Story: South Canterbury region

Driving to the Hermitage

Driving to the Hermitage

This was one of the first cars to drive from Timaru to the Hermitage at Aoraki/Mt Cook in 1906. The party used two cars, one driven by John Rutherford and the other by Rodolph Wigley. The trip showed the district’s potential as a tourist destination, and led Wigley to found the Mt Cook Tourist Company. In 2006 a commemorative rally re-enacted the journey.

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Alexander Turnbull Library
Reference: 1/2-030458; F

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page:

John Wilson, 'South Canterbury region - Transport and towns', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/11397/driving-to-the-hermitage (accessed 2 May 2024)

Story by John Wilson, updated 1 Feb 2017