EVERYONE ABROAD.

Auckland Star, Volume LI, Issue 309, 28 December 1920, Page 5

EVERYONE ABROAD.

— _ AUCKLAND IN HOLIDAY MOOD. MEMORABLE BOXING DAY. PICNICS AND OUTING-. Perfect weather called all Auckland into the open air yesterday, and Boxing Day, 1920, will go down in holiday records as a standard of all that a summer outing should be. People were abroad in their thousands and the art of picnicking was practised with a vim that has never been equalled even in such a pleasureloving place _s Auckland. A tremendous number of people spent a strenuous day between the totalisator and the grandstands and other points of vantage at Ellerslie, and some indication of the buoyant state of the finances of the citizens is to bo found in the £154,000 that passed through the electrically-worked oracle consulted by the devotees with race-card in their hands, hope in their hearts, and in their pockets a purse that has an irritating habit of getting lighter in inverse ratio to the number of the race. It is estimated that fully 40,000 people found their pleasure at our colonial equivalent of Monte Carlo, but this left swarms of families to scatter themselves over the beaches and visit the many parks in and around Auckland. It"was an ideal day for a jaunt to the seaside with family and hamper filled with some of the good things left over | from the previous day's feast. On the Manukau, and right round the Waitemata the sandy beaches were dotted thickly with old and young in summer garb, and though the spring tide did not suit bathers on the Waitemata it was all the better for anxious mothers with adventurous broods as they could watch their small fry paddling and sand-larking without thinking each moment that John Willie or Mary Ellen was in imminent need of the Royal Humane Society. Train, tram, motor.bus, ferry and other public carriers had a strenuous but profitable day of it, and as one watched the well-dressed pros-perous-looking crowds flocking hither and thither, one realised that the reported slump in trade had not yet reached this part of the Empire. And it must be remembered that in addition to the swarms of people who passed in and out of the city yesterday there were thousands more away yachting and launching and under canvas. Auckland has a great fleet of sailing craft and motor launches, and yesterday there was hardly a sail left on the Waitemata; every owner was away with his party. Some made for tbe bays of Waiheke, others went across to the Coromandel coast, while there was the usual big fleet at Kawau and adjacent pleasure resorts, and the "northern cruise," which means anything up as far as Whangaroa, is this year being made by quite a number of yachts and launches. During last night the wind backed round in an ominous way from the southward to the north-west, and a cloudy sun-rise made the weather-wise doubtful about the rest of the week. When light rain began to fall during the morning the prospect was even more depressing. The holiday announcements for the week begin of course with the Davis Cup matches to bo played Wednesday, Thursday* and Friday on the Domain. Of racing there is enough to suit the keenest punter— trotting at Epsom on Thursday and Friday, and the continuation of the Ellerslie meeting to-morrow and on New Year's Day. Other sports fixtures include the boxing tournament on Thursday, and a rifle meeting at Penrose on January 1 and 3. For the week-end the train and excursion arrangements are somewhat on the lines of the last weekend, with the exception that on New Year's Day there are special attractions. BOXING DAY IN HAMILTON. (By Telegraph.—Own __T_gm__—t.) HAMILTON, this day. Christmas passed off successfully in Hamilton. The chief attractions were excursions by the large new shallowdraught steamer Ma-nuwai, licensed for four hundred passengers, just put in -commission by the Waikato Shipping (Company. The vessel was crowded | with picnickers on each trip, and hundreds were left behind yesterday, disI appointed. Tbe lake reserve was also ;a favourite pleasure resort, where large numbers found enjoyment in bathing and boating. The Auckland Waterside Band opened its tour here on Sunday, and had a great reception. The police report a quiet time during the holidays, and an entire absence of drunkenness and disorder. TAURAiNGA REGATTA POSTPONED. (By Telegraph.—'Press Association.) TAURANGA, this day. Glorious weather prevailed over tbe holidays, but the weather was the hottest experienced for many years. The annual regatta was to have been held to-day, but heavy rain was falling and the event was postponed till New Year's Day. NAPIER'S ANNUAL FESTIVAL. Napier's great annual festival, Mardi Gras, opened yesterday in glorious weather. The city was throngled with visitors. A procession along the Marine Parade was witnessed by thousands. The outstanding feature of the arena events in Nelson Park in the afternoon was the open air boxing for the amateur championships. . The night session was attended by thousands of masked revellers, and many participated in the lantern parade. Dancing on the park was kept up till a late hour. It is raining today.