A WOMAN COURIER.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20537, 12 February 1935, Page 10

A WOMAN COURIER.

Rises Superior to Worst Contretemps. A flair for organising and a desire to travel led two members of the family of Mrs T. A. Clarke, of Double Bay, Sydney, formerly of Brisbane, to abandon their carefully-planned careers and strike out on their own, says the “ Sydney Morning Herald.” Madeleine gave up journalism to become a concert manager, and Bertha gave up her profession as a masseuse to become a tourist courier. Miss Bertha Clarke is at present in Sydney-. She definitely burned her bridges ten years ago, when, on a trip to Japan, she decided to stay and try to find work. After several months’ training in shorthand and ty-ping, she secured a position in a shipping office. She worked there for five years, during which period she met many people who came alone to Japan and saw nothing but the regular sights. She thought how splendid it would be if they could have a guide of their own who, knowing the country', could help them to see the many interesting phases of Japanese life and of Westerners living in Japan as well. Not that there is not a splendid organised Japanese tourist bureau, but many people, especially' women, did not avail themselves of its excellent service. Long residence in Japan graduallv gave Miss Clarke a series of useful contacts both with Japanese people and foreign residents. In all holidays and at week-ends she joined friends on , walking tours and other excursions, and became thoroughly conversant with conditions and places. She went right through th? north of the main island, and across to Hokkaido, not usually visited, even by the Japanese themselves.

By the time she returned to Sydney to organise her first tour. Miss Clarke had clearly mapp’d out in her mind just what she would do about it. The beginning of 1933 saw her starting back to Japan with a party of eight. She had, out of the wealth of her cogitations, decided to keep her parties small, believing that only thus could she make arrangements for private entertainment and provide the “ something different ” which she believed would bring her success. Success came. Nevertheless, the life of a courier is no bed of roses, and all soi ts of disconcerting things can happen to upset the best-planned routine. The fun of the game lies in rising superior to even the worst contretemps