HOLIDAY TRAVEL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18278, 20 December 1922, Page 11

HOLIDAY TRAVEL.

VISITORS FROM THE COUNTRY

THE CHRISTMAS RUSH.

TOURIST SEASON PROSPECTS

The issue of railway excursion tickets has brought great crowds of country visitors into the city during the last feudays, and the scenes at the Auckland station and in the streets indicate that, the holiday travellers are now well on the move. The Christmas holiday racemeeting is proving a, magnet for large numbers of Southern and country visitors, and during the last few days, the incoming crowds have been far larger than these leaving the city. The Southern expresses have all been well filled, about 2000 people arriving by the three trains from Wellington and ' Palmerston North yesterday. Over 600 people arrived from Rotorua and Thames, while the outgoing trains to these districts carried about the same number.

Overseas Visitors. A busy season is predicted for the various tourist resorts of the Dominion. There is a large number of overseas visitors in the country, but not nearly so many from Australia as there would "have been had shipping conditions remained normal. Many people had contemplated trips, both to and from New Zealand, which will not now be undertaken, because of a feeling of uncertainty as to when the holiday might end. On the other hand, there are many English and American visitors in the country, a large number of whom arrived last week by the Niagara, and others by the Tahiti at Wellington. The Tourist Department is now experiencing its busiest period, although for the past two months, there have been very few slack moments in the Auckland office. Tours and itineraries were being made out as long ago as October, and those who had the foresight thus to arrange their tours beforehand, are now reaping the advantage of booking early to avoid the rush. The thermal region and that of the cold lakes will both claim large numbers of visitors this season.

South Island Attractions. I A feature, of this year's holiday-making I is stated to bo the increased number of 1 people who intend to visit the Franz j Joseph Glacier and other beauty spots of | the West Coast. A special motor run 1 from Christchurch to Hokitika has been , arranged this year, and many are taking j advantage of it. The attractions of the ; Hermitage are also being brought much | more prominently before New Zealandeis j than hitherto, and the prospects Ibok i bright for an excellent initial season un- ; der the new management. j Numerous inquiries are also being j made with regard to the famous Milford \ Track tour, and the officer in charge of j the Tourist Office, Mr. C. Wallnut. has . arranged tours for about half a dozen 1 parties. This walk is very p'opular with j women, who are largely represented in i the tours which have been arranged. The | walk is sometimes spoken of as being i very strenuous, but Mr. Wallnut declares \ that this is not so, being taken in easy j stages, with not more than about ten j miles' walk per day. I All things considered, Aucklanders wili I probably travel as far and see as much this year as in any average season. It is ! not anticipated that it will constitute | anything of a record, for the people, like i the Government, have known the pinch lof hard times lately, but the present I prospects seem to point to a steady, aver- | age flow of summer holiday traffic, j strengthened by the usual seasonal rush I during the next week or two. ——