“PUREST PLACE I KNOW.”

Shannon News, 10 March 1925, Page 4

“PUREST PLACE I KNOW.”

THUMB-NAHi IMPRESSIONS OP NEW ZEALAND BY AN AUSTRALIAN TOURIST. “New Zealand is the purest place I know. . . . “And I’ve seen them all.” Sitting next to me in a deck chair aboard an American steamer, a prominent Sydney merchant was holding a post-mortem bn the world (says A. J. B. in the "Sydney Sunday Times.”) “ After dinner in the smoke-room he repeated the above observation and said if he made New Zealand his permanent home he would never die. A couple of New Zealanders, who had received 2/- a lb. for their wool j at the Gisborne sales, and were coming over to Sydney to spend Christinas, did not seem even mildly interested in his remarks. Evidently they agreed with him or were too polite to start an argument in the smoke-rootn of a steamer. | Auckland Could Be Smart. Auckland is the largest town in New Zealand—-it is about as big as Brisbane or Adelaide —-and could b® brought up to date and made a real live city. A wealthy Englishman whom I met at Rotorua, visits that wonderful spot every year, and takes the baths. None of the Continental spas benefits him ,as much, but he told me he hardly ever spends more than a day in Auckland. “What can one bally well do there?” he asked. For instance, the tourist who is accustomed elsewhere to half a day’s racing on Saturdays, is told when he arrives in Auckland that the Waitemata (or “ripe tomato,” to give it its colloquial name) is a great spot for yachting, boating and fishing, and that the bowling greens are unsurpassed. Wowser legislation has decided that out of 365 days in the year 160:000 Auckland folk shall only enjoy horseracing on 20 of them. Whenever racing and beer are mentioned in New Zealand, the wowsers put their backs to the wall and vote according to their conscience. Control of Racing. A funny incident occurred to me one night as I got back to Auckland from a picnic • race meeting. The G.P.O. clock pointed to midnight, and rain was tumbling down, when a man approached and apologised for holding one up in the storm. He wanted to l|now what dividend the hurdle winner had paid that afternoon. I told him, and asked why he did not buy an evening paper. “I’ll guarantee you come from Australia.” he replied. “Papers in New Zealand can’t publish dividends.” A commendable feature of racing in New Zealand is the exclusion from courses of crooks, urgers and convicted criminals. Recently an owner, was asked to make his language a little more anaemic in the paddock. Mild Flappers. I scarcely noticed a girl in Auckland with bobbed or shingled hair, and as for the New Zealand flapper, she is the mildest thing. I know. The vamping industry is practically unknown in Queen street, the main thoroughfare. Girls walk down the street at four miles an hour, and never glance to the left or the right. They are still wearing long skirts. Sydney girls are all supposed to be bold. . . Sydney men are sheiks. . . . Sydney never goes to bed. All, the burglars in New Zealand arrive there as the result of a brief boat trli. An Auckland party is as bright as Scotland on the Sabbath, or Wigan on a wet Wednesday. I went to one party. Nobody had anything to say or sing about, and the "spots” ran out at 10. pan. One afternoon 1 went across Auckland haibour for a swim, and after coming out of the water was told it was illegal to sit about on the neach in a costume, but as three schnapper were on sale at the wharf for 1/there was nothing to. prevent people enjoying their tea. Near the warf was a large signboard branded:'"lf you want the Fire Brigade ring 24.7. If you want Hie plumber ; ring 34.” A bit TJSToop WooplSE! In Wellington. After seeing Wellington I could readily understand how that particular city came to be inhabited. In both places the people were very affable; in fact, much more polite than Sydney folk, but they do not know yet liow to enjoy themselves. They take their pleasures sadly, whisper to each* other in cafes and dining-rooms, and suspect strangers. The majority of the cafes are far from being imposing. The hotels are dull places. New Zealanders like English people immensely and never use the word Pommy, even to describe a wicked new arrival. They style them “Homies” if they wish to decry them. Larks sing in New Zealand and buttercups may be seen in the paddocks. New Zealanders are very toyaL At the Auckland hotel where I stayed the orchestra played the National Anthem before dipner. Those who like good healthy sport, can shoot wild pig, deer hares, and rabbits. Trout, sword-fish and whales are there for the fishing fraternity, by* we don’t all fish. till Wonderful Rotorua. Rotorua is made up of Nature's wonders. There I saw a gqyser play. The adjacent ground shook and trembled as the boiling water was thrown up hundreds of feet in a continuous fountain-like column. Gurgling black mud and frightful chasms, beautiful lakes and wonderful baths are all here. After a big night a dive into the Duchess Bath is better than all the prairie oysters. The water is blue and’ full of medicinal properties. We held the championship of the world in soda water there one night.