CHRISTMAS MAIL

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 63, 7 December 1938, Page 10

CHRISTMAS MAIL

Heavy Dispatch By Awatea Last Night

QUICK HANDLING AT

SYDNEY

When the Union liner Awatea left for Sydney last night she was carrying the Christmas airmail for Great Britain, totalling between 80 and 90 bags. This is said to be the heaviest airmail yet dispatched from New Zealand overseas. , The Awatea is due at Sydney on Friday morning and arrangements have been made to ensure connexion of the New Zealand airmail with the flyingboat. that is timed to depart from Sydney at 1(1 o’clock that morning. Ordinarily the Awatea berths at Sydney at 8.10 a.m., but that hour was considered to be a little "tine” to enable the mail to be discharged from the Awatea and transported to Rose Bay, Sydney, for shipment. Captain Davey is, therefore, timing his arrival in Sydney harbour to enable the Awatea to anchor at Rose Bay at 6.58 a.m. on Friday. The Awaiea will have the mail in readiness to discharge into a harbour vessel, which will transfer it direct to the flyingboat which will be morred in Rose Bay. After putting out the mail the Awatea will proceed to the wharf to disembark her passengers and malls for Australia.

The Awatea is making fast running. She will leave Sidney again at 5 p.m. on Friday and arrive back at Wellington at 8 o’clock next Monday after being away less than six days.