Where I Go, the Family Goes

Northern Advocate, 30 December 1938, Page 2

Where I Go, the Family Goes

Yesterday an ‘•Advocate’' reporter met a lone traveller motoring through Northland without companions. Today he met the extreme opposite —the family man, carrying in his car wife, three children, mother-in-law, and a cousin, and in his trailer a vast accumulation of sleeping, cooking, swimming and toilet gear. He came into town in a flurry, searching the thoroughfare for signs of refreshment rooms. A mass of faces peered out from the car and a spontaneous cheer went up when the first tearoom hove in sight. Driver, wife, family, mother-in-law and cousin trooped out to occupy two tea tables. The Great Organiser. Driver footed the bill. Seeing the town was .a problem for much consideration, demanding careful organising. Some wanted to go down Cameron Street, some up Rank Street, some wanted to see shops, some the residential area, some the harbour. Driver had the responsibility of arbiter in the controversy. Ultimately mother-in-law was seen sitting in the car consoling the younger of the three children in his Sticky combat with an overflowing and melting ice cream. The rest of the contingent went shopping-wards.

Reassortment of passengers look a good five minutes before the car finally puffed up Bank Street on its burdened northward journey. Driver spared a few minutes between curbing inquisitive childish spirits to tell of the joys of motoring with the family. Not Like It Was. It wasn’t quite like the bachelor Camping he had done in years gone by, he said. No sooner had, one left home than one had stopped at a roadside tearoom for ice creams, refreshments and other holiday amenities.

There was a certain routine followed with making lunch, tea, or in-betweens on the road, he said. The car would stop among some trees, probably beside a creek. The “youngsters” would dash off for a feet-wetting, while father found dry wood for a fire. Meantime mother, mother-in-law and cousin, in between spasms of worrying over the children, dived into the recesses of the trailer and produced billy, cups, plates, saucers and the other little oddments necessary for tea-drinkers, iAn hour, or even two, . 'went in quick time with, such matters, he said, .and there was little time to appreciate scenic beauty.

Change as Good as a Rest, “But it can’t be much of a holiday for your Wife?” he was asked. “The change seems to be all she wants,” he said. “And the mother-in-law?” “The same applies to her.” “And you?” He waved his hand as if in despair, and did not answer. Had he seen the lone traveller who passed through Whangarei a few hours before him? Yes, they had been at the same camping ground for one night. They bad thought the lonesome one an odd follow, going about on his own. But even as he said this, the youngest child dabbed a chocolate covered finger into father’s middle, and father, seeing the dark stain on his summer shirt, scowled and said: “Believe me, there are times when a man would like to be alone just for one day.”