ARTIST ON TOUR.

Gisborne Times, Volume LXVII, Issue 10508, 11 February 1928, Page 10

ARTIST ON TOUR.

WELL-KNOWN AUSTRALIAN - IN GISBORNE.

EXCITING TRIP l-'ROAI ROTORUA

EXI > El! lEXCES 1N () 1 JE-EXS'LA ND

Commissioned bv a number of art connoisseurs in Australia to visit New Zealand and paint and sketch si,me of the Dominion's well-known beauty spots, Air J. A. Bond, the well-known artist, arrived in G.sborno on Thursday evening, and is now comfortably encamped at Victoria Park in the area set aside tor motorists.

Air. Bands is making oil paintings, pastels and etchings, and has also done a eonsiderahie amount of modelling in plaster. llis best work in tlm latter Mjivation was done up the Wanganui river. where ho made models of a Alaori chief anil of a woman carrying a child in Native lashiisu. After they had been finished in relief thev wen- painted in natural colors, anil appear almost life-like in thc.r realism.

Mr. Bond, accompanied by bis niece, left Auckland by car, crowded with luggage, and br-lero his arrival in Gisborne, had many ex.'ii.ng experiences. which lie stales, he would not care to repeat. After leaving Rotorua the car when ascending a hill, ran hack, and .Mr. Bond, in endeavoring to stop the downward run, slewed the lroiiL up against a cliff with the back wheels a lew inches from the edge o’ the road, with a big gullv below. At one time one wheel went over the edge, hut. by strenuous efforts the car was got on to the rand once more. An uneventful journey followed as far as Opotiki. Mr. Band and his niece left the Bay of Plenty township early yesterday morning, but had not proceeded far before they ran into a fog, so dense that thev could scarcely .see a car’s length ahead. On three or four occasions the blood of tlm tourists ran cold wild) they saw they were on the road only a lew inches from the edge with deep- gorges at tile side. Nearing Tot) Ton, i:i response lo an exclamation of alarm from his niece, Air. I'.ond suddenly threw the wheel over, and ran mi the face of a dill’. They hurriedly alighted, and fortunately

after a little time, assistance came ujong and .a local motorist gave his aid and volunteered to assist the tourists to gel (o Ali.tu. telling them to follow his ear. The log uniorUmatdy prevented much help in this direction. When well on the flat towards Gisborne the fog lifted, and ali appeared well till a mob o! cattle were met. The motorists slowed down hut at the moment of passing one hull horned another, and in the bustle they clashed into the front wheel of the car, and the tyre was punctured. They stayed there repairing, it for two hours, and a settler came along and invited the tourists to a cup of tea. He showed them his House and they set out for it. Tutor tun nidi they mistook the home, and tuQiing suddenly in the right; direction, the wheel came clean ott in Air. Bond’s hand. Repairs were fixed up* sufficiently to proceed to Gisborne, and the visitors arrived safe after a most exciting trip. “The two most happiest moments of inv life," said Mr. Bond, “were, I i.hinlc, when we saw the Alotu hotel ; and the outskirts of Gisborne*. I was most astonished at the Alotu hotel. To see such a magnificent anil up-to-date premises was indeed a surprise and a most enjoyable one I can assure vou. ”