Motors and Motoring White-coated Policemen in London.

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 121, 15 February 1929, Page 8

Motors and Motoring

White-coated Policemen in London.

(By

"SPARE WHEEL.”)

AN IDEAL HOLIDAY.

MOTORING THROUGH THE NORTH ISLAND

A FORTNIGHT’S JOURNEY Summer weather conditions are still prevailing, and many people are taking their annual leave. Many who own motors have programmes mapped out, but there are many who are uncertain as to what to do and where to go. Why not tour the North Island. It can easily be done in a fortnight or even less. The roads, for the most part, are good and a car owner can spend an ideal holiday touring the island. New Zealand’s scenery is nothing short of wonderful, and is, unfortunately, not advertised half as much as it should be. Nearly everyone in the country at some time or another meets overseas people, and if they can give first-hand information about the country they are helping to advertise the Dominion. They may even prevail on the visitors to decide to see as much of the country as possible. And what is better than seeing the country by motor-car?

The First Day. The following itinerary shows'just how much of the country can be seen comfortably by those who have only fourteen days at their disposal. The journey may be tiring for some —all motor journeys are to a certain extent —but the beautiful scenery to be encountered should more than compensate for any weariness. Leaving Wellington at 8 a.m. on, say, a Sunday morning, the traveller, going via Levin, Foxton and Sanson, should be in Wanganui (132 miles) in plenty of time for lunch. After lunch, he starts for New Plymouth, a distance of 110 miles. The roads right from Wellington to New Plymouth are excellent, especially those in the Taranaki province. The driver will have his evening meal in New Plymouth, and will spend the night there as well as most of the following morning. New Plymouth Is a pretty town and one should not miss visiting the celebrated Pukekura Park, with its beautiful natural bush, its lakes and its beautiful fernery. The Second Day.

For the second day’s journey one may suggest New Plymouth to Waitomo. Unless Waitbmo is visited the journey is far from complete. ■ The traveller could leave New Plymouth between 10.30 a.m. and 11 a.m. and go over a perfect road (with the exception of one or two pieces on which construction work is in progress), and after a journey of ten miles passes through the township of Waitara. At 37 miles from New Plymouth, aftet passing over a beautiful road and through wonderful country, the famous Mount Messenger (620 feet) is reached. The road over the mountain is now splendid and perfectly safe. However, careful driving is necessary as there are many bad curves. Descending the mountain one comes to the beautiful Tongaporutu Valley. The road, still excellent, runs for 15 miles to Awakino. The scenery (especially the seascapes) is magnificent, and the route is full of interest. On this,, strip of r<sad one crosses the Mohakatlno River and the Mokau River, the latter being spanned by a new concrete bridge 660 feet in length. After Awakino is passed the road follows the course of the Awakino River from its mouth, and for about seven miles goes through a magnificent gorge, the scenery until Mahoenui is reached being wonderful. From Mahoenui to Te Kuiti (33} miles), the road is extremely rough, and is very hilly. Careful driving is absolutely necessary and one must keep one’s eye on the road. Te Kuiti is 111} miles from New Plymouth. Passing through Te Kuiti one goes to Waitomo, via Hangatiki (a distance of about 14, miles). The road in the vicinity of Waitomo is bad and is full of ruts and depressions. Waitomo should be reached late in the afternoon, the glowworm cave can be visited that night, and the other two caves the next morning. The Third Day. Waitomo may be left at about midday, and the driver makes for Hamilton, which is 43 miles from Hangatiki. The road is quite good, but the scenery is not particularly interesting. Auckland is 79*miles from Hamilton, and the road at the moment is bad. Construction Is in progress in many places, thus hindering fast travelling. The Waikato River Is followed for many miles, the traveller passing through Ngaruawahia, Taupiri, Huntley, and Mercer. The old road, over the Rangiriris is now in good order, and the clay stretches a thing of the past. The main road now leaves the Waikato River and continues to Pokeno, after which the traveller has a choice of two roads, one of them a deviation. This, however, is useful only in fine weather. At Papakura, about eighteen miles from Auckland, one meets a wonderful concrete road which continues right in to Auckland, which should be reached between five and six o’clock. Thus ends the third day’s journey. Three Days in Auckland.

Allowing three days in the northern city, the traveller sets off for Rotorua, and if he is wise, will call at Arapuni to inspect the sights. Arapuni is really marvellous and should not be missed. Since the Auckland-Hamilton road is not good, the motorist Is advised to go to Rotorua via. Paeroa, Te Aroba and Matamata. The route is. a few miles longer, but is more interesting, and the road is splendid. Incidentally, it relieves the monotony of retraversing the route to Hamilton, and the good road allows one to push ahead quickly and not lose time which would be lost on the Hamilton road. It is as well to leave Auckland soon after breakfast. Following the main road, one drives past Drury until, after a distance of 33 miles one comes to the Thames-Paeroa junction. There is about three-quarters of a mile of clay road, but this very seldom is troublesome. The road passes through pretty country, and at the 63inile post it turns to the right, the Thames road going straight ahead. Thames can be seen quite plainly from the Paeroa turn off. Paeroa Is reached after a journey of 94 miles from this point. It is 82} miles from Auckland. Continuing from Paeroa, one passes over a fair road to Te Aroba. thirteen miles away. A stop can be made here for lunch, and to see the Government baths and reserve. Leaving Te Aroba, one turns to the. right and drives over a first-class road for a distance of 34 miles until the Matamata-Tauranga cross roads are met. It is here that the driver turns off for Arapuni. Leaving Matamata,

he follows the power line (the posts of which are very conspicuous) towards Horahora. When the Waikato is reached the driver follows it until Arapuni is reached. The distance from Matamata is about 18 or 19 miles, and tlie surface excellent.

The roads, especially in the Auckland district, are remarkably well provided with signboards, all of which are clear, thus making it hard to lose the way.

Having inspected Arapuni, with its sunken forest, its falls, the famous dam and spillway, and the power house, the driver pushes on to Putaruru (91 •miles). From there one cuts through to Rotorua. Only in wet weather is it necessary to go to Tirau from Putaruru, as there is an excellent deviation 1} miles from Putaruru, which cuts off a fair distance. The roads are all good, especially in the vicinity of Arapuni. When approaching Rotorua the road goes through the celebrated Mamaku Gorge, once the nightmare of motorists, but now traversed by ' a first-class road. The beauty of the bush scenery in this gorge has to be seen to be realised, as it is impossible to describe it adequately. Rotorua should be reached about 6 p.m. The distance from Auckland to Rotorua ' by the route described is about 180 miles. This concludes the seventh day’s journey.

Two Days at Rotorua. In order to get the trip done in the necessary time the sojourn in Rotorua must be limited to two days. The first morning should be spent at Whaka, with its thermal wonders, to be followed by a visit to Ohinemutu. lu the afternoon one might suggest a trip to Hamurana, with its crystal spring. The famous Fairy Spring is passed en route to Hamurana, and most certainly should be visited. The glorious spring, nestling in. the'shade of trees, is one of the show places of the whole district.

The next morning could be spent at Tikitere, and the afternoouat the village of Wairoa. This trip is one that should not be missed under any circumstances.. The road is not very good (few'of them are round Rotorua), but the scenery is marvellous. It is on this trip (15 miles) that one sees the world-renowned Blue and Green Lakes, and the beautiful Tikitapu Bush. From Wairoa can be seen Lake Tarawera and the famous Mount Tarawera. The Government Bath House and its

exquisitely laid-out grounds may be visited at any time. The Tenth Day.

Having “done” Rotorua, the traveller leaves immediately after breakfast for the 50-mile trip to Wairakei. As there are several places of interest to be seen en route, it is well to make an early start. Passing through the Government Forest Plantations, after 124 miles one comes to the Wainiangu turn off. A few miles drive brings the ear to the ruins of the Wainiangu accommodation house, overlooking the lake 1 that was once Frying Pan Flat. Returning to the main road one crosses Earthquake .Flat, and the many coloured Rainbow Mountain. At the 19} miles post the driver makes a slight deviation and arrives at Waiotapu, and walks through the thermal reserve. This is particularly interesting. A halt is also made for lunch. Returning to the main road (the surface of which is good all the way), one drives on until the Waikato River is reached, and after following it for some miles, the driver makes a twomile deviation to the Aratiatia Rapids. The beauty of these rapids cannot be described. They must be seen. Wairakei is two miles past the rapids. The best thing to do on arrival at Wairakei is to deposit one’s belongings at the hotel and then go down in the car to the Huka Falls, three miles away. After returning to the hotel, one can play tennis, or may rest, or do anything one feels inclined to do. That evening, the Blow Hole can be visited. The Eleventh Day. The next morning should be spent in the awe-inspiring Geyser Valley, undoubtedly a star attraction of the North Island. In the afternoon a start is made for Taupo, six miles away. While at Taupo the traveller should go up to the “Spa” and get a guide to take him up to the Crow’s Nest geyser and the other thermal phenomena which are more than well worth seeing. The lake, of course, is magnificent. The night is spent at Taupo. The Twelfth Day. Taupo is left behind on the morning of the twelfth day, and Napier (98} miles away) the goal. It is on this portion of the journey that the driver is called .upon to use the utmost care. “Keep to' the; Left,” and “Sound the Horn” should be his mottoes right until Napier is reached. Almost from the start, the road commences to rise, but after eleven miles, the driver comes to some plains, through which the road runs for 12 miles as far as . Rangitaiki. From this point onwards the scenic effects are wonderful. Crossing over the Waipunga River (39 miles) one starts to climb through bush-clad hills, the first one rising to a height of 2300 feet. On the way up this hill can be seen the beautiful Waipunga Falls. Altogether 45 miles of narrow hilly road have to be traversed, but, fortunately, the surface is in excellent condition, and provided care is exercised, there should be no danger. The village of Tarawera Is reached after a journey of 44 miles from Taupo. A stop is made for lunch, and Immediately after the driver starts on his second climb. After running over unudlating country for a few miles, he comes to the Turangakuma Mountain (2625 feet). The views obtained on the way up and from the top are nothing short of awe-inspiring. It is worth while stopping at the summit and taking stock of' the surroundings. The sound of the tuis in the bush is alone worth stopping for. The descent of this hill having been accomplished, one continues on ami miles In the distance seeg the joad

which winds around the side of the Titiokura mountain (2250 feet). To pass over this mountain, one has. to traverse a long, steep and winding road, which seems endless. The road descends for a while and then starts on an up and down route, passing the Te Pohu Lake. The road is very tortuous for a long way. At Eskdale it widens and there is a beautiful run into Napier, which should be reached in the late afternoon. Tlie Thirteenth Day.

The next morning an early start is made for the 218 miles run to Wellington. The Hawke’s Bay roads are splendid, although there is a good deal of "shingle to be met with in places. Coming down through Hastings one continues southward through Waipawa, and the picturesque country round ’ Waipukurau (45$ miles).

Dannevirke is 36 miles further on aud Woodville seventeen miles past Dannevirke. Between these two towns are several dangerous level crossings. Lunch may be had anywhere on the way down. From Woodville the motorist has a choice of two routes to Wellington, one through the Wairarapa and the other via the Manawatu Gorge, Palmerston North, Shannon and Levin. Both are good and it is a matter of opinion as to which one is more desirable. The road on the second one is, in the long run, better. There is only one mile difference between the routes. Tlie Wairarapa route passes through Pahiatua, Eketahuna and Masterton, over the Rimutakas, and in to Wellington. Wellington should be reached between 6 and 7 p.m. Journey’s End.

The fourteenth day is better spent in getting over the journey. No one Wants to start work the morning after the return from a good holiday. All through the country there are plenty of signposts, well and clearly worded. Garages are to be found in the most unexpected places and the

traveller can usually depend on having a rush job done immediately. Petrol bowsers are met frequently. If possible drivers should equip their cars with two spare wheels and a good tire repair outfit. If one is lucky, they, are not needed, but one must not forget that punctures come on the sealed roads just as readily as on the rougher ones. Accommodation. If possible travellers should book accommodation - ahead, and not trust to luck on arrival at accommodation houses. A telegram sent the previous night or early on the morning of departure from a town may save a great deal of trouble and inconvenience.

“Spare Wheel” will be pleased to give any information regarding accommodation, or about such a trip, and anyone desiring such should send a note care the “Dominion.” Automobile associations in the various towns are always ready to give any information, as are also the tourist Bureaux.

THE PNEUMATIC TIRE A PROPER CONCEPTION At a joint meeting recently held in London of the Institution of the Rubber Industry and the Institution of Automobile Engineers;, some very interesting points were made in reference to pneumtttic tires. In the course of an address a speaker pointed out a common, conception of tires which is unfortunate. Most people appear to view a pneumatic tire in much the same way as they would a solid tire, overlooking the essential difference between the two types. When a solid tire is purchased, the maker supplies a complete tire of a size and type designed to carry a given load. The maker is responsible for so.making his solid tire that it will function satisfactorily. The user has no responsibility in respect to it, except to see that it is employed within the specified capacity of load and speed. The position, with, regard to a pneumatic tire is very different. The maker does not supply a tire at all—he supplies a cover and a tube. Assemble these on a wheel, and anything more hopelessly ineffective for the purpose of carrying a load, cushioning the car, or transmitting the power of the engine, can hardly be conceived. The sight of a flabby and shapeless uninflated tire shows at once that the cover and tube which the tire-maker supplies are incapable of functioning alone as a tire, and that the vital thing

is the column of compressed air, which the user supplies. It is, of course, the column of compressed air which carries the load, provides the yield and recovery to cushion the car, and gives that rigidity to a flexible cover through which the engine power can be transmitted to the road.

In short, the user provides his own tire In. fils column of compressed air. The maker of a cover and tube merely provides an air-tight tube, with a cover—which has a three-fold purpose: --(a) To restrain the expansion 'of the tube and. so enable the user to get air under compression (b) To protect the inner tube from damage; (cj To carry awearing tread to withstand abrasion by the road. Tire-makers know only too well that over 90 per cent, of tire troubles to-day arise from misconception of what a pneumatic tire

really is. The original and correct description of a pneumatic tire, as a tire which enables the user to ride on a column of compressed air, is largely forgotten, and the cover and tube are credited with a mysterious ability of being capable, in some way, of carrying the load, to cushion, and to transmit drive, notwithstanding that every time a tire is punctured there is the most convincing visual evidence that it cannot do anything of the kind. There is no more reason for surprise at the collapse of a pneumatic tire carrying only half the proper inflation pressure than at the collapse of a spring of only half the strength of the load required. Certainly, under these conditions, collapse of a spring of only half the required strength would be far more frequent than the collapse of. half-inflated tires—but this only shows the superiority of the pneumatic suspension over the spring suspension. This clear explanation of what a pneumatic tire really is, should materially help users to a better understanding of its purpose, and how to care fol’ it. . HAND SIGNALS WHAT THEY INDICATE An assiduous motorist reports that the most painstaking observation has convinced him that the significance of a driver protruding his hand straight out from the right-hand window of his

car. is as follows, possibilities being given in order of their inherent likelihood :—

(a) Driver Is shaking ash from actual cigarette.

(b) Is pointing out aeroplane, woodchuck or humming bird to friend wife. .(c) Stretching himself. (d) Gesturing in support of oration he is making to occupants of car. (e) Shaking ash from imaginery cigarette.

(f) Rubbing mosquito-bitten elbow on sill, of window. (g) Resting his arm, cramped from long driving.

(h) Trying to attract attention of acquaintance on roadside. (i) Relieving tickling of wrist by over-long shirt sleeve.

(j) Flirting with young lady in car behind or ahead.

(k) Signalling for right turn. (1) 'Signalling a stop. (jn) Signalling that he about to turn around in the street.

(n) Signalling that he is out of gas. (o) Signalling for right turn. (The correct signal.) 1 If, the,driver is of the female persuasion, bur observer says, this list must be completely revamped and rearranged. Well, anyhow, we don’t believe in signs. ' Detroit “Saturday Night.”

HINTS FOR THE GARAGE FITTING UP THE INTERIOR. Car owners who are lucky enough to have garage accommodation at their own homes are to be envied (remarks an English correspondent). Not only from the expense standpoint but also from the ability they have to carry out several little running repairs, which, in the case of a man who keeps his car at a public garage, are left to the proprietor to execute, does be score.

Many men, having built garages of their own, use them simply and solely to house their cars. Well, you will say, this is what they are intended to do. Quite so, but there are several little things which can be done with a view to improving them that need cost practically nothing except the expenditure of a little time and energy. Shelves can be rigged up at the one end,- using the wood obtained from old packing cases. On the bench, if the owner is lucky enough to have one, one often sees a conglomeration of used parts, nuts, bolts, screws, washers, split-pins, spare sparking plugs, perhaps a brake-lining or two—all mixed up in glorious confusion. The result is when in an emergency a nut and bolt is required, the whole heap has to be scratched over until the particular item is found. Yet almost every day old cocoa tins, mustard tins —in fact, tins of all descriptions—are relegated to the dust-bin. A few of them, suitably labelled, can be used to store bolts and nuts, bolts, nuts, screws washers, and mixed parts. For owners of small cars who build their garages to take the little bus only and not to allow for any Indoor tinkering, a good plan is to fix two stout battens of wood along the garage floor to act as a track, thus facilitating entry and exit. They should be fixed to the floor in such a position that the wheels are outside them, and if the ->wner is at all doubtful as to his ability to stop at the right moment, two "chocks,” i.e.., blocks of wood, can be fixed at the end of the “rails.”

In any case, great care must be taken with regard to ventilation. The golden rule, of course, is “Never keep the engine running In a confined space,” but if it has to be started in the garage to trace some little defect, see that there is plenty of ventilation —keep the doors open, as the exhaust gases are highly poisonous in an enclosed space.

CARS FOR “SPEED COPS” NEW DEPARTURE IN CLEVELAND In the Middle West of U.S.A., where most automotive developments and trends have their beginnings, they are beginning to equip “speed cops’’ with light, fast automobiles in place of the motor-cycles they have been using for the past twenty years. The theory of the change is that it eliminates a hazard to the police and at the Same time gives them greater comfort. Cleveland is one of the first cities to try the experiment and finds it worthwhile. The Cleveland “speed cop’’ squad which heretofore had used only motor cycles, now has six roadsters with which to chase the reckless speeder and run him to the curb, especially in wet or icy streets and roads offer great dangers to the rider of a motor-cycle who must “make speed.” In addition to the roadsters, the Cleveland force has acquired a fleet of cars which are used for hurrying police squads of uniformed and plainclothes men to various parts of the city. PAVEMENT OF BITUMEN AND RUBBER To prevent automobiles from skidding on steep Mils and dangerous crossings, Paris is covering its asphalt roads with a mixture of rubber and bitumen. ‘lt will take eight years to rid the French capital of smooth asphalt and. meanwhile, this “rubber carpet”

method is winning favour as a temporary substitute until concrete paving can be laid. One such “carpet” laid in 1926 is still in good condition. Asphalt, which has a very bad reputation. with motorists in the wet climate of Paris, is still the paving on 15 per cent, of the city’s streets, although the Highways Department has promised to do away with it altogether.

NEW BRAKE OPERATING GEAR A recent issue of the “Motor” mentions a novel operating gear for four wheel brakes, which has been designed by a London firm. A very light and positive control is obtained, not by means of a servo action, but by cutting down friction. The gear is remarkably simple and rigid, so that there is practically po backlash or springiness to absorb pedal travel. This enables the designers to use the very low leverage ratio of 140 to 1. Knifeedges are Ingeniously employed throughout, so that there are no rubbing bearings to create friction. Furthermore, no lubrication is required. Consequently there is never any variation in the braking results obtained. A particularly simple means of-adjust-ment is incorporated. Tried on the road, this operating gear gives unusually good stopping distances with a light pedal pressure, it is stated. It is at present being test; ed by a number of well-known manufacturers.