General News

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30106, 15 April 1963, Page 8

General News

Flight Delayed A mechanical defect in the air conditioning unit of a Qantas Electra aircraft delayed its departure for Melbourne from Christchurch airport last evening. Scheduled to take-off at 7 p.m., the flight was finally postponed until 11.15 a.m. today, after the aircraft had twice taxied to the end of the runway for take-off. The 59 passengers were given a meal aboard the aircraft and were later taken to hotel accomodation in the city.

Boulders Thrown Some* parties climbing Mount Ngauruhoe during the week-end had been deliberately throwing boulders down the mountainside, the chief ranger of the Tongariro National Park Board, Mr G. MaZey. said last evening. “This could be a great danger to other climbers.” he said. ‘As far as we know, no-one was struck by any of the falling rocks.” About 1500 persons were in the park area on Saturday and Sunday. About 150 persons climbed Mount Ngauruhoe and about 200 climbed Mount Tongariro —(PA.) Long Service Ends The 462-ton- ferry Muritai is in the hands of the breakers in Auckland. Bull* in Montrose, Scotland, she made a three-month journey to New Zealand, steaming into Wellington Harbour in May, 1923 For 16 years, as the Days Bay ferry, she reguarly chugged back and forth across the harbour. During the war she became H.M.N.Z.S. Muritai, a minesweeper helping to keep the waters clear between the Dominion’ and Fiji, and after the war she once again became a ferry—this time on the Auckland-Waiheke Island run. The Muritai’s long service came to an end a few months ago and there was no buyer when she was put up for sale because she was too large and too slow for commercial use.— (P.A.)

Rush For Bread Thousands of Aucklanders besieged dairies and milk bars on Saturday seeking fresh bread. It was the first occasion for many years that fresh bread was available on Easter Saturday. The change was made in Auckland because of the rapidly-increas-ing population and past complaints of stale bread. Bakery employees got triple pay for Good Friday baking and were pleased with the move. Previously a 30-hour bake was needed to produce five days’ bread.—(P.A.) New Programme A new type of quiz programme will be introduced to Christchurch television viewers next month. Produced and compered by Mr John Nash. the programme—“Noughts and Crosses”—will draw its contestants from the studio audience On a large noughts and crosses board, the contestants will be able to pick a square which will be labelled either sport, music, geography, history or science A correct answer will entitle the contestant to take control of the square To w i the centre square—usually the key in a game of noughts and crosses—contestants will have to answer a harder, genera] question The new programme will be first broadcast on May 9 Air Hunting A helicopter was used near Wanaka last week to recover deer shot by hunters in the high country for the venison export trade. About 20 hunters took part. The Bell helicopter on trial recovered loads of deer from heights up to 7000 ft, and herded several mobs into the area covered by hunters. Mr R. Wilson, of Dunedin, a member of the exporting firm which will send the venison to the United States, shot six deer from the air. The deer were loaded into a utility vehicle to be taken to butchers at Wanaka.