COMMERCE TRAIN.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 221, 18 September 1929, Page 9

COMMERCE TRAIN.

THIS YEAR'S UNDERTAKING. ALL ARRANGEMENTS MADE. TOUR OF THE GREAT NORTHLAND. So popular was last year's commerce train's tour that up till to-day some 01 commercial men in the city of Auckland havo signified their intention of making the 1929 excursion. Complete arrangements for the tour have been made by Mr. A. W. Welsted, commercial agent for the New Zealand Railways, and the whole of the itinerary has been finalised. From the time the train leaves Auckland at 9 a.m. on Friday, November 15, till it returns to the city on the morning of Sunday, November 24, every minute will be occupied, and city and country business men will be brought together at various centres in the Thames Valley districts, and up to the far Northland. On the 1929 tour, Auckland business men will have the opportunity of seeill" - the potentialities of Auckland's great hinterland stretching for 200 miles north of the city. During the last few years its progress has been rapid, but there is no mistaking its value to Auckland city in particular, and the Auckland Province generally, in the future.

Starting Out. A special train consisting of sleepers and saloon cars will leave Auckland at 9 p.m. on Friday, November 15, and wilt arrive at Po'keno at 10.18 p.m. The tourists will sleep on the train that night, and will breakfast at Pokeno next morning, before leaving by cars for Pacroa, in order that the route of the Pokono-Paeroa railway, and the Hauraki Plains, may be inspected. After lunch at Pacroa, the train will leave that station for Waitoa, where it will arrive at 3,6 p.m. Here the New Zealand Co-Operative Dairy Company's butter, dried milk and condensed milk factory will be visited, and arrival made at Te Aroha in time for an official dinner at 7 p.m. Next day (Sunday), will bo a free day till 4 p.m. Many offers of cars have been received, however, to tako tho tourists round the district. From Te Aroha, the special will proceed to Kirikopuni, tea being partaken of at Frankton, and it will travel through tho night. Into the Northland. * Monday, November 18; will see the commencement of tho tour of the Northland. First of all the touring train will run over the line to Tangowahiue, which is at present being constructed by the Public Works Department to link Dargavillo with the Main Trunk line. Dargavillc will be reached at' 9.30 a.m., and arrangements have been made for private cars to tako tho whole party out to Ruawai and the surrounding districts. Tho settlers of Ruawai will provide lunch. The afternoon will include visits to other parts of the district, as well as to Dargavillq's wonderful tohcroa bench. At 8 o'clock that evening an oflicial function will be tendered the visitors by local bodies. Tuesday morning will see the tourists en route for Donnelly's Crossing and the groat Waipoua forest. A stop for half an hour will be made at Kaihu to enable the travellers to visit Mr. Doherty's museum. This institution is well known throughout the North, for it is considered unique in that it contains specimens of New Zealand bind and fish life of rare varieties.

Subsequent to the visit to Waipoua forest the whole party will proceed through the beautiful fertile valley of Waimamaku, on to the seaside resort of Opononi, the home of Mr. Manning, who wrote "Old New Zealand" under the pen name of Pakcha Maori. This part of New Zealand is rich in Maori lore and legend.

Meantime the train will have arrived at Kaikohc, and tho travellers will be given an official dinner there on the Tuesday evening. At 9 a.m. next day the party will tour the district in private cars, returning to Kaikohe for lunch. During tho afternoon the visitors will be tho guests of the Bay of Islands A. and P. Association at the annual show at Waimata North. The train will bo joined again at Okaihau and an inspection of the unopened line as far as No. 4 camp will be made before returning to Okaihau at 6.30 p.m. Another official dinner will be held that evening. The Beautiful Far North. Kaitaia will be visited the next day (Thursday, November 21). Many private cars have been offered for this particular part of the tour, and here the. wonderful productiveness of tho real Northland will bo seen. It is only a few years ago that thousands of acres were waste laud. To-day there are excellent dairy farms producing New Zealand's staple industry—butterfat. Tho local bodies in Kaitaia have left no stono unturned to show Auckland business men the wonderful potentialities of the great and fertile Northland.

Departure will be taken from Kaitaia' at 8.30 a.m. on Friday, and this will bo one of the most comprehensive clays of the tour. Included will be some glorious-, trips through, fertile and picturesquo country. Arrangements have been made to visit the beautiful Cooper's Beach at Maugonui. There will be a launch trip on the Whangaroa Harbour, famed for its rugged, beauty, and on ono of its many beaches a kapa Maori or hailgi lunch will be provided by Maoris. The party will land from the launches at Whangaroa and will leave for Kirikiri by cars, thence to Kawakawa. At the latter place the Waiomio Caves, similar to those at Waitomo, will be visited. That night the party will sleep on' the train. Conclusion of the Tour. Saturday,' November 23, will see the commerce train en route for Whangarci, where it will arrive at .0 a.m. The morning will be spent in a cruise down the harbour to see the new work, and a visit to the Portland cement works. After lunch the whole party will leave for Waipu,' and on arrival a short resume of the history of the Waipu settldment will be given by one of the old Waipu settlers. Whangarei will be reached at 5.30 p.m. and an official function will bo held in the evening. During the early hours of Sunday morning the commerce train will be dispatched for Auckland. TE AROHA, this day.The Chamber of Commerce last night considered a letter from the Auckland Chamber which furnished the personnel of the Auckland business representatives to travel on the commerce train in the third week of November. The chairman stated that the Waitoa dairy factory would be visited on the Saturday morning, and the party would return to Te Aroha for lunch. Other places of interest would be visited in the afternoon. The chamber unanimously decided to co-operate with the Borough Council in the arrangements to entertain the visitors. i