AUCKLAND TO NEW PLYMOUTH

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 250, 28 February 1911, Page 7

AUCKLAND TO NEW PLYMOUTH

VIA THE KING COUNTRY. (By Viatur). The distance by Marton is 445 miles, and the time required is at its shortest 2.'t hours. Somewhere about !) p.m. ■ the iixpress leaves Auckland, arriving at Fraiikton (75 miles) at 12.25 a.m. Te Kuiti (120 miles) is reached at 2 a.m. Here the Wellington and Auckland night trains cross, and I decided to see "the pilgrims of the night." Auckland's train was live hours out and Wellington's 14 hours out. We arrived at Te Kuiti about 5 p.m. I found the place crowded, and the prospect of a room had. Indeed, I was lucky to get even a shake-down. However, like the character in Goldsmith—"A sofa contrived a double debt to pay; a bed by night, a sofa all the day." It was 10 p.m. before we retired and the resurrection was 1.15 a.m. The crescent moon was arising in the southeast, looking red as blood through the smoke of the hush fires. Arrived at the station, the sleepers on the benches were arising, and at 1.45 the refreshments were selling "like hot cokes." Twentysix miles south of the nearest pub. and 140 miles north of Taihape, where drinkcould be, : bought, quite a number ofj people were on the platform. I At 1.50 a.m. Wellington reported ar-1 rival by a long whistle, which seemed to come from under the moon. The stationmaster gave a green flash, and in an instant a whistle short as the sound of a gun announced that permission had Wen given to enter the station.' The southern train was a long one, about half full of a drowsy lot of people in all shapes; unsuccessful they were in trying to turn benches into beds. They twisted and turned repeatedly, and at 2.15 a.m. a long whistle to the north reported that the Auckland contingent were arriving (somewhat late). Then we saparated—Wellington to reach about 7 a.m. and New Plymouth 8 p.m.—with a rest of 90 minutes at Marton. There seemed to be two sleeping carriages, but the bunks were only »b----tainablc at ruinous prices and were just like the interior of a bird-cage carriage. It speaks very badly for inventive genius' not to.have all scats convertible into beds such as to allow passengers to lie at full length. There are half-a-dozen wavs in which it could be done.

As to.the cost of the trip—Auckland to Marton, first single, 38s lOd; second single, 25s 7d; Marton to New Plymouth, first single, 16s 4d; second singlej lis sd. The towns of Hamilton and Cambridge, 15 miles, to the south-east, should be seen, -seemed'to be inhabited by people of exactly opposite tastes. Hamilton is full of hotels ami enormous boarding-houses, and a festive class living around the country, off to a sale somewhere each day—a' sale of stock, a sale!,. of beer and tobacco, and general gossip. ' Hamilton seemed to me m a very disturbed state day and night. The Auckland express arriving at 12.20 a.m. and the Wellington express arriving at 3.40 a.m., would account for a lot of clattering along the street. I should, take care to' be far away from the noisy points' if I visit it again. Cambridge of a q-niefc, „aged towV*i*h: large-trees, oaks, plane, maple,'etc. Oh tire'streets'are-a few hotels'and boarding houses. The land around Cambridge is perhaps amongst the best in New Zealand, and very similar to that surrounding Hastings.