TOURISTS.

Taranaki Daily News, 17 March 1919, Page 2

TOURISTS.

(To the Editor.; Sir,—On Sunday last i visited the Str&tfora Mountain House with a friend from InvercargiU, and cannot compliment the National Reserve Board on the condition of the road leading to the Mountain House, or the state of the accommodation houses. The road is really dangerous in places for motor traffic, as the board has allowed the water tables to fill up, causing the water to run over the road, washing out the soil from about the old roots, arid making ruts In the road so that an ordinary car will be bumped underneath at the engine, while in other places the road is so narrow that there Is no room to dodge the ruts, owing to timber having been felled and pushed aside, and it Is now covered with a kind of undergrowth, so it is really dangerous to get too near to it. I consider it is a sheer waste of public money to spend more on this road unless it is taken properly into hand, and the water tables kept perfectly clear. The metalled portion of the road is also in a very bad state of repair, for what between the stones and old roots sticking up the tyres are torn to pieces, and motorists who intend going up should consider this before attempting to do so. The Mountain House is large, and there is plenty of room for accommodation, but the bedding seems to be lying on the floor, some of the stretchers having the canvas cat out of them. One window is pushed out, the glass all broken, and the verandah floor of one of the houses has apparently been used for firewood.' Then' they have a place called, the "Crow's Nest," the ladder to which is made of sapling timber and is now rotten, and is in such a dilapidated state that it la very dangerous Indeed for anyone to attempt to climb It. 1 might also say, to motorists in particular, tbaf, although the road is soufyi'threo miles long from the gate to the. Mountain House/the board in its wisdom has not seen fit.to make-any space ftr;;cars passing; pt turning on the.orack, so that <Jftfce:you are; on;-the track you ljaisse to go to the top whetfce*/you,: like fu.or ntft; " It would appear, therefore* that, thro<i|h parochial 'lnterests -public 4af';belng in attempting-% mjthe 40uriats' ; then allowing them to get into such a neglected and dilapidated state as this one appears to be in Thanking youJn anticipation, and trusting that in the 'interest* .-of tourists you will find space let this lettettin s&)£<columns.—l am, etc./ .... ~,,, , "TOURIST/'