World Tour by Motor Car

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 836, 3 December 1929, Page 6

World Tour by Motor Car

AUCKLANDER'S BUSY TRIP

CAMPING AT VICTORIA FALLS Since July 1927, Mr. and Mrs. G. W. Allsopp, of Aucklana, have travelled 52,000 miles over land and water. Of that distance 24,700 miles lias been done by motor-car in which they slept, when travelling through the deserts of Australia and the great hinterland of South Africa. Mr. and Mrs. Allsopp returned by the Niagara yesterday afternoon and told something of their comprehensive world tour. Mr. Allsopp stoutly declared that he now wanted a holiday. It has been ail amazing tour. They have slept in tlieir car above the famous Victoria Falls, seen bull lights in Barcelona, driven to the top of Pike's Peak (14,109 feet high) in the United States, and received a camel as a present in the West Australian desert.Speaking yesterday of liis trip, Mr. Allsopp said that he and his wife left New Zealand in 1927 for Sydney. From there they motored to Cairns and back to Melbourne. They shipped across to Tasmania to spend nine weeks there before going back to Melbourne. Then followed a run to Adelaide and from there an exciting 1,800 mile motor journey through the desert to Perth. They carried enough food and petrol to do 000 miles. On the Belladonna ranch they came on their first supply station and it was here that Mrs. Allsopp was presented with a live camel. However it was little use to them so they photographed it, caressed it and went on. From Perth they sailed for Durban, Natal, and then followed a wonderful tour through Pretoria to Livingstone in North Rhodesia. Six days were spent camping beside the Victoria Falls and then the intrepid motorists journeyed back to Cape Town, via Kimberley and the diamond mines. From Cape Town they sailed for Southampton and a tour of England, Scotland and Ireland followed. The lakes of Killarney were not considered very beautiful by Mr. Allsopp who said that New Zealand has dozens more impressive. After kissing the Blarney Stone, Mr. and Mrs. Allsopp then left for a three months’ sojourn in France, Switzerland, Italy, Spain and Portugal. Then back to England and on to Quebec, in Canada. A motor tour through the States followed, with calls at the principal scenic resorts and on over the border to Mexico which Mr. Allsopp described as “nothing but a hell on earth with gambling and drinking.” Back up the American coast to Vancouver and the Aucklanders joined the Niagara for New Zealand and home. *

Mr. Allsopp said that on the whole of the trip he had only a few punctures and broken springs. He and his wife carried a tent and stores wiiereever they travelled so that they could camp wherever they wished. Oil liis way through America Mr. Allsopp was impressed by the number of cat and dog hospitals lie saw. Many of them were’’huge buildings containing medical and surgical wards and operating blocks. Mr. Allsopp was formerly architect to the Auckland Hospital Board.