ROUND THE NORTH ISLAND

Stratford Evening Post, Issue 18, 16 January 1929, Page 4

ROUND THE NORTH ISLAND

EXTENSIVE MOTOR TOUR. EXCELLENT CAMPING SITES. -—— 1 , Mr W. E. Williams, manager of the Farmers’ Co-op at Stratford, spent his holidays on an extended motor tour round the North Island. He went to Auckland, through* ttie Hauraki Plains, to Gisborne following the coaat; to. Wairoa to Napier to Palmerston North and finally back nome to Strattord. la all, 1300 miles were covered and the roads' / pract l p cally all the way, were ik good order. Mr Williams was in the fortunate positron of having only one puncture during ithe whole tour. In regards to camping site?, Mr Williams stated that the Auckland site on the Epsom Showgrounds was a very fine one. There was a kitchen with nine gas rings for the use of campers, and a canteen where almost anything could be The Automobile Association men visited the camp every morning] and gave information as to the condition of roads etc! The milkman, baker, and paper boy also. called every morning and made it a veritable home away from home. Tauranga, Opotiki, Napier and Hastings also boast of very fine camp sites but that at Hastings in BeatsonV Park is 'one of the best in the Dominion. It is situated in an area of 40 acres with every modern convenience. lit is electrically lit, has swimming baths and a lake and there is also a large room where r.eals can be eaten if the weather is not very good. The trip from Opotiki to Gisborne, was wonderful, Mr Williams said, the hush scenery in the Mhtu Gorge being remarkable. He noticed also that throughout all the. districts he had visited feed was plentiful and the price of stock was still very high. A feature that struck Mr W- E. Williams on hi s motor was the concrete roads at Auckland. For a distance of about twenty five miles from the city the main .roads were laid down in concrete -and it was a pleasure indeed to travel on them.