BOXING DAY OUTINGS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18283, 27 December 1922, Page 5

BOXING DAY OUTINGS.

A SUNLESS HOLIDAY. PICNICS AND EXCURSIONS. NUMEROUS ATTRACTIONS. The uncertainty of Auckland Christmas weather has become proverbial within the last decade, and conditions during the past few days of holiday-making have been so contradictory and fickle thait strangers might well come to the conclusion that Aucklanders are out-door picnickers in spite of, rather than because of, our summer weather. The spell of really hot weather experienced a few weeks ago led to high hopes for a real, old-fashioned Christmas of blue skies and warm sunshine, such as our oldest inhabitants still talk of, but younger pessimists shook their heads, and said it was too good to last. It was. Although a bright and sunny Christmas Day succeeded a disagreeable week-end, people were suspicious, and not at all surprised when .Boxing Day broke grey and overcast, with never a gleam of sun all day. Yet the holiday spirit persistently asserts itself, and nothing short of thunder and lightning will keep Aucklanders in their homes on a public holiday, particularly a Boxing Day holiday, when the afterglow of the Christmas spirit is still shining brightly and the neople are in true holiday-making mood. Thus once again yesterday, Auckland people showed themselves true to tradition, arid turned out in their thousands to make merry by the seaside, at the racecourse, on one or other of the numerous pleasure-trips organised by the official optimists in charge of the city's holiday-making. Our people are becoming weather-wise, however, and although summer frocking and light attire was the order of the day, raincoats and umbrellas were conspicuous along with the lunch-baskets, cameras, and other orthodox picnic impedimenta. The more distant sea-excursions were not particularly well patronised, although large crowds visited the popular Waiheke picnic resorts, Milford, Takapuna, and nearer coastal beaches. Over 2000 people were carried by the Takapuna tramways and ferries, while tho excursions organised by the Devonport Ferry Company ' were also well patronised. The dull weather undoubtedly kept many people at homo, however, and the sea-excursion returns for the holidays will probably be rather lighter than last year's. Those disinclined to venture far afield on a day so unpromising found ample entertainment, nearer home. The opening of the Auckland Racing Club's summer meeting at Ellerslie as usual drew many thousands of holiday-makers, while the Auckland Bowling Centre's annual Christmas tournament proved a strong attraction to the city's bowling fraternity. Tennis enthusiasts attended the Lawn Tennis Association's tournament at tho Stanley Street courts in large numbers, private courts also being well patronised throughout the dayHoliday programmes were staged or screened at the various places of amusement, and very good attendances were recorded during afternoon and evening sessions. VOLUME OF TRAFFIC. TRAIN, TRAM, AND FERRY. WEATHER AFFECTS LOCAL TRIPS. While the railways had yesterday to cater for a. large volume of otitwarS passenger traffic, the inward business on the Main Trunk was light. The Thames express, which leftAuckland at 9-12 a.m., was made up of 13 coatches, and the Rotorua train, leaving at 10 a.m., consisted of 12 coetches. Both trans were full. The two evening expresses for Wellington were booked to their full seating capacity. The 7.10 p.m. train comprised nine coaches and a sleeper, and tho second, which left, a.t 8 p.m.. was made up of 12 coaches and a sleeper. The morning outward trains on the Helensville line and in the suburban area were fairly well patronised. The race traffic was very heavy. There j were 14 rzlce trains, both outward and inward, the average number of coaches in each train being 10. The unpromising nature of the weather apparently ha;d no effect on railway booking, and it would seem that the outward traffic yesterday was somewhat heavier tha.n on the corresponding day of last year. The inward traffic probably wag under the normal level. The tram services, although well patronised, certainly did not carry so many people as they would have done had the weather been more settled. In the early morning there was a pretty brisk business, but later it slackened off. The largest number of cars in service at any one time was 148. The greatest volume of traffic was on the Remuera route, a very large number of race-goers travelling to the third section. The inclement weather also had the effect of reducing the number of passengers by the ferry steamers. Fourteen ferry boats wore running on the various services, the most popular being that to Devonport. The special harbour trips which had been announced were run, but tho bookings were on the light side. The Salvation 'Army had a special outing to Motutapu? utilising two terry boats, and between them these vessels carried about 1000 people.