IN SOUTH WESTLAND

Hokitika Guardian, 18 January 1933, Page 4

IN SOUTH WESTLAND

Tourist traffic to South Westland has been maintained since the holidays, the visitoiij including many oversea travellers. The roads have been in ex. cellcnt order, and now that practically all the streams are bridged, there has not been any interruption to traffic. IJie latest bridge spans Hende’s Face truik where an unfortunate double fatality occurred about, a. year ago.

v\ o t Kinui’s u imps are now being established at Waitangi where a lar fc .e stop bank estimated to. cost £6OOO is l.j ue put in, to prevent the river hooding! education endowment block. Unemployment labour is being util.sed for the work, married,.pi e n being employed. f J he "wont is expected to extend over several months.

Tha Waitangi river in the vicinity of th e traffic bridge i<s again causing concern. The main stream has defied the protection work and barricades, and is again • )atta c king the northern approach to the bridge. Remedial measures are being carried out as far as possible, but with the recurring floods •in. this shifty river bed, it is impossible to foretell what might happen. The late storm damage on Okarito road has now been repaired, and the road is again in good order for traffic. The County plant has now been moved to the Matainui district, and later will be at Harihari where Petersen road ?.s to be graded aiid a culvert put in on the road. ■. ■>..

Expectations at Okarito in regard to permanent harbour, improvements ora expected to be realised in the near future;" An .Auckland syndicate i>3 negotiating with the Government for a franchise to improve the harbour, and as a r € sult timber and mining developments on a considerable scale in that vicinity will follow. Some minor protection work is contemplated at present to hold the river mouth at a permanent outlet, and if this is successful a larger .scheme will be undertaken. The prospects for important developments in the Okarito district are very promising.

The aeroplane landing at Waiho Gorge is now well advanced and was made use of by Captain Mercer ' on 'his recent thre e days’ stay .at Franz Josef. Many flights were made during the period, and the visitors hed wonderful views of the glacier and mountain range. At Weheka also, a landing ground is in course of preparation, so that visiting planes will a’so be accommodated in that locality.

Reports indicate that- good progre-s is being made with the erection of the Gillespies Beach dredge. The bulk ot the timber for the hull is being obtained in and about- Cook’s river flat, and. the skeleton of the h»dl is now well advanced. Ship’s wrightg are now engaged building'the hull, and the excavation of the dam into which the hull is to be launched, is being put in hand. Access to the. the beach by the track is being improved, the track being in need of much attention. There is now a- considerable number of wrVkmen established on the. bMch adjacent to’ the claim, from which good results are ‘expected. The dredge will be P ' l b v electric power. The power will be, developed from Lake Lyttle which js situated 700 feet high on A plateau overlooking Cook’s Flat. A tunnel 25 chains m length to tap the lake is in couree of construction, and about a fifth of 'the distance has be e ii pierced. Lake Uy e provides a new scenic attraction, and from the elevation fine views of the mountains and notable P eak s are ob * t tainable. The electric line will tr»vew e . ]o W e r Cook’s Flat and th e construction ■ is now being arranged.