BY AIR TO RUATORIA

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19374, 12 July 1937, Page 4

BY AIR TO RUATORIA

SURVEY-PLEASURE FLIGHT A THRILLING TRIP OVER ALL TOO SOON Continuing their aerial pioneering work in exploring new routes for sightseers in the Gisborne district, East Coast Airways yesterday conducted a survey and pleasure flight to Ruatoria and back. Leaving the Gisborne aerodrome at 12.13 p.m., the full complement of passengers were soon sailing smoothly over Gisborne in the Tui. It was a perfect day for flying and a most exhilirating sensation to be floating along so smoothly in the sunshine far above the town and bay. Except for a slight haze in the far distance the air was clear as crystal, and visibility almost perfect. An expert photographer was aboard to take special photographs during the flight. Some of these were of' possible permanent and emergency 1 anding grounds along the route and others of certain homesteads and properties as seen from the air.

Almost as soon as the passengers were floating over the town the mountains Hikdrangi • and ; Aorangi came into view on the left. On the right could be seen the long stretch of bays and inlets reaching” as far as East Cape. The scene was one of extraordinary beauty—blue sea and sky on one side, as far as the eye could see, with 'grey-green hills stretching into the far distance on the other.

Coaching Days Recalled

Over Pouawa the pilot, SquadronLeader T. W. White, pointed out the plateau formation there as a good emergency landing ground. The long expanse of Whangara Beach came into view, and then Gable End Foreland, with its lighthouse, and Waihou Bay, bringing back to some of the passengers vivid memories of the old coach route and the adventures of the past when it took several days to get to Tolaea Bay. *

This latter bay is very interesting from the air, with its many inlets and islands and the historic Cook’s Cove.

All those aboard took a great interest in pointing out the landmarks and the homesteads of their friends along the route.

Lovely Anaura soon came into view and almost at once the plane was over Mawhaia Point at the southern end of Tokomaru Bay. Turning there to take some photographs, the pilot caught sight of a school of sharks attacking a large fish just beyond the point, the passeqge'rs plainly seeing the dark shapes in the clear water below.

Mountains Dominate Landscape From the air the mountains, Hikurangi and Aorangi, seemed to dominate the landscape, their snow-capped peaks glistening in the sunlight. Except on the distant ridges most of the recent snow had melted from the hills.

Turning inland at Tuparoa, the ’plane circled over Ruatoria and flew down past the mountains to Te Puia. where the shining lake and the sharp spur of Puketiti made striking landmarks among the seemingly endless vista of hill and valley. Returning by a route some distance inland from the sea, the passengers glimpsed many of the outlying stations and homesteads far back from settlements and civilisation. To the south could be seen some of the foothills round Tongariro and Ruapehu, but the mountains themselves were hidden in the haze. Soon the white cliffs of Young Nick’s Head showed up clearly as the ’plane flew down the Whangara Valley, back over the flats, and taxied slowly to rest at the aerodrome at 1.30 p.m. A lovely trip, all the passengers agreed, and a perfect.way to see the country, but over far too soon.