CARAVAN TOUR.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 55, Issue 126, 9 March 1935, Page 6

CARAVAN TOUR.

"SEEING NEW ZEALAND." VISITOR FROM HANKOW. (Special to the "Guardian.") WELLINGTON, March 8. "England and New Zealand are the only two countries 1 know in the world where a man can be fully aliye and yet at ease," said Mr H. Dixon of Hankow and Tientsin, who was among the' guests at the Wellington Rotary Club's luncheon yesterday. Mr Dixon speaks with authority. He has visited every country in the world, save South America, and in most cases knows them fairly intimately. "To be alive I mean feeling well and active, which depends so much on climate," said Mr Dixon, "and by being at ease I mean one is not worried by politics or private or class prejudices and hatreds. I have, enjoyed every day of my tour, have met some charming people, and I like your country immensely. It would be tedious to say that it is beautiful or wonderful—that is taken for granted. Had it been otherwise I would not have wanted to tour it for three months. "I believe I have visited every town except some small places in the Nelson district, I know how I want to tour, as I have done it in Kenya and other countries. I just wentunto a motorfactory, bought a track and told them I wanted it converted into a caravan by the next afternoon. At first they wanted to persuade me to tour in a car with trailer, but I detailed what I wanted, canvas over a frame, and a few clamps—all done in a few hours. I also told them to furnish it with electric light and a radio. It was finished by the next afternoon as I said. It just needed to be done in the right way, only strong enough to last a few weeks. \

"I started out on November 28 from Christchurch, where I was fortunate in picking up a good driver, Peter Harris, and away we went seing New Zealand probably as'few have seen it, enjoying every minute of one of the best summers I have known. I have not slept in a New Zealand hotel or boarded a New Zealand train during my tour. Where my caravan rested was my home. I sold the truck last night—the tour was ended!" Mr Dixon, who has big raw cotton and shipping interests in China, said that the people rtf that country were slowly waking up. The hand of Japan was over everything, and it was not easy to see exactly what was going to happen. What was apparent was that Japan did not care what the rest of the world thought or did. She knew that none of the nations wanted another war at present, so she could do pretty much as she liked in her own quarter of the Pacific. Mr Dixon left for Sydney en route to Tientsin by the Maunganui yesterday.