A NIGHT IN THE OPEN

Northern Advocate, 4 February 1936, Page 5

A NIGHT IN THE OPEN

24-HOUR TRIP FROM “KOKE” TO WHANGAREI

It took a motor cyclist 24 hours to get from Kohukohu to Whangarei yesterday. He is Mr A. Fell, an “Advocate” employee.

Mr Fell had a thrilling story to tell on his arrival this morning, a story which detailed a series of hold-ups from Kaikohe onwards, and which finally saw Mr Fell spending the night in the open on the other side of the flood at Fraser’s Flat.

The going from Kohukohu to Kaikohe, Mr Fell said, was fairly good, there being little trouble. However, shortly after leaving Kaikohe to take on the Mangakahia about 4 o’clock yesterday, the cyclist was held up within five miles by the washed-out approach to a bridge.

Over First Obstacle.

Here there was an enforced hold-up for an hour while workmen repaired the damage. When he surmounted that hurdle, the road was comparatively clear until he reached a slip on the Whangarei side of the gorge. It was a big slip, but a gang had been at work all day, and had cleared sufficient room for traffic to get thorugh, The next hold-up, and a more or less permanent one was at Fraser’s Flat, where, even at seven o’clock last night the water was very deep.

It was slowly getting away, however, and several cars which had been held up, managed fo scramble through.

Stopped!

Not so the motor cyclist, however. His machine would not look at the depth of water. It was getting dark, too dark to find shelter for the night, which, with clouds rolling up from the east, looked as though it might be wet.

Mr Fell had a piece of canvas and his overcoat with him, and decided to make the best of a bad job and trysleeping out in the open. His tea consisted of a piece of chocolate, and his bed was a very

uncomfortable affair,

Several showers during the night did not add any to the luxury, and the first bright gleams of dawn were a very welcome sign.

With Whangarei and breakfast his next objective, Mr Fell set off as soon as it was light. • The flood had subsided, and he found no more obstacles in the way of a big meal.