TOURIST LINER

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21966, 24 November 1934, Page 12

TOURIST LINER

STRATHAIRD ARRIVES AUSTRALIAN PASSENGERS A MAGNIFICENT VESSEL LARGEST TO VISIT AUCKLAND Crowds lined the waterfront yesterday afternoon to witness the arrival of fcho P. and 0. liner Strathaird, of 22,284 tons, the largest passenger vessel which has visited Auckland. The huge white ship, with . her towering decks and three yellow funnels, rounded North Htfad shortly after 1.30 and steamed slowly up the hafbour. There was a considerable'delay in berthing her at Prince's Wharf and it was after four o'clock before her 800 tourist jjassengers were able to step ashore to commence their brief visit to New Zealand. This is the first tourist cruise by a P. and O. liner to New Zealand and its success seems assured. Passengers were booked from all Australian ports and a fairly large number joined the ship at Fremantle and Adelaide, although ..most of the tourists embarked at Melbourne and Sydney. The liner arrived at Sydney from Melbourne qn the morning of November 15 and sailed for Brisbane on the evening of November 16. Perfect weather was experienced from Melbourne around the eastern Australian coast and further ■passengers joined at Brisbane, where the Strathaird stayed from November 18 to 20. Department's Representatives Three representatives of the New Zealand Tourist Department travelled on the liner from Sydney to arrange shore excursions for the passengers. They were Mr. J. W. Clark, manager at Auckland, Mr. J. A. Malcolm, of Auckland, and Miss Isla Clarke, of the staff of the Nejv Zealand Trade Commissioner's office in Sydney. After the liner berthed about 70 of the passengers left in cars and buses for a sight-seeing tour of the city and suburbs. Others sought their own entertainment ashore. This morning a party of 200 will leave by special train for Rotorua. They will travel by car to Wairakei and the Chateau, National Park, and then will rejoin the special train for Wellington, arriving there on Monday afternoon in time to make sight-seeing trips around the city before boarding the Strathaird again for the return cruise to Australia. y A Maori Welcome

Two other parties will leave by special train this morning, one at 7.30 and the other at 8.30, for a day's visit to Rotorua. They will be given a Maori welcome at Whak are ware wa and will return to Auckland at 10.15 p.m., in time to join the liner before she sails for Wellington at midnight. Several parties left Auckland last evening, shortly after the arrival of the Strathaird, for overland motor tours to Wellington. They had dinner at Hamilton and then continued to Waitomo, where they inspected the caves and stayed the night. To-day they will visit Arapuni and Rotorua and tomorrow they will continue to Wairakei, the National Park and Wanganui. They will arrive at Wellington on Monday morning and will make sight-seeing trips during the afternoon. About 300 passengers are staying on board the ship at Auckland. Many of them have friends here and others will arrange their own outings. " A Floating Mansion "

The Strathaird is not only the largest passenger liner to visit Auckland; she is also one of the most perfectly fitted. Her tourist passengers for the last few days have be*n living in ah atmosphere of luxury which has a peculiarly English note. Modern passenger liners are often aptly descrihed as floating hotels, but the Strathaird strikes the note rather of a floating mansion. There is more a suggestion of dignity than of opulence. The public rpoms, both ,in the firstclass and tourist class, are perfectly appointed, and the first class lounge is probably the finest of any ship that has visited Auckland. It is panelled in light coloured wood, beautifully grained, with small lighted alcoves and noble pillars finished to give an appearance of dark jade. The furniture is upholstered in a tapestry effect and there is a large fireplace with an artificial electrip fire glowing on the hearth. Dining saloon, smoking room, writing room and verandah cafe are all perfect and there Js p, magnificent .indoor tiled swimming pool on the top deck. The Strathaird has accommodation for 1144 passengers, 405 in the first class and 649 in the tourist class. Three Indian Races

The liner carries a crew of 481, about half of whom are Indians. They present a picturesque appearance in red hats, blue tunics Hvith red sashes and white trousers. They scorn the use of footwear. Three different races are represented, and each race serves in a separate department. The first thing that impresses \ bout the Strathaird as a ship is the height of her superstructure. The bridge is 79ft. above the waterline, so that the ship is taller than the majority of city buildings. The liner has a length of 644 ft. and a beam of ,80ft. Set riglit in the bow is the distinctive rising sun badge of the line. COMMANDER OP LINER FLEETING SECOND VISIT * Captain E. A. J. W. Carter, commander of the Strathaird, is paying his second visit to New Zealand. It was as third officer on a steamer bringing tea from India that Captain Carter spent six hours in Auckland in 1910. Thus he did not have much time to see New Zealand, and, without examining his papers, he is not able to recall the name of tho vessel on which he came. The present voyage is Captain Carter'? first in command of the Strathaird. Tall and alert, he looks surprisingly young to have command of such a large vessel. Captain Carter had hoped to make a day trip to Rotorua during his brief stay in New Zealand, but it is nqfc likely that he will bo sufficiently free to do so on the present cruise. FORMER ARMY .OFFICER NOTED ATHLETIC CAREER Among the personnel of the Strathaird is at least ono exceptionally keen athlete. This is Mr. T. B. Wall, of the purser's department., who recently retired from the Imperial Army with the rank of major. For some years he was a physical training expert, serving in England and India, ami, as superintendent of the Array School of Physical Training at Aldershot, lie examined the Duke of Gloucester, then Prince Henry, when he passed out of Sandhurst into the Army. , Mr. Wall has played for the Army at Association football and has also taken impart in Rugby and cricket.