NEW ZEALANDERS TOUR THE WORLD IN A BABY CAR

Stratford Evening Post, Volume I, Issue 83, 17 March 1931, Page 3

NEW ZEALANDERS TOUR THE WORLD IN A BABY CAR

AMERICAN EXERIENCES, HECTOR MACQUARRIE AND R. B. MATTHEWS LONDON, Feb. 7. Mr. Hector MacQnanie .and Mr. R. P. ■ Matthews,- wheOare circling the world in &' Baby Austin car, are oh the point of beginning the second part •of their journey. They will cross to Fiance and tour through to Ttaly, then Lo Yugo-Slavia, Bulgaria and to Palestine, Mesopotamia,- Persia and so to India. They wilt cross India and then sail fof Penarig, travel .south to Singapore, cross to Port Darwin, and then travel down the coast of Australia to Sydney, a'nd take pa'sstfgc ! fdf Auckland.

The travellers left New Zealand by Ihe Tahiti- 'in August of las'! year. Having been rescued fro'm that illi fated vessel, they 'returned to' the Dominion and made, a'nother start in September. Their leisurely tour through North America was full of interest-. . ■

i Mr. MacQtiarrie has giteli some, impressions of their trip. Hollywood, he' , said, is ruled by Mr. IT.. "Snowy" \ Raker, the manager ol! the Country • Club, and the ex-boxer, of Australia. | The country round Hollywood, Mr; 1 lVlac'Qnarrie expl'rithed, fa burnt tip ah'rf | uninteresting* but wherever (he waiter } fountains play the garden's and lawns' j are beautiful. Tiie travellers considered that the I Grand Canyon is one of the most marvellous sights in the World. It is T 4 1 miles across and a mile deep', and the strata exposed- at the sloping sides are in many colours —red, cream, brick, grey and black. Motorists travel along tbe lips of the canyon and lent; down into if. Every here and there are auto camps', where a log cm hi)i .'ind a garage may be obtained for a dollar and a half a night. At. one stage of their journey the motorists crossed Ihe Mexican border on foot. They were warned t'o keep lo the main road and keep (heir eyes about them. Never had they seen such a number tit really wicked-look-ing men. !n that particular pari travellers who get off the main road are seldomiieard of again. The "cutthroats" are mainly Mexicans, Killed Off "There are no pedestrians in the West," said Mr. AfacQuarrie. "They have all been killed off. Motorists obey no road rules, and if they come up behind (hey just crash into you. Kvery car has bumpers." Jn Western Florida Ihe New ZeaJanders met, with an accident. A man driving a Ford car and suffering badly iron) the effects of "moonshine" ran into them and did considerable damage to the Austin. At the next town, Pensacolo, they met with a. solitary Englishman who helped them considerably. Any effort to obtain compensation, however, would have taken many weeks, so they paid £2O for repairs and passed on. The travellers skirted the Gulf of

Mexico for many days. The road runs beneath an avenue of live oaks;, one of I lie most beautiful of American trees. The branches meet overhead and from these Spanish rrioss five or r.ix feet in length depends and sways in the breeze. It is said that a live

Oak fa hever 1 cut down.' If One ie found to' be in the if no of a new road the Tine of a new road has bo, go rtnYnd it. ' \ t Before Baiting for England tho'NeW Zeafanders spent; some time' in' Washington, Philadelphia and New York. In England they have been visiting friends and relatives, and Mr. MacQndrrie has lectured on several.occasions.