SEA CRUISES

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 103, 4 May 1933, Page 4

SEA CRUISES

POPULAR IN AUSTRALIA

Cruising in overseas liners around the coast of Australia and to tho islands of. the Pacific is,an innovation that has become Very popular with Australians. Since the Orient and P. and O. lines arranged special cruises during the Christmas holiday season the business has grown considerably, and travel agencies say that they have seldom before been so busy as they are today. They and the Shipping companies are already booking up for prospective cruises next Christmas, although the shipping companies have not been able to makoany definite announcements of the arrangements that will be made. Last week the Oronsay left Sydney for Noumea crowded with tourists bent on a ten-day cruise in delightful surroundings, and this week the Narkunda left on a similar cruise. Cruises have- been arranged for Papua, the New Hebrides, and Noumea for June, July, and August, and already' tho booking for these is. very heavy. '. It is a great advantage that there Should be no exchange charged on the. fares. Australian shipping companies are now taking up the idea of special cruises and 'will take many tourists to the Great Barrier Reef and to the North Queensland coast during the winter season. It was thought that the tourist traffic to North Queensland would suffer as a result of the competition by British shipping companies, but such will not be the case, judging by the extent of the bookings to. date. Tasmania, too, has benefited by the innovation, and one ship which, sailed on a special cruise from Sydney, taking in Melbourne as a port of call, carried nearly 300 holiday makers. They had the privilege of all tho luxuries attending a long voyage. It is possible that the shipping companies trading- to New Zealand will arrange special tours to the Dominion during next summer. If they fail to do so it is certain that some of the overseas concerns will give the project serious consideration. It is suggested that a cruise to Auckland, giving the tourists an opportunity of seeing Rotorua, and going through the North Island {o Wellington would prove exceptionally attractive. Further cruises to Milford Sound should also prove popular. There is no reason why New Zealand should not share in what has been called "Australia's latest fad."