END OF THE HOLIDAY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20841, 7 April 1931, Page 8

END OF THE HOLIDAY.

GOOD WEATHER PREVAILS. LARGE CROWDS OUTDOOR. RETURN TO BUSINESS TO-DAY. A typical autumn day, lightly overcast wftTi patches of friendly sunshine, favoured holiday-makers yesterday. Mild temperatures prevailed and a light northwesterly breeze, bringing only a iew light, showers, cooled the atmosphere. The call of the outdoors exercised a potent influence on thousands of city , dweller!!, who flocked to the country and seaside by road and rail. Picknickdrs ia their k'gions thronged the beaches and many were undeterred by leaden skie* from bathing in the inviting waters. The weather was ideal for motoring, the inland roads being thronged all day with motor-cars £ind buses bound for the hills and open spaces. Roadside tea houses, which have lately been springing up in increasing numbers, did a good trade in lunches and afternoon teas, while a feature of Easter motoring was the business done by fruit sellers, who appeared in larger numbers than ever along tho highways traversing the fruit-growing districts of Henderson and Te Kauwhata. The concluding day's racing at Ellerslia drew a good attendance, the grandstand and gardens being crowded with racing enthusiasts. All sporting and athletic events were well patronised, golf, tennis and bowling comprising the principal attractions. Although the yachting season was drawing to a close, the mild weather attracted many crews to favourite haunts in the gulf. Motorists who spent the Easter holidays on tour returned in large numbers yesterday afternoon and evening. Although part of Saturday was spoilt by rain, the four days' holiday period was, on the whole, congenially spent and motor campers who went away prepared for the chilly nights in inland districts spoke enthusiastically of their holiday jaunt. The holiday period comes to an end with the reopening of business houses and shops this morning. An exception will be tho banks, the insurance companies and land agents' offices, which will not reopen until to-morrow morning, and the legal offices, which will remain closed until next Monday. The Auckland Stock Exchange will also reopen on Monday, while the Supreme Court will resume on the same day.

HOLIDAY TRAFFIC. EXCURSION TRIPS POPULAR. HEAVY RAILWAY EXODUS. All excursion trips, both marine and inland, were fairly well patronised yesterday. The various picnic and holiday resorts,in the harbour and Hauraki Gulf were visited by large numbers of people. Rangitoto and Motuihi islands, as usual, proved the most popular, although mora distant places, such as Kawau Island, were also favoured. Traffic- on the railway was very brisk. The express trains which arrived from Wellington, IRotorua and Whangarei were all heavily laden, many of the passengers being Auckland holiday-makers who were returning to their homes after the Easter vacation. Outward expresses were also well filled, the four trains which were despatched for Wellington last evening carrying many Southern visitors. Many thousands of people were transported by tramcar, the traffic being considerably greater than during the weekend. The special cars to the Ellerslia racecourse and the cars on the Zoological Park route were especially well patronised, and practically all carried a full quota of passengers.