A GLOBE-TROTTER.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 60, 23 September 1907, Page 2

A GLOBE-TROTTER.

# There arrived in town on Friday morn mg by thoßarawa a young Orkney Islander, a globe-trotter, named Liddle. He was more recently of South Africa, where he served two years as a cycle despatch rider with the Scottish Cycle Corps during the Boor war. Upon the cessation of hostilities he made his way to Capetown, and settled down to civilian life as a salesman in a drapery establishment. Tiring of the prosaic' serving of cottons and tapes to all sorts of customers, he became possessed of a longing to see the world, to become "somebody instead of nobody," to do what few others had done, to travel without the usual heavy expense. Not being a millionaire, not having financial magnates to back him, or motor cars in which to travel, lie set out on his bicycle to make the "grand tour," confining lus journcyings to the Southern Hemisphere. He set out from Capetown on December nth, 1000, not in too affluent circumstances, and pedalled up through Cape Colony, the Free State, Transvaal, and through the native territory to Port Elizabeth, making his living by lectnriii" and selling postcards en route. There he took ship for Melbourne, and "worked his passage" by undertaking all kinds of work on the steamer. From Melbourne he struck up country to Cairns, arid returned via Brisbane and Sydney, to Melbourne, afterwards crossing to Tasmania. After traversing the whole of that interesting colony, on fine roads, he took ship at Hobart for Bluff. Landing there, he visited Invercargill, the Cold •Ukea district, and across the Canterbury Tlains to Christehurch. Thmce lie cycled over the Southern Alps and through the Otira Gorge, and, having toured Westland, went to Picton. From Wellington he pedalled to Wanganui thence to Napier, and from there overland to Auckland, via Eotorua. Mr Liddle says the best roads he Ims yet traversed were in Tasmania, and the worst m Africa. There the roads were practically no roads at all, and the cyclist had to pick his way as best he could. His wettest ride and the muddiest ride was from Napier to Auckland, thu coach road being so soft that sometimes he was up to his knees in mud. His longest day's travel was 98 miles, and his worst experience was a two days' hunger. lI C was for 2% da fa without food in the Karoo desert, South Africa. '•And how did that feel?" asked the reporter. "I'm not anxious to try it again," he said. .

| Jioing on with his story, Mr Liddle said that lie had only had one accident to his bicycle, an English make, and that accident happened 458 miles from l.h'ii Junes to Newcastle, in New South Wales. Asked as to his impressions of Australasian life, Mr Liddle said he was much struck with the prosperity and easy contentment of the people. A conspicuous feature was the absence of the search for employment, which was such an unpleasant phase just now of African life. Speaking of Now Zealand, he said he had seen some line scenery on his tour, some magnWcem pastures and fine forests. There were no trees in South Africa worthy the name. Rotorua he considered a wonderful place, but he preferred YYai--1? n lle !iatl a B leat admiration for the Kecreation Grounds at New Plymouth, the fame of which he had heard before he came here. He said he had not seen anything finer anywhere. The terraces on the new sports ground he considered very fine. . I ; i i S l ' t ] through the colony h- lias met with the greatest kindness, and will carry away kind remembrances of the Maoi'iland-i's. One firm (the H. 8.) generously presented him with a suit of clot ties to measure-*, kindness much appreciated. Mr Liddle left New Ply>u«uh on Saturday morning for tiic Muifl, on his bicycle, afterwards touchi"g at Strattnrd and Eltlmm, and passing nu to Haw-era, calling at the various l«o-l offices and -municipalities to have Us book stamped in proof of his trav.il-