Noumea’S Chance!

In Favour For Short Sea Trips.

IT seems probable that, in the near future, catering for tourists will be a staple industry of Noumek The Christmas cruises of the “Strathaird” and “Oronsay” were so popular that Easter cruises have been arranged for both vessels. The “Moldavia” is to leave this month on a short cruise to Noumea.

Nor are the overseas companies to have a monopoly of these short, tourist cruises, as the Mcllwraith, McEacharn steamer “Karoola” is also booked for an Easter cruise to Noumea.

The “Karoola” will leave Sydney on April 13 and, after calling at Brisbane, will spend a day and a night at Nou mea before returning to Brisbane and Sydney. The “Oronsay” will leave Syd ney the same day for Noumea direct, but her cruise will be extended south wards to make Hobart a port of call.

Noumea seems to be the Mecca of holiday making Australians, and it, un doubtedly, has many attractions from a tourists’ point of view. Besides being the only foreign port within the South western Pacific, and close to the big Australian cities, it is the nearest to Australia of what the tourist literature writers love to call the “South Sea Is lands.” It can offer to the Australian tourist the double experience of visiting a French port, and a Pacific island.

This is Noumea’s big' opportunity. If the popularity of the Christmas cruises is an indication, well over a thousand tourists should visit New Caledonia at Easter; and the Noumea people should organise vigorously to make their day ashore interesting and entertaining.

The Charm of Norfolk Island.

There are many who will feel regret that Noumea is to catch the tourist traffic, instead of Norfolk Island. The trouble is that Noumea is “real Pacific Island,” while N.I. is merely sub-tropi cal; Noumea has a good port, while N.I. has an uncertain roadstead; and Noumea is foreign, while N.I. is only Australian.

For all that, the praises of N.I. are being sung by an increasing number of recent visitors, and it is a safe forecast that, within a year or two, the beautiful little island will have a better steamer service, and large numbers of people will go there to enjoy a sub-tropical holiday in one of the most delightful climates in the world.

The B.P. Magazine For December,

1932 : A feature of the last number of the B.P.

Magazine is a series of photographs of Italian cities. These are from photographs supplied by J. H. S. Brooks-Thornley and the Italian State Tourist Bureau, and they are reproduced in a manner which reflects great credit on Australian typography. An article on “Southern Royalty” gives interesting sidelights on the Pomare family and these are several interesting and well illus trated travel articles.