NOT SO FAST

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 78, 29 September 1934, Page 27

NOT SO FAST

The comparatively slow times made ,by two passenger liners withm the past fortnight in crossing the Tasman from Sydney to Wellington draw attention to the fact that speeds today do not, in many cases, represent much advance on those of thirty, or even forty, years ago. The Union Company's tweuty-seven-year-old ship Marama arrived here on the evening of September 18, having crossed from Sydney in approximately 78£ hours, and on Wednesday night of this week the Huddart, Parker motor-ship Wanganella reached hero after having taken about 77-} hours to make the trip. Digging over a few files of yesteryear I discovered that the Lord Worsley slipped across the- Tasman in October, 185S, in 4 days 18 hours, and that in the sixties the Tararua ran between Sydney and Nelson in 4. days 12 hours. That was soventy years ago. By arid by the Union Company caino along with tho Maheno, and shortly after her -entry into the Tasman trade in 1905 she did the Sydney-Wellington journey in 71 hours. Her first trip to Wellington from Sydney was made in November, 1905, and, reaching hero on November 22 with 390 passengers aboard, she covered the highway in 78J hours. Her second trip was mad© in 77 hours. She was tho first turbine steamer to visit New Zealand waters.

The average time takon by tho intercolonial ships today is approximately three days —usually over that—so that it is apparent that oven tho passing of thirty yoars has not helped a groat deal in shortening tho "timo distance-" between Australia and Now Zoalana.

Tho transtasman record between Sydney and Wellington is at present held by tlin Union Company ?s flier Mouowai —03 hours 10 minutes land to land, made in March last year. She also holds the record for. the east-to-wesf. .journey—67 hours 31 minutes. The Monowai has proved an outstanding

vessel, having a considerable reserve of speed, but it is not found necessary to push her to her utmost very often. Tho Wanganella, by far the newest^ of the British liners engaged in the Tasman traffic, seldom makes her trips at top speed, and there have been occasions when, after leaving Sydney on a Saturday, she has not berthed until the following. Wednesday morning. It will be interesting to note how the 29-year-old-Maheno shapes when she is Ijrdught back into commission at tho end of next month to run betweon Melbourne and South Island ports.