EASTER VISITORS TO COAST

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22376, 13 April 1938, Page 5

EASTER VISITORS TO COAST

MORE PEOPLE TO TRAVEL THIS YEAR

RECORD FIGURES EXPECTED

Easter traffic this year on both the railway and the road services on the West Coast is. expected to reach record proportions, according to inquiries made by a representative of "The Press.”

Preparations have been made to transport a heavy volume of traffic by service cars between Greymouth, Westport, and Nelson,-and included in the passengers will be a considerable number of Australian and other overseas tourists. The railway authorities also report that there is every indication that the number of persons travelling this Easter will greatly exceed the number last year. < The number of private cars which will arrive on the West. Coast from other parts of the Dominion will also, it is expected, greatly exceed the number in any other year. Most of these cars will make the glaciers and forests of South Westland their destination, and their number will be greatly added to by a large number of cars belonging to West Coast residents. The increase is understood to be due largely to the better road surfaces, and the completion of many bridges over rivers which hitherto presented great difficulty to travel. Hotels on the West Coast are, in many cases, already fully booked out for Easter. Indeed, only yesterday, a leading hotel at Greymouth had to turn away no fewer than 15 would-be £U6StS. A large number of Westport people will visit Christchurch for the Easter racing carnival. Inquiries at the offices of motor proprietors indicate a likelihood of record bookings. The blockage of the Lewis Pass road between Maruia arid Reefton has resulted in many changed plans, and private carowners will be using the old route through Otira to Christchurch. It is possible to use the Lewis Pass road by making a long detour around the Shannandoah in the vicinity of Murchison, but this will necessitate considerable extra time, compared with the Otira route.

PERSONAL NOTES

GREYMOUTH

Mrs L. Dewar left yesterday for Timaru. Mrs E. Stent left for Auckland yesterday. Miss Jean White left yesterday on her return to Christchurch. Mrs L. Cullen left yesterday on a holiday visit to Christchurch. Miss J. Sharman left for Christchurch yesterday. Mr E. A, Christie left yesterday on his return to Christchurch.

Mrs H. Philp left yesterday on a visit to Wellington. Miss M. Finlay left yesterday on her return to Wellington. Messrs D. Faris and F, L. Turley left yesterday for Wellington to attend the annual conference of the Federation of Labour at Easter.

WESTPORT

Mr P. Davis, of Greymouth, is visiting his parents at Granity. Mr J. Smart, of the Westport Public Works office, is visiting relations in Temuka. , Mr J. Lake, of Westport, will leave on Thursday on a holiday visit to Christchurch and Wellington. Mrs W. Jenkin left Westport yesterday on a holiday visit to Sydney and Melbourne. . Mesdair.es J. Brown and W. Craddock have returned to Westport from a holiday visit to New Plymouth.

The following were passengers yesterday by Cook Strait Airways’ West Coast service:— Welllngton-Greymouth; Messrs E. Gilmour and P. G. Pearce. Wellington-Hokitika; Mrs F. Walker. Nelson-Hokitika; Mrs P. Hewitt. Grey-mouth-Wellington: Mr R. Andrews.