The Haast is in South Westland

The Haast means many things to many people. To the motorist the Haast Pass is the last link of a new transalpine highway from South Westland to Otago or vice versa, a route that makes possible the long-awaited South Island round trip.

To the road engineer, the Pass presented a problem that involved years of patient striving, the use of modern machinery, and the expenditure of vast sums of money. To the politician it represented the target of vociferous pressure groups on both sides of the Main Divide. To the stalker the Haast was the home of fine deer herds and trophies. To the mountaineer it promised great mountains, and great glaciers guarded by a dangerous river. To the settler it promised prosperity. To the tourist it promised glimpses of forest, lake, mountain and coastal scenery, facinating beyond description. The promises are now fulfilled.

Until 1965 the Haast region had been isolated for many years. Now that the road links the West Coast with Otago and completes a road circuit of the South Island, the Haast will be visited annually by many thousands of motorists and bus travellers. The superb scenery that they see is most usefully supplemented by the history of brave endeavour recorded in THE HAAST IS IN SOUTH WESTLAND.

- from the inside cover.

Published by A.H. & A.W. Reed, 1968.
Good secondhand condition. Slight foxing.
Dust-jacket creased in places and a bit discoloured, small chunks missing from the top and bottom of the spine.