DUKE’S VISIT TO KAURI FORESTS

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 104, 26 January 1935, Page 8

DUKE’S VISIT TO KAURI FORESTS

Day Spent in Far North JVARM WELCOMES AT ALL STOPPING PLACES By Telegraph.—Press Association. Opononi, January 25. Variety and originality were the keynote of the programme arranged for the Duke of Gloucester’s inland visit I in the far north. The trip comprised a 100-mile span of the east and west coasts and proved full of interest to his Royal Highness who incidentally remained at the wheel of his car throughout the journey. Singularly, the people of the far north, who had not been provided for in the Duke’s official itinerary, saw much more of him than any other community in New Zealand The places at which he stopped to-day were attended by a large force of settlers from all parts of the Hobson caunty and the informality of the occasion enabled all to view his Royal Highness at close range. Wayside salutations were again numerous and with his usual thoughtfulness he slowed down the car to acknowledge them.

-There was a large gathering at Tronson Park through which the Duke walked to admire the density of the growth and some mighty kauri specimens. H e had lunch with a party of thirty at Nelson’s Bush where another large assemblage watched bis every movement. For the benefit of .he Duke a 1000y ear-old kauri, twenty feet in girth, was felled, a six-foot scarf and a substantial base saw cut having been made in advance. With a mighty roar the tree toppled into the gully below while the Duke recorded the incident on his cinematograph. He shook hands with the cross-cutters and chatted over details of the operation. His Royal Highness next watched a comparison between old and new methods of hauling four-ton logs from the forest. A team of eighteen bullocks was used for the first exhibition and wire ropes and a winch hauler for the second. The- Duke’s camera was continuously in action during these operations. The trip through the Waipoua State Forest brought the Prince to the scene of a monkey-like tree climbing display, in which three Maori experts with spiked boots and axes in their hands 'scaled a 100-foot kauri to collect for the Duke gum and kauri apples. An exhibition was given also of the old method of rope climbing, his Royal Highness finding both displays suitable for photographic records. Spectators were still present in large numbers and as at other stopping places they lustily cheered the Royal visitor's arrival and departure. A visit was subsequently paid to the mammoth tree Tane Mahutu, reported to be 1200 years old and to contain 72,000 feet of timber. His Royal Highness arrived at Opononi early in the evening and had the entire tftjvnship out to meet him. Changing into a bathing suit he spent an hour in the water before dinner, being the last of his party to leave the beach. DANCE ATTENDED Duke’s Unheralded Visit By Telegraph.—Press Association, Opononi, January 25. In harmony with the informality of the day’s programme the Duke of Gloucester unexpectedly made an appearance at a dance at Opononi tonight. Learning that the gathering was arranged by the Hokianga Returned Soldiers’ Association his Royal Highness expressed a desire to meet the men. Shortly after ten, accompanied by the Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates and his equerries he walked nonchalantly into the hall, where he was. warmly greeted. He chatted with former Diggers. In a Sfort speech the president, Mr, Harding Leaf, explained that Hokianga connoted “I shall return” and he expressed the hope th\t the Duke, who was the first member of the Royal famil.v to visit the district, would e.-me back, adding. ‘ Maybe on your honeymoon.” His Royal Highness did not make his visit perfunctory. He mixed among the dancers and had several dances with local partners before returning to the hotel.