MOTOR & CYCLING

Taranaki Daily News, 7 February 1931, Page 4 (Supplement)

MOTOR & CYCLING

WITH TENT AND MOTOR I . CAMPING ACCOMMODATION. A NUN ROUND NEW ZEALAND. (By "Trip.”) Where a man is taking hit wife and family for a motor camping holiday the success or otherwise of the expedition depend* very largely on the type of accommodation sectired throughout. With A party of men it does not matter greatly whether camping grounds are vyell equipped, 'but it is unreasonable to expect -Women to enjoy a holiday spent in. overcrowded camping grounds Which are without the necessary facilities. The Christmas scrison with its generally good weather enticed more people away than usual, and the Weaknesses of some of the cainping places at popular resorts were clearly disclosed. Several intending holidaymakers have mentioned this point about the suitability of camping Accommodation at various places en route, and this article is intended to give a rotigh general summary of the present position, thus acting as guide to those who will he setting out m the near future. MAIN TOURIST 'RESORTS. The motor camper has three different typ6s of camping open to him in his wanderings—the outback' carefree camp near rivdr or lake, the motor camp at recognised tourist resorts, and the motor camp in the Urge or small town? through Which ho passes. Those who ggriUihely like “roughing it” prefer the backblocks cwp> which has none of the amenities now provided in so many towns. This drawback they consider is more thaii compensated for by the greater freedom, and their ability to have th* camp to -themselves. Whether camping abpdmnipdation at tourist re/sorts is good, bad or indifferent depend? mainly on'.Whether that resort is situated handy to a town of some eize, /or whether it is isolated with ortly one /hotel or accommodation house. In the /former case, there is ah incentive for the townspeople to provide facilities, but dn the latter no one, is interested in doing eo. Where A 'tourist resort ie so popular as to attract large numbers of /visitors, it is essential that camping ground amenities be specially, good. Of the tourist resorts in the Dominion, two stand out in particular, these being Rotorua and Queenstown. Both have 0 excellent accommodation for large numbers of visitor?, and the general standard of convenience is high, the firit-named having showers, car wash and hot Water on the ground, with opportunities for hot foqths and securing all provisions within a minute or two frofn Uh® camp. The same on a slightly lesser scale holds good for Queenstown. OTHER NORTH ISLAND CAMPS. It Will perhaps be advisable at this stago to divide the camps off according to the two islands, as few motorists will ba touring in both inlands during the one 'season. Coming from Rotorua to Wairakei we find reasonable accommpdqtion. The facilities are not, of COUTSCy comparable, but as most- mot orUti fetop only one or two <Uys at Wairakfei, this does not matter. At Taupo ■there are typo well-equipped camps, and great care is taken by the local body concerned to see that they are kept clean at dll time*. This iS essential, of for long camp? are the rule here, people making Taupo A base from whidh ■they visit the Aratiatia rapid, Huka filia, Wiirif-kei, etc., and also as fishjng headquarters. Motorists are allowed to camp in National Pdrk, and. there are a number of places there where quite good camping is available close to streams. The Chateau rather overshadows motorcamping there and a good many prefer taking the cheaper accommodation there to capipifig minus facilities. There if a camping site at Waitoino caves, and ao a'one-night stay is the rule, rather than the exception, it serves it? purpose quite well. Good clipping accommodation is available at Te Kuiti, only M few miles further on. Mt. Egmout is a favourite spot for Taranaki motorist?, and good provision ia mods for thd motor-camper, who can camp close to the accommodation house either on the north fiide, or at Dawson s (Falla, on the southern side of the mountain. Moreover very cheap hut accommodation can be secured at either place, and as lit® nights are biting this is often preferred, even -where tents are tarried. The Dawson Falls hostel is reached either from Stratford or Hawera. , , / Another tourist resort now becoming steadily more popular is Lake Waikaremoana, formerly rather a backdate? beeaqse of access difficulties. This is destined to be a crowded holiday resort in future ■when the Urewera Rpqd Rotorua is improved and through journeys are more popular there. It will then be essential to stop , over-night at least at WaikaremOana, and there will be few content to make so short a stay. Very comfortable- accommodation _ is available there, with excellent provision (for cooking under shelter. There are many beach resorts and les* popular places not mentioned above which have made good provision for motor-campers, and the very fact that fewer people go there usually means that the facilities are adequate. This j* particularly true of a gjreat many ampll towns near beaches, or on through tourist routes, many of which hqve vary admirable accommodation for the motor-camper, though it is selclom used. There are very fpw places of IQOO population or over which do not make some pifdvi&ibn for the camper, and as one party usually has the complete run ot th? ground?, arrangements are adequate: If these places became suddenly popular, the story Would be different, of course. IN THE SOUTH ISLAND. Most of th? particularly interesting places in the South. Island, with the exception of Wakatipu, have no towns handy, and consequently have less provision for canipers than that of places mentioned above. At both Mount Cook and Franz Josef Glacier there are camping but the facilities are not in any way comparable with those of Queenstown, for instaiice. The West Coast, than which there is nothing finer in scenery in 'New Zealand, has plenty of accommodation for camper? in the town? like Westport and Greymouth, but elsewhere the camping must be of the outdoor type, near rivers. Apart from the amenities of running water and light now common to nearly all camping grounds, the putback camps-oh the West Coast a’re wonderful, and always in the midst of glorious scenery. Much the same holds good with the ‘lakes in Canterbury and Otago. There is great camping for instadee at Lake Tekapo, and at the

Otago lakes like Manapouri and Te Anau, but it murit be of the individual j I type. Of the towns and beach resorts, little need be said other thah that the 'South Island is like the North Island in that (practically every small town (makes «ome provision for motor-campers. There are plenty of beach resorts that Como within this category, Southland being particularly Well situated in this respect. The probabilities are thiit in the future' some better provision will be made at some of the southern tourist resorts as motor-camping increaefes its popularity. It has been suggested at times that tiie American idea of bunkhouses would be suitable at the soutihetn lakes, those to be available at moderate rental*, and in view of the difference in climate, especially about Easter, the idea, if it could be worked, would have ifiuch to commend it. The North Island is fortunate in that many of - its tourists resorts are adjacent to towns, so that taken all round the camping facilities are better than those of the south. MOTOR INSURANCE. PENALISING UNLUCKY DRIVERS. COMPULSORY POLICY ISSUES. (London Motor Correspondent.) Are insurance companies justified in refusing to accept bad risks under the scheme of compulsory insurance introduced by the new motor legislation in Gredt Britain? The question is prompted by the appearance in the House of Commons the other day of a private member’s -Bill, which seeks to make it obligatory upon insurance companies io issue policies to motorist? who have.no, conviction against them for any driving offence under the new Act. Reading the clauses of this Bill, one is impressed by its air of sweet reasonableness and its apparent championship of a hapless section of car-owners, namely, those who are so dogged by illfortune that they are compelled time and again to come upon their insurance company for damage claims. I do not think this class is a large one nowadays when the standard of driving is much higher than it was evert two years ago, but it c&rtainly exists. From time to time cases are brought to my notice of motorists who driving, upott length of experience alone, must be deemed to be irreproachable, yet Who run into bad luck the moment they take the wheel of their cdr. Nothing really serious ever happens to them, or the insurance company would just pay a lump sum to their widow or the dependents and finish with it, 'but they are continually in trouble. One day it is a dented wing, another day it is the radiator that Iris come into contact with a lainp-post, and upon yet another occasion it is the 'back of the car that suffers. JONAHS OF THE ROAD. These are all accidents which do not involve the insurance company in large amounts of money except when the car butts into a china shop window or the like. Bqt 1 am told that a large number of small claims from one individual worries the insurance /people much more than one or two isolated claims for large amounts. They begin. to look upon the assured person w'Ho is always filling up forms ds a menace to their actuarial structure, and they would rather hot have him on their books. Sometimes they try to discourage him by making him pay the first few pounds of any claim, and if that is of no avail and he still has accidents which exceed the amount by which he is penalised, they tell him as politely as they can to go to another company. But the other companies are no more eager to have people with such a record of disaster, and' accordingly these Jonahs of the roiad follow the only other course open to them. They do not insure. Under the new British law this alternative mean? that they can no longer drive cars, for drily insured motorist? are permitted to take out licenses. Hence the Bill published the other day. The question ’ raised is, however, a very difficult one. Admittedly it -seems only common justice that the insurance companies, which Will presumably reap some benefit under the new compulsory insurance scheme, should be •' made to Uke the rough with the smooth, 'but it would create a most repellent legislative precedent if a Government were to force a commercial undertaking to take qn risks which were believed to undermine the whole basis of its prosperity. Some people will point to the fact that already the British Government compels ciuemas to tdke a proportion of British films despite the fact that many cinema managers allege that such films are inferior to American productions. THE FILM ANALOGY. I do not claim to be an expert on films, but it seems to me that 'British films cannot be such a millstone round the necks of the cinema proprietors, or they would give lees evidence of prosperity. ' The case of the insurance companies is entirely different, if they operate their business on a faulty actuarial basis the whole tructure hiUst fall to the ground and all their policyholders—unlucky or hitherto luckymust be involved in the crash. That is, of course, assuming that the proportion of bad motor insurance risks likely to foe revealed when compulsory insurance has operated for some time actually is serious. To my lack of expert knowledge ris to the finance of the films I nnrit add a lack of knowledge of the finance of motor insurance. On the whole it seems to me that if there were a real case for the Bill, the Transport Minister would have incorporated its provisions in his own Act. If he has not done so it may 'be taken that only a very small number of really unlucky motorists exists and that th? Old aphorism that hard m; »-ke bad law applies. My own view, despite my sympathy for all motorists in distress, is that if a car-owner suffers from chronic ill-luck on the road, it is better for all concerned that be should; give up motoring, . _ Private members’ Bills, in the British Parliament, rarely Survive a’ second reading and they are usually so much . waste paper. Assuming, however, that the bill under discussion become law, 1 do not see how the Government 'will be able to resist the claim of the insurance companies that premiums in the case of bad risks should be prohibitive in amount. It is all very well to Jay down, as in the Bill, that the premiums to be fixed in such eases must be arrived at by agreement with the Minister of Transport. Such a provision does not prevent that Minister from agreeing with the iuisurance company that £lO per h.p. i« not too much' to charge a motorist who damages property or knocks someone down almost

every time he goes out for a spin. It would, therefore, come to the same thing in the end, for few car-owners can afford to pay away £lOO or £2OO ■for motor insurance each year. ' LOOKING FOR TROUBLE. Somb motorists find trouble at hand in their own neighbourhood; others go into foreign parts to look for it, and, as so often happens if their car is a good one, they do not find it. In the latter category must be placed the two young motorists—Air. C. E. Shippam and Mr. J. 18. Dixon—who returned to London tho other day after making a tour of the world in a Riley “Nine.” In these days of “stunts” of all description?, adventurous youth has a hard time to induce tno world to give its applause, and I suggest to Messrs. Shippam and Dixon that thriy would have created a much greater stir if, instead of permitting their car to carry them round the world, they had themselves carried the car round the globe. But these two young nlen are modest fellow? and they only wanted to demohstrato that a British light car can go anywhere that any other car can go. They have abundantly proved their point and have thus helped to promote the confidence of foreign countries in British productions. They were away seven months ahd covered approximately 18,000 miles, during which they met appalling surfaces and the most arduous conditions. But they won through, as also did their car, which gave them no trouble of any description. The car was equipped with special coach work mounted on a chassis which was staridard except for additional petrol tanks and larger road wheels with rear axle gearing to suit. The coachwork incorporated several items of interest such as special provision for the tool kit in the doors, comfortable sleeping accommodation with mosquito protection and copper water tanks. COLOURS FOR ROAD SIGNS. LIGHT-REFLECTING QUALITIES. Colour, from the standpoint of its light-reflecting qualities, hds long been ah important consideration where the safety of motoring is concerned. Traffic experts have advocated its usfe on everything' from children to trucks, realising that colours which reflect the light may be seen from great distances at dusk or after darkness as well as in the daytime. The safety division of the American Automobile Association recently pointed out that a child in a bright-coloured outfit could be seen at a greater distance than one in sombre attire. Therefore, although children should be taught to stay out of the streets except when crossing them cautiously, the cause of safety is aided, in the belief of tho association, if motorist? are warned at a distance by brightcoloured clothes. i

Colour further plays its part in the prevention of highway accidents throughsystems of warning aud direction signs and road surface markings. This is because certain colours have light-reflect-ing qualities which make signs, objects or diagrams readily discernible. Since the colour which reflects the most light is the one which may be seen most easily from the greatest distance and. in the poorest light, highway safety commissions have given a great deal of though to the subject. Colour experts have found, in this connection, that white has the highest light reflection value. Cream comes next, and following it, ivory, buff, light green, yellow, gray, light blue, pirik, dark tan, dark red and dark green. From this it is seen that white is the ■best colour for highway signs. W’lien it is used with black, either for the lettering or 'background, its reflective qualities are intensified by contrast. When other colours are used they are always ones of high reflecting value and may be chosen because an unusual colour combination will call attention, in many instances, to a notice more surely than the black and white we have come to expect. The American Engineering Council committee on street traffic signals and markings has tnade a national survey of existing motor conditions in order to help establish a uniform system of Street traffic signs, signals and markings. It suggests that conventional signs be coloured in the following fashion: Railroad crossings, black letters on white background; railroad crossing approach, black letters on yellow background; stop, red letters on yellow 'background; slow, black letters on yellow background; caution, black letters on yellow background; one way and detour, black letters on white arrow; information, black letters on white background; no parking, red letters on white limited parking, green letters on white background - pedestrian restriction, bine letters on white background; oth® - restrictions,, black letters on white background. Where other colours than white and black have been introduced, it is because they have become associated in the minds of motorists and pedestrian? with the particular warning they are supposed to convey. It is considered ■psychologically bad to do anything unusual to distract the established thought processes of the qverage motorist. However, it will be noted that all colours suggested are definitely high in light reflective value for either background or letters or both. The question of whether - . the use of white Jotters on a black background, or vice versa, is preferable seems to be decided mainly by the circumstance of whether the letters are to be illuminated at night. If they are, it is better to make them white, in general, this is a good practice anyway, as a black 'background absorbs the light and thereby makes white lettering stand out more prominently. White, then, is the important colour from the standpoint of the safety of the motorist. Surface markings, fences, posts, tree trunks painted white reflect warning gleams of light even in rain and fog. /Fences painted white help to reduce hazard at curves, and white markings on the road surface are an additional help. The most usual mark is the centre line, which is generally painted white. Formerly this line wq,s black, before highway engineers 'began to appreciate the light-reflecting qualities of white paint. The specifications for sign materials provided by the American Engineering Council are definite. The kinds of wood and metal to be used are detailed, as are the kinds of paint. For metal signs the paint should be of an enamel type which permits baking. The paint for wooden signs, both for background and design colours, should be Of such a quality that it will not change colour under exposure and will present a surface that is sriiooth, tough and without cracks. Wooden signs should have, a primer coat, a second coat and a finish coat. Each coat, must be thoroughly dry before the next one is applied. The life of a sign, fence or post marking, if painted in this fashion, with a good quality of paint, should be at least three years. • / Many truck drivers employ a wooden hand to signal left and right turns to those in the rear. These wooden hands are frequently painted white for greater visibility. The reflecting qualities of white,/or light coloured paint, may’ be turned to still other uses by. the individual inptorist. If he has difficulty in guiding his car up a narrow driveway to the garage at night, he may paint white lines for the wheels to follow, with a white stop line inside the garage.

SPEED IN SHORT DASH.

MOTORCYCLE WINS. Mq£t people if asked which is the fastest over a distance of 300 yards, from a standing start, a whippet dog, a racehorse, a motor-cycle or a sports car, would probably select the car. An interesting race of this description was recently decided at a gymkhana in England, and resulted in the motor-cyclist covering the distance in 14 seconds, whilst the dog was placed second in 17 see., the horse third in 20 sec., and the car last in 21 sec. The car driver had, of course, to use his gears. The test was carried out on a grass track, and whilst the times were relatively slow, they afford an interesting comparison.