'NORTH ISLAND BOOST.'

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 12, 15 January 1929, Page 10

'NORTH ISLAND BOOST.'

NEW ZEALAND'S PUBLICITY.

INDIGNANT DUNEDIN LADY. CLAIMS OF SOUTH ISLAND. (By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.) DUNEDIN, this day.

Miss M. McFarlane, a young lady of Dunedin, who has always taken a great interest in education and in business, has returned from a world's tour with very definite impressions regarding New Zealand's publicity and its shortcomings.

In the first place, she was dismayed and astounded at the ignorance which she found to prevail in America concerning New Zealand and its people. Secondly, she was occasioned further indignation and astonishment when she learned that what publicity was being given her native land was issued solely in the interests of the North Island. Newspaper clippings which she produced proved only too conclusively that her information was perfectly correct.

"How much longer is this kind of thing to be tolerated?" Miss McFarlane asked. "Is it not time that the Government and its agents realised that the secret of New Zealand's popularity W'th tourists lies in the infinite variety of the attractions which the New Zealand Isles, treated as one. e:nbrace? Undoubtedly the country's greatest appeal springs from the onmnietu coni.rasc between North and South, the thermal regions on the one hand and the lake and mountain scenery on the cther ; iMch having characteristic sport to offer.

! The traveller stated that during her ivisit to London she saw nothing but North Island attractions advertised at the High Commissioner's office. In Sydney Miss McFarlane was given a further taste of the North Island advertising fetish. From one issue of a leading Sydney daily newspaper she clipped fqlly half a column of advertising matter, which, after hailing New Zealand as an ideal place for a holiday, extolled the weird thermal regions and made no mention whatever of the scenic beauties of the South.

"As a matter of fact," said Miss McFarlane, "the majority of the places mentioned could not possibly make such an appeal to the average Australian as the alpine glories of the South. One feels impelled to ask the question: "Who las Ibeen filling Australians up wiji a'k this fctfj felanS boosts ~~~» e v