FAIRYLAND.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 112, 14 May 1935, Page 8

FAIRYLAND.

THIS IS AUCKLAND.

CHILDREN FROM UP NORTH. EXCITEMENT RUNS HIGH. For a brief but breezy quarter-hour this morning the "Auckland Star" building resounded to the excited shrieks of a band of school children from the "waybacks" of the North of Auckland. These children, though some of them are as old as 14 years, so far from never having seen a tram, had never been south of Kaitaia. By the initiative and enthusiasm of the schoolmaster at Waiharara, which is 208 miles north of Auckland, in Mangonui County, eight of his senior pupils, some of whom are Maoris, have been given tho opportunity to spend throe whole days in fairyland, otherwise known as Auckland. Tho schoolmaster, Mr. R. L. MeXabb, formed a travel club in the school. He raised £10 by means of a conceit —an extraordinary thing for so small a district. He decided that the school could be cleaned by tho school people, and his school therefore would be. the richer by the grant which the Education Board makes to schools for that purpose. In that way the journey was made possible.

At an early, hour in the dark of yesterday morning the eight picked ch ldren stumbled, some of them, live miles along a muddy country road to points on the main road, where they were to be picked up by the service car and taken to Otiria railway junction.

The First Railway Tunnel. And there their adventures began; for these children had never seen a train. "I thought," said Mr. McXabu, whose task of looking after the eight is no sinecure, "that when we entered our first tunnel the children would go mad with excitement. They tore xip and down the carriage, they shrieked, they yelled, and pandemonium reigned until the train emerged again. And many a similar incident happened on the journey down. And when the children got to Whangarei they would have believed anybody who told them it was London."

It was this morning that they came into the "Star" office, and the building rang with unwonted noiee. They were taken in the lift up to the topmost of nine floors at the back of the building. The children had never dreamed of a thing like a lift. As the doors slid along ithe children hung back with a sort of desperate eagerness, but after their leader entered they could hardly get in fast enough. For the first few doors there was a hushed awe. One little girl clutched tightly the leader's hand, but the rest, confidence returning, began their vocal excitement. They yelled and danced, until the staff on the various floors wondered what had happened. When they got to the roof and saw the panorama of Auckland they had not a word to say—and then the tension broke and they began to talk.

And Many Other Wonders. During their stay in the city they are to see ne much as they can. They hope to try to secure permission to go over IYA. to see a big ship, to see a real picture show, to see a real live lion and tiger, to ride up and down Queen Street in a tram for the joy of it, and generally to cram many years of experience in the three days.

The only picture show they have ever seen was a small one that travelled around, and just happened to stumble on them away at Waiharara. Seeing the youngsters, one could not but catch their enthusiasm, and see the city and the commonplaces of every day, with sight that for once was not jaded.

If Mr. McXab did his part up North, Mr. D. M. Rae, principal of the Auckland Training College,- nnd Mr. E. F. Snell, headmaster of Mount Albert School, have done theire in Auckland. Pupils of the latter school are billeting the visiting youngsters, and perhaps in the future in the summer it may be possible for the billeters to return the visit.