BARROW MARATHON

Evening Star, Issue 22147, 30 September 1935, Page 12

BARROW MARATHON

400 MILES TREK DUE DUNEDIN THIS AFTERNOON The barrow pushers, Messrs L. G. Lukey and J. C. Scliolfield, who left Bluff at 10 o’clock on their journey to Christchurch, are duo in Dunedin this afternoon. Mr Scholfield wrote from Balclutha on Saturday;—Just a few fines about the “ snailaplane ” and crew—Mr L. T. Lukey (pusher) and myself. We are attempting a record run of 400 miles from Bluff to Christchurch in 20 days by wheelbarrow. We have so far done five days of our journey and completed 92 miles, and are now 12 miles ahead of the schedule, having to average 20 miles per day to do the journej r . Our first stop was Invercargill, next Edendale, then Gore, making a detour through Wyndham and Mataura, and next day to Clinton, 28 miles. This is one of the longest days of the trip. We found the going very hard indeed, and it was the hardest day of the whole trip, North Island included. Loose metal and short steep grades made things hard. The weather since Bluff has been glorious from my point of view, but Gordon has felt the heat a great deal and it makes the pushing real hard work. From Clinton we arrived at Balclutha, 20 miles, this afternoon. We had a great reception and were welcomed by the mayor, wiio gave us the “ freedom of the city ” for the time of our stay. We are both quite fit and fully confident of doing the journey in the required time. The mail we are carrying is gradually getting bigger, and we will have soon to restrict the amount, as we can only carry a limited _ quantity. From the collector’s point of view it is very interesting, and it is also a novel way of receiving letters from the ordinary person’s point of view. We expect to reach Milton on Saturday afternoon, Henley Sunday, and to arrive in Princes street, Dunedin at 5 o’clock on Monday afternoon. Information was received by the ‘ Star ’ to-day that the barrow pushers arrived at Mosgiel at 12.15 p.m., the journey from Henley being covered in three hours.