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The New Zealand Railways Magazine, Volume 3, Issue 12 (April 1, 1929)

Know Your Own Country

page 42

Know Your Own Country

If I had money, I'd travel!”

How many times is this said during a lifetime? How many times have you, yourself said it; and when you say it, what visions pass through your mind?”

The Sunny Southern Lakes. Queenstown, on beautiful Lake Wakatipu, South Island, New Zealand.

The Sunny Southern Lakes.
Queenstown, on beautiful Lake Wakatipu, South Island, New Zealand.

Venice—gleaming waterways and glinting sunshine — and evening, calm and peaceful, gondolas gliding through the darkness, and the soft voices of the boatmen, drifting dreamily along. Is it Venice that calls you?

Or America? The Modern World? Land of electric buttons and dollar bills. Cabarets, roadhouses, theatre, hustle, bustle, and ever and eternally, the Mighty Dollar! Does America appeal?

Perhaps Paris, the “gay Paris” of the popular ragtime, or the picturesque France of the peasant tale. France has a mighty appeal to many — France, which, but a few years ago, stood for horror, bloodshed and tears, but which has ever stood for glory — France is a beckoning hand too.

Switzerland, Holland, Germany! All delightful places to be explored. China and Japan! Fascinating and alluring. Hawaii! Romantic and mysterious.

So many lands, so many calls.

And the strongest call of all, is that of the Old Country. England's appeal is irresistible.

And what of New Zealand?

Does she attract? Do we know her so well that we can afford to leave her for foreign ports?

New Zealanders! Do you know your own country?

There are so many people in the world who have never heard of New Zealand so many who have only heard, and know no more. Every day inquiries are coming to New Zealand from overseas. This shows more and more how little people know of the Dominion.

“Do we speak English?”

“Are we all Natives?”

“Have we any schools here?”

One large manufacturing firm on the Continent, actually sent samples of soft goods to their New Zealand agent, with the suggestion that they might do to clothe the natives!

New Zealanders! The world is asking: “Is New Zealand civilised?”

What a challenge to ignore!

Literature is prepared, films are made, agents are appointed, all with one aim — that of proclaiming New Zealand to the World; but all that is not enough. The Dominion wants every New Zealander to help in this great work. Everyone of us should be eager to know New Zealand, and help others to know it.

“If I had money I'd travel,” must be altered to, “When I have money, I'll travel New Zealand,” and “I have money, so I'll see my own country!”

page 43

Publicity, like Charity, begins at home.

See New Zealand, and know about it,—then tell others.

Know Rotorua, Waitomo Caves, Tongariro National Park, Mount Egmont, the Southern Lakes, Milford Sound, Mount Cook, Franz Josef, and the hundreds of marvellous places New Zealand has in store to surprise you.

Learn about the sport the Dominion can offer. Experience the thrills of swordfishing, of deerstalking, troutfishing, and all the other wondrous attractions that are found in our happy Islands.

With the travel facilities that are now at hand every New Zealander should know his own country.

The New Zealand Railways provide every opportunity for cheap travel, and endeavour in every possible way to allow you to see and know New Zealand.

With the many advantages which the Railways offer, who would not travel?

When you know New Zealand, then travel to foreign ports, and “tell the World!”

Don't sit back and let others do all the work, don't listen while people ask, “Are New Zealanders civilised?” Get up and hustle; make New Zealand a place on the map, something to go and see.

We have the goods, why not help to advertise them?

Modern Railway Publicity Methods. Window Display in the Railway Central Booking Office at Auckland.

Modern Railway Publicity Methods.
Window Display in the Railway Central Booking Office at Auckland.