WINTER TRIPS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XVIII, Issue 1428, 12 April 1905, Page 2

WINTER TRIPS.

TO THE SOUTH SEAS.

been I fine new tw * n sorew steamer Navns thar I makes her initial visit to Povert; 5 f I Bay this morning, is announced to leav' '? I Auckland on Tuesday, 2nd May, on thi '? r ’ I first of the winter trips to the South Seas , B j I Included in the Navua's itinerary ari , I calls at Nukualofa H-tapai, Vavat of I (Friendly Islands), Apia (Samoa), Levuki J 0 and Suva (Fiji), and stays of about twc I days will be made, except Haapai, where I a shorter stay will suffice to see all thal . I interests the voyager. 1 1 I Bach group of islands has its peculiar I charm. At the Friendly Islands will be seen islands of both volcanic and coral I formation, from lofty volcano to lowI lying coral atoll. The natives are a most I intelligent race, and are practically self- ° I governed. I Apia (Samoa) is now a German possesI sion, but until quite recently the govern, on- I ment was administered by three Powers led 1 (German, American, and British), and it ox, I was at this time that the great hurrialt I cane wrecked all the warships ;be I (six) lying in the harbor, except the 3al I only British ship, the Calliope. The •ty I hurricane months extend, however, only it I from Deoomber to March during the wet to season, and from April till November the is- I balmy south-east trade continues with or I almost unbroken regularity. It was on at I account of the attractiveness and climate I re I of Samoa that our famous novelist, Bobert I of I Louis Stevenson, selected his home at I }. I Apia. Vailima is only two miles from the I ir I township, and can easily be vißtted during I :y I the ship’s stay. Exquisite drives can be I !e I taken through the unrivalled cocoannt I e I palm and cocoa plantations. The natives I a I of Samoa can easily lay olaim to being the j it I handsomest of the Polynesian races, and I d have changed least of any with the I i s advance of the white man. I f Fiji, the next group visited, is a'flourish- I ‘ i ing Crown colony. Owing to the large I t . importation of Indian coolies to labor in I 1 . the sugar plantations it is difficult to I I S realise at times that the traveller is not in I 1 the Eastern Empire. At the same time I the bushy-haired Fijian is much in evi- I I dence. Within easy distance may be seen I C the fluest sugar plantations iu the I world, aDd unrivalled banana plantations. I From Fiji the Navua prooeeds to Syd- j D ney and then reverses the trip for the I A benefit of our Australian neighbours, but I to New Zealand passengers can return from I M Sydney direct to New Zealand. I Ci AM the Nona’s cabins and the dining I saloon are on deck, and a special feature I Sr is tho large window ports, which pan re- I 70 main open in almost any weather. The |Gc ship was built on tho Clydo last year and Bj specially constructed for the South Sea I J. service. I E. Tho Monapouri, which has been almost I 1 converted into a new ship,with deck rooms I ob{ and dining saloon amidships, to suit the lOC tropical trade, will follow 28 days after the W. Navua, and the Company hope to continue son tho trips every month up to and including wai Ootober, twit