Adventurous Journey Back to New Zealand

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30121, 3 May 1963, Page 13

Adventurous Journey Back to New Zealand

A world wanderer, who walked and hitch-hiked—sometimes on planes and once with the Indonesian Army—lived with the people hundreds of miles off the tourist routes and visited friends who helped or guarded him when he was a prisoner of war in Europe, has returned to New Zealand after an absence of more than nine years, three of which were spent in unorthodox travel.

Now, Mr E. S. Allison feels the time has come to gather some moss, and he will probably return to his profession of schoolteaching.

By happy chance, he arrived in Lyttelton on Anzac Day and in the evening was able to meet many 20th Battal.on men with whom he had served overseas and shared experiences in prison camps.

When he left New Zealand, Mr Allison spent two years going to Britain, walking much of the way and wandering through Europe and behind the Iron Curtain, visiting old battlefields, war graves and prisoner-of-war camps. After nearly six years teaching tn England and during which he wrote a book about his travels, Mr Allison set off for home, carrying a light knapsack and wearing a pair of slacks, which have survived the journey, light shoes, which have been replaced several times, and a I minimum of other clothing. Back through Europe, then down through Italy, around Greece, retracing part of the route of Ulysses’s Odyssey, through Turkey, several Arab countries, then Afghanistan, over the Khyber Pass to Pakistan and India, on forbidden overland routes into Burma and Thailand, Mr Allison made his way to Malaya I and Singapore. His experiences on the long hitch-hikmg and walking journey have been described in "The Press,” which has reprinted parts of his letters to his war-time friend, Mr B C. Borthwick. Mr Allison took up his story with “The Press” shortly after his arrival home. With a' visit to Nauru Island. where his elder brother, Mr W. A. AUison, is director of education, as his objective before returning to New Zealand. Mr Allison set off from Singapore for Indonesia. . Living and travelling frugally, as he did throughout his journey, he took passage as a third-class deck passenger, but the Indonesian purser was staggered at the thought of a European sleeping on deck for the three-day crossing and installed Mr Allison in a cabin with meals and steward service, all for the same price. Earlier. Mr Allison had had some trouble getting an Indonesian visa: but this was no new experience for a man who has used up two passports when visas have filled their pages. Although he did not have the minimum £lOO the Indonesians insisted he should have before landing, he was able to assure them that £6O was enough for him to live on. Depressing Djakarta "Djakarta is a filthy city,” he said, “and me depressing than any other I have been in, but perhaps the impression was gained because it rained every day.” At a hotel next to President Soekarno’s palace. Mr Allison shared a room with a Malay, a Chinese and an Indian, but even so found the cost too dear for his means. The legal rate of exchange was 300 rupiats to the £. and a bowl of soup at even a cheap restaurant cost the equivalent of 6s Bd. “This made Djakarta not only the most/ desolate city I have been in. but also the most expensive,” he said. As an emergency, he had kept £3 sterling beyond his declared amount, and he found'that the black-market offered an easy means of living. “But it was a tricky business, with soldiers everywhere, and at each end of the black market street, and knowing that the penalty was about two years’ gaol,” he said. But on the black market the rate of exchange was 3000 rupiats to the £. just 10 times as much as the official, so Mr Allison’s £3 saw him through his stay Once in Indonesia, Mr Allison found there was little way out. No-one was allowed into West New Guinea, which is about to become West Irian and a part of Indonesia, and all other doors seemed closed. He managed to get a United Nations visa for West Irian, but still there was no way in except with the Indonesian Army. So Mr Allison looked to the Army, which is allpowerful in a country, which he says has a guns-before-butter economy. N.Z. Submarines He underwent a “terrific grilling about New Zealand." Mr Allison said. One of his questioners wanted to know if New Zealand had a submarine fleet. “Oh, yes, a very good one.” he «'as assured. "They say they are not Communists, but want to pursue a middle line, being friends with everyone." Mr Allison said, “and they certainly play one side off against the other in getting military equipment, and very good equipment.” After he had written to a general, “finally they took pity on me and said they would take me. but I would have to become attached to any Army unit and get permission from the New Zealand Embassy." he said. “This was given, and after being assured that it was not for any duration other than my flight I was ready to go” The Army’s “pity” extended to issuing Mr Allison with a pair of officer’s black shoes. His own were beyond repair, and the Indonesian ones have seen him home. "Russian Hercules" When he went to an airport at 5.30 a.m.. there were about 15 Hercules planes on the ground A military policeman insisted that they had all been supplied by Russia, and the fact that some of the signs in the planes were in English did nothing to change his mind * The plane was packed with men sitting almost cheek to jowl and with military equipment, even though the Indo-

nesian Army yvere not supposed to go into West New Guinea until May 1, Mr AUison said.

Three Russian technicians were also aboard the plane, and were apprehensive about the ability of the Indonesian pilots. There were four stops on the 2000-mile flight, and as the plane neared Hollandia, which is about to become Kota Baru, all the soldiers took up their arms. Mr Allison found that a Dutch couple was still running the hotel there, but that everything was at a standstill, and it seemed that he had reached another dead-end. He met a New Zealander, a Mr Hill,.who was an economic affairs adviser on the United Nations staff, and was ‘welcomed into his home. Visa trouble occurred again, this time with the Australians, but finally he was issued with one after declaring his £6O, There was still the difficulty of getting anywhere, but along came a friendly Australian who was trying to sell planes, and he flew Mr Allison out in a Cessna to Wewak. Officialdom “The Australians there are really colonial types who make mountains out of molehills,” Mr Allison said. “It is far easier to get in and out of Poland than it is in New Guinea.” He had not expected this, as Australia and New Zealand are neighbours without the need for visas, but he was told that was not so in New Guinea. Officialdom was most

reluctant to allow him to stay I at all. First he had to put! up £7O as a landing bond —| it took practically everything he had then he was; "whipped” to the hospital for' injections. He found that if he took an air ticket to Townsville, costing £45, the landing fee was waived. The friendly pilot took him on to Medang, and there was another touch of home. It was just on 1 o’clock when he arrived at the hotel, and the Australian receptionist’s greeting was: “It's 1 o’clock. Lunch is off.” This was also! the first hotel in Mr Allison’s world travels where he was asked to pay in advance. He refused. In Rabaul, Mr Allison found plenty of ships, but nothing going to Nauru. "He met a freelance journalist, who wrote for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. His story about Mr Allison was heard in Nauru Island, and Mr Allison’s brother sent him a cable to go to Australia. Meanwhile, to live he had cashed hjs air ticket —the airline company was not interested in the immigration laws—end he found that sea travel .was dearer than air. He sought a job on a Swedish ship going to Australia, but the friendly captain said he could not take on a European | with a Chinese crew. “There are always other ways of ■ going on a ship," the captain told him. A Stowaway So. with his rucksack on his back. Mr Allison walked up the gangway later as three officers leaning over the rail looked the other way. “But I'm damned if I could find anywhere to hide,” Mr Allison said, “and when we were out about five hours, a Chinese reported me to the chief steward and up I went before the captain " "Why couldn't he have stayed out of the way for a few days?" the captain asked. The ship was not going to i Brisbane, but calling at l Medang. and he would have to report Mr Allison, as the i Crew would talk. When the l Australian agent came aboard i at Medang, “he kicked up hell's delight,” but that was : nothing to the official attitude when Mr Allison admitted to I having sold his air ticket. ! He had to send for money for his air fare to Brisbane, and he was not sorry to see the back of the Australian officials. From Brisbane, he hitched and hiked for three days to Sydney. He found that a Norwegian ship was going on charter to the Nauru 'lslands, and royalties from his book arrived just in time for him to pay his fare. He had finally made Nauru and renewed acquaintance with his brother, whom he had not- seen for 15 years. After five weeks there he had what was for him luxury travel aboard the Virnni, which has accommodation for four passengers, and which sailed direct to Lyttelton. With his world travels behind him, Mr Allison has one over-riding thought. In spite of brushes with officialdom, including one where he was flung into a Communist gaol as a suspected spy, in spite of hunger and cold at times and searing heat and wonnout shoes at others, Mr Allison says: “People everywhere, the world over, are friendly once you get among them."