FRANCONIA’S TOURISTS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 19773, 22 February 1927, Page 6

FRANCONIA’S TOURISTS

GLOBE-TROTTERS DE LUXE FLYING VISIT TO WANGANUI The first party of 200 wealthy travellers who left tUe liner Franconia at Auckland, and are visiting Wanganui in the course of a flying trip through the North Island, arrived here by special river steamers last evening. Another largo party will follow to-night On the floating palaeo which is the?r temporary home these trippers de luxo have everything money can buy. Then ship—with its panelled apartments, dance halls, swimming baths, gymnasium, and a wealth of other refinements —affords them every luxury. But they cannot order the weather, and since landing at Auckland last Friday have experienced conditions the direct opposite of what New Zealand has recently enjoyed. Thus they saw the Wanganui River, yesterday, through grey •curtains of rain and mist which veiled the peaks above the valley. Not Built For The Bush Though they appreciated the river’s charm, and retain vivid memories of the wonders of Rotorua, some of the trippers are candid in their preference for rn.ore ease and comfort than New Zealand can at present offer in its more remote sight seeing facilities. “This is a bit better. I guess I was not built for the wilds and the bush,'’’ said a jovial looking American, settling back into an easy chair in the lounge

of a Wanganui hotel last night. All about him were the chatter and laughter of his fellow tourists. They are a cherful friendly crowd, a good

deal more approachable than correspondingly opulent English people anti they are quick to acclaim their delight in New Zealand, aWnganui, also, they were ready to praise, though their impressions were necessarily rather hasty. “A nice little city. I have just walked up tho main street, and I reckon this is a fine place,” said one enthusiast. Ho was a native of Cleveland, Oh.ro, where such fine motor cars as tho Peerless and Steams-Knight are built., and he lost no time in asserting that the success of American automobile manufacturers is due to quantity production. “You get more for a dollar Tn a motor car,” he said, 41 than anywhere else. ’ ’ Over his shoulder a girlish voice enquired: “Which is the best movw house here?” Directions having been given, she tripped away, a vision Ol slimness, smartness, and silk hose. Masculine Styles Her escort, clad in dashing plus fours affected a “beret,” a floppy, tam-o-shantcr affair in halved red and white with a long tassel dangling down. But though such' styles as these, and an occasional fair-isle sweater of vivid hue, introduced a note of novelty, in general the Americans arc soberly-garbed. This afternoon they go to Wellington in a special train consisting of five passenger cars reserved and a baggagu ear and then join their luxury ship. Tho Franconia has already carried them a long distance. From New York they went to Kingston, Jamaica, thence to Panama and Balboa, Los Angeles, and Hawaii, and so to Samoa and New Zealand. Perfect weather with few exceptions has so fap smiled on the T ranconia’s cruise, and the happy voyages whose fortune it is to be aboard her are eagerlv looking forward to the rest of their trip. When the ship returns to New York on June 2, her globetrotters will have visited, besides the places mentioned, Australia, Now Guinea, Java, Singapore, Ceylon, Zanzibar, South Africa, South America anti Martinique, and will have travelled 35.697 miles. The tour is under tMe management of Thomas Cook and Sows and the firm has placed on the Franconia a special staff to guard the welfare and comfort of the travellers, for whom there can scarcely bo a dufl moment. When they are not sightseeing thev can enjoy de.ck sports, dancing, lectures, ad entertainments staged for’ their benefit on the Franconia, which even has its own “movie house’* and a constant supply of film ptcrgrammes such as are screened at the best theatres in America.

A Wealthy Man’s Cruise These luxuries cost money, and the price of passages on the Franconia is from £2OOO to £5OOO. Most of the passengers, of whom almost a third arc wealthy English people, and the res? mostly Americans, are travelling purely for pleasure, though some arc making the voyage a health cruise. Many of them arc successful business men, among whom is a sprinkling of un> versify professors, doctors, and retired naval and military officers. So keen was the demand for passages on tMe liner that every cabin was hooked up, and many applicants had to be refused. Tho cruise begun on January 12, so that the Franconia is now over a month out from New York. In the Intervening period her 400 passenger have had tim.e to get acquainted with one another but the fact that they are not yet all known to- each other was indicated by a remark made at a loca* hotel booking office last night, when one unattached male observed to the Clark, “I see I have drawn a Pittsburgher as my room mate to-night.” Those who arrived yesterday go to Wellington to-day, and another party of the same size, 108 in number, ■will reach Wanganui to-night. Tho Rutland Hotel and Foster’s Hotel are sharing the accommodation of the visitors, who last night expressed their entire satisfaction with the arrangements. When they return to their distant homes they will not forget that Wanganui was glad to welcome them.