LARGE INFLUX

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22933, 11 January 1938, Page 6

LARGE INFLUX

AUSTRALIA PREPARES ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS LINERS. FROM SEVEN SEAS [from our own correspondent] SYDNEY, Jan. 7 Nearly 50 liners, in addition to those from New Zealand and the Pacific Islands, will arrive in Sydney during the 150 th anniversary celebrations. Heavy passenger lists are expected by shipping companies us a result of extensive publicity given Australia in the last few months. In addition to the regular callers there will be the cruise liners Empress of Britain, Franconia and Reliance, which will bring more than 2000 people, it is estimated, for a glimpse of Sydney. A highlight will be provided by the Union liners Monowai and Maunganui. These have been chartered to arrive in April with 2000 New Zealand returned soldiers and their wives and families. The two liners will be used as hotels by the passengers during the stay in Sydney. Bound-Voyage Tickets Shipping companies in the United Kingdom-Australia services report an increase in the demand for round-voyage tickets this season. These round-voyage tickets include a special "celebrations ticket." This is* issued at the same price as the ordinary round-voyage ticket, but enables the passenger to break his jotirney at Sydney for the currency of the celebrations. A special effort has been made in India to attract Europeans, particularly army officers, to Australia. A representative of the Australian National Travel Association in Bombay has been doing good work, and the P. and O. Company has been carrying out a special publicity campaign throughout India and Ceylon. New Zealand Traffic An attractively-produced handbook on Australia which first was released in England has been distributed throughout India and seems to have won results. Indian passage figures to Australia show signs of being the best so far.

A substantial number of people ■will visit Sydney , from the Pacific Islands. Traffic from New Zealand will be heavy by the mail steamers and by the crack liners Awatea and Wanganella. During the celebrati6ns period the Awatea will make 16 voyages from Auckland and Wellington. Her passenger lists promise to be heavy.