A LONG WALK.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 78, 3 April 1939, Page 14

A LONG WALK.

From End to End of The Dominion Monarch.

"There's an accommodation gangway down aft, madam," said an official-look-ing man with a vague wave of his hand. The lady tourist in the Dominion Monarch looked puzzled. "Down aft!"

"Yes, down aft," repeated tlie officiallooking man with another wave in the general direction of aft.

"Thank you," replied tlie bewildered passenger, looking aft with a solemn expression, "thank you very much, but I think I'll wait here until the proper

gangyay is fixed."

Fortunately, however, there was a bell boy handy, and with a cheerful grin he' stepped forward and offered his services as guide, thus depriving the lady of the privilege of watching the Auckland Harbour Board experiment with the latest of gangway devices. The lady was truly wire in her hesitation. It would have been a long walk to take alone, but with a cheerful bell boy things were different. He knew his way from one end of the ship to the other —in fact he knew a lot, for to know the Dominion Monarch backwards is no small thing. Like Compact, Modern City. The interior of the Dominion Monarch is like an extremely compact modern city. Everything in the way of necessity and entertainment is provided, and a remarkable amount of space is given to lounges and entertainment accommodation. For the cocktail hour there is the i intriguing palm lounge complete with i bar. Situated on the promenade deck, it S extends practically the full width of the iship, and from its enormous window* i passengers can obtain a perfect view of ! their general surroundings. An interesting feature of the Palm court is the white sycamore motif of the cocktail bar. while the tropical scenes which form a mural decoration look truly attractive in their settings of shady palm trees. An entirely different atmosphere is created by the furnishings of the drawing room." Here white quilted satin curtains and silky golden net give a modern French' atmosphere, and the simplicity of the walnut furniture is emphasised by the off white deep pile caqx-t. ' The main lounge of the ship, one of its outstanding features, is 73 feet long and .">8 feet wide. The furniture of this lounge, too, is of ample proportions and provides comfort and ease. The entire decorative scheme of the lounge is unostentatious and restful. The general panelling is of Canadian block elm veneer and the draped curtains in fawn tonings add to the note of simplicity. An interesting feature of this room is a panel designed by the late Mr. Duncan Carse. The theme portrayed is "speed." and the panel depicts the cliffs and scenery of England at one end extending across the water to the other side, where New Zealand flora is portrayed. Tudor Days Atmosphere. Undoubtedly one of the most popular parte of the ship is the smoking room. This room is period in design, and a definite atmosphere of the Tudor days ie created by the large fireplaces faced in rough plaster and the massive beams of oak which decorate the ceiling. Tapcstriee and Persian ruge add to the charm of this room, and the furniture, too, has an old world atmosphere. As a contrast to the smoke room, the children's play room is essentially modern. Here the walls are decorated with gaily coloured humorous figures and animals which together with the painted cane chairs and tables make an attractive setting for children's games of make believe. The dining room, which seats 2SO people comfortably, is furnished with sycamore armchairs upholstered in leather. The large windows in this room provide the diners with an excellent view, and modern air conditioning and heating processes add to the general comfort.