WITH TENT AND MOTORS

Taranaki Daily News, 13 October 1928, Page 16

WITH TENT AND MOTORS

NEW SECTION FOR MOTORISTS. DELIGHTFUL SUMMER EXCURSIONS (By "Trip"—Special to News.) This section, written by a motorist who has traversed most roads in New Zealand, is designed to assist those hundreds of motorists who will be holidaying “with tent and motor” this summer. It does not purport to take the place of a guide book, but gives points of interest associated with trips in various parts of New Zealand. As a further service, queries addressed to "Trip” e/o News Office, New Plymouth, will be answered in this column. There are few more delightful ways of spending a holiday than in your own ear, which gives you that perfect freedom of movement and immunity from last minute rushes that is the desire of every holiday-maker. There are few who have had that last hectic rush to the railway station to find the train crammed to overflowing with holiday traffic, who have not fervently wished they might have a car of their own, and thus be able to proceed leisurely at their own free will. Without a car, one goes mainly to the already overcrowded beaches or sporting resorts; with a car, one has the whole of the countryside literally at one’s feet. The joys of holiday-making in a car are never quite so deep as when a camping outfit is carried as well, a fact which thousands of motorists have found out for themselves during the last few summers. Far from the madding crowd, in odd corners of rare scenic beauty, the camping motorist can take his fill of country pleasures, and come back to his city work far more refreshed than his less fortunate neighbour who has spent his holiday at an over-crowded seaside resort. WHAT SHALL I TAKE’ The idea of these notes is to give motorists some points about trips in different parts of both islands; the scenery on them, the places of interest, passed, the type of roads, and odd spots of beauty where camp can be pitched. For that reason they will not -work to any set plan as regards districts, but will dodge about here and there so that every motorist may find in them something of interest. Before starting a trip, however, the motorist has to make a good deal of preparation, and for the benefit of those who have not as yet “camped out” it will perhaps be as well to briefly run over a few of the odds and ends needed to make a camping holiday the success it should be. There are so many makes and types of motor cars to-day that it is impossible to lay down hard and fast rules; what is suited to the diminutive model which holds two in comfort will be inadequate for the more elaborate seven seater in which the whole family are touring. Tent bedding and cooking utensils are, of course, essential, and on their wise selection will depend the success < ■ otherwise of the trip. From my own experience I strongly recommend a folding tent pole. Only too often one lands up country towards nightfall, and when you want to pitch camp there isn’t a decent seized tree in sight, which is also true of the majority- of motorists’ camping grounds. A folding pole can be easily made at home, and a piece of liin square rimu, hinged in the centre, with staple and hasp to hold it together, makes an excellent pole. On the other hand, of course, there are special motor tents to be purchased with poles, which are simplicity itself to erect. It’s all a question of the size of your pocket. A COMFORTABLE BED. More camping holidays are spoiled through uncomfortable beds and bedding than through any other cause. Camp beds are ideal, for the best of mattresses, laid on hard ground, aren’t as soft as one who has never slept on them might imagine. Folding camp beds are comparatively cheap, and they are light enough to be included in any car, no matter how small. Above all things, carry plenty of blankets. A start on a beautiful fine day has been the undoing of many an otherwise successful car holiday, for in brilliant sunshine, we are apt to forget the cold wet days we will probably experience before we return home again, with eamp beds it is essential to" have plenty of blankets underneath you, or if possible an eiderdown, which is the acme of comfort. Cooking presents a problem at times. If you are travelling down the west coast of the South Island, for instance, you need carry nothing in the way of a cooker, for wherever you go there will be plenty of wood. In these days of camping holidays, however, that condition doesn’t hold good for most roads, and the provision of some sort of cooking apparatus adds to the comfort and pleasure of a camping holiday. The selection of a tent is merely a question of the size of your purse. If you can afford it, you can get a tent, which, in addition to comfortably housing your party, will have a fly to run you car under, but where only two people are touring in a small ear, and where money counts, a small semi-bell tent, as used by trampers, serves the purpose well. With a folding pole, this takes up the smallest possible space. ODDS AND ENDS. Making yourselves comfortable in the evenings is often a problem, and the provision of an extension light from your ear, a small electric light run off a dry battery, or a benzine-air gas lamp will allow you to read in comfort. In some places the provision of some protection against mosquitoes is essential if one is to sleep at all and for this citronella seems to be as good as anything provided you wake yourself up about 2 a.m., and apply a second dose. In many places in the South Island, I have gone peacefully off lo sleep, smothered in citronella, while the tent was alive with over-size mosquitoes such as abound in the West Coast swamp country. If vour ideas are luxurious, a few camp chairs made of canvas or wood and a folding table add to comfort, but these additions can be made only when there is ample car room. An axe, a few spare tent pegs, and above all a small ambulance outfit, should just about complete your requisites. CAMPING PLACES. During the coming summer close on a hundred camping sites will be available for motorists visiting towns and villages throughout the North Island, and there will be nearly as many in the South Island. Some of these are replete with conveniences and with gas, and some are most picturesquely situated by beaches or in the midst of bush. Details of these will bo given in future articles.

Apart altogether from these camping places, however, there are hundreds of charming spots which will appeal in different ways to different people. In most cases the owners will have no objection to your camping there, but always seek permission and remember that your actions are going to affect the motorists who follow after. The man who loses a patch of native bush through the , carelessness of a visiting motorist —and this has happened often enough —is not going to welcome future motorists. Last year in the South Island extensive bush fires doing a great deal of damage were definitely proved to have started as a result of the failure of a motoristcamper to put out his fire properly when he left in the morning. Thorough preparation and careful selection of the necessary gear makes a successful camping holiday possible. Next week, we will have a run on the west coast of the North Island, and see something of the many interesting places that can be visited, and thereafter we will discuss the prospects for motor camping all over New Zealand during our ideal summer weather. BRITISH CARS. British motor manufacturers were told some home truths in a pretty blunt manner recently. The attack is contained in an article headed ‘‘British Motor-cars in the Dominions,” published by the London Daily Telegraph from their New Zealand correspondent. Among other things he says: “The British manufacturer sits in his office and waits for the overseas agents to give him ‘firm orders.’ It is suggested that overseas agents should go to the factories for the business. The Americans have got the trade because they go to the agents, make terms which are acceptable and put down an organisation to sell their cars. The days are past when trade automatically went to Britain; other countries send their representatives abroad and seek orders. More than that; by advertising and by subtle propaganda of every known form they create a demand where none existed and then, by their organisation, they see to it that the new demand is amply met and that it is maintained. They listen to the car owners; they constantly adapt and improve their wares instead of waiting for an annual show and then being six months late in the delivery of new models. In short, they create their markets. “A hundred pounds on the price of an inferior English car, slower in acceleration, smaller in horsepower, and seating capacity, and slow on hills, make all the difference to the customer. The average colonial has a big family. He has been taught to use a big car. He can afford to run a big car, scrap It in two years, and get the latest model so as to be up-to-date with his neighbours, and he buys a big car. “Without exception, the oversea Dominions want British cars and are prepared to pay a little more for them within reason. But until the British manufacturer turns out the right class of thing and lays down an efficient sales and service organisation America will continue to dominate the market. “It is no use for England to wait for the trade; she must send out her best brains and fetch it. The overseas markets which should be hers are more than sufficient to absorb all her unemployment; but her loaders of industry have not had the breadth of vision to realise their possibilities abroad; they have been far too insular in the past —and they are paying for it in lost trade.” “CUTTING-IN.” A DANGEROUS HABIT. “Cutting-in” probably endangers the lives of more motorists than any other bad driving habit. The cautious “never over 30 m.p.h.” driver often is as bad an offender in this way as the speedster; often also he is more dangerous. Yet for cutting-in there exists no excuse, particularly if the road is' narrow, or dangerous from rain. The habitual “cutter-in” obviously has faith in his car’s acceleration and braking yet both often are quite bad and his safety during each cut-in is guaranteed by the better brakes and driving of the man he chops out of position. Frequent repetition of the act may tire the “chopped-out” driver; he may get tired of watching the safety of the cutter-in or his brakes may fail. Then follows the crash. After all, the habit is bred of impatience—a very bad motoring fault. Along some motor highways traffic police now practically ignore the fairly fast driver and concentrate, rightly, on the apprehension of “cutters-in.” THE MYSTERIOUS RATTLE. Of course, my wife said it was my fault, and I must confess that I had some misgivings myself. The little fabric saloon had been running silently and well before I decided to investigate a rutted and unfrequented lane. Contrary to the maker’s instructions, I had exceeded a speed of 20 m.p.h., in spite of the fact that the car had not completed its initial 500 miles. The lane, too, was in poor state of repair. We had just hit one bump more severe than its fellows, when I became aware of an irritating mechanical jangling. A steepish hill compelled a change down to second, and as the engine revolutions piled up, that curious mechani.cal rattle became worse, “Don’t you think you’d better stop and investigate?” queried my careful passenger. I learnt forward to the cubby hole to reach my cigarette case, for by then my nerves were beginning to get frayed, and I needed a smoke. As I did so my eyes lighted upon the cause of the trouble. The bump that the car had struck had jerked a pair of keys, which also occupy the cubby hole, on to the top of the cigarette case, where they were boating a tattoo in sympathy with the engine’s movements. Even to this day the sharer of my joys and sorrows does not know how I cured the imagined trouble by means of a few mystic passes over the instrument board, for one has to keep one's end up somehow. ANTI-DAZZLING HEADLIGHTS. A DUNEDIN INVENTION. Dunedin seems to be prolific in motor lighting improvements and inventions at the present time. A resident of Northeast Valley has invented an antidazzling device which he has patented in practically every country in the world. This patent is the result of ten years’ labour, and like most successful i patents is simple in manipulation and effective in use.

Even with the present regulations requiring headlights to be properly focussed, the dazzle problem has not been overcome, and any device which

tends to correct this evil should lx? given all support. The idea is to throw a good light on the left-hand side of the road, and to free the approaching car from any blinding rays. This is accomplished thus: The headlights have cowls or shades and reflectors on the sides, which in the case of the righthand lamp throw a 50 c.p. beam on to the left side of the road, and the left lamp throws a lesser-powered light on the right side. When driving ordinarily, both lights are used, but when traffic is met the left-hand light is extinguished by means of a switch, and this leav i the left-hand side of the road illuminated by the right-hand light, which is turned in slightly for this purpose. When tested recently it was found to function perfectly. With both lights going, the road ahead was excellently lighted—in fact, better so than with the usual headlights. On the approach of traffic the switch was turned, extinguishing the left-hand lamp and leaving the powerful right-hand lamp to illuminate the left-hand side of the road. This side of the road was brilliantly illuminated for easily 100 yards, and on stopping the car and walking some distance ahead, and then facing the car, no dazzling effect was experienced, as the beam was below the pedestrian’s eyes. The lamps are constructed so that they can be raised, lowered, or rotated, so that, say the car was used a lot on the Bay Road, the head-lights could be adjusted so as to narrow the width of light to suit the narrow road. The lights are also adjusted so that when going up hill one light is on the road a short distance ahead of the car, and when descending the other comes into play and shows up the road. SPEED AND BRAKES. When driving at forty miles an hour it is well to be not unmindful of the fact that the car is progressing at tho rate of 58ft Bin a second. The realisation of this may serve to remind you that actually you are making too hasty progress. Regarding speed in feet per second cannot fail to impress upon the driver the need for keeping his brakes in first-class order. At ten miles an hour a distance of 14ft Bin is covered every second. The corresponding distance at 20, 30, and 50 miles per hour arc 29ft 4in, 44ft, and 75ft 4in respectively. At 00 miles per hour the car travels 88ft every second. Many drivers use the brakes unnecessarily in descending grades. It is under such conditions that the linings will receive severe punishment if they are used for any length of time, because they become very hot, and then wear is accelerated. In descending a steep grade it is a. commendable practice to shift into second or even first speed, and then it may be unnecessary to retard the motion of the car by means of the brakes. Brakes are safety devices, and their 1 use should be reserved as far as possible for real emergencies.