DECLINE IN SEA TRAVEL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20553, 2 May 1930, Page 8

DECLINE IN SEA TRAVEL.

CHANGE IN'RECENT YEARS,

COASTAL SERVICES CEASE,.

MANY VESSELS WITHDRAWN. LAST WEST COAST PASSENGERS, The Northern Company's steamer Nga. puhi loft Onehunga yesterday on her last trip to New Plymouth. After. s h e returns to Onehunga to-morrow morn, ing New Plymouth will be without a steamer passenger service to Onehunga the first time in 55 years. The abandonment of the service haj Tjeen brought about owing to the large number of people who now travel by motor vehicles and trains. The growth of road and railway transport in New Zealand has caused the cessation of nine coastal pas. senger runs, on which 17 steamers were engaged. Five of these were operated by the Northern Company, three on the west coast and two on the east coast. The New Plymouth service Commenced in 1875, when the Union Company was formed with five small steamers, the Maori, Bruce, Beautiful Star, Hawea and Taupo, which had been purchased by the company from the Harbour Packet Company and the Otago Steam Packet Company, of Dunedin. The Taupo and the Hawea were new steamers on their way to New Zealand when they were bought- by the Union Company. On arrival they were intmediately placed on the west coast service, the ports of call including New Plymouth and Onehunga. The company afterwards continued that service with various steamers for 33 years, but was forced to withdraw from the trade when the Main Trunk railway was completed. Beginning of Sydney Service Following the Hawea and Taupo, the Rotorua, the first steamer built for the Union Company, was placed on tho Taranaki service in 1876. Besides proceeding from Southern ports to New Plymouth and Onehunga, she continued, from Ons< hunga to Sydney, this being the company's first attempt to establish a regular intercolonial passenger service, the forerunner of the preseni Auckland-Sydney run. Another new steamer, the Wanaka, which was built in 1877, was put, on the Taranaki service, and she and the Hawea were both wrecked at New Plymouth.Other steamers of the company that have been engaged at different periods in the New Plymouth run were the Takapnna, Mahinapua, Penguin, Omipere, Wainui and Rotoiti. The Takapuna was bailt specially for a fast mail and passenger, service from Onehunga to. New Plymouth, Wellington and Lyttelton. She was refuted to be the fastest coastal steamer then in Australia or New Zealand, and her elaborate fittings classed her as one of the finest appointed vessels in the world.

The Takapuna«was too far advanced forNew Zealand's requirements at that period, and her service and speed \vere considerably curtailed.- Lyttelton was deleted from her ports of call, and during the remainder of the period that the company maintained tlie New Plymouth passenger service the Takapuna ran in conjunction with the Rotoiti; the two vessels each maintaining a weekly service from Onehunga to New-Plymouth, Nelson and Wellington. Northern Company's Service. In 1908, when the Main Trunk railway was completed, the company withdrew from the service. The rtin was left to the Northern Company, which purchased j the Rotoiti and placed her in the Whangarei»service, after having renamed her the Manaia. The Northern Company entered the New Plymouth service over 50 years;ago when it bought the Gairloch and Glenelg from the late Captain S. McGregor, who had had the two "vessels built. In 1900 the Ngapuhi replaced the Gairloch, which was transferred to the compahy's One-hunga-Wanganui passenger service, but she was wrecked afterwards at Oakura, south of New Plymouth, when she was proceeding to Wanganui. The Rarawa replaced the Ngapuhi in 1903 and Jot about 26 years she continued in the New Plyhiouth run until relieved bv the Ngapuhi, after the passenger traffic had decreased. The Northern Company also provided;, l a passenger service between Onehunga and Wanganui, and another run was from Onehunga to Raglan, Kawhia snd _ Wai* tara, and .from Onehunga to HokiaDga. These services ceased some years ago; The steamers engaged at different periods were the Kia Ora, Claymore, Rimu and Ngatiawa. The Kia Ora was wrecked near Waitara, and was the fourth passenger steamer to be lost in the west coast services. Position on East Coast. The coastal passenger trade on the east coast has suffered more than-jon the west coast owing /to the extension of the railway system and the improved roads. The diversion of the passenger traffic to lap routes has resulted in 11 passenger steamers being taken off the east coast trade, including six large passenger I. steamers running between Auckland and Dunedin and calling at way ports. | " The Huddart-Parker Company and the 1 Union Company each had two steamers in the Sydney-Auckland-Dunedin service, tand, in addition, the Union Company maintained an east coast passenger service between Auckland and Dunedin with two more steamers. The services continued for, some years after the Main Trunk rsi-* way was opened, but eventually the inter* colonial steamers made Auckland the tW' | minal port, not going south, and late the Union Company's two coastal steamers | were withdrawn. V Owing to the absence of a throug - railway system on tlie east coast t Union Company afterwards provided ferry service between Napier and Gisborn with the Takapuna, but it did not pro* profitable and the steamer was J* 1 ' drawn. She was replaced by; the Arahui* which continued to run for pernio yea between Napier, Gisborne and Aucklan » but owing to the continued decrease passenger traffic she was replaced ny smaller steamer, the Wainui. ieeX v» sion of the east coast railway cause .. further decrease in the traffic an passenger part of the service was g • up, the Wainui being replaced by Waimea, which only carries cargo, is still in the trade. South Island Change. Another passenger service |J the railways was the estp Greymouth run. Two passenger s e . were employed here formany yea-i i they were eventually withdrawn an service is now carried out by the # ; Komata, which has accommodation <• w passengers. The extension >.i east coast and northern railway . was responsible for the abatiaonii the Whangarei and Tauranga paservices, which had been run by g| ern Company for 30 years. 1 -iqofi and-'.ll rei service ceased in September, • A the Tauranga service in "March, • . So much has land travel lhng the- coastal passenger trade ' .f on of Mr past 22 years that, with the exc p .|| •the steamers in the Wellington-Co .--mer service, the Northern Company s : Clansman, which runs from 4 UC £'*:! th»* 'J Russell and Northern ports, is largest coastal passenger steamer ■ mission. And there Is a probability " --j if the passenger traffic continues r so ;b»> M' in the Northern trade she may ■withdrawn. m