LONG JOURNEY FOR SOME COAST EXCURSIONISTS

Greymouth Evening Star, 26 September 1949, Page 4

LONG JOURNEY FOR SOME COAST EXCURSIONISTS

Though the majority of the passengers on the railway excursion train which left Greymouth on Saturday morning, shortly after midnight, arrived at Christchurch only a little late, others had a less satisfactory experience. All the passengers had to be transhipped to buses at Cass, owing to the bridge spanning Paterson’s creek having been damaged by fire. The first of the buses arrived at Christchurch about 7.30, but early in the afternoon the last of the travellers were still arriving at the city. At least one bus got no further than Craigieburn owing to a mechanical defect, and when a mechanic, who had been sient from the nearest depot, arrived, it was found that the vehicle was beyond immediate repair and the passengers had another long wait until another bus was obtained. An older model, this relief bus made hard work of some of the hills and did not arrive at Christchurch until the early afternoon. At least' some of the passengers—cold, hungry and tired after their 13-hour trip—spent part of the afternoon resting in bed, getting up in time to catch the return train which left at 6.30 and arrived at Greymouth about two o’clock yesterday morning. Others, including basketball players who arrived too late to participate in the matches arranged, waited in Christchurch until yesterday when they returned by bus.