END OF THE HOLIDAYS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20219, 2 April 1929, Page 10

END OF THE HOLIDAYS.

CITY GOES BACK TO WORK.

A FINE EASTER MONDAY.

CROWDED EXPRESS TRAINS. The last day of the Easter holidays broke with clear blue skies and bright sunshine. Beautiful autumnal weather, with the tang of Antarctic breezes in the air, imbued new life and spirit into the hearts of holiday-makers, who spent the day out-of-doors in thousands. The clearness of the atmosphere, purged of summer heat and smoke haze, gave visitors to the summit of Mount Eden some unrivalled views. The arterial roads out of the city were crowded with motor-cars in the morning and again late in the afternoon, thousands of people tak-' ing advantage of the smiling weather to picnic in country beauty spots and laze away the day on the beaches. Great crowds attended tho races at Ellerslie, while the golf links at Middlemore, Titirangi and One Tree Hill were well patronised, and bowlers attended the city and suburban links in large numbers. A nippiness in the air and a decided chill at night wero tho outward signs of departing suramttf and approaching winter. Fires appealred in some suburban homes during the holidays for the first time this year, and at Blandford Park the first football matches of the season were played. The Terries and Trams. The ferry companies, the tramways and the railways will be able to show good returns for what may be virtually the last day of summer. People in large numbers, most of them protected from fho cold of early morning by coats, made their way to the waterfront, and there boarded ferry steamers, launches and all sorts of holiday craft for the various bays and inlets of the Auckland Harbour. Motutapu proved to be one of the most popular places for spending the day, probably on account of the shelter it affords. North Shore beaches, Point Chevalier, St. Heliers Bay and Kohimarama attracted many people, although it was noticed that very few ventured into the water. A holiday time-table was observed by trams and buses, and most of them were well filled all day long. Trams proceeding to and from the Zoo were very well patronised. When the figures are completed they are expected to compare very favourably with Easter Mondays in previous years. Departing Visitors. The Auckland railway station was fairly quiet for a holiday yesterday, the rush commencing last evening with the despatch of the three expresses for Wellington. The trains were then besieged by people anxious to get back to their homes, and the platforms were flocked by dense crowds from 6.30 p.m. until nearly 9 o'clock. Nearly 1300 people were packed into the three expresses for Wellington, and two of the trains left with 15 carriages each. Special trains which ran to Ellerslie for the races were patronised by an average number of racegoers.

To-day the city goes back to work. Shops and offices, factories and warehouses, which have been closed since Friday, will throw open their doors for business this morning, and once again the wheels of commerce will go round. Exceptions will be the banks and the wool, grain and stock firms, which will reopen to-morrow morning, and the legal offices, land agencies and Stock Exchange, which will not recommence business until next Monday. Both primary and grammar schools will reopen to-morrow.