CHRISTCHURCH AND BACK.

Otago Witness, Issue 3774, 13 July 1926, Page 26

CHRISTCHURCH AND BACK.

DUNEDIN MOTORISTS RECORD. Mansjfpeople will be surprised that a group of cars could travel to Christchurch and back inside 21 hours without having trade experts at the wheel, the care having bonnets and radiators sealed, so that no water or oil could be added, or an inspection of any sort made. During the week-end a run was made under the auspices of the Otago Motor Club by seven Dunedin cars and was personally supervised by Mr J. L. Passmore and a group of officials, who were changed at the three controls—Temuka, Christchurch, and Oamaru. An official send-off was given by members of the clubs, and about 200 spectators assembled outside the club rooms to see the cars commence their journey. On the stroke of midnight on Saturday the signal to go was given, and amid cheers the cars moved off. A dense fog was experienced at the Upper Junction and very slow progress waa made at this stage. Later <>n,a bank of fog was met with on the Kilmog, and then again near the coast past Palmerston, extending over 12 miles. It was here that the first mishap occurred. A driver, not noticing the bridge at the Hampden Creek, drove into over 7ft of water. The impact was so great that the lamp brackets were bent back and the wings slightly flattened. Although the radiator appeared to go right under the water, the engine was started, without breaking the seals, and under i£« own power proceeded as far as Oamaru/ where it was discovered that one of the rear springs was broken. The first official stop, Temuka, was reached by the official car in 4hr 40min, and on ilia other cars arriving they „ found the officii! assisting a vex-y sleepy young waitress to lay the tables while his companion was in tfao kitchen stirring the porridge. ft At the check in at Temuka, one Austin seven was missing, and later inquiries proved that the driver had, in the fog and darkness',’ taken the Kurow road outside Oamaru. Temuka was left at 6.40 a.m., the official Austin arriving in Christchurch at 9.39, apd the remaining cars within the next six minutes. All seals were unbroken, with the exception of one car whose sleeping passenger had accidentally kicked the ignition switch to pieces. To cut the ignition wxre would have been the work of a few minutes, but unfortunately in the daik, the troubie was not discovered until the seals had been broken. a

The Canterbury Automobile gave the visitors a very warm welcome, andi complimented them on their fine work in* 1 being tlxe first cars to attempt this difficult \ task. fl The return journey was made without mil- r hap of any kind, all seven cars arriving and j>. checking in at the club rooms. No seals/' were broken, so that all the cars their difficult task without the addition Lof any water or oil, which certainly showed that the owners had faith in their cars, ijJLh it was impossible to check the oil leysllr' without lifting the bonnets, and these wqnjli': sealed down and under the supervision of gjng\ observer. All -the cars were checked in W; x 10 p.m., the distance covered being miles. Two drivers, Mr Passmore and 345, j* Gillies, then elected to complete 500 miles*, f and set off for another 20-mile drive. was completed before 11 p.m. so that theseV? cars have the distinction of being the firsts!, two cars in New Zealand to complete over ft, 500 miles inside 24 hours under official eervation. The whole time occupied under 22 hours.