Promoting N.Z. In Australia

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31116, 20 July 1966, Page 2

Promoting N.Z. In Australia

~ (Special Correspondent N.Z.P.A.) SYDNEY, July 19. Mrs Paddy Walker, of Auckland and formerly of Christchurch has completed half of a three-month tour aimed at persuading more Australians to cross the Tasman for a New Zealand holiday.

After a hectic six weeks, during which she has talked to more than 4000 people in Sydney and Brisbane, she will begin her Melbourne campaign tomorrow. Mrs Walker’s tour, jointly sponsored by the Government Tourist Bureau, Air New Zea-; land and the Tourist Hotel Corporation, is part of the New Zealand tourist industry’s Haere Mai Year campaign. Her presentation, aimed mainly at women, comprises an hour’s lecture, accompanied by colour slides with background music. The travel industry hopes it will boost New Zealand’s average annual increase of 20 per cent in the number of Australians visiting the Dominion. Mr Arthur Manning, the bureau’s publicity officer in Sydney, said today that the response to Mrs Walker's tour had been “fantastic.” He said that in some places women had made deposits for

tours to New Zealand before leaving the hall where Mrs Walker had spoken. A bright note had been provided by an elderly Brisbane questioner, who had heard of New Zealand’s capitalisation scheme for family benefits to assist home buying. “Can you capitalise your old age pension?” she inquired.