FOUR MONTHS’ TRIP

Northland Age, Volume 1, Issue 49, 20 November 1929, Page 7

FOUR MONTHS’ TRIP

MR. J. HODDLE’S RETURN GOOD TRIP, BUT GLAD TO BE BACK Looking fit and well after his four months’ trip to the Old Country, Mr. J. Hoddle returned to Kaitaia last week. Calm seas and fair weather gave Mr. Hoddle an enjoyable trip, and a trip that was educative, but in a chat to a GUARDIAN representative he stated that he was glad to get back on the boat on his way home. Terrific Tropical Heat Leaving home on June 27 last, Mr. Hoddle spent several days in Australia, continuing his journey from that country on the Orvito. This vessel took the Suez Canal route and in the tropical belt the heat was terrific. At any lime of the day one could have wrung the perspiration from one’s clothes, Mr. Hoddle stated. He saw the remains ot old barbed-wire entanglements % ' n the zone which was occupied during the war by colonial troops, and it was easy to imagine the hell those troops must have suffered in the boiling heat. Beautiful Country After a fortnight’s stay in London Mr. Hoddle visited every shire in England, being on the go all the time, and at one period travelling nearly 800 miles in nine days in an engaged car. The country Mr. Hoddle described as beautiful, although an exceedingly dry spell had been experienced, and when he left England the peoole were praying for rain.

Tremendous Pleasure-making

There seemed to be a tremendous lot of pleasure-making, said Mr. Hoddle. If one stopped at a small country village one would see large numbers of passengerladen charabancs passing through. The charabancs incidentally were doing a great deal of harm to the railways. One could travel to any part of England in them, and could ride 200 miles for about 15s

SCOTLAND AND IRELAND

From England Mr. Hoddle went to Scotland for nine days—a beautiful country in his opinion —and then crossed over to the fJorth of Ireland. He stayed only two days, and the country did not appeal greatly Moreover, shooting could be heard in 'different parts, and Mr. Hoddle sought more peaceful haunts. Returning to England, MrHoddle visited his old home town’ Kenilworth (Warwickshire), and was surprised to find that old boyhood friends still remembered him. They expected to see him an old man, they said, but “I •have a better country than yours,” Mr. Hoddle retorted.

Cost of Living Compared * The cost of living at Home Mr Hoddle found to be about the same as in New Zealand, although clothes and boots were cheaper and house rent was reasonable in country towns. Glad To Return Enjoyable as his trip was, Mr. Hoddle stated he was very glad to get to London and get back on tfie boat on his way home. He returned by the new motor-ship Rangitikei, which was making her first trip. The accommodation on the vessel was superb, and every taste of the passengers in the way of amusements was well catered for, there being a twice-weekly picture show, dances, concerts, deck-sports and

many other diversions. The return trip was made via the Panama Canal, and Mr. Hoddle expressed the opinion it was worth a lot of money just to see how the canal was worked. Thousands of crocodiles were to be seen in the lake. Lure of “God’s Own”. Beautiful, even-climed New Zealand has a lure for its people that no other land can supplant. Glad himself to be on the return voyage, Mr. Hoddle met fellowcountrymen who had gone Home with the intention of staying, but the call of their own southern land was too strong for resistance. Some stayed nine months, some stayed twelve, but in the end they all came back to the matchless clime and incomparable charm and beauty of “God’s Own Country.”