SCHOOLBOYS' TOUR.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 26, 31 January 1934, Page 3

SCHOOLBOYS' TOUR.

RETURN FROM AUSTRALIA.

MUCH KNOWLEDGE GAINED,

Looking happy and well, and possessed of a store of knowledge such bm can be gained only through travel, the party of 38 Xcw Zealand secondary schoolboj's returned by the Marama to Wellington after a visit to Australia (save the "Dominion").

The boys, five of whom are attending schools in the South Island and 33 at schools in the North Island, and whose ages ranged from 15 to 19 years, were in charge of Mr. T. A. Lappin and Mr. A. H. Hunt, both of King's College, Auckland. The party is the third that has been organised by Mr. Lappin, and it is understood that there is another trip to Australia in view for next year. The- object of the tour, said Mr. Hunt, in an interview with the "Dominion," was to give the boye broadened outlook and experience. Generally speaking , , the weather had been good, although five wet days had been experienced in Melbourne, and in Sydney two very hot days were experienced, the temperature being in the vicinity of 100 degrees. The party left Auckland on December 29, said Mr. Hunt, and visited all the chief points of interest on the east coast of Australia. Ten days were spent at Manly, and in that time visits were paid to the various factories in and around Sydney. Despite the wet weather at Melbourne, the programme was not upset iu any way, and the stay there was a most enjoyable and profitable one. One week was spent at Lord Somers' nanip, CO miles out of Melbourne, on the shores of Phillip Harbour, and afterwards a visit was made to the Yalourn brown coalfield, and the electric power works, both of which proved to be of particular interest. Travelling eastwards, the party spent one night at the beautiful Jenolan Caves, and one night at Newcastle, where members were the guests of the Broken Hill. Proprietary. Two days were occupied in sightseeing at Canberra, where the party was entertained by the Commissioner and Mr. F. H. Stewart, Australian Minister of Commerce.

The party was received with generous hospitality throughout the tour, and at Melbourne, Newcastle and Katoomba was given civic receptions. In both. Sydney and Melbourne, where the party stayed at the Y.M.C.A., wreaths were laid on the cenotaphs. On Wednesday last at Manly a cricket match against a combined adult team resulted in each side scoring 140 runs. The best batting performance among the visitors waft that of Tj. M. Smith, who secured 5G runs. During their stay at Sydney they had had placed at their disposal the Government launch, an action which, was greatly appreciated by all, as it enabled places of interest to be visited, which might otherwise have been missed. Apart from the hospitality of the people, two things that had impressed him while in Australia, said Mr. Hunt, were the greater powers of recovery m comparison with New Zealand, and, secondly, the number of New Zealanders who were occupying executive positions and were doing well. By the latter, however he added, he did not mean, that there were plenty of good positions for New Zealanders who might go over there, for such was not the case.