ROYAL TOUR

Hokitika Guardian, 14 January 1935, Page 5

ROYAL TOUR

THE DUKE FLIES SOUTHLAND’S WELCOME. (Per Press Association. —Copyright.) DUNEDIN,’ Jan. 12. Thousands of people assembled at the approaches to the Dunedin railway station to witness the departure for Southland of the Duke of Gloucester. The Royal train continued its journey at noon for Gore, where it is due at 2.50 p.m. INVERCARGILL, Jan. 12. An impressive element is the quality of the receptions accorded the Duke of Gloucester in Southland province the Duke receiving a fullthroated welcome and gestures of loyalty and affection, which evidently impressed him deeply. “I am glad of ths opportunity of admiring the beauties and fertility of Southland,” said the Duke, replying to th e welcome. His Highness, at Kew, laid the foundation stone of the new hospital which, according to a statement by th e Minister of Health, will it is estimated, cost £II,OOO. Special peals from the Presbyterian Church marked the Duk« s return to the station where he rejoined the Royal train, which remained overnight at Waikiwi, a small station three miles outside oi Invercargill. It stays there as the Duke’s week-end headquarters. In the evening he motored to town and spent an informal quarter of an hour with the Returned Soldiers’ Association.

INVERCARGILL, Jan. 12,

Making his first aeroplane flight in New Zealand, the Duke of Gloucester, in a Puss Moth service machine, piloted by Flight-Lieutenant M. j\V. Buckley, flew for two hours this morning over the lakes and mountains of the Southland province. Hie weather conditions were almost ideal for flying and they held so till the return journey, when a strong westerly headwind was encountered. The Duke was delighted with the flight, which gave him a birdseye view of the mountain tops towards Lake Manapouri and thence to Lake Te Anau, over the beautiful Elington Valley to Lake Wakatipu. An intensive cloud bank, hanging like a pall, obscured an anticipated sight of the Sounds. The maximum height reached in the flight was a little over nine thousand feeet. Members of the Duke's suite also flew.

A SURFING EXPEDITION

INVERCARGILL, Jan. 13

Miles upon miles of unbroken foreshore. with white-crested breakers and ravishing golden sands, provided the setting for a surf-bathing expedition for the Duke of Gloucester and his staff this afternoon. There were thousands of bathers present on Oreti Beach, five and a half miles from Invercargill ; hut such is the expanse of the beach that few, if any, sightseers saw His Highness in the water. There was a good surf running, and the Prince had a first-class time with the breakers. A picnic lunch was had at the beach.

Subsequently, the Duuke played several sets of tennio at the courts at the home of Sir W. Anderson. The Royal train, which had been the subject of considerable public attention, standing at the little station of Waikiwi, three miles out from Invercargill, left this morning for Kingston, where the party to-morrow joins the Queenstown steamer.

THE DUKE’S FROLIC.

INVERCARGILL, Jan. 13

The Duke of Gloucester this morning commandeered a fraijway jigger when it was moving through the Waikiwi station. With General Sir Howard Vyse and Captain Kerr as a crew, he pulled vigourously up the railway line to a crossing where they lifted the jigger round, anj returned. Thev were shouting and laughing like boy*, upsetting the gravity or tne pm\>. and the train crew. It was a strange contrast to their earlier ride in an aeroplane and a fast motor di'iv e to the beach.

DUKE’S AIR MAIL

INVERCARGILL, Jan. 13.

Landed in Auckland on Saturday morning a special English air mail for the Duke of Gloucester was opened and read by His Highness at Invercargill at 7.45 o’clock on Saturday uight. 'Flip mail, which contained letters and several ’ packages, loft London on December ‘22nd, and was delivered at Auckland by the Mutsou liner Mariposa at 6.35 on Saturday morning. It was picked up at’B.4o a.m. by Flight Lieutenant Wallingford, anj flown post haste to Invercargill. Th® trip was uneventful, and occupied eiglr. and a half hours’ actual flying time. Refuelling stops were made at Palmerston North and Wigram aer/> (Ironies. Slight head winds wore Pncountered most of the way. The plane arrived at Invercargill at 7.30 in the evening, the mail being taken by motor to the Royal train at Waikiwi and delivered to His Highness within a few minutes of its arrival.