MAIN TRUNK TIME-TABLE

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 6652, 28 October 1908, Page 7

MAIN TRUNK TIME-TABLE

WARNING TO TOURISTS. (To the Editor "N.Z. Times.”) Sir, —Permit me to draw the attention of would-bo tourists, by the so-called tnoday train service between Wellington and Auckland, with a stop-over at Uhuknno for the night, to the many discomforts awaiting them at the cud of their first day’s run. Ohakuuo is a little village called a township, and has sprung up during the last two or three years principally as a result of the railway works now nearly completed in that locality. This township is distant one and a half miles from tho Ohakuue railway station, and connected by a coaching service. Tho traveller leaves Wellington, say, at 8 aim. in tho morning, and is timed to arrive at Oliakuno station at 8 p-m. Here tho traveller —take a lady for an instance —makes the usual rush for a seat on the coach, and running tho usual risk of haying some of her luggage left behind. -After waiting at least twenty minutes to give the coachmen time to pack up luggage, etc., the lady passenger is at last rattling along the Ohakuno road until the coach arrives at an unbridged river, which has to be forded iu tho dark. This same river is so treacherous that it was tho cause of a special deputation to the Minister concerned some few weeks ago. However, we will presume that this is safely negotiated—a few iinore chains and Ohaknne is reached by the. now quite bewildered traveller. The coach pulls up at say, the first boardinghouse, a lean-to-looking back-block whare, and the passenger is told that “Tongariro Palace” is full. Now comes tho difficulty. If that lady has to walk round looking for accommodation at 9 p.m. iu the dark, and in the mud that is quite two inches deep, well, she will have a big heart it she does not burst into tears.

If tho Railway Department think that this sort of thing is going to help them to bring traffic for their trains then the sooner they change their policy the better, bee a use "once bit twice ehy" will be applicable to all passengers who once travel on this time-table. —I am, etc., TRAVELLER. Taihape, October 25th,