Y.M.C.A. TOUR

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 20, 25 January 1938, Page 16

V.M.C.A. TOUR

PARTY RETURNS

SUCCESSFUL ENTERPRISE

Having seen many of the scenic beauties oi' Australia, a party of twenty men and twenty women who went to Australia on a Wellington V.M.C.A. tour returned yesterday by the Awatea. The Rev. L. J. Boiillonj Smith, the leader of the party, wild that everybody had spout n hunpy time. They were glad w jioe New Zealand again. The hospitality of lh« Australians had been marvellous, imv-. ticularly that of the Y.M.CA, unrl Y.W.C.A. organisations of Mf(|hnni7)»< and Sydney. He had no clonhl Ihiil. Sydney Harbour was llib |ia&l harbour in the world, an opinion Hial was borne out by a number of suwnien to whom he had spoken. The meed had been sown for rociprociil lours, but nothing, of course, hnd yol been done about them. The members of the pnrty went lo Melbourne by way of BhifF, They travelled in the Commonwenllh on "The Spirit of Progress," thcit. groat train, which was a revolution. It w»H air-conditioned throughout, wns practically noiseless, and wns the last word in comfort so far as the present century was concerned. Apart from the engine, the train had cost £200,000 to build, and, judging by the npprcclnlion, the cost seemed to be instilled. Sydney was the headquarters of the party, and the heat was so new to them that it was rather trying. They went to Katoomba arid the Jenolan Caves, which some thought surpassed the Waitomo Caves. Prior to that they hnd visited the Blue Mountains and seen several waterfalls, which, although depleted by lack of water, were still beautiful. The country generally was fairly dry, out not out of the ordinary for an Australian summer; some parts, however, they understood to be suffering from lack of rain. The party went on various excurions, one which was particularly pleasing being the visit to the Broken Hill Proprietary mines at Newcastle, where they saw the ore, brought by ships from South Australia, go through the whole process to the finished article. Mr. Boulton Smith paid a tribute to the V.M.C.A. in Australia, particularly to the association in Melbourne and Sydney. In their excursions into the country they were met by the utmost courtesy and efficiency and willingness to help. In speaking with various persons, he formed the idea that reciprocal tours would be welcomed, because of the value they had in widening the minds of the younger generation and lifting them out of their insularity. The Australians thought it a fine gesture on the part of New Zealand and did all they could to make it a success. The most outstanding scenic pleasure to Mr. Boulton Smith's mind was the view from Bulli Pass, which, he said, was like a glorified view from the top of the Paekakariki Hill, overlooking the south coast. Mr. Boulton Smith, who has been relieved at his church in Wellington by the Rev. Wilfred Crofts, 8.A., a former Western Australian, now of India, and the Rev. W. S. Rollings, of Wellington, will resume his duties at the beginning of February.