THE MOTORIST.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXV, Issue 16492, 6 March 1914, Page 4

THE MOTORIST.

MOTOR-CARS AND MOTORBICYCLES.

NOTES FROM TOWN AND COUNTRY.

Two Christchurch cyclists, Messrs J. Suckling and L. Brownie, who made a trip to Ashburton on Sunday afternoon, and returned to this city on .Monday afternoon, had the monotony of ' the rido broken by one of those little mishaps which all motorists must face sooner or later, and which, if taken in a true philosophical spirit, give an additional zest to a most fascinating pastime. Near Leeston one of Mr Brownie’s tyres burst, and his machine was put completely out of action. The two cyclists then double-banked on the other machine. Everything went well until they lost their way before reaching the Raknia, and encountered a stretch of the roughest road any motorist could have pictured in even his worst nightmare. They left Christchurch at ti.3o a.in. and, in spite of this somewhat trying incident, reached Ashburton at 10.15 a.in. After .'examining their machine,' they visited Longbeach, where they saw Mr Grigg’s famous model farm, and then they went on to the Ninety-Mile Beach. On Monday, they visited Willowby, returned to Ashburton, left there at 4 pun., and reached Christchurch at 5.50 pm., making four stops on the road. The distance from Ashburton is about fifty miles, and the three and a half horsepower machine consumed half a gallon of petrol.

Mr Suckling recommends the Ashburton trip to all motor-cyclists, especially if they are able to make it a week-end trip. Longbeach is only sixteen miles from Ashburton. _ Mr Grigg’s farm there,’ ho' says, is a wonderful educator. 'The Ninety-Mile Beach may be reached by a pleasant walk. It, also, offers many attractions, although, of course, they are of a different character from those of the Longbeach settlement. Ashburton is the centre for many other trips. There is the Raknia Gorge. On that route, . the hills aro steep, and some of them at present i are covered with loose metal. Southward, there are ninny places which offer admirable objectives. Amongst these may he mentioned Peel Forest. There is excellent accommodation at the township, which is reached by a. very good, road from the Rangitata railway station. Close to the township there is Little Mount Peel, and, further into the range, Big Mount Peel. Tiio former offers no difficulties to climbers. A sheep track runs along a razor-ridgo to the pinnacle of the hill, from which a glorious view is obtained of the plains. Immediately below, tho Rangitata looks like a streak of silver; as far as the eyo can roach north and south, there are farms-and homesteads; and away t<>,tho east there is tho sea. Mr Suckling, however, insists that no short motor trip in New Zealand equals the trip to Akaroa. Ho does not think that any other Canterbury trip, at least, can compare with it; and if it is tnkcu via Sumner, Lyttelton and Governor’s Bay, no reasonable cyclist, ho believes, would wish for anything better in tho wide world.

The vogue of the motor-cycle has set in, and the day of the old pedal machine, apparently, ' has passed away. The machine that carries a motor certainly has many recommendations. With three and a half horsepower, and a comfortable side-car, a groat deal can be done with it. In tho first place, its speed is more than satisfactory, In tho second place, it can face most of the steep places people wish to climb. In the third place, its consumption of petrol is within the means of the average man in both town and country. There is no doubt that the motor-cycle has a brilliant future in Canterbury. There are scores of places in this province to which it. will take a small party for a delightful day’s outing. One of these places was stumbled upon by Mr H. Jennings on Sunday. T't is a few yards oft the North Road, after passing the Ashley Bridge

The turning is to the left, and tho place is in the river-bed. It is well sheltered by trees aiid .shrubs, and is a quiet, shady retreat, with all the accessories that make a few hours in the country charming. Mr Jennings’s three and a half liorse-power machine, with side-car, took three adults and two young people and provisions. The distance from Christchurch is about twenty miles. There is a good road all the way. Tho whole trip, covering about forty-five miles, cost Is s)d for petrol.

Many questions are asked in regard to the cost of maintaining motor-cars, and it would be interesting if 6onie Canterbury motorists, especially doctors, supplied some details for publication in this respect. A doctor in England has published in “The Motor” figures representing the running cost of a. small six horse-power car he used last year. Ho looked after the car himself, and most of the ordinary cleaning was done by members of his family. Wages, therefore, cost him nothing. The other items are:—Petrol (92 gallons), £6 Jos sd; oil and grease, £1 (is Id: repairs, £3 16s fid; sundries, £8 os 2td; tyres. £4 10s fid; housing and cleaning, £l4 13s 4d; insurance, licenso and taxes. £7 5s fid; lighting, £1 8s 4d; total for the year, £4B Os lOld. He bought the car in 1911 for £164 19s sd, including accessories, and sold it in November, 1913, for £75, after having had it in use nearly every day for twenty-eight months. Six months before tho boginning of tho year for which the record was kept, he replaced all tho tyres, as those supplied by the makers were too light.

A letter received from Captain It. N. Kelsey, leader of the Capo to Cairo Motor Expedition, recounts the difficulties of movement in tho daytime, owing to the extreme heati He says:— “ We have run for distances of five miles in front of the ear at night time, owing to the extreme heat during tho day, in order to guide tho driver on tho right road and warn him of obstacles in his path."' Captain Kelsey declares that in spite of the severity of the test, he hopes that the “ Princess Louiso of Argyll ” will reach Cairo within twelve months. “ I may say,” he addsj “that should this be accomplished it will he considered the great-

est record a car has ever made, and; this is the opinion df everyone with, whom we liavo come, in contact on the journey.”