SOUTH SEA ISLANDS.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 13462, 29 June 1907, Page 3

SOUTH SEA ISLANDS.

THE UNION COMPANY'S EXCURSIONS.

The advent of new steamers in the Island trade has induced a large number of people to make the trip, to the South Sea Islands this winter. The Union Company's action in placing such up-to-date steamers as the Atua and Navua in the running has been much appreciated by travellers. Encouraged by the success of these excursions this year the Company intends to still further improve the Island fleet by the addition of a. new steamer now being built at Dumbarton for the Auckland, Sydney i via Tonga, Samoa, and Fiji, service, to run in conjunction with the Atua. Her dimensions will be 350 by 48 by 31 feet, and her tonnage about 4200. She will steam about fourteen knots' per hour. Her accommodation will provide, for 100 first-class passengers and 44 'secondclass, and she will be ready to take her place in the time-table in March or April next. ' An impression seems, to exist in the mind of some people that only Jupe and July are suitable months to visit the! Islands. /This is quite a mistake* as the April, May, August, September, October and November trips are quite as attractive and in some respects even more so. With the exception of the December to March period, the weather conditions on the routes traversed by the Union Company's steamers are more, pleasant than the Australian summer. The rainy seasoii extends only from early December until the latter end of March, F/om the beginning of April until the end of November is termed the dry season. The trade breeze, blows steadily, and, even ashore, the*t« 4mp«»rature rarely rises about 80 degrees in the Bhade in Tonga, Samoa, Fiji or Tahiti* the mean temperature during that period being about 70 degrees in the daytime and 65 degrees at night. The difference between the temperature of July-August and that of April or Novomber ifl not noticeable and there is an advantage in choosing the earlier or tb^e later months because the plant life is then, if anything, more active than in July or August. Tho most popular tour is that from Auokland to Sydney via Tonga, Samoa and Fiji. Steamers leave Auckland every four weeks for theso places. This trip occupies 22 or 23 days. The fare front Auckland to Sydney via the Islands and back to Auckland ia £2s. Of coufse shorter trips can be made to Fiji only. Another interesting voyageis that from Auckland to Rarotonga and Tahiti. .......