THE NEW MAIL SERVICE

Hokitika Guardian, 30 August 1929, Page 5

THE NEW MAIL SERVICE

MAHENO AND- MANUKA

ROUND TRIPS VIA WELLINGTON

WELLINGTON, August 28.

The Melbourne service with South Island ports will commence early in < November. The Union Steam Ship Company intends to utilise the steamers Maheno and Manuka, and itineraries have been planned for round trips in opposite directions. To illustrate the itinerary, the actual dates for the two ' steairiers can be quoted:—■ Manuka leaves Melbourne for Wellington October • 29, departs for Lyttelton Tuesday, November, 5, departs ! from Lyttelton for Dunedin Wednesday, November 6, departs from /. Dunedin Thursday, .November .7/arriving. at Bluff the following morning/and j. leaving for Melbourne direct on Novejriber. 9,-arriving November 13. The steamer Mahenq will take, up the running from, Wellington on November 20, when she leaves for Melbourne direct. . She will leave Melbourne for Wellington on November 27, Wellington December '3, Lyttelton /.December 4, , Dunedin December.,6/ and Bluff for Melbourne December .7... i The Manuka,'on reaching Melbourne , on November 13, will remain there for seven days" leaving’ Melbourne on November, 20 for Bluff direct, thence proceeding up the coast, departing from Bluff November 25, Dunedin November 27, Lyttelton‘-November 28; and!’ Wellington November 30, direct to Mel- - bourne. .

Until, the Maheriowithdraws for survey early in May,' the . steamers ?. will carry out these round trips, the Maheno making New Zealand .coastal calls on tbe southerly route from Wellington to Bluff, then sailing direcb'to Mel-,' ; I'ounie, while the Manuka ..will make the Melbourne-Bluff trip direct and call at South island . ports', on the , way .’, notth, 1 'finally 1 leaving Wellington- for M .Melbourne; * - ' .

The time-table, stated the Hon. P. A. de la Perrelle, Minister of Internal Affairs, will enable a nine or twelveday service to be maintained regularly for seven months between the New Zealand ports' 1 and Melbourne. The interval in the winter months will be twenty-one days. The frequency of the service during the v sumraer should, declared the Minister, greatly- develop passenger traffic in both directions. “ I strongly urge the people-of Otago and Southland to give the new service their fullest support,” added Mr de la Perrelle. “As has already been stated, the subsidy 'is substantial, and the greater the patronage, it necessarily follows that the subsidy needed will' be reduced proportionately. The completion of the contract mush he a source, of. considerable satisfaction' to the people of the South who for years have strongly advocated justice in the matter of regular shipping facilities with Melbourne. It-is now their opportunity to take advantage of the increased facilities'for trade and passenger business, so as to cause material development in trade between Australia and the South Island.” Sailing dates from Lyttelton of the new Melbourne \service are announced, ,the Maheno’s sailings being to Dunedin 'en route to Melbourne and the Mamuka's to Wellington, ( thence -to Melbourne. On the opening of the service, the Manuka will; leave Lyttelton , on November 6 for Dunedin, Bluff and Melbourne., Subsequent; sailings'are as , ■■ ~ ■ • ■ y. follow: — : _• ■ Manuka November Demember. 4, Manuka December 19, Ma- , heno December 24, Manuka January Maheno January 15, Manuka January 39, Maheno February 5, Manuka February 20, Maheno February 26, Manuka- March 13, Maheno March 19, Manuka April 3, Maheno April 9, and M nnnkh April 24. The Maheno then is withdrawn, and the Manuka will maintain its us"al round till the Maheno resumes ; from Wellington on October 22, 1830., v '