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The centennial trip 1940 by N story.
We started from home on Tuesday 16th of April on a dull day. We travelled quickly all the way to Auckland where we saw Binda.
After lunch we went off of Auckland past the freezing works and out into the country. This country was well cultivated and very green. Dairy cattle were to be seen everywhere. We reached Hamilton about six o'clock and stayed at the "Caistor" Hotel, it was a lovely place which had been a hospital. We found that the distance from Leigh to Hamilton was 150 miles.
On Wednesday we were out in the XXX land. Round Taupo for miles and miles the scenery is nothing but pine forests and occasional spruce plantations which as you may guess is very dreary and depressing. It was about 5.30 PM when we got to Taupo so we went on and on past one or two tiny towns till we said that we must stop at Tarewera which was halfway to Napier. It was getting dark and suddenly we came upon some terrible hills with a very windy road round them. We stopped near a bridge because we had a hot wheel an went down the road as we could see a small shack and hear a dog barking there. When we got to the bridge I found a notice saying "Tarewera Post Office 2m." So we went on over another hill and got to the hotel at seven o'clock just in time for a well needed dinner. We were the only people in this expensive hotel and so we were given a damp beds, by mistake I suppose but we soon got over that difficulty by putting our rugs inside the sheets. We were very tired as we had gone 170m.
Next morning we found that we had a flat tyre and so we had to set to work and change it after breakfast. After that we went on over some more awful hills, the first time we have been up that we had to change into gear one, when you were at the bottom you could see the road above you for a long way ahead, quite often there was a tiny car up above you. The very highest of these peaks being 2,000ft high; and we had to climb it too! When we got to Napier we went straight to a garage to get the tyre fixed, then to a fish shop to have some fried oysters for lunch.
As soon as the car was ready we went on through beautiful country and trees on to Dannevirke and at last Woodville where we stayed the night at a very nice hotel which the proprietor described very well as " nearly full". Pat and I had to share a room and pat was so excited about seeing the Truebridges next day he that went silly. First he hid in the wardrobe while I was in the bathroom and, of course, was not to be seen. Then I went into mummy's room and when I came back he was giggling in bed. That night he jumped on his bed and tried to bother me but even with all this going on we soon went to sleep and woke up very early and was soon on the road speeding south on the good roads. It was only 113 miles to Wellington so we got to Aunty's house at about 2.30 and had an early afternoon tea. Pat and I had played with some marbles till Dick came home from school then we played trains. Anne came in looking fresh and rosy cheeked with her arms full of parcels followed by Buzzy in her smart school uniform. Janet came in last as she had been to music lesson.
We played with their lovely "farms" in till teatime when Uncle Roy came in and made a lot of "witty" remarks of course.
The next day he was Saturday the 20th said Janet and I went down to Miss Paton and took her dogs Sheila and Mary, out on top of the hill. We played with the dear little tortoiseshell kitten which we gave them, and then went down to the Exhibition, just to look round. We saw "Playland" and the Dominion Court; which is all gloomy and rather dark. The whole of the North Island is laid out in a high relief map and you see everything in tiny models even little trains buzzing busily along! Also we saw a the General Exhibits which is mostly advertisements, every kind of machinery, tiny turtles with advertisements on their backs, high high columns of bubbles, loudspeakers everywhere trying to attract your attention, pictures of all sorts, china and glassware and numerous stalls.
On April 21 I practiced roller skating in the wash house, the only place available, and found I could go round and round quite fast. In the afternoon we all went to the museum where we saw a lot of Maori things such as a very old mail canoe used in the pioneers time, some more modern canoes and houses, also had two real Maori heads which the ancient Maori's had preserved by a process of steaming and smoking after death. There was a lot of a genuine Maori work such as traps, coffins, fire sticks, stonework and carving. We bought a cake for for Mummy's birthday and put one candle in the middle on it.
All the next morning I played on the roller skates and helped in the house. That afternoon Aunty and I went into town by tram and met Mummy to go to "The Wizard of Oz". It was a lovely picture all in beautiful technicolour and a very exciting story.
Tuesday the 23rd was Janet's birthday, but of course she still had to go to school. Anne and I went to the Ex. alone, as (Pat had gone to town) we had nothing to do. We looked around and then went on the water dodgems. They are gorgeous fun and very funny as everyone is trying to bump each other! As there are about 20 in a smallish square pond you soon get plenty of jams and buffits. There was rather an amusing little thing when Anne and I would were looking round. We found the cinema which we had been looking for and a session was just going to start, so we rushed to the closing door and had a peep, the picture looked rather a dull one so we decided to go but one we turned round we found that the "Exit" lights were off and the doors shut. We didn't know what to do as we had to be back at 4.30 PM and we haven't got a notion what's the time was. The only thing to do was to find a seat and stay so we did, and it turned out quite a nice picture after all. As soon as the interval came we rushed out only to find we had half an hour more!
Janet's birthday party was grand. Pat and Janet and Pat (Hutchings) and I sat at a little table in the corner while all the others sat at the big one. I wore a party dress of Janet's (she has two) to keep her company.
We went and saw Aunty Bell on Wednesday. Mummy XXX and daddy XXX were both looking very well. Aunty Bell has a lovely big tabby cat(a kitten of Simmy's) with a white streak down his nose. That night Pat and Dick and Janet and I went to the he Ex. With Uncle Roy, first Janet and I went on the " Highland Fling" which is something like a merry go round, then Pat and I went on the ghost train which is awfully funny. You get into a tiny train with only room for two and the men give sure push and off you go. Bang! Through some double doors and all is pitch dark. Then a light flashes on to show you a ghost then some red letters flare up saying "KISS ME DARLING" you go on zigzagging in the dark in till you're quite tired of lighted faces and figures and cotton trailing on your face. In one place a light flashes on and you see a trail coming right at you "BURP" it says and is gone. It was are only a looking glass! After a few more faces an silly red letters saying "SQUEEZE ME TIGHT" and "KISS ME QUICK", bang! And you're out in the open again, blinking. Then we went to the penny arcade and won a piece of chocolate and a cake of soap. Also some steering competitions in which the winner gets back his penny.
I took Sheila for a walk next morning by myself as Janet was at school. We all went to see Aunty Win and Uncle Colin in the afternoon and played about with Michael and Tony. Swinging and making jigsaws. They have a huge, half Persian, ginger kitten of there.
A road trip to Wellington and the Centennial Exhibition 1940
| Owner of original | Myles |
| Date | 1940 |
| Linked to | Marguerite Nancy Story |
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