MANY TRIALS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22774, 7 July 1937, Page 16

MANY TRIALS

YOUNG AUCKLANDER JOURNEYS IN AUSTRALIA HARDSHIPS EXPERIENCED Few Now Zealanders at the ago of 23 have crowded into their lives a hazardous sea trip in a 32-foot auxiliary ketch across the Tasman Sea, and then led a nomadic life for 12 months or more in the wilds of Australia, but these were the experiences of Mr. Lon. Campbell, who returned to Auckland by tho Maunganui from Sydney yesterday. He was one of the four who manned tho American ketch Idle Hour on its 21-dav voyage from Auckland to Sydney in February, 1036. Tho story of tho voyage of tho Idle Hour and its crew has been fully told by Mr. Dwight Long, tho young American university student who owned and navigated the ketch, and by Mr. Ivan Palmer, an Auckland journalist who was 'One of the crew. Mr. Campbell shared their experiences across tho Tasman —the sleepless nights, the discomfort of working in sodden clothing that could not be dried, the anxiety of being buffeted by tremendous seas—and after lie left tho boat at Sydney he met with experiences which, while perhaps not so breathtaking, left a deep impression on him. Across Australia When he left Sydney, ho said, he went to South Australia, where ho hoped to obtain a job on one of the wheat sailing vessels which yearly engage in a race to London. He was disappointed to find all tho ships had been fully manned. By this time lie had very little money left, and he resolved to see Australia by obtaining work on cattle stations, in bush camps and in various branches of the mining industry. By getting rides for part of the journey ho made his way across various States, often with little food and less money. He suffered the pangs of hunger, tho biting cold of the Blue Mountains in New South Wales, and the terrific heat of the Northern Territory. In the tropic regions ho encountered snakes and nearly lost the \iso of a leg through being' bitten by a poisonous spider. Work on Goldflelds Mr. Campbell worked on^ the goldfields of Top Bingra, in New South Wales, for a short time, ho said, but the life there "was pretty hard," and after several weeks of trying his luck he left for other parts. He did odd jobs at Cairns, Brisbane and Townsville, and then made a train journey to Mount Isa, about 700 miles away. Ho found temporary work on sugar and banana plantations, went to the famous Charters Towers goldflelds, which saw many a gold rush in the earlv days, and worked for a while in the silver and lead mines. He says lie remained at work only until the wanderlust became too strong an urge. The Auoklander estimates that he covered about 20.000 miles of Australian territory. Ho says he "stole" trips on trains across the more isolated parts of the interior, and was given motorcar rides here and there between places where ho sought employment that would give him sufficient money to keen him in food, and allow him a small sum for emergencies. He and an adventurous South African of his own age joined forces, and they shared their resources and their experiences in many out-of-the-way places.