dark waters, of the creek. , The reflections of' nature were wonder fill ■ 'in their life-like accuracy. Boating on the lake is a plea.sing diversion for picnic folk, and sailing conditions are pefi- | sible often. i

There is vet another method of reachincr Lake Mahinapha, and that is by the modern means' of transport —the motor vehicle. The drive is by way of .Riniu and the Ross road to the half-way peg, and thence by the Huatapu.road through the township where stands one of the largest operating sawmills in the district, and thence continuing toy" road alongside the railway to the bush road 1 junction, and so hy motor vehicle all the way to the lake-side. This trip nui\ be varied at choice, by travelling via tlve R,imu Flat dredge, and- so by Adair’s road to the Ross road a diversion which adds to the interest of the trip, particularly for visitors. The road is good throughout, portion of the Ruatapu section 'being considerably improved of late. The motoring party may thus make the journey in quick, comfortable time, right to the shores of the lake' and there enjoy the beau tv of the surroundings and the, novelty 'of the very pleasant ingNext article, Lake Kanieri.