VISIT TO LINER

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 7, 1 October 1937, Page 6

VISIT TO LINER

r Treat fjbr Parkvale School I Children thrilling outing A greaft treat was provided a party of pupila from the Parkvale School, Hasting^, yesterday afternoon when they m4de a toru: of inspection of the Shaw Sfavill liner Akaroa, wHich is at present! in the Roadstead at N a pief-. The oming was arranged- by Mr. J. Stickiajnd, chairinan ot the school committeei and the children were conveyed to anfi from Napier by cars. Altogethej • fhe outing lasted over four hours and provided a wonderful experionee for the youngsters. Several unexpected little "thrills" wer ef experienced. For exampie, the sqas j were termed "rather rough off shorje/' and consequently the party, whifcij numbered about 20, were conVeJ7ed from Jull Wharf in the lnner Ha|rbour to the ship's side in tbe RoadsMad by ligliter, and the children thoroughly enjoyed the spice of cxcitethat came with the boarding ot rifce Akaroa. lt was nocessary to sforing across from the iighter to tlie gangway, and with the former having b, big roil on this was no 1nea.11 feat. J Once aboard the Akaroa the party jwas taken in hand by the purser, Mr. /E. Cordery, and ihe chief steward, i Mr. A. Cresswell, and were given a iree run of tlie vessel. They inspected it from bow to stern, and from bridge to engine-room. Tbroughout they kept up a running fire of questions, mingled with exclamations of delight aud, at times, of amazement. Notning escaped thos© eager and youthful eyes, and their enthusiasm and interest was infectious. The i'act that tlie sliip was a huge departmental store^ which must of necessity meet the needs of a colony of people, was impressed upou them by their tour of the ship. They entered the freezing chamber and saw a wide variety of meat, as well as fisli, fruit, and green vegetables, paraded through the kitcheu and pantry, sampled biscuits and sweets from the grocery store and visited tlie dairy, . wlicre they were given a generous glass of milk lrom the mechanical cow. One bright youngster declared that this milk. was as good as what he received every morning at school. The nurscry, the swimmmg-pool and the gymnasium, in which there was a mechanical horse and the means i'or a cycle race between landlubbers aud seafarers, were visited in turn and needless to say provided plenty of i'un, The boys ivere taken away down. into the engine-room, where, in keeping with story books, they were sliowu round by an engineer, who was a Scotsman. Afternoon-tea in *tlie dining saloon was a gay aii'air, ospecially when trumpets, squeakers aud gaily-coloured.. paper liats were distributed, aud the I children were told by a stern-faced, but twjukliug-eyed steward that the cook would be very wrathful if all the cakes and biscuits were not eaten. Conditions having improved outside the party were provided with one last thrilJ, that of being lioisted overboard on to the Iighter by means of a sling. &everai rounds of cheers and a con— certed play 011 trumpets and squeakers brought smiles from the members of the crew and the passengers of the Akaroa as the Iighter returned on its three-inile trip to land.