EASTER HOLIDAYS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22391, 11 April 1936, Page 12

EASTER HOLIDAYS

mOWDS IN THE CITY ACCOMMODATION TAXED FINE .WEATHER PROSPECT MANY PEOPLE TRAVELLING As if to, compensate for tho unfavourable weather earlier in the year, the Easter holidays, often marked by wintry conditions, opened auspiciously yesterday in perfect weather. For this time of the year there were tan usually large crowds on the beaches yesterday, while a larger number of pleasure craft than normal have left on Easter cruises. There arc a considerable number of visitors patronising the inotor-camp at Western Springs, and road and'rail traffic both to and from the city has continued to bo very heavy. It is anticipated that many people who observed Good Friday in the city will leave on holiday trips to-day. People have been turned away by toll the leading Auckland hotels and by most of the smaller establishments as well as a result of the great influx of visitors to the city. Bookings have been made for several weeks and many people who came to tho city on the otfthance of obtaining accommodation had 'to visit several hotels before finding rooms. The shortage of rooms was general in all classes of accommodation houses from first-class hotels to the 'cheaper boarding houses. Tho rush had not reached its height yesterday, and a few hotels had some room available, but will be fully booked to-day, when large numbers of race visitors will arrive. Hotels will remain full until Monday. Many people were given accommodation yesterday on the understanding that it might not bo available to-night. "1 do not know what we will tio with them, then," said one manager last night. A number of visitors, particularly those who are coming to the city mainly ifor a holiday, are making longer stays of up to two weeks. The majority of .the visitors are from other parts of the Dominion, including many from the South Island. The position is further complicated by the arrival of three overseas steamers, the Rotorua from London on Thursday, the Monowai from Sydney to-morrow, and the Aorangi from Vancouver on Monday. Accommodation for these passengers was booked in advance.

HEAVY RAIL TRAFFIC MANX LEAVE AUCKLAND CHRISTCHURCH EXCURSION . Railway trains were crowded all day ton Thursday, and although traffic declined to normal yesterday, increased activity is expected to-day. Over 2500 people left Auckland by the various long-distance trains on Thursday. The Wellington expresses ■were well patronised: The daylight limited, which left at 8 a.m., was a full jfcrain, while the afternoon train reached •the exceptional size of 17 units, against the normal size of 10 units, and carried 000 passengers. The limited express, and \fcwo special Wellington trains each comprised 12 units, while nearly 400 people travelled to Rotorua by a special train iin the evening. All the inwards trains also were exceptionally heavy. Race /traffic will be responsible for heavy arrivals to-day. The New Ply,mouth train will arrive separately at 6.38 a.m. instead of as part of the 'nsual Wellington express at 7.6 a.m. .Heavy outward traffic will necessitate the Newj Plymouth train leaving separately at' 7.18 p.m. to-morrow and on Monday. A special race train will arrive from Whangarei at 11.28 a.m., but passengers will return by the ordinary 5.14 p.m. train. Waikato racegoers will arrive by the ordinary trains, but will return by a special train leaving Auckland at 5.19 p.m. ' About 350 members of the Corsair Club, Christchurch, will arrive tomorrow morning at 6.33, leaving again at 8.45 p.m. They will return by the Stratford route. Further special trains will be run on Monday, when traffic will again be heavy as holiday-makers will be returning home.

•MOTORISTS ON THE ROAD ■ / * LARGE NUMBER OF CARS THE WAIKAREMOANA ROUTE Attracted by the fine weather, thousands of mqtorists were on the road yesterday, there being particularly Jbeavy traffic travelling in both directions on the Great South Road. Petrol stations reported large sales, greater in most cases than those on any Good JViday for several years. The road construction works in all parts of the province have made excellent progress during the recent spell of good weather with the result that surfaces generally arc good. Motorists ! who arrived from the Urewera Country yesterday stated that the Waikaremoana Road is in much better order than was anticipated. However, several -sections will be slippery on the first fall of rain and are likely to be of some worry to travellers. Dust proved rather troublesome yesterday on the 26 miles of unsealed highIway between Cambridge and Kotorua, but all other parts of the road were jn good condition. Accommodation was ialmost'impossible to obtain in the thermal regions.