“THE CARINTHIANS."

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LI, Issue 16920, 29 December 1925, Page 7

“THE CARINTHIANS."

LUXURY LINER..REACHES SYDNEY

SYDNEY, Dec. 28. The big luxury liner Garinthia with its load of wealthy Americans berth ed in the harbor early this morning and drew crowds of interested spectators during the day. The tourists, with characteristic hustle, visited interesting scenic and other spots in the city and suburbs in a convoy of motor cars. SHOPPING DAY IN AUCKLAND. QUEST FOR GREENSTONE SOUVENIRS. “JUST LIKE CALIFORNIA.” “Say, if this isn’t just like California,’’ cried a lady from that State, as she saw an Auckland suburban street for tiie first time from one of the cars provided for the Carintliia’s tourists. vVlia-t reminded! her of Calflornia was chiefly the gardens. They certainly were looking their gayest. The wooden bungalows madie another link with tho Pacific Coast, for their outward design was borrowed originally from that region. American cars and trucks, concrete roads, and electric light poles, all helped to remind many visitors of home, even if the front fences, the shop verandahs, the “keep to the left’’ rule, and various other things made them remember that they were in a foreign land. “The Carinthians,” as they have iearned to call themselves, were taken for a two hours’ trip as part of tileir tour. The tourists hadi been loud m praise of the flowers they saw everywhere, but when they saw the gorgeous array in the entrance to the avenue at Ellerslie, some of the ladies became almost lyrical. “The lawn” and the wellturfed course—“race track” as they called' it—-pleased them no less, and one man declared that even Longchamps was not better appointed. As it happened, the totalisator was being tuned up for the Christinas racing, and the visitors found it a complete novelty, and many wanted to be told how betting was carried on. The mechanical Staff showed how the ingenious electrical machinery worked. WANTED TO TAKE COW ON SHIP. One lady was captivated! by the sight of a splendid Friesian cow which was found walking leisurely along the street at Kohimarania. She was very disappointed because the official photographer did not stop and makq" a picture of the animal, and 1 even more because she could not take it on board the Carinthia to provide fresh milk for the rest of the voyage. The tourists spent some time in the Auckland shops. Picture postcards aiul greenstone were the things most in demand. Though besieged by crowds of ordinary New Zealand Christmas shoppers, salespeople gave the Americans, especially flie ladies, very courteous and attention. Apparently mo tourists had not had facilities for changing the American money into British, hut the shop people were prepared, and the dollar bills were accepted! everywhere at a rough-and-ready exchange rate ot live dollars to the pound. That did not avoid trouble, however, since in dozens of shpps the American ladies could be heard: .arguing currency questions with the people behind the counter. The ladies went in for much' complicated mental arithmetic before agreeing to buy anything. In general, they seemed either suspicious or fond of bargaining, and were proiic to question the prices asked. They had often to be assured that New Zealand was not a free trade country', and that imported) articles were apt to be dearer than in Great Britain or-the United States.

The quest of the greenstone souvenirs began for many of them as soon .as the shops opened. Miniature tikis, brooches, and small ornaments were purchased most freely by the visitors. In picture post cards, their taste ran only to views of Auckland city and Maori subjects. For some .reason unknown, there was - practically no demand for books on New Zealand. In addition to the souvenirs, many bought Christmas gifts, valuable and' otherwise, for friends or relatives on board the ship. Some purchased’ boxes of strawberries and bunches of flowers. Needless to say, sodia fountains and ice cream parlours did a fairly good trade. O.i the whole, it seems likely that the visitors spent more money on meals, motor-car rides, and other incidentals than on goods from shops.