SPIRIT OF ADVENTURE TAKES GIRLS AROUND THE DOMINION

Grey River Argus, 6 August 1948, Page 7

SPIRIT OF ADVENTURE TAKES GIRLS AROUND THE DOMINION

It all began in 1942 when two young girls donned the uniform of the W.A.A.F., in Adelaide, South Australia, and formed a friendship, that was to link them in years of companionship “hitch-hiking” around New Zealand. About twelve months ago, these girls, Misses Adrienne Sands, 24, of Aylsworth, Adelaide, and June Waters, 25, of Colonel Light Gardens, Adelaide, sat over a cup of tea in an Adelaide restaurant discussing New Zealand. Both inveterate hikers, with June an enthusiastic climber, the girls decided that the best thing to do would be to work their way around New Zealand. Their three and a half years in uniform had made them restless, and they could not settle down to their pre-war jobs as stenographers. They arrived in Wellington, and headed straight for Christchurch, where for nine weeks they diligently typed letters and memoranda. They moved on with their packs across their backs, and attired in slacks, or shorts, according to the weather, and made their way to the Fox Glacier Hostel. For three months they made their attractive lappearance in the dining room of the hostel as waitresses, and then, donning walking gear made for the Hermitage, Mount Cook. A few weeks there, and on they moved to Dunedin, Invercargill, Bluff and Stewart Island, working as housemaids, waitresses, or typists en route. They then walked through to the Sounds, headed back through the Haast Pass and Paringa, and eventually found themselves back at the Fox Glacier Hostel. Six weeks later, they went north, crossed to Wellington and “hitchhiked” to Rotorua. A month later they went to Auckland, then to Waitonio, and on to Egmont, and back again to Wellington. That was the end of the journey, and they made their way back to Adelaide, their homes, and their jobs as typists. Six months ago the wander-bug hit them again. This, and the recollection of the enjoyable time they had previously spent in this country was enough to spur them on. They left Adelaide, and returned to New Zealand. They made for the Fox Glacier Hostel, where, until yesterday they were again waitresses. The girls arrived in Greymouth, en route to Hokitika, where they were to get a plane for Okuru. Typing, housework, and waiting on tables, having palled somewhat, they are going now to try something quite different. They are soon to start in a whitebait canning factory at Jackson’s Bay. They intend to continue there until the end of the season, and their plans after that, have yet to mature.