FIRST EPISTLE TO WHAKATANIANS FROM GLOBE-TROTTING TEACHER: MR DREGHORN HAS HIS WORRIES

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 13, Issue 46, 26 January 1949, Page 5

FIRST EPISTLE TO WHAKATANIANS FROM GLOBE-TROTTING TEACHER: MR DREGHORN HAS HIS WORRIES

Long, Long Trail To Peru

From the tone of a letter the Beacon got from him yesterday, he seems pretty “browned off.” ‘ And the prospects for his trip to Peru don’t look so bright, but he still hopes to get at it the round-about way.

He headed his epistle to the Whakatanians “Advice to Globe Trot"ters and Post-War Travellers.” This is what he said : “Travel abroad these days is pan•demoniurh and panic-. If you want to see a few places outside New /Zealand you need: f 1. Two pints of ink to fill up the 'necessary forms.

2. Ten gallons of petrol to rush to and from various shipping offices. .'Banks and passport offices and Consulates.

3. 2,000 gallons of patience as the /ship’s departure is continually postponed while you are staying at the -quay side. 4. Five gallons of cheek to force people to sign your forms and issue /permits. 5. Half a. pint of bluff to get visas •■oh your passports. 6. £SO to cover your stay in Auckland hotels as the ship is delayed -again and again. 7. Twenty-five photos of yourself "for the various consulates of the ■countries you are visiting.

“I’m afraid'’ my proposed trip to 'Peru is going to be a bit sticky. The 'Shipping Companies will not book me to Panama unless I can show 'them that I have: A ticket out of Panama. Dollars, to support my stay in '.Panama. U.S.A. visa. Panamanian visa. Visa for Peru Fare out of Peru. Dollars to pay fare out of Peru. Police certificate of character. Vaccination certificate.

It Shook Him All these things absolutely shake You. So I spent a hectic day, dashing from one office to another, up -and dowri Queen Street, High Street -and Customs Street. You’ve got to have some fight in you and as I am :partly of Irish stock | gave it a go. ' The United States Consul is very 'helpful but he simply says “How •can you stay in Panama when you have no dolars? Where is your ticket out of Panama?” Now Peru is some 1,300 miles from Panama, and so I went to Pan American Airways and found out that the air trip was £52 10s—or some £96 return. Far too expensive for me and also the shipping charge ■was £sl single. In any case, you must apply to the Reserve Bank for permission to buy the ticket in dollars. My intention was to get a cheap •coastal boat from Panama to Callao in Peru.

Dollars The Catch At present I’ve been very lucky to get the visas but the dollar business is the stumbling block. You •can only get dollars at 7/6 to 10/•each (exchange rate is about 5/-) and I need about 400. I spent several more gruelling days in the city and finally have to book my passage to U.K. in the hope that I may get some dollars or that I may be just lucky to transfer from the Wairangi to a passing steamer to Peru. Tried Partizanka My ship was postponed several times and so I conceived a plan of touring across Europe by going to Jugoslavia on the Partizanka. So a day before the trouble on this ship began, I managed to interview the captain and several others. He suspected me of being a journalist or secret British Agent and • exclaimed, “If you are a newspaper man we are not interested.”

However, I explained that I would like to study education in Jugoslavia, and go via Australia and Germany to England.

He said “You waWt visa for Jugoslavia and very special visa for Treste.”

It was very difficult to get myself understood so I brushed up my German on some of them, but that was bad as Heinrich, the paratrooper who stowed away in a bundle from Palestine, was locked up below.

“As I worked on a Polish station once, I recognised many Slavic words as I wandered along the crowded decks and Slavans.

It would appear there is no need for us to work ourselves up into a perspiration (note the refrained term for it) over the possibility of New Zealand’s best and brightest citizens galloping away overseas to sell their brains on the best market—Not if they all find this country , as hard to get out of, and others as hard to get into, as Mr W. Dreghorn, ex-Whakatane schoolteacher, is doing.

Everywhere I realised political arguments were going on, usually one doing all the explaining. A film show was on in the dining saloon. About 300 people had rushed in to see a war film. It looked quite a good passenger ship and . the food and accommodation are as good as any other liner. I spent several hours on the ship and enjoyed it immensely. It was like being back in Europe again right in the political' maelstrom. An American on a tour of New Zealand sauntered up to me. My efforts to obtain dollars from him proved futile so we talked on world affairs. He said he was on . a 3-year world tour and found his dollars were a marvellous aid to travel. He liked New Zealand and thought the standard of living very high. (He was filling in time by being a seagull on’ the Auckland waterfront!) Our conversation was frequently interrupted by pretty Jugoslav girls promenading -on the deck in new Auckland purchased frocks. The Yank said that before leaving U.S.A. he had to sign a witnessed statement that he would not engage in un-Ameri-can activities while abroad! However, he was very fair and objective in his arguments. The cheapest fare on the Partizanka to Jugoslavia is £BO and the dearest some £260 ! ! ! As the cheapest fair to England is £67 to. £64 I decided to give the Wairangi a go. Sketching Again The next evening I sketched the Wairangi and as usual a small crowd gathered round to watch me. Two Slavs • were arguing with another person. They said “Feed the Berliners by air lift. We fought the German b’s and for a few bags of flour they stop us!” I preferred to take a non-commital attitude as I did not want to get involved. Two London Cockneys just off the Corinthic Star told me about prevailing conditions in London so I went to a Queen Street cafe for a good tuck in. Well, I’m all set now for Panama, the West Indies (Jamaica and Guraccao. And I’m still trying to see some countries on the way but the days of hobo*travel and jumping ships are over. Summing it all up unless you have very good family reasons you cannot get to countries in dollar areas.

-The best way to travel these days is to go to countries where sterling will keep you, if you have some. Therefore' one is left with British West Indies en route to England. Final Advice My final advice to would-be overseas travellers is to get all formalities done in Auckland and Wellington and then be prepared for one or two weeks stay in the city as you will find sailing dates are often postponed again ■ and again. . The. shipping companies always warn intending passengers by telegrams of these matters but in . any case, you can have a fine time by taking the ferry across to North Shore and then spend the time sunbathing, swimming, bowling and fishing from the lovely beaches at Takapuna and Milford.

The Wairangi was expected to leave Auckland yesterday.