UNDER CANVAS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23702, 9 January 1939, Page 8

UNDER CANVAS

MOTORISTS ON TOUR CAMP AT TAHUNA A CONTENTED COMMUNITY From every part of New Zealand, from the Old Country, Australia, and South Africa, touring motorists have, during the past few months, rested at the Automobile Association’s camp at Tahuna. Since about the middle of December, the camp has been particularly busy, and even now, with the Christmas holidays over, there are approximately 40 parties living on the ground either under canvas or in caravans. It is estimated that since the beginning of July, when the camp year officially commenced, some 600 parties, representing in all roughly 2000 persons, have taken advantage of the facilities which the camp has to offer, and not a few of these have come from beyond the Dominion. On Saturday several parties left the ground, but in the evening there were no fewer than five arrivals, who, for the time being, were accommodated under the grandstand by the caretaker (Mr J. H. Sutton) and were thus saved the necessity of pitching camp in the heavy rain and stiff south-westerly wind. Yesterday, however, they had vacated their temporary quarters, and the business of erecting tents and making everything shipshape was completed by lunch-time. Under the shelter of the pines and the sandhills at the western end of the ground, a compact “ canvastown has been established, and tents of every size, shape, and description comprise what might be termed the main street. Here and there is a palatial caravan as completely furnished as any seaside cottage, while some of the tourists, who belong to the “ home away from home ” school of thought are the possessors of separate tents for dining and sleeping.

A Movable Feast

They are a contented community, these motorists. Every meal is more or less of a movable feast, to be taken when the diner desires, and from a glance around the camp it would appear that the breakfast hour extends from about 6 a.m. to 10, lunch from 12 to 3, and tea from five in the evening until any time before midnight. As one camper put it yesterday, it is the complete freedom from having to work by the clock that makes a motor camp such a boon to the, touring motorist. One man at present at Tahuna has in the past six months pitched his tent in no fewer than 12 different motor camps, and he expects to visit half a dozen more before he completes his holiday tour. He stated yesterday that he considered the site at Tahuna one of the finest and most handily-situated in New Zealand, and that its equipment and management were a credit to the caretaker and the, Automobile Association. Local Resident Camps Another man, a resident of Dunedin, finds that tent life and the salt breezes from the Pacific suit him so well that he has lived in his little canvas home on the ground for nearly two months, having some of his meals in town and cooking for himself when he feels inclined. After all, with gas rings, hot baths, a cosy tent, and nearly all the conveniences of a home, what else does he require?

One and all, the campers are loud in their praises of the manner in which Mr Sutton controls the camp. “ Nothing is too much trouble for him,” a motorist remarked yesterday, “ and he studies our comfort in every way.” Equally enthusiastic is Mr Sutton about the members of his little community, whom he de-. scribes as “ a fine lot.”