STEPPING ON IT

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 912, 4 March 1930, Page 16

STEPPING ON IT

GIRL MOTORIST’S FAST DRIVE CHRISTCHURCH TO AUCKLAND To drive from Christchurch to Auckland in 27 hours 50 minutes is the creditable performance of Miss Winnie Beban, of Christchurch, who arrived at Auckland yesterday morning. The performance is all the more creditable in view of the fact that Miss Beban is only 17 years ,of age, and her only companion was her mother who, not being a driver, was unable to relieve Miss Beban at the wheel. MISS BEBAN left Christchurch at 8 o’clock on Friday morjiing and arrived at Blenheim at 6 p.m. They stayed two nights at Blenheim, catching the boat for Wellington on Sunday evening. Departing from Wellington at 10 o’clock on Tuesday, Miss Beban reached Taihape at 5.30 p.m., leaving, at 9 o’clock next morning for Hamilton, which was reached at 5 o’clock in the evening. The last stage of the journey from Hamilton to Auckland was covered in the remarkably quick time of 2 hours 20 minutes, Miss Beban also deriving the additional satisfaction of beating a service car over the journey. With the exception of some rain near Taumarunui, Miss Beban experienced fine weahter. The roads generally were good. The youthful driver said she experienced little difficulty in finding her way, the sign-posts giving very clear directions. Several times she lost her way, but that, she says, was the result of listening to other people’s advice about short cuts. Generally they led into impassable roads or else terminated in roads without any outlet. Stick to the Automobile Association’s sign-posts, is Miss Behan’s motto now. Throughout the journey Miss Beban had only one puncture, but as that occurred outside the hotel at Picton it caused little inconvenience. Asked what she liked most about Auckland, Miss Beban promptly replied: “Concrete roads.”