STRATHAIRD TOURISTS

Taranaki Daily News, 23 December 1935, Page 6

STRATHAIRD TOURISTS

PARTY VISITS TARANAKI TRIP MADE TO MOUNT EGMONT. IMPRESSIONS OF NEW ZEALAND. CHARMED WITH THE COUNTRYSIDE A party of fifteen Australians from the tourist liner Strathaird, which arrived at Auckland on Friday, arrived at New Plymouth yesterday from Waitomo Caves in the course of a hurried three days’ tour through the North Island from Auckland to Wellington. The party visited North Egmont in the afternoon, and the rest of their time was spent in seeing Pukekura Park and various points of interest at New Plymouth. This morning they 'will leave by the express train for Wellington to rejoin the Strathaird, which will sail from Wellington to-night for Australia. The itinerary of this particular party included Hamilton, Rotorua, Waitomo Caves, New Plymouth, Mt. Egmont and Wellington. The members of the party are drawn from all parts of Australia, from Perth to Sydney, and are thus fairly representative of the Commonwealth. Almost without exception they appear to be delighted with the tour, and find interest and enjoyment in everything they see. Waitomo Caves they thought marvellous, and on the motor journey southwards yesterday they thoroughly appreciated the Awakino Valley Gorge” and Mt. Messenger. Incidentally they paid a tribute yesterday to the excellence of the motor transport provided and the quality of the driving. Unfortunately during the visit to Mt. Egmont clouds and mist clothed the mountain almost to the hostelry, but on the return journey to New Plymouth the mountain cleared, and the visitors were thrilled with the view they had of the peak. Many of them had never seen snow before, even at a distance. Pukekura Park, its fems and its fernery also impressed them greatly, and speaking generally they seemed almost like schoolboys on tour, so generous were they in their expressions of appreciation of W'hat they saw. j A point which is inclined to be overlooked in New Zealand is the appeal to Australians of the Dominion’s countryside. In Australia, one of the party explained, one can go hundreds of miles without a change in the scenery, and they were greatly interested in the totally different type of country in New Zealand, particularly the green fields dotted with homesteads. Contrary to complaints one hears about from American tourists, this party considers 1 that the hotel accommodation such as that provided at New Plymouth bears favourable comparison with that in Australia. One thing that particularly impressed them was the cleanliness and quality of the cutlery, the gen- ' eral dining-room appointments and the excellence of the fare. Altogether, the tourists seem very pleased with their tour, and many of them hope to come to New Zealand again.