NEAR THE END

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 94, 15 January 1935, Page 10

NEAR THE END

Duke of Gloucester’s New Zealand Tour FINAL TRAIN JOURNEY Arduous Motor Trip to - The Hermitage By Telegraph.—Press Association. The Hermitage, January 14. The final stages of the official portiim of the Duke of Gloucester's New Zealand trmtr are .approaching. The Royal tram completed its final journey for the Duke of Glinicester’s tour with its arrival at Kingston this morning from Invercargill. Throughout the trip tlie train’s passage was cheered at each station passed, there being an especially large gathering of young and old at Lumsden, where a service stop was made for •water. His Royal Highness stood at the door of his compartment when the train moved off to acknowledge the salutations and to say good-night to the people on the station. In dull although not unpleasant weather the steamer trip from Lake Wakatipu to Queenstown was made. The water was rather choppy, but the passage was an excellent one, and his Royal Highness, who yesterday saw portion of the lake from the air, found much to interest him this morning in the rugged beauty of the mountain arms' of the lake as well as the expanse of deep blue water itself, and he spent some’time at the boat rails taking photographs. Escort of Launch Parties. Queenstown's welcome was in harmony with the other receptions the Duke has been accorded in New Zealand, an interesting feature being the escorts provided by large launch parties. Replying to the welcome, his Royal Highness said that he was delighted to visit the far-famed beauties of Lake Wakatipu. as well as to meet the people of the district. In the forenoon he left by car for Pembroke, en route to Mt, Cook and the Hermitage where the Royal party is due at 7 p.m. The Duke of Gloucester was greatly impressed with Queenstown Gardens and the Scott Memorial—a tablet ±et into the side of the natural rock and bearing Scott’os last, message in full. Journey from Queenstown. The road journey from Queenstown to the Hermitage covered 192 miles, and his Royal Highness remained at the wheel all the time. He reached the Hermitage at 7.30 p.m., apparently unmoved by the arduous nature of the trip, which traversed country which gave all the appearance of being a wilderness, notwithstanding that it produces some of the heaviest fleeced sheep in New Zealand. The section of Central Otago motored through, particularly from Pembroke onward, was arid and uninteresting, and roads were never free from the dust nuisance, 1 The oppressive absence of habitation was reflected by the number of wayside greetings. Miles separated the few homesteads passed on the route, yet groups of people, some of them surprisingly large in the circumstances, were at long intervals on the road to cheer the Duke’s car. The party had lunch at Pembroke and picnie tea alongside a river some miles out from Omarama, his Royal Highness again finding divertisement in “skipping” stones over the top of the water. Grainleour of Alps. The drab nature of the motor trip from Pembroke had its compensation in the grand spectacle of the Southern Alps and nature’s foothill handiwork. /I mist shrouded the peak of Mount Cook, but the snow line was visible, and if the weather is fine in the morning his Royal Highness may visit the Tasman Glacier, his experience of Franz Josef having given him a liking for ice climibing. The Duke’s official programme for to-morrow terminates with the laying of the foundation stone of the pioneer memorial Anglican church at Tekap.o. He will then unitor to Longbeach and stay at a private estate until Saturday morning, when the ultimate phase of the official schedule will be resumed. He is due at Ashburton at 10 a.in. on Saturday and at Christchurch for ceremonies there at noon. On Monday night official farewells will be exchanged on board the Australia, which sails at daybreak on Tuesday for Russell in the Bay of Islands. • The Duke will have two days’ deep-sea fishing He will attend divine service at Waitangi, and motor through the Waipoua State forest and Trounson Park. The Australia will leave Russell for Suva on January 29