EASTER MOTORING

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22390, 9 April 1936, Page 14

EASTER MOTORING

PARTIES ON! TOUR north island roads DETAILS OF CONDITIONS Many motorists will be travelling at Easter, and itineraries for tours north and south of Auckland hare been prepared by the Automobile Association (Auckland). Recent fine weather has enabled the authorities to bring many of the routes into reasonable running order, and considerable road-work is still in progress in various parts of tho North Island. There promises to' bo a heavy flow of traffic both in and out of Auckland, and the main roads are likely to be exceptionally busy. Rotorua and the Bay of Plenty will bo visited by thousands of tourists, and the long length of tar-sealed road leading to the thermal area will be appreciated. On the Bay of Plenty route, it is unlikely that the Karangahake Gorge between Waihi and Paeroa will be open, but tho County Council has given an assurance that the detour will be in a reasonably satisfactory state. Pot-holes and corrugations are a source of continued complaint from travellers through the Hauraki Plains.^

The Routes South The west coast route through New Plymouth provides the most pleasant travelling to the south. The road from Te Kuiti to the National Park is much better than in previous years, but southwards to Wanganui the highways have not recovered from the recent Btorms. The route following the Wanganui River from Pipiriki southward is blocked, while the direct highway from Raetihi via the Para Para is in a rough state on account of reconstruotion. Roughness is still being encountered on the Taihape-Martoa route, where severe damage was caused by the February storm. The Poverty Bay and Hawke's Bay highways are reported to be up to standard, and no difficulty is anticipated. The coastal road via Cape Runaway between Gisborne and Opotiki has been in use this week, the streami being sufficiently IoW to permit motor traffic passing. The association warns motorists that difficult conditions on the Cape road are likely, should there be wet weather. The Urewera Country The Urewera route between Rotorua and Lake Waikaremoana is not in suitable order for holiday traffic. Improvements are being carried out in many places, and these works have ' temporarily made driving conditions very trying, particularly for drivers 'inexperienced in this class of country. AH works are to be suspended on this road during the Easter holidays. The roads on the Coromandel Peninsula will provide holiday access between Thames and Coromandel, and then northward along tie coast. The direct route between Tapu and Mercury Bay is closed, while the alternative road from Coromandel is dependent on fine weather, on account of a destroyed bridge, motorists having to ford a stream.

Numerous motorists hav,e applied to the association for details of a four days' tour of North Auckland, and in the majority of cases, the itineraries include Whangarei, the Bay of Islands, Kaikohe, the Waipoua kauri forest, Trounson Kauri Park and Dargaville The roads in these areas are reported generally to be in very fair order, although pot-holes are prevalent in places. On account of numerous reconstruction works, motor tourists at Easter are recommended to strictly any warning signs or red flags placed for their guidance.