ADVENTUROUS JOURNEY

Taranaki Daily News, 9 July 1930, Page 3

ADVENTUROUS JOURNEY

LONG TRIP MADE BY “BABY” CAR. NEW ZEALANDERS’ EXPERIENCES. The memorable trip made in a Baby Austin car by the two New Zealanders, Messrs. Hector MacQuarrie and Dick Matthews, through bush from Sydney to Cape York was described to a New Plymouth audience by Mr. MacQuarrie in a lecture given at the Workers’ Social Hall last evening. ■ Mr. MacQuarrie has already published a book of his journey through Australia. At present he is lecturing his way through New Zealand, gathering material for his second book, “Emily in New Zealand, Emily being the name of the “baby” car. Emily was on view in the street outside the hall last evening and was looking remarkably -well after her adventures. “During the whole journey from Sydney to Cape York we were in the bush,” said Mr. MacQuarrie. “At times it was difficult to pick our way through the heavily wooded country.” A series of moving pictures showed the “baby” car and the two travellers traversing typical Australian bush country, where there was no. road and the driver had to avoid bumps and stones hidden in thick undergrowth. The whole of the difficult journey tVas shown in an excellent series of pictures and each picture was explained by Mr. MacQuarrie. One of the principal difficulties encountered was the crossing of the numerous rivers and creeks and some of the best pictures showed the little car making a slow way through the rock-strewn bed of some partially-dried stream. The car had to find a -way among ant-hills, over sandridges and through devil-devil country. It had to dodge the grasstree, which at a height of two feet will bend before the axle of a car, then rise up and play tricks “with the gadgets underneath.” At one stage the travellers had to mend an average of six punctures a day. Another difficulty the travellers encountered was that of securing adequate supplies of petrol. Accordingly, when they encountered a township where petrol was procurable they carried with them as much as possible, even filling bottles, as the great distances which had to be covered on low gear naturally increased the consumption considerably. Then, among many adventures, was the. mishap in a branch of the St. George River. Having crossed the river, the “baby” had to climb a very steep bank. They manoeuvred it on to a ledge, and witli Mr. Matthews driving, and Mr. MacQuarrie working a block and tackle began to make for the top. Sand stopping progress, Mr. Matthews got out and both worked cn the rope, Mr. Matthews standing just below' the car. The rope broke. Mr, Matthews was knocked over, and the car ran backwards to the edge of the bank, with a sheer drop of ten feet to the river below. All Mr. MacQuarrie could do was to straighten the car as it went over. He declared that the car avoided all the rocks in that riverbed and landed fairly and squarely on its v’heels, on one of the few sand-mounds which rose up from among the rocks. Except for a cracked springleaf, which was soon tied with wire, the car was undamaged.