CHEAP TRAVEL

Hokitika Guardian, 11 September 1933, Page 8

CHEAP TRAVEL

BY AEROPLANE BUSINESS MAN’S TOUR CHRISTCHURCH, Sept (5. A practical demonstration of the advantages of commercial aviation has been mado in the last week by Mr J. W. G. Brodie, managing-direc-tor of British and Dominion Traders, Ltd., Wellington, who was in Christchurch yesterday. Travelling by aeroplane, Mr Brodie has covered practically the whole of the South Island arid will be back in Wellington his starting place, in five days. Transport by ordinary means over the same ground would have taken him 12 days, and would have been only about £5 cheaper than air travel.

Mr Broodie travelled in a Spartan aeroplane piloted by Squadron Leader T. W. White, chief pilot of New Zealand Airways, Ltd., who has been commissioned by Sir Charles Jtingsford-Smith to fly his Codock aeroplane across the, Tasman.

SOME GOOD TIMES

The first stage of the journey from Wellingtin to Nelson, which would have occupied a whole night by sea, was done in an hour and a half. The trip from Nelson to Wesbport, taking nine hours by road, was done in one sixth of that time, Mr Brodie went by service car to Greymonth and. Hokitika, rejoining the aeroplane, r at Hokitika and flying to Timaru by-way ~, of the Whiteombe Pass in.. one hour and a half. The trajn journey from Timaru to Dunedin takes four hours and threequarters, and the journey from Dunedin to Invercargil another four hours and a half. Mr Brodie and his pilot covered each of the two stages |in an hour and a half, and with a j following wind, returned from In- ■ vercargill to Duniedin in an hour and for a stop at Gore.

At each of these places he stayed sufficient time to transact business. He went on to Oamaru, having taken an hour and 55 minutes flying time since leaving Invercargill. From Oamaru early yesterday morning he flew to Wajnuvte (20 minutes), Timaru (20 minutes), and then came on from Timaru to Christchurch in an hour and 10 minutes.

Leaving Christchurch at 6.30 a.m. to-day he expects to reach Wellington by lunch time, and proposes to visit Blenheim on the way.

ECONOMICAL TOUR

Mr Brodie, who has taken his daughter with him on the trip, is enthusiastic about the possibilities of air travel, which lie has found by his own experience to be the cheapest, most expeditious, arid most comfortable of all means of transport. Considering that it saved seven days of his time, the tour at a total additional cost of less than £5 was a very economical one indeed. He has been impressed, too, with the necessity for aerodromes at all important towns, for, as he pointed out, the air traveller requires good landing grounds and all facilities for servicing in each centre ’lie visits.