MOTORISTS' TROUBLES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18292, 8 January 1923, Page 7

MOTORISTS' TROUBLES.

RANGIRIRI CONDITIONS. DIVERSITY OF OPINION. RAIN, SUN AND WIND 'EFFECTS. "Quickly bad and quickly better," is, perhaps, the best way of describing the rapid changes in the. condition of- the road surface over the Eangiriri hills—a topic which has much exercised motorists during the past couple of weeks. There arc a good number of motorists who have sound reason for remembering the direful, inireful experiences they had when crossing the hills during, or shortly after, the recent spells of heavy rain. Contrasted with these there are others who say they made-the journey over the hills -without encountering any real troubles to speak of. Only a few clays ago the case was cited of "a motorist who, when he arrived in Auckland last Thursday, said he had found tho road over the hills "in splendid condition," and "as dry as a bone. A very different story is told by Mr. E. Whitehead, of Remuera, who, as a pas iconper, crossed the Ranginns on the Saturday before Christmas. His journey was mada in a five-water .car, which .J*n in perfect condition, having just undergone a thorough overhaul. On the day of tho trip it started raining in the forenoon, and the downfall continued until 4 am the following day. Leaving* hi 1.50 p\m., it was soon seen that the road was W. so chains wore put on to [he back wheels. On. the road a car mas encountered, stuck fast in the .Mean, time the Remuera motorists conUrmcd their trip; the car got through, but the prssengcrs had a most disagreeable shaking. On the hills two or three cars, which were out of action owing to the state of the road, were passed.

A Damaged Spring. Huntlv was reached at 7 p.m., but the road over the hills is described as having been in a terrible state. From the Rangiriri Hotel into Huntlv the road was found to be so badly "pot-holed that a speed of less than 15 miles had to bo maintained. On the Sunday morning when the car was examined, it was found that three of the leaves of one of the springs had been broken by the jolting on the previous dav. Timber was. procured to strengthen the damaged spring, and thus the car was able to crawl along to Cambridge, where new leaves were procured and the spring repaired. _ "I would not make that run again in such conditions if you were to offer me £50, a free trin and hotel expenses," said Mr. Whitehead, and it is not surprising to learn that on the return journey the party came by the longer but less trying route, via Pofceno and Pukekohe. That was not, he said, the best of roads; but it would have been fairly good had there been no rain. Three other cars which had made the outward run by the Rangiriris also returned by the Pokeno route. On the return journey it rained heavily practically all the way, and the road was treacherous with greasy mud. Still, they found the road safer than the Rangiriri route, and Mr. "Whitehead thinks it the better way during wet weather. One little eposide worthy of note occurred on the homeward run. On the slippery road a car was encountered in difficulties. In endeavouring to negotiate a bad bend the driver had got his vehicle into a dangerous position, being bn the edge of a sneer fall of some 30ft. or 40ft. Mr. Whitehead's party helped to get the car from its position of peril back to the safety of the road. And so, in continuous rain,* the tour was completed by a safe arrival in Auckland. Town and Country Driving That there is a marked diversity of opinion in respect to the Rangiriri road everyone knows, and the explanation of this is not far t'o seek. The road after a spell of rain may become a miry treacherous morass. Then comes a period of wind and sun and almost as quickly the clay surface dries up. So it comes about that m one' and the same garage at times one may hear two motorists, both of whom have recently made this trip, each giving a very different story of the conditions he encountered. There is another aspect of tho matter that may be touched upon. The man who all the year round is used to town driving on good roads is more likely to find difficulty in crossing the hills than a man used to country roads. The latter realises the difficulties he may reasonably expect to meet after heavy rain, and his knowledge and experience help him. The motorist who makes, say, a dozen runs a year over the Rangiriris, in good weather and bad weather, gets to know the really difficult points, and is able to dodge some of the troubles that befall the man without experience. To know the road and to know also one's car are material helps in such a trip.