Holiday Planning Dispels Winter Gloom

Press, Volume C, Issue 29514, 16 May 1961, Page 2

Holiday Planning Dispels Winter Gloom

When skies are bleak and grey, and the wind is raw, the thoughts of many turn wistfully towards summer skies and sandy beaches, or a quiet inland lake. Planning next summer’s vacation can be a good family diversion for a wet winter week-end. Some may favour a camping holiday; other families have a holiday house which they take every year. Yet others prefer variety, and explore different parts of the country each year. Sometimes planning for next year's holiday is done in the middle of the previous one, and already thousands of persons have applied for berths on the inter-island ferry for the summer months.

Few inquiries for travel within New Zealand had been made as yet, said the representative of a tourist bureau. “It is a little too far ahead for most people—the bookings usually start to come in about June and July, after the May vacation is over.” he said. Accommodation Accommodation was already very difficult to obtain in the main summer resorts, he said. Most of the inquiries, however. were from overseas tourists. For those more fortunate, trips to Australia or to the Pacific will take them away from the cold of the Christchurch winter. Several tourist agencies have been offering reduced rate tours of Australia. "We are concentrating on northern New South Wales and Queensland. to keep people in the sun.” said one representative. Hundreds of persons were going to Australia each year, he said. Tours were also being

organised to Fiji and Noumea. and about 40 persons were going to the Far East on a tour arranged by the firm. But whether it is a summer vacation, an exciting overseas tour to seek the sun, or just a day-dream, planning for a holiday can be great fun, and can help to dispel the gloom of winter.