AMERICANS ON LEAVE

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 7, Issue 52, 25 February 1944, Page 5

AMERICANS ON LEAVE

ATRACTIONS OF WHAKATANE

SERVICEMEN'S VIKWS

Residents will- be pleased to hear the opinions expressed by some of the American sailors who have been staying in Whakatane over the past fortnight. A "Beacon" representative obtained an interview with some of these stervicemen, and we take pleasure in passing on their views and criticisms of the town. Homelike Atmosphere The subject about Avhicli they were most emphatic was the excellent way in which they Avcrc treated by the residents of Whakatane. They said, they never in any other town or city had they been treated with such frank friendliness and openheartedness by the general public. "There, is," one of them remarked, "a distinct atmosphere of. home about Whakatane —the quietness and peace fulness, which one loses altogether in the cities where we are forced to spend most, of our time on leave." They all agreed that the food was really first class, and that the butter was the best they had, ever tasted, —a tribute to the farmers if the Rangitaiki Plains. As for the milk— as one of. them expressed it, they had been, just "wallowing" in it. "It was," they said, "a real treat after the dried tasteless; milk on ration to us in the islands." | They continued, saying that local residents had been extremely kind in placing their cars at their disposal in order that they could sec some of the surrounding country side before their return. Tliey were much impressed by Ohope; Beach, although, as they said, they found

the conditions for swimming rather rough, as the beach was, in their opinion, purely a surfing one. They considered that with Oliope so near Wliakatane residents were inclined not to exploit the Heads to their full value, it being generally thought among them that the Heads w r sjs one of the best all round beaches. ' Scenic Countryside Their remarks on the views, obtainable from the hills surrounding Wliakatane were extremely complimentary and they slated that in "their opinion, Wliakatane. was an extremely attractive place. They aeknowledged the hot springs at Awakeri as being*one of the best 111 aces t hey had been to around the district, and. thought that as a holiday resort, Wliakatane could "run! rings round" llotorua. Commenting on the shopping area, they said that the shops were, according to their standard, very well laid out and excellently managed, the cheapcncss; of things in them compared to what they were in the States at the present time being an eye-opener. Sheep Dogs a Novelty One of them remarked that that morning he had spent an interesting hour watching a local farmer work sheep with the aid of his dogs, something which was entirely new to him. He had been fascinated by the way in which the sheep respected the dogs, and by the control the farmer had over them by a mere whistle, which, by the way, he

added, was the most shrill, ear-split-, ting one he had ever encountered. The only place they would have liked to have gone but were unable to, was Whale Island. However, their ambition is to come back again to Whakatane on their next long leave, .so they may be able to see it then. Coin p I inien t ary In closing, they said that the ordinary people of Whakatane were mainly responsible for making their leave so enjoyable and that short as their stay had been they all, with one exception, wished, to get baci* -gain as soon as possible—the difterui£ party wished to sXay here for die duration.