LAKE PLEASURE TRIPS

Taupo Times, Volume I, Issue 12, 2 April 1952, Page 5

LAKE PLEASURE TRIPS

Sir, — As secretary of the Taupo Commercial Launch Owners' Association I have been asked by members to comment on the suggestion in your issue of March 19, under the heading "Catering for Visitors," that "Launoh owners might take into consideration the question of putting a pleasure cruising vessel on a regular day timetable." At many times in the past launch owners have attempted to popularise excursion trips and the results have been uniformly discou^aging^ Obviously the best time for such trips is when the greatest number of visitors is found in Taupo and when the weather is at its best. At such times in the past trips have been arranged, often at the request of parties of three or four visitors. The trips have been advertised in the Camp Site, notified to all hotels and boarding^houseie, and efForts have been m'ade to make them known arnong local residents. On a small proportion only of such occasions have enough passengers turned up to make the trip payable. It has been a common experience to find that people who have suggested such trips have been absent. In many cases running expenses only *

have been cleared, and in some cases launchmen have kept faith with those who did turn up and have not even cleared running expenses, Experiences similar to these were the lot of at least two launchmen last season who organised excursions on request and under good weather conditions. The Marine Department's Surveyor of Ships, who examines the launches each season, informed the writer two seasons ago that the local hire fleet. was the best maintained fleet of commercial launches that he had seen. The boats are well suited to lake conditions and for the service required of them. But experien'ce over many years and right down to date seems to indicate that the demand for excursion trips is very much less, unfortunately for launchmen with livings to make, than is imagined by the anonymous but well-meaning author or authors of your suggestion. As far as permanent residents are concerned, to whom you specially refer, there is no need to await the advertising of an excursion. All launchmen are well known locally, all are on the telephone, and there is a telephone on the wharf. Any resident who desires an excursion could surely arrange a party and ehoose a, launch suited to his party's size. If there is any real desire for such trips those desiring them could secure the equivalent of excursion rates by arranging a party of a suitable size. They could do this when the weatfaqr appeared settled and! when there was thus the smallest possible chance of unfavourable conditions arising. Launches are readily availaMe except for show periods

at peak holiaay rush times, and even then cancellations of bookings often leave some boats idle. It would be correct to say that in recent years there has not been an average of six excursion trips a season arranged by residents. Now that the Taupo Times provides a convenient and efficient means of advertising, results of future excursions trips may be found more encouraging to their promoters. If so launchmen would be prepared to try the experiment of a regular excursion trip service. They are out to make a living, and their attempts to provide excursion 'trips over the past twenty years indicate that far from being lacking in initiative they have been ahead of public demand. Meantime any group of local residents wishing to go on a lake excursion can arrange on^ without slightest difficulty by getting in touch with a launch owner. — I am, etc.,

RALPH H.

WARD,

Sec., Taupo Commercial Launch Owners' Assn.