TWO GIRLS AWHEEL

Hawera Star, Volume LII, 13 October 1932, Page 4

TWO GIRLS AWHEEL

AUCKLAND TO NEW PLYMOUTH

IN SEARCH OF EMPLOYMENT. To have cycled from Auckland to New Plymouth in five days and to have spent almost one day off the route is the proud feat of two girls who arrived at New Plymouth on Monday afternoon, states the “Taranaki Herald.” The girls are not, however, in search of publicity for their achievement, but they are’ in search of eraplovment. The two, Joyce Derry, and Stella Gardener, came from England under a scheme backed by the Society for Overseas Settlement of British Women, but, as one of them said, “we are not settled yet.” No one would guess that they had just completed a{ Krueii|ling {ride. T'hdy both look fresh and happy and ar e trying to make light of the difficulties m which they find themselves. Leaving Mount Albert on Thursday morning they had proceeded as far as Pokeno when they met a young man who offered to arrange accommodation for them the first night at Mercer. He also thought that he might be able to finch them positions. They sent their cycles bv vail and were given a ride. Certainly they received the night’s lodgings, but they were let doTvn in other 'respects and were forced to' walk some miles from between Hamilton and Cambridge to . Matamata. The second niight was is pent there, the. third at .Otorohanga, the fourth at Awakino, and the fifth and last at the Y.W.C.A. hostel, New Plymouth. The intention of the girls was to go as far as Wellington, but their lesources had run dry by the time they had arrived at New Plymouth. Throughout the trip they _ experienced very bad weather, but in other respects were rather fortunate They had only one puncture. On the first day one of the cycles developed a broken front axle. The girl returned about five miles along the road ™ the nearest garage, only to tmd tnat thev had not seen a push cycle m months and carried no spare parts However, nearby was found an old wheel, from which the axle was extracted The girls did the work themselves, and that they did it well is shown by the way in which the cycle performed the remainder of the ]OUiuev They had numerous spills on the "loose metal, but, neither received any injury.