12,000 MILES BY MOTOR

Southland Times, Issue 20081, 19 January 1927, Page 6

12,000 MILES BY MOTOR

HIGHWAYS AND BYWAYS OF EUROPE.

The impressions of Mr E. P. Yaldwyn, New Zealand manager of the Commercial Bank of Australia, who has recently returned from an extended trip abroad, are of more interest than those of the average tourist who follows a well-worn route round Europe. Mr Yaldwyn, with his wife and son, travelled over the highways and byways of the Old World by motor-car, completing a journey of 12,00 miles.

“I went home to steep myself in the Old World,” he said to a Dominion reporter, “in

its old towns and customs and traditions. As a matter of fact, if one wants to enjoy scenery there is no need to travel out of New Zealand.” The particular beauties of Scotland, Wales and the Lakes district of Northern England all appealed to him, but he thought that greater and more varied heights of scenic grandeur were to be found in this Dominion.

In search of unspoiled localities, he traversed the borders of Spain, zig-zagging along the heights of the rugged Pyrenees and into the Basque country. In Carcassone he found the epitome of all his desires. “Carcassone is a town which is said to be the most ancient in France, being almost exactly as it was 1000 years ago,’ 'he said.

“The French Government has taken over the old town and kept it in a state of repair, complete with high enclosing walls, battlements, and towers, cathedral, dungeons and torture chambers. It is a wonderful place.”

The route taken was through Swtizerland, Italy, over the French Alps, through Eastern France, Luxemburg, and Belgium. Mr Yaldwyn mentioned in particular Geneva, where the Peace Conference was sitting, the picturesque towns of Italy, Digne, immortalised by Victor Hugo in “Les Miserables,” and Luxemburg, a very quaint old city, which seemed to be left unnoticed by most European travellers. In Belgium the field of Waterloo was visited, and he went on through Bruges and Ghent to Ostend.

Talking of his motoring tour through Great Britain, he said that the most wonderful point about the whole trip seemed to be that he spent over a month in Scotland without a wet day. In fact, tho weather was, if anything, too warm to be comfortable. Having done most of his travelling by car, Mr Yaldwyn was asked how various countries compared in motor traffic and catering facilities. In England, he said, there were more cars than on the Continent, but he thought the latter was more up-to-date in many ways. The roads in Britain were excellent, and he found it hard to recall, right from Land’s End Io John o’ Groats, what, in New Zealand, would be termed a bad road. In France, also, the roads were good, but they were much rougher in Italy. They were also very dusty there, and motorists travelled at a high speed, so that to get comfort one had to keep in front. A notable feature was the noise made by every car; Italian motorists seemed to compete in the number of horns they carried, and used most effectively. In the cities this created a fearful din, coupled, as it was, to the noise of tramcars and barrel-organs, which commenced about 5 o’clock every morning. Economically, said Mr Yaldwyn, the Continental countries which he visited seemed to be better off than Britain. In France, official figures showed only a few hundreds of unemployed, whereas in the United Kingdom the authorities were still struggling with a number approaching two millions. Hotel accommodation, allowing for currency values, was considerably cheaper on the Continent. Articles of clothing were also

cheaper, and taxation was on a lower scale. In Britain many modern conveniences noticeable in Australia and New Zealand were conspicuous by their absence. He noticed a number of lamp-lighters in Regent Park, where apparently one man could have done the job. Many other old-fashioned methods were seen. “But at the same time,” he said, “these to some extent constitute the charm which is the heritage of the Old Country.”

Mr Yaldwyn referred to the London police, who he considered were the finest type in the world. The discipline he saw on every hand made him feel that there was no room in Britain for Bolshevism.

While in London he heard many appreciative references to the Prime Minister of New Zealand. On several occasions Mr Coates’s speeches were broadcasted resulting in a splendid advertisement for New Zealand. New Zealand was now better known than formerly, and everyone seemed to have a good word to say about the Dominion and its inhabitants. “I am glad to return to New Zealand,” he said in conclusion. *1 can notice many improvements in Wellington which might r.ot be marked by the resident who has been here all the time. I think the average conditions of life here are superior to those of any other country I have visited, and it is very cheering to come back to a home country which is prosperous and worthy of .pur pride.”