A Tour through the North Auckland Peninsula

A handshake between city and country” is an apt description of that now most popular innovation in railway excursions—the Commerce Train. The success of the first Commerce expedition launched by the combined efforts of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the New Zealand Government Railways Department was so great that there was cordial approval of the proposal for a similar train in November of 1929, and the experience gained on the pioneer excursion enabled the promoters to make this tour an even pleasanter one. A year ago the first Commerce Train made a comprehensive tour of 1,300 miles, covering most of the railage in the Auckland provincial district. It was rather strenuous travelling, and so this summer's trip did not cover so great a distance, but gave the travellers more time to look around them in interesting districts. It was arranged that the tour should begin with a run to the great dairying valley of the Waihou, extending from the Thames inland to Matamata, this trip giving an opportunity of seeing the Hauraki Plains and the proposed route of the Pokeno-Paeroa railway; and thus then the line of travel should be through the North Auckland peninsula. This programme proved in every way satisfactory. The tour was less hurried, and there was a feeling that more good would come of it than of a hasty run over a great many districts.

When the sixty men of commerce returned to Auckland from their nine-days’ excursion (November 15–24) they had travelled 584 miles by rail, 506 by motor-car, and 44 miles by motor-launch. The train ran a total distance of 780 miles in the nine days; it travelled empty for 232 miles in order to pick up the passengers at various points where the motor tours ended.

The train was a most comfortable travelling home. There were three sleeping cars, each with a capacity of twenty beds (four berth cabins), a quite luxurious lounge car, with its easy chairs and settees; there were day cars, and a canteen which supplied many wants. Everything that a painstaking management could devise was done to ensure the comfort and pleasure of the travellers who were out to do what they could to bring town and country interests closer together.