CLOUD FORMATIONS

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 146, 16 March 1939, Page 11

CLOUD FORMATIONS

Remarkable Sight For Air Travellers HILLS AND VALLEYS Roiling white clouds which stretched as far as the eye could see provided a remarkable sight for passengers on the first flight yesterday of the new daily air service from Wellington to the West Coast. The Cook Strait Airways machine took off from Rongotai Aerodrome in brilliant sunshine, but within a few minutes it had climbed westward over the cloud bank, which, was tinted with the rays of the early morning sunshine.

The shape of the clouds resembled hills, valleys and plains, and in the distance mountain ranges. Occasionally near the edge of the bank a break iu the formation gave passengers a tantalizing glimpse of the rugged country beneath. As the plane neared the Marlborough Sounds the higher hills, heavily bush clad, pushed their tops through to provide a beautiful contrast against the milky-white clouds. Though nothing could be seen of the coastline of the sounds, the pageant of cloudland more than offset, the disappointment of travellers, who flew in perfect sunshine while the weather on the groltnd below was overcast. On the flight from Nelson to Westport there was a complete change of scenery, the cloud ranges giving way to the very substantial forest-covered mountains of Nelson and Buller. Small streams, their volume much, depleted by the dry summer, resembled silver ribbons as the sun glistened on the water. At times smoke curling away from the ground indicated the site of one of the few houses to be seen. Signs of the Murchison earthquake were to be seen on many of the hills, which had white scars where the land had slipped away. About 30 minutes after leaving Nelson the winding road leading to the mining town of Denniston and the incline down which the coal is sent could be clearly seen. The plane then flew over the sea for a few minutes before gliding down to land. Unusual shades of green and grey made the surface of the water resemble a huge patch-work quilt. While the machine was circling over Westport the shadow of the aeroplane racing over the ground attracted attention. It took no notice of fences, ditches or trees, but chased along a short distance behind the machine. As the position of the sun in relation to the aeroplane changed the shadow dashed ahead over the sea and was lost to sight. Most of the clouds hud dispersed on the return journey to Wellington, and passengers obtained' an excellent view of the sounds.