LEAGUE TEAM'S TOUR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19432, 14 September 1926, Page 10

LEAGUE TEAM'S TOUR.

GREAT DAY AT HONOLULU. SIGHT-SEEING AND SURFING. UNBOUNDED HOSPITALITY. (From, J. R. O'Shaughnessy. with tho New Zealand League team.} R.M.M.S. AO RANG I. At Sea. From Suva to Honolulu was a clear run of seven days which quickly passed in organised games on deck in which Neil Mouat carried off most of the prizes for the men. One night out frotn Honolulu, a fancy dress ball was held and hero again the League players upheld tho honour of New Zealand by the originality of their costumes. Gardiner, Elrown and Dufty, attired as a Maori family, made the " hit " of the evening. Their effort evoked one continuous roar of langhter from tho passengers. On Friday, August 13, we arrived off Honolulu in the early morning. Avery, our popular skipper 'was first on deck to catch a glimpse of the land of which we have read so much. The others were quickly in his wake. At 6 a.m. with a blanket of mist partially obscuring tho view, Honolulu appeared distinctly unimpressive. Honolulu lies at tho foot of a long rampart of hdb towering high abovo the town. The surf beats on a shore studded with green foliago down to the water's edge, and we could make out beaches along tho harbour frontage. Garlands for the Visiters. Upon the departure of tho doctor, a launch came alongside and as tho ship pushed on to her berth at the docks Mr Bustard, representing tho Honolulu Chamber of Commerce, and Mr Cunningharao, president of tho British War Veterans' Association, camo on board The previous day, from theso gentlemen and from Mr. Watson, the Mayor of Honolulu, we had received wireless messages of welcome, and expressing their desiro to act as our hosts and to entertain tho team during our day's stay in Honolulu. | Mr. Bustard was armed with a huge pilo of beantifully smelling (lowers, ar ranged as garlands and named "Liso" or " Leese " with which it is the beautiful custom to present those arriving from overseas at Honolulu. The boys wero quickly bedecked in those garlands, and we were wished " Aloha " or welcomo in a few well chosen words. Our managers suitably replied. Then tho Aorangi berthed in the presence of a large crowd of people and, as wo filed down tho gangway, each man wearing his garland, two bands, tho American Garrison Band and a native band, struck up a lively march. As wo passed out from tho landing stage to tho street tve were met by several residents who took in hand a .group each and wo wero taken away in cars on a round of sightseeing to various places of interest. Honolulu has a population of roughly 100,000 people and there are over 20,000 motor-cars or ono to every five people. View From tho Mountains. Travelling over fine concrete roads, our fleet of cars arrived at a point in tho mountains overlooking tho city and giving us a grand view of the broad Pacific on the one hand and on the other a vast tract of cane fields and pineapple plantations stretching to tho sea many miles away. We were then driven to a fine country club with an excellent golf course and magnificent lawns and drives. Throughout our stay in Honolulu we i wero astounded at tho wealth and luxuriance of the vegetation. Fine royal palms, tall and ,striking, lined most of the roadways right through even tho centre of the business qnarter. Lawns to the edge of the footpath surround all tho buildings, not to mention tho private homes. Honolulu gives one tho idea of spaciousness and freedom, together with a fine lay out and surroundings. No town in New Zealand can approach Honolulu in beauty. - » The team assembled at the Punahou College for white boys, and here, thanks to the true American courtesy of the president of tho college, Mr. Hauelc, wo were given tho free run of his beautifully situated grounds, for a practice game and the use of the fine open air swimming pool afterwards. A large gathering of friends watched the training keenly. At noon wo were again the guests of the British War Veterans' Association at luncheon. Mrs. Fullard-Leo, chaperone to Miss Mariechen Wehselau, during the latter's swimming tonr of Australia and New Zealand last year, was hostess. She proved a true friend to the team, doing ali in her power to make our stay a memorable one." She wished to reciprocate the hospitality accorded by Mr. and Mrs. Mair in Queensland. Wonders of Waikiki Beach. Tho president of the British War Veterans' Association warmly welcomed the Now Zealanders. After luncheori wo went for a run to tho wortd's largest and most wonderful aquarium, Waikiki Beach. Here we saw wonderful fish of 100 varieties and of an infinite variety of colourings and markings. Giant octopuses and turtles, minute crabs and wonderful goldfish,, all tho wonders of the deep were there. From here on to the world-famous Waikiki Beach was but a step. There we wero the guests of tho Outrigger Club. Let me say at once that, speaking of the actual bench, Waikiki did not come up to expectations. Coral on the sea floor is a great drawback. Moreover, the beach is not as large as some of the New Zealand beaches—for example, New Brighton. _ But in all other respects Waikiki is infinitely superior to anything in New Zealand. Palatial hotels, like the famous Moana Hotel, and wonderful bungalows of wealthy residents line tho foreshore.

In Hawaiian outrigger canoes the boys put out to sea with a native in the stern who acted as pilot. The canoes are propeller] by hand paddles. On reaching a certain distance, the canoe is pnt about and headed for the shore. As a large wave comes along behind, out go the paddles. The craft shoots forward, the wave lifts us up and we are off. Spray drenches us. We hang on and go flying shorewards at fully 50 miles per hour, perched on the crest of a huge wave. "Out paddles" comes the command from the native, and we paddle for dear life and, in an instant, the canoe turns about, on the point of grounding on the beach, and once more we head for the open sea to repeat the thrilling performance. I One Crew Comes to Grief. Dufty. Sanders, Herring, Brown and Cole, dispensing with the services of the native pilot, ventured out by themselves and the result was fun, fast and furious. On the crest of a wave their canoe capsized and the crew was hastily tipped into the surf. Dufty and Sanders, like Hollywood film artists, swam for • the paddles and rescued them, and then returned to bale out while the others swam about. All then scrambled aboard and the fun commenced again. All thoroughly enjoyed themselves. Canoe races were held and Gardiner's crew, comprising Gardiner, Webb, Dclgrosso, Carroll and Brisbane, claim fbo laurels, but there is much opposition. We" also tried surfboarding with varying siccess. At afternoon tea at file beach pavilion. <he Mayor of Honolulu presided over the gathering, which included Miss Wehselan. the world-famous swimmer. Mr. Watson, in a fine speech, welcomed us as \tnv Zealanders to Honolulu. Wo then went direct tn the docks and boarded the Aorangi. Thousands lined the wharves and again farewell garlands were showered on the departing team. Curio sellers did a roaring trade.