THE WANGANELLA

Hokitika Guardian, 26 January 1933, Page 6

THE WANGANELLA

PASSING DOWN COAST

In the course of a report of the

visit of tbe Wanga.nella to Mil foul Sound, a correspondent makes the follow ing .references. The main interest of the afternoon was sighting the West Coast town--sbipM, all plainly to ho seen, a couple of miles distant. The vessel was kept

at half speed in order that Milford Sound should not be reached until Wedne-dav morning, so a splendid (fipcrtunity was given for a thorough inspection of the nigged and picturesque West Coast.

Greymouth, Hokitika, Rimu and Rods were passed in turn, a.ild the interest of these lovely little townships: for the passengers -was probably no greater than that of the shore folk, to whom the passing of so large a vessel as ’ the Wa-nganella, must have been an aveiit of unusual importance. She is probably, one 'of the largest passenger vessels,ever seen, on the West Coast.

The hopes of all on board for a view of the Southern Alps were disappointed, for thick mists hung close about tli.g rugged shoulders of the mountain ranges, dimly,'- outlined against the cloud,si ‘in the western sky. Black and forbidding were the frowning heights, dark the leagues of Westland forest that stretched from the mountains to the sea. The shore was rimmed with white lines of surf, where the breakers crashed on the long grey beaches and rocky bluffs. - • ' "- “ GLORY GiFDMOUNT COOK f. ■

Three- little white houses showed the site’of Okarito, once an important gold mining l township, with a signal -station and' liarbourniqi-iei'- of its own. Okarito is the last settlement- 'for several hundred mile? on tithe ..West •Coast; and was viewed wfitlf-greht interest by thepassengers. /

| Shcn.ly after dinner, when all hopo of seeing the mountains had been reluctantly abandoned, the heavy clouds lifted, and the .summit of Mount Cook was seen, a. shining glory in the sunset sky. A few moments later Mount Tasman and several other peaks of the ’Great- Divide lifted their snowy summits above the clouds, completing a picture of indescribable magnificence. Viewed from flip ocean, new aspects of bean y were unfolded in the vast snowfields that clothe the shoulders and huminit.s of the great mountain monarch,s, surpassing any view that can be obtained from the land. The Wanganelln- at this point was about ton miles from shore, awl, although 30 miles distant from the mountains', every detail of the snowy peaks of Cook and Tasman could he-distinguish-ed with extraordinary, clearness.