A ROUSING WELCOME.

Wairarapa Age, 3 January 1938, Page 4

A ROUSING WELCOME.

CENTAURUS MAKES HER BOW ' TO WELLINGTON. L. ' CAPTAIN AND CREW FETED. CRAFT INSPECTED BY MANY VISITORS. WELLINGTON, January 2. The Centaurus arrived over Wellington at 9.55 a.m. on Friday, made a wide sweep over Island Bay and Lyall Bay and, after circling over the city, came down to the water off Aotea Quay at 10 o’clock precisely. It was a graceful advent, met with sirens of the shipping about the wharves and city, hooters and enthusiastic waving and cheers of the crowds. It was a lovely summer morning with a haze high in the sky, the sun blazing down and a light northerly, hardly noticeable except on the heights. Every vantage point on the roofs of city buildings showed by its occupancy that the significance of the occasion was not lost on the people of Wellington. A variety of power craft and row boats bounced in the jobble caused by the churning wake of the flying boat as, after a perfect landing, she picked up her moorings near the Floating Dock and the thousands of people lining Aotea. Quay had a grandstand view. When the ship was safely moored, a few minutes after 10 o’clock, Captain J. W. Burgess and his crew were taken to the dock, then to a reception by the Wellington Harbour Board and at noon there was a civie reception. The only disappointing feature of the arrival of the flying boat waa that, misled by an incorrect message from Auckland, thousands more Wellington people missed the beautiful sight she made when landing and were first aware of her presence when she droned over the city right on schedule time according to the first reports, but more than half an hour earlier than the Auckland message stated. An official flight wag made later on Friday before the Centaurus flew to her moorings at Evans Bay for the night. New Year’s Day, wet with low cloud, was disappointing, as it had been expected that the Centaurus would make a number of flights over the city and harbour. The flying boat remained moored at Evans Bay all day, and she was practically thrown open to hundreds of visitors, who inspected the craft thoroughly. Many were the appreciative references to the kindness and courtesy of the commander and his officers and crew for their keenness to explain points of interest in the flying boat’s construction and luxurious passenger facilities.

In the evening, Captain Burgess and his crew were the guests of the city at dinner. Fairly early this morning, the Centaurus was refuelled and serviced and at about 11 o’clock she made a flight from Evans Bay over the city and suburbs. Those on board were the guests of Captain Burgess, who in the evening was entertained at the home of Mr. L. McKenzie, president of the Wellington College Old Boys’ Association. and later in the Realm Hall at Hataitai by Messrs H. R. Searle and E. A. Batt. At both functions Captain Burgess met a large number of former masters and schoolmates. The Centaurus remained moored iii Evan ’«* Bay to-day and will take off at T o’clock to-morrow morning for a tour of the South Island. She is due in Lyttelton at 10 o’clock and, following receptions to the commander and crew, she will proceed on Tuesday to fly over Invercargill and then back to Welling, ton by the West Coast for a brief call, and then on to Auckland in readiness for her departure for Sydney on January 10.—(P.A.) FLIGHT OVER MASTERTON. IF WEATHER PERMITS. On Thursday last the Mayor of Masterton, Mr. T. Jordan, sent the following telegram to the Hon. P. Fraser, in Auckland: ’ ’ Respectfully request your kind intercession Centaurus fly over Wairarapa towns en route HastingsNapier return journey.” On Friday, Mr. Jordan received the following reply from Mr. Fraser: “In reply your telegram, Captain Burgess states he will be pleased to comply with yonr request to fly over Masterton on return journey if weather permits.”