LANDING ON MANUKAU

Waikato Times, Volume 126, Issue 21018, 22 January 1940, Page 9

LANDING ON MANUKAU

TRIP BY AOTEAROA (By Telegraph.—Press Association) AUCKLAND, Sunday The Aotearoa, on her way back to her base from Wellington, landed on the Manukau Harbour at Cornwallis yesterday afternoon as visibility on the Waitemata was reduced to 300 yards. The occasion was the third . on which the Aotearoa has alighted on the Manukau in the last lew months, previous visits having been made to test the locality as an alternative landing-place in the event of heavy weather or poor visibility on the Waitemata. Passengers on the Aotearoa in- , eluded the Minister of Agriculture, the Hon. W. Lee Martin, and Mrs Martin, the Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates, the Hon. Eliot R. Davis, M.L.C., Mr I. J. Goldstine, Mayor of One Tree Hill, and Mrs J. W. Heenan and Mrs C. A. Furlong, wives of senior officials of the Internal Affairs Department. Commanded by Captain J. W. Burgess, the Aotearoa left Wellington at 11.45 on Saturday morning, and on the way north flew over the stranded Port Bowen near Wanganui. Ap- : proaching Auckland, after a little over two hours’ flying, a report was received that visibility on the Waitemata was down to 300 yards, and in the interests of absolute safety. Captain Burgess decided to alight temporarily on the Manukau at Cornwallis. The other alternative landing-place is on the Kaipara, not far from Helensville. After a wait of about an hour the Aotearoa flew over the narrow isthmus to land on Waitemata Harbour Including the delay in making an extra landing, and the wait at ComI wallis, passengers reached Auckland about four hours after leaving Wellington.