THE MAUI POMARE

Southland Times, Issue 21257, 2 December 1930, Page 7

THE MAUI POMARE

ARRIVING AT DUNEDIN ON THURSDAY. TRIAL TRIP UNDERTAKEN. (Per United Press Association.) Wellington, December 1. The Government motor ship Maui Pomare is expected at Dunedin from Niue Island direct on Thursday afternoon and she will then resume her running in the island trade.

Following an extensive overhaul to her engines, the vessel left Wellington on a trial trip to the islands on November 11 and she has since visited Niue Island and then Samoa, returning to Niue where an unsuccessful endeavour was made to load a shipment of bananas in a strong gale. According to her schedule, the Maui Pomare will make Auckland her last port of call in New Zealand and she will leave from there on each trip for Niue Island and Apia, returning via Lyttelton, Wellington and thence Auckland. On every second trip she will make Dunedin her first port of call in New Zealand, then travelling up the coast and calling at Lyttelton, Wellington and Auckland.

Reports concerning the vessel’s trial trip indicate that her engines have been running well and that no trouble has been experienced. She has a cargo of 7,400 cases of bananas for New Zealand from Samoa but it proved quite impossible to load at Niue, owing to the westerly gale which made the roadstead unworkable. As a result a large quantity of bananas had to be left on the island and the native growers will experience a dead loss on them. On arriving off Niue Island the vessel had to seek shelter on the eastern side of the island. During an attempt to pick up passengers two native surf boats were lost.