IN CENTRAL OTAGO.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXV, Issue 59, 11 March 1913, Page 3

IN CENTRAL OTAGO.

MR G. N. CURTIS’S CYCLING TOUR

Every year Mr G. N. Curtis, one of Stratford’s oldest and most respected residents, spends a month or so in Central Otago, finding the climate there suits him better than does Stratford during the month of February. Mr Curtis returned from his trip on Saturday evening, much improved in health, and kindly consented to give a reporter of the “Stratford Evening Post” a short account of his travels in the South. Despite his years, Mr Curtis made the journey from Christchurch to Pembroke on a push bicycle. “At first I felt like giving it up,” ho remarked, “but afterwards I got into better form, and felt as fit as a fiddle. The roads were in fair order, and 1 had only one puncture in the whole journey. The route taken was from Christchurch to Palmerston South, a distance of nearly two hundred miles, and then across country by way of Kyeburn and Naseby to Clyde, and then up the Clutha River to Pembroke, at the foot of Lake Wanaka.” Pembroke, by the way, is a very popular tourist resort, and it is a junction for the Mount Cook and Queenstown coaches. Motors arrive daily, and Mr Curtis found the usual number of tourists installed there. During his eight-day stay at Pembroke, he made an interesting trip up Lake Wanaka in the ateam-

cr ,and then drove seven miles to Makarori, where there is an accommodation house. At Clyde, Mr Curtis visited the Central Otago Fruitgrowers’ Show, and was much impressed with the quality 7 of the fi nit exhibited. The apricots were this year a failure owing to lato frosts, but the peaches and apples were very fine ,and were the best he Lad ever seen in New Zealand. The growers exhibiting came from all parts of the district—from as far as Cheviot in the north and Roxburgh in the south. Throughout the trip, the weather was good, with the exception of a wet day at Wanaka and at Clyde.