A CARAVAN TOUR.

Press, Volume LXIX, Issue 20806, 16 March 1933, Page 8

A CARAVAN TOUR.

BEAUTIES OF NEW ZEALAND. IMPKESSIONS OF ENGLISH VISITORS. Having spent 18 months in New Zealand and found it one.of the most delightful countries in /the--world, Lieu-tenant-Colonel A. J l . Thompson, a retired officer of the Imperial Forces, and his wife are going to spend at Jeast another year liore. Colonel and Mrs Thompson had a caravan built for them in Auckland, and in it they have travelled all over the North Island, and have come as far south as Christchurch. They like travolling in a caravan, because with it they can go into the heart of the most beautiful-parts of the country They are free from the monotony of hotels, and the booking ahead of rail iourneys and accommodation— they can go where they like, take as long as they like about it, see everything, and enjoy a true holiday. Colonel Thompson received his commission in the Imperial Forces in 1904 He served in England and during the later years of the war at the army headquarters in Simla, India. He retired two vears and a half ago, and since then "he and his wife have spent most of their time iu. travelling; They have been in Russia, Germany, Holland Belgium, Bavaria, Italy-in fact they hav! been all over Europe. After returning to England they came almost to New Zealand, arriving in Auckland about 18 months ago. The Winterless Nortb.Colonel Thompson was very much tempted to bring a expeS el'rproved that the roads are LTfrombad .£*£*£%s&"£!. Jnorth of Auckland, the caratry m the north ot^& *, hof van going as iar a-» ess b °*f I ZL SS but Almost all that SSi Zealand was f no.th is wanner, however, and i* is there in the Bay of Islands, that the caravan party. Colonel Thompson and his wife and their two wire-haired fox terriers, will spend tile coming whiter From the far north the caravantas come down through Tauranga, hakatane, and past the lakes near 1-totorua. The lakes were beautiful, but the ashing, in whicli the Colonel is particularly interested, has not been, verv good there for some time. "Probably the parts of New Zealand we have most enjoyed are those wild, natural places, where the'native bush comes right down into the valleys, said Colonel Thompson. "The Waipu and Rangitikei gorges are typical ot such places." Christchurch was just like a piece ot England, and was well worth a visit more prolonged than they would be able to enjoy, Colonel and Mrs -Thompson agreed. Mrs Thompson said elio would like to live in Christchurch. "Altogether there are so many things to be told about Js 7 ew Zealand," said Colonel Thompson, "that time and space would never permit me to talk of them all. We intend to spend a great deal more time in the country before we teturn to England." The caravan party will go as far south perhaps as Dunedin and Queenstown before turning hack to spend the winter at the Bay r of Islands. Then next summer the journey will be carried on through the -West Coast rind further south', perhaps as : far south as Stewart Island.