Travel Agency’s New Depot

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28821, 16 February 1959, Page 8

Travel Agency’s New Depot

The success of A. R. Guthrey and Company, Ltd., as a travel agency—a venture on which the firm first embarked in April last'year—will be clearly indicated this morning when the firm opens its modem new , travel depot at 114 Cashel street.

In April, 1958, A. R. Guthrey and Company, Ltd., were appointed principal agents for the Dutch shipping company. Royal Interocean Lines. A few months later, when Dutch Mails announced regular passenger liner sailings from New Zealand, the firm was appointed agent for both Royal Rotterdam Lloyd and the Nederland Line. To do justice to these important appointments Guthrey’s decided to open a travel department to handle all classes of shipping and travel. They were then appointed agents for the National Airways Corporation 3 <nd j.;. subsequent agencies 'now include the Sitmar Line to England and the Continent, the Italian line, Flotta Lauro to Italy, Ansett A.N.A.Australia Airways, Pioneer Tours in Australia, Polytechnic European Tours, Rands Round-the-World Tours, and Rands Fiji Tours. The travel department progressed so rapidly that A. R. Guthrey and Company, Ltd., decided to open a travel branch in

the centre of the city for the convenience of the public. They were fortunate in being able to obtain an ideal location at 114 Cashel street between Ballantynes and the Bridge of Remembrance. This office was formerly occupied by the men’s tailor, J. Patterson. It has now been completely refurnished and redecorated. A. R. Guthrey and Company were appointed - port agents -for the Dutch shipping company, Royal Interocean Lines. This shipping company maintains a regular cargo and passenger service between New Zealand, the Far East and Africa. There are four vessels trading regularly betweep all main. New Zealand ports and the Far East, calling at Singapore, Malaya, Manila, Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Tsingtao. Royal Interocean Lines’ Africa service includes three vessels trading regularly between the main New Zealand ports and Mauritius, Durban, L. Marques Beira, British East Africa, East London, Port Elizabeth, and Cape Town. Royal Interocean Lines have just announced a further service from New Zealand to West Africa with calls at the main ports on the West African coast.

Royal Interocean Lines also maintain regular cargo and passenger services from Australia to Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaya and Indonesia; also from Australia through Singapore to Pakistan, India and South America. Dutch Mails, which includes the two large Dutch shipping companies, Royal Rotterdam Lloyd and Nederland Line, are now providing regular passenger liner service from New Zealand to England and the Continent via most attractive routes. These include calls at Tahiti, Lima in Peru, Panama, Miami, Bermuda. New York, Southampton, Rotterdam and, Amsterdam. The return routes are via Suez. Colombo. Singapore, Melbourne. Sydney and Wellington. Both Willem Ruys and Johan van Oldenbarnevelt are 20,000-tone liners with superior accommodation, large deck space and attractive lounge facilities. The Oranje which is well kriown to New Zealanders as a hospital ship during the war, sails from Sydney and Melbourne via Singapore, Suez and Italy.

Sitmar, a very attractive Italian line, provides one class, fully air conditioned liners with excellent passenger accommodation. Ports of call from New Zealand include Tahiti, Panama and Lisbon. A. R. Guthrey and Company, Ltd., are agents for the wellknown European Polytechnic Tour organisation. They are also agents for Rands-Fiji Tours and Australian Pioneer Tours, and therefore able to provide comprehensive tour arrangements for visitors to Fiji and Australia. As well as being booking agents for New Zealand National Airways'Corporation, A. R. Guthrey and Company, Ltd., are also agents for the Australian air line Ansett A.N.A.