LURE OF THE PACIFIC.

Taranaki Daily News, 19 November 1924, Page 8

LURE OF THE PACIFIC.

AN ADVENTUROUS PARTY. EXPEDITION FROM EXGLAND, NEW ZEALANDER INCLUDED, The South S>ea Islands have always been regarded as a novelist’s paradise, a kind of Arcadia, where everything is quaint, beautiful, and primitive, and to minds nourished on H. Vere Stackpooile, Jack London I !and Robert Louis Steven-e-on the South Paciific has remained a world of eternal romance, where the influence of the West has but faintly intruded. There passed through Auckland by the last American steamer a gentleman, Mr. Darrough, who is the advance agent for an adventurous party who expect to leave England within the course of a few months, en route to the South Sea Islands, and New Zealand. 3000-TON MOTOR YACHT. ■Speaking to a Star representative, Mi. Darrough said that many expeditions were shortly leaving England for the South Seas, but the expedition de luxe was that of the 3000-ton motor yacht Westward, commanded by Lieut.Ccmmander Holly wed, which hoped to clear England within the course of a few weeks. This finely appointed vessel was carrying with it some of the best known English sportsmen, who were making a ten months’ cruise of the South Paciific and New Zealand coast, returning to England via Suez and India, where she would conclude after a brief sojourn at ports en route. The Westward fe at present fitting out -at Southampton, and ■is taking on an extensive collection of all manner of weird and wonderful things. She <has two motion picture cameras, is fitted with developing and dark room, has an arsenal that would put Paul Rainey to shame, and has also a “comfort” chest that would necessitate a serious detour of the American prohibition ports. “ENGLAND IS WEARY.’’ ••’England is weary,” remarked Mr. Darrough, when interviewed, “and the wet summer that has been experienced is only an added incentive for people to travel. Most of the leisured classes of England find the usually stereotyped resorts Ireginning to pall, Deauville and Biarritz no longer appeal, while most English tourists have run the gamut of Continental watering-places and are beginning to look afield for fresh worlds to conquer.” “What arc your immediate plans?” “I must confers that there are none. I am just going to confirm the arranged ipnery by cable, and shall then join my party. We hope to do the Paumotus, Rarotonga. Morea. the Society Islands, Papeete, Samoa. Tonga and Fiji, New Zealand, and then we shall visit the northern islands. Solomons, etc.” Continuing, Mr. Darrough said: “We are all people akin in likes and dislikes; we have an abhorrence of searching for collar studs, dressing for dinner, morning coats, and we shall just laps? into the primitive for the few months we may.” Mr. Darrough remarked that the M estvvard should arrive in New Zealand somewhere about the beginning of February.