HOLIDAY RUSH

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 855, 26 December 1929, Page 1

HOLIDAY RUSH

THOUSANDS ARRIVE IN AUCKLAND MOTORISTS’ MISHAPS Mr. New Zealand and his wife and family are now in Auckland. Every train arriving at the railway station Is crammed with holiday-makers. This morning the Limited express, which was 70 minutes late, carried a full booking of passengers. The delay was due to a porter sleeping in at Waiouru and the express was held at Hihitahl for almost an hour. Suburban trains brought thousands of people to the City this morning, the races and beaches being the great attractions.

On Christmas Eve, railway traffic was exceptionally heavy, the three expresses for Wellington being booked to capacity, while special trains to Tauranga, Rotorua and Opus, in the evening were heavily patronised. Only two expresses left for Wellington last evening. The special train from Wellington arrived at 2. p.m., half an hour late, and consisted of 18 fully-booked carriages. Instead of the regular nine carriages, the express for Whangarei this morning consisted of 13 carriages. Owing to heavy Wellington-Auck-land bookings and owing to the shortage of roliing stock, it was necessary to send an empty train of 10 cars to Wellington yesterday afternoon. But in the city yesterday was not a day of great activity. Though the day improved after a threatening morning, the beaches were not rushed and ferry traffic was normal. Many motor' touring parties deferred their departures when the weather broke on Tuesday, but the clay roads improved yesterday and traffic should be very heavy today. The Auckland Automobile Association has six motor-cycles and two motor-cars on special patrol duty. Although the surfaces were still soft, cars were travelling north yesterday by the West Coast Road. Several motor parties spent Christmas Eve in the mud between Puhoi and Wellsford. Injudicious driving in loose metal has been responsible for a number of small accidents. The Automobile Association advises city motorists to travel at a moderate speed on unfamiliar roads. The steep grades of the Razorback have brought a few cars to grief, and an Automobile Association officer noted five damaged cars on these hills on Tuesday. He also counted 15 people walking uphill to lighten the loads of their cars.