ADVENTUROUS TOUR

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22694, 5 April 1937, Page 3

ADVENTUROUS TOUR

JOURNEY IN SMALL CAR LONDON TO DELHI BY ROAD UNU.SUAL HONEYMOON TRIP The arrival of the Mariposa in Auckland on Saturday brought to an end a brave adventure and a remarkable journey for Airs. Ceredig Richards, who left Auckland near the end of last year, later to make a honeymoon tour by motor-car from London to Auckland.

Shortly before leaving London Mrs. Richards was married to Mr. Richards, a former Auckland journalist. Travelling in a baby car, "Junior," Sir. and Mrs. Richards journeyed in safety to Delhi, where Mr. Richards contracted small-pox, with fatal results.

The story of the journey across tho world by car is one full of interest and rich experience. Leaving London, Mrs. Richards passed through France, Luxemburg, across .Europe into Turkey, travelling along the Valley of Euphrates into Persia. From Teheran and Meshed she travelled right across Persia and thence to Kabul in Afghanistan, through Quetta in India, along the Valley of tho Ganges into Delhi. Tho journey was planued to continue across India to Calcutta, to the foot of lUie Himalayas to Mandalay and thence through Burma and the Malay States to Australia.

On reaching Teheran the travellers had covered over 5000 miles with 3500 miles still to go to Calcutta. Crossing deserts by compass but never being seriously lost, passing through banditinfested country without hearing a shot, sleeping under desert stars with jackals howling all around and the bells of camels tinkling by, were only a few of the adventures experienced by "Mrs. Richards. She rode on mules to the tent villages of Kurdish nomads to be entertained to banquets of chicken and rice.

The most hazardous part of the journey occurred among the mountains and ravines of Afghanistan, where the travellers had a stirring race against the huge floods that come in the rainy season. By day, the journey took them over barren plains with bare hills and huge boulder-strewn creek beds, brown mountains visible for 100 miles, mud villages every 50 miles, and never a tree.

On the 600-mile run from Teheran to Meshed there were no hotels, two garages and scattered villages, but from Meshed to Kabul there was not even a hut and the travellers had to carry food for 200 miles, petrol for 400, and travel at an average speed of less than 20 miles an hour.

Airs. Richards is staying with her mother-in-law, Airs. Alorgan Richards, of Mairangi Bay.