HITCH HIKER WAS MISTAKEN FOR ESCAPED CONVICT

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 13, Issue 64, 14 March 1949, Page 5

HITCH HIKER WAS MISTAKEN FOR ESCAPED CONVICT

Being mistaken for an escaped prisoner was the unusual experi-i ence of one of two hitch hikers who arrived at Whakatane during the week-end. Tramping past one of the prisons in the National Park area the unsuspecting hitch hikers were halted by a couple of members of the prison staff. One was accused of being a prisoner who had just escaped, and it was only after some fast talking that the guards let them proceed. Such is only one of the many unusual incidents two young men from Christchurch have experienced in a hitch hiking holiday to Whakatane. One of them, Mr Ben Ching, is formerly of the town and he has come on a short visit to see his people who still reside here. He was accompanied by Mr Barry Abley, of Christchurch.

Travelled 694 Miles Hitch hiking from Christchurch the two have taken almost two weeks to travel 694 miles. They walked most of the distance, sleeping on the side of the road or anywhere else they could find at the end of each day. Neither spoke very kindly of motorists and declared that the number of lifts they had could be counted on one hand.

Carrying a 401 b pack each they aimed at travelling 11 hours each day and this they stuck to wherever possible. Their best effort was on the first day when they walked 40 miles.

“In the nature of a holiday” was how the two • described their journey. Although proud of their long trek they have decided to return on the transport services supplied by the Government —if they can find the money.

“We are broke,” they told a Beacon reporter. And the way they said it left no doubt that they were proud of the fact. Lack of finance did not seem to worry them. “Had” Motorists “What were the people like you met,” they were asked. They had “had” motorists. The people they came in contact with on the road had been very kind and friendly, the best being in the Marlborough area. Generally though, they found the people in the North Island more generous than those they had contacted in the northern portion of the South Island. When the reporter finally left the two hikers they were still ruminating on the fact that they had no money and wondering how they were going to travel as paying guests of the Government. ■ But they were not particularly worried.