MAUNGANUI'S CRUISE

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 25, 29 July 1939, Page 15

MAUNGANUI'S CRUISE

Passengers who returned t-6 Auckland yesterday by the Maungaiitii kfter a cruise of the Pacific Islands had ths expei-i.ence of ci'dsging .th§ iafeliatidnal. date line four times in* tlie short £e*ri6d of nine days. They had two fridSyel and two Tuesdays and omitted two Saturdays. In addition to the cenflk'fc of dates, the • Maungatitti .In the s^.a^ of 12 days visited GoUntvies gdVern^d by five different nations—^Ofiga (und&r its oWn administrat:iori>,- S&iiiO& ist§W Zealand), Pago Pago ; (VS,A.h fi|i (British), and NeW CJaledoflia (French). -; -

■..Although the itinerary: of the crtiiß<3 Had to be attefed somewhat oil aee<*tiai of an outbreak of smallpox sit Pajs&6t§, which necessitated the omission of calli at Baiatea> Moorea, and Papdete* thei places substituted proved td 6g' eXtreihely attractive, and itt sohid case's well off ther beaten, track pf {Jr§Vl6Us cruises from New Zealandi ...',..

One of. the high lights Of the 1 cfuiSe was the visit to Noumea, -in New Caledonia, which was reached last Saturday. It is situated on a fine larid^ locked liarboUr, the multi-coloured ibills of. which bear evidence of its Valuable mineral wealth. The town : itself, with its quaint old buildings, Shops, and tree^shaded boulevards proved a great fascination for the passengers ; On the- Monday morning pripr to leaving Noumea a party of offiqe'rs arid men from the Maunganui, under Captain A. B. Morgan, D.5.0.» together with about thirty returned soldiers from among the . passengers, marcjied to the Monument aux Morts and laid a wreath, composed of New ,2ealand foliage and berries, on behalf of the Merchant Navy in New Zealand, a gesture which' Was much appreciated by 1 the French population. ...

Beautiful weather- was experienced throughout the trip, and during the days at sea' there was iiot a (Still moment, with sports and tottrnafifteiitg* horse racing, four fancy, dress Mllg, talking pictures, and dancing to o'cK cupy the time, ■ * —-~—-> xu _ ■