SCHOOLBOY'S LONG RIDE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21165, 23 April 1932, Page 10

SCHOOLBOY'S LONG RIDE

TRIP FROM WHANGAREI. TWO NIGHTS IN THE OPEN. 117 MILES ON A BICYCLE. Fear at tho possible consequences of liis not having completed his home-work on Monday evening, led a 14-year-old pupil of tho Whangarci High School, Thomas James Higgins, io undertake a trip to Auckland, a distance of 117 miles, on his bicycle. The boy left Whangarci late on Tuesday afternoon, and arrived at the home of his undo, Mr. S. V. Higgins, of Anzac Street, Takapuna, on Thursday afternoon abgut five o'clock, looking perfectly fit, in spite of his tiring trip. On his arrival at Takapuna, the boy told his uncle that he had been unable to complete his lessons on Monday night, and was therefore loath to attend school on the following day. When he left his parents' home in Otangarei Road, Whangarei, on his bicycle on Tuesday morning, he did hot ride to school, but spent several hours in the township. Id tho afternoon, the idea of riding to hij uncle's place at Takapuna occurred t'J him, and accordingly he set out with no preparation for the trip, riding through out the greater part of the night.

Dusk on Wednesday evening found him near Wellsford, a distance of some 6Z miles from Whangarei. As he had not sufficient money to pay for accommodation, he sought out a convenient creamstand by the roadside, parked his cycle against it, and made the best of the draughty box as an improvised bedroom. On Thursday morning he was feeling decidedly hungry, and so, in traditional school-boy fashion, took the edge off his appetite with apples from a near by orchard.

Tho boy recommenced his ti\p soon after his meagre breakfast., and, riding steadily, reached Takapuna, a distance of nearly 53 miles from Wellsford, at five o'clock the same evening. He was perfectly fit, and had brought his offending school-books with him, strapped to the cycle. His father is expected to arrive from Whangarei to-day to take the boy home.