“YOUR WONDERFUL COUNTRY”

Dominion, Volume 19, Issue 121, 16 February 1926, Page 6

“YOUR WONDERFUL COUNTRY”

AMERICAN TOURIST IMPRESSED

“Dominion” Special. Auckland, February 15.

“If 1 New Zealand would really like to have American sportsmen, someone who is a good talker and thoroughly familiar with the Dominion should be sent to the States to tell them about it. He should take some good lantern slides and go about various clubs to give talks on your wonderful country. I am sure that all his lectures would be well attended, and I know that, as a result our sportsmen and tourists would come out here.” This was the opinion es-pressed this morning by Mr. F. A. Burr, a tourist from New York, who has travelled all over New Zealand, and is greatly impressed with its scenic beauty and sports areas. When he returns to America, where he belongs to a number of sports ,clubs, he is going to extol the wonders of this country, but he stresses the necessity. of the Dominion being properly advertised in the States.. “It is surprising how little people in distant parts know of this part of the world,” he told a “Star” representative. “They have so little knowledge of the country and what goes on in it. If it was properly advertised you would get tourists who are always on the look out for some new part of the earth to visit.” Mr. Burr has seen all the places of beauty and interest in New Zealand. He went through the Otira Gorge, over the Milford track to the Franz Josef Glacier, down the Wanganui River, to Rotorua, Waitomo and Taupo, and has just returned from fishing at Russell, where he had some great luck. He landed the only black marlin caught this’ season to date. It weighed 318 pounds. In addition he got two swordfish, one tipping the scales at 300 peunds, and the other at 196 pounds. This is no fish story, for Mr. Burr is" able to produce a certificate issued to him by the secretary of the Bay of Island Fishing Club. “When you think that it was my first experience of deep-sea fishing, you will agree that I did not do badly,” remarked the proud possessor of the document, which will serve to convince sceptical American fishermen when Mr. Burr tells them all about it at the club. "Three years ago I held the record at Russell with a 3211 b. swordfish, but that record was well beaten last year, so I’ve come to try again,” said Baron D Dickson, a Swedish nobleman, who is making his second trip to New Zealand for deep sea fishing. Baron Dick son arrived by the Aorangi in company with Mr. E. P. Andreas and Mr. Not man Pope, two well known Australian fishermen, who have also been here before. The trio will go to Russell together. , , , Baron Dickson, whose home is in Gotbenberg, Sweden, is most enthusiastic about this country. “I have been all over the world and never found such a beautiful climate,” he said. “Fm very glad to be back again.” He will spend about a month in New Zealand, after which he will telurn to Sweden via Australia.