HOMEWARD BOUND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21100, 6 February 1932, Page 4 (Supplement)

HOMEWARD BOUND.

By ETHEL M. BAKER, Bethlehem, All day the storm raged wildly and fiercely. The sky was a cold, steely grey and the ocean was lashed to grey fury and masses of churlish white spray by the angry sea wind. The ship rolled from side to side, and the cold sea spray was dashed on to the decks. At nine o'clock that evening the sea was still wild and rough, but bv midnight the storm had eased a little, and from then onward it grew calmer. Next morning when we awoke, the sun was rising over a calm blue sea, and in the east were beautiful pink and gold clouds. Seagulls flew about and later on we saw beautiful white albatrosses flying about with their huge wings flashing in the sunlight. Suddenly one of these birds would make a graceful swoop down to the sea and return with a silvery fish in its beak. At Hie first sight of

Taurauga, Bay of Plenty. (Aged 14.) land I recalled tho following lines, which were written by a New Zealand author: An emerald, sot In an amethyst sea: New Zealand, my homeland . . . Up a bay of calmest blue, to a land of green valleys and hills and beautiful lakes and cities we came. We first passed many rugged bush-clad headlands, and the Great and Little Barrier Islands By mid-day we were in the Waitcmata Harbour. A stately white-winged yacht came sailing down the harbour toward the sea. In the early afternoon we could see the City of Auckland, and tho first noticeable building we saw was the museum and the cenotaph in the Domain. Across the harbour, at Devonport, we could see 1 lie sloops Veronica and Laburnum, their grey steel shining in the afternoon sunlight. A landing was made about three p.m., and as soon as possible 1 came ashore, and knew what it really ielt like to be home once more in New Zealand.