INTERNAL TRAVEL Connexions With Jets

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30715, 2 April 1965, Page 14

INTERNAL TRAVEL Connexions With Jets

The new jet service to Christchurch beginning on April 10 would mean muchimproved internal connexions both at the New Zealand and Australian ends, said the chairman of the air services committee of the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce (Mr J. Roysmith) at the chamber’s meeting last evening. The jet from Christchurch to Sydney, for example, he said, would reach Sydney about 6 p.m. This would mean that passengers from Christchurch would be able to get to Brisbane, Melbourne and Adelaide the same day.

Similarly, with the arrival of the jet from Sydney at Christchurch about 3.50 p.m., the incoming travellers would be able to make connexions north to Wellington or Auckland on the same day. In addition, travellers from Sydney would be able to reach Dunedin via Christchurch in the same day for the first time.

Mr Roysmith said that a fairly careful survey was needed of the amount of hotel accommodation available in the south of the South Island and what the peak demand would be. The attention of the air services committee had been drawn to the difficulty experienced by travel agents in obtaining hotel service for tourists visiting centres in this particular area.

“We were informed that some hotels had two and three sittings for meals,” said Mr Roysmith. “And some hotels were in fact disinclined to cater for meals for touring parties.” Mr Roysmith said there was a proposal for a village set-up at Mount Cook, This kind of thing, he said, was urgently needed in the south —a place where the average New Zealander travelling by car could get a meal and accommodation.