JUDGES BROUGHT BY AEROPLANE

Southland Times, Issue 23998, 13 December 1939, Page 6

JUDGES BROUGHT BY AEROPLANE

DELAYS CAUSED BY FLOODS CONTRAST with weather IN SOUTHLAND Four of the judges of stock at the Centennial Royal Show who had been held up in their journey south by floods in the southern portion of the North Island reached the show at about two o’clock yesterday after an extremely fast trip from Palmerston North by aeroplane and motor-car. Three of the sections had remained untouched awaiting the arrival of the judges, but in the Friesian cattle section the duties of judge were undertaken at very short notice by Mr James Hart, of Morrinsville, president of the New Zealand Friesian Association, who was a visitor to the show.

The delayed party consisted of Messrs A. L. Bremer (Hawera), Alex Hunter (Hawera), R. G. Scown (Hurley ville), H. E. Johnson (Palmerston North), D. S. Ross (Te Puke), J. G. Donald (Featherston) and E. G. Dobson (Palmerston North), the last-named being a representative of The New Zealand Farmer Weekly. Attempts to send an aeroplane from Palmerston North on Monday night failed because of extremely rough weather and the northern party spent the night at Palmerston North. At five o’clock yesterday morning they left in a special aeroplane and had a very rough trip to Wellington, where a halt was made to pick up Mr Donald. The Rongotai airport was flooded, but the machine negotiated the runway without mishap. After leaving Wellington, better weather was experienced and from the northern tip of the South Island conditions were almost perfect. The aeroplane reached the Taieri aerodrome at 11 o’clock and Messrs Donald, Bremer, Scown, Johnson and Dobson at once joined a waiting taxi and made a quick trip to Invercargill, arriving at the show grounds at two o’clock.

The party commented on the great change in the weather of the North and South Islands. They said they found it difficult to believe when they walked on to the Invercargill show grounds flooded with sunshine that they had left very stormy conditions in the North Island only a few hours before. Messrs Hunter and Ross came south to Invercargill by the express last night.