THE AWATEA

Wairarapa Times-Age, 4 January 1939, Page 4

THE AWATEA

FINE RECORD AS TASMAN EXPRESS. EQUALLED BY FEW SHIPS IN WORLD. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON. This Day. When the Union express liner Awatea departed from Wellington last night for Sydney she started on her eleventh crossing of the Tasman Sea since November 30. She has not spent a night in Sydney since November 1718. During December the ship steamed nearly 12,000 miles in her passages across the Tasman Sea. The Awatea will arrive at Sydney on Friday morning and, leaving the same night, will be back at Wellington again next Monday morning.

In her brief career of little more than 21 years, the Awatea has a steaming performance that is equalled, or surpassed by very few ships in the world. From the time she left the Clyde in July, 1936. till she arrives at Sydney on Friday, the Awatea will have steamed 232,276 sea rniles, equivalent to well over 250,000 statute milds and completed 169 crossings of the Tasman Sea. The passage from the Clyde to Wellington was 11,218 miles and her voyages in the intercolonial service total 221,-058 miles.

During her first commission in the New Zealand-Sydney service, which began on September 15, 1936, and ended on May 22, 1937, the Awatea steamed 82,438 miles in making 61 crossings of the Tasman Sea and 11 passages on the New Zealand coast.

Hei’ second commission began on July 31, 1937, and ended on August 23, 1938, and during that period she crossed the Tasman Sea 84 times and made five passages between Wellington and Auckland, the distance covered totalling 108,060 sea miles. The Awatea recommissioned on September 30 and in just over three months she will have travelled, on her arrival at Sydney on Friday, 30.560 miles making 24 passages across the Tasman Sea and one passage from Wellington to Auckland. The Awatea will depart from Sydne? at 8 o’clock on Friday night and will arrive at the Queen’s Wharf, Wellington, at 10.30 a.m. on Monday.