AUCKLAND AND WELLINGTON.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 122, 25 May 1936, Page 6

AUCKLAND AND WELLINGTON.

Listening to the Minister of Transport giving a rather monotonous recital of the great improvement*? in our transport system during recent years, I was astonished when he said that before the Main Trunk railway was opened the travelling time between Auckland and Wellington was 33 hours and 20 minutes. It was my misfortune to be tolerably familiar with this trip during the last ten years before the line was opened, and to the best of my recollection it took 25 to 27 hours to travel the northward journey, the time varying according to the state of the turbulent bit of ocean between the Xew Plymouth breakwater and the Manukau bar, while a bad fog, such as the excursionists struck when they arrived at Onehunga too late to see the arrival of Ihe American Fleet, occasionally made it a little longer, but never 33 hours. The southward journey took more time, but could be timed to the minute, as the steamers took no chances about missing the train at the breakwater, and always left Onehunga early enough to allow for bad weather on the coast, the total time from the Auckland railway station to Wellington being exactly 3(1 hours." A little while before the line was actually completed,, when we had to travel the middle fifteen miles m a bus. I had occasion to go overland twice, and it took three days, one night being spent at Taihape and another at Taumarunui, but I am curious to know what time-table Mr. Semple was working on, when he gave the time so exactly as to include the odd 20 minutes. ' VIATOR.