MR T. MACDONALD, M.P., WARNS TRAMPERS

Lake County Mail, Issue 35, 4 February 1948, Page 2

MR T. MACDONALD, M.P., WARNS TRAMPERS

Experienced Guide at Queenstown? Having returned froip a hiking trip to Lower Hollyford, Big Bay, and Martin’s Bay, Mr T, Macdonald M.P., told the “Mail” last week that he was in complete agreement with an article published in our last issue. The, article stated that several trampers had '■ run into unexpected difficulties because they had not secured accurate information before undertaking their trip. Tramping was becoming very popular in the Southern Lake district, Mr Macdonald said, and he felt that there was an urgent need for a qualified and experienced alpinist who is thoroughly familiar with the tracks and capable of going over them to be stationed at Queenstown for this purpose. He had come across a party trying to follow an inaccurate hand-drawn map. The map showed a track which did not exist, and it would only be a matter of time before somebody was in serious difficulty. He estimated that about 200 people had visited Lake McKerrow this year, and described it as a “fit tramper’s paradise a phrase he had seen in tile visitors’ book there. He did, however, emphasise the word “ fit.”