TRAVEL BY ‘SNAILAPLANE’

Hawera Star, Volume LIV, 24 August 1935, Page 4

TRAVEL BY ‘SNAILAPLANE’

Just a Novel Way of Spending a Holiday

BARROW PAIR REACH HAWERA BOTH MEN FIT AND WELL “No, it is not for a wager, just a novel way of spending a holiday, said Mr L. G. Lukey on his arrival in Hawera yesterday afternoon with Mr J. G. Schofield as passenger in their “snailaplane.” He admitted, however, that one condition of the venture, which lias attracted so much attention, was that if he failed to deliver Mr Schofield in Wellington on an appointed date he would have to meet all expenses. “By diverting to Kaponga the distance between. Auckland and Wellington is almost exactly 500 miles,” Mr Lukey continued. “We have been on the road 19 of the 31 days prescribed for the trip and we will be .up to schedule,” From Kaponga, in the morning, the pair journeyed to Manaia. Mr Lukey remarking that the splendid roads and the construction of the barrow he had to wheel had enabled them to make almost record time.. The walk to Hawera in the afternoon presented little difficulty. Timing his arrival almost to the minute, Mr Lukey turned into town from Main South Rtoad to High Street and passed through the shopping area to stop outside the Egmont Hotel at 4.50 o’clock. The spectacle of one man wheeling another in an elaborately fitted barrow such as the “snailaplane” proved to be a decided attraction, and a large crowd followed the pair.

Oil the way from Manaia they were accompanied for two miles by Miss Nita, Rosslyn,. who is on a world cycling tour, and with whom they lunched at Manaia.

Both men looked the picture of health though prolonged sitting had resulted in Mr Schofield losing six pounds in weight since the pair left Auckland. Mr Lukey had not, despite having the worst end of the stick as far as work was concerned, lost a pound since he started. In the routine of travel. Mr Lukey usually did live miles without a break, said Mr Schofield. After that stopswere taken for rests. Enforced stops were usually necessary owing to the kindly interest of motorists, many of whom stopped to pass the.time of day. His only diversion, said Mr Schofield, was to smoke and read the morning paper. He smoked 5Q cigarettes without trouble each day and generally read ' paragraphs from the paper in the morning to keep up interest. Apart from that he had to sit still to keep the balance of the barrow. The whole scheme was. for their own benefit and no extras were being received, he said. People had been wonderfully kind throughout the trip. Interest' yesterday centred in the barrow, a beautifully balanced job complete "with rubber-tyred centre wheel with hand brake, rubber-cushioned seat and back and side lights. The barrow was purchased by the two at Auckland, and embellishments were added by a tyre firm. Mr Lukey wears shoulder straps to take the weight off his arms. The men were farewelled bv a large crowd of well-wishers on their departure from the Dominion Hotel, Princes Street, this morning. Shortly before 10 o’clock the pair started on the next stage of their long trek and rounding the corner into South Road were accompanied by a convoy of small boys, some on bicycles and some on foot. Messrs. Lukey and Schofield hoped to reach Patea at 5 o’clock this afternoon .