Vice-Regal
p. 34 · Read in the full issue
Bad Weather Mars Vice-Regal Visit to Cook Is.
Prom Our Own Correspondent
Rarotonga, Aug. 10.
rE Governor-General of New Zealand, Sir Cyril Newall, and Lady Newall, accompanied by Major H. A. Jaffray and Mrs. Jaffray, Captain D. E. A. Winn and Miss N. Walton, arrived in Raro tonga on August 6.
The party was several days overdue owing to the extremely bad weather pre vailing in the area. The small Fiji Gov ernment vessel HMS “Viti” on which they travelled encountered rough seas and heavy rain squalls all the way be tween Tonga and Rarotonga.
After sheltering at Niue for a day, an attempt was made to resume the journey; but the ship was forced to return to the shelter of the island for several more days before it was considered safe to continue.
The vessel received a further pound ing before reaching Rarotonga and, on the evening before its arrival, a heavy sea threw Sir Cyril Newall violently from his chair. (A subsequent X-ray examina tion showed that three of his ribs had been broken.) The people of Rarotonga admired the manner in which Sir Cyril stepped straight ashore and smilingly faced the ordeal of a public reception, followed by a non-stop round of official and social functions, in spite of the pain and dis comfort of his injuries.
Their Excellencies inspected the guards of honour of the Rarotonga Defence Force, Returned European and Maori Soldiers, Boys’ Brigade and Girl Guides, and attended a traditional welcome by a leading Maori chief and the official wel come conducted by the Resident Commis sioner, Mr. W. Tailby.
It was originally intended after the second day’s programme the visitors would depart. But, at the end of the Maori entertainment, it was an nounced that owing to the Governor- General’s condition and general tiredness of the party, they would stay a further day to rest. , A 1 As the sea remained rough the tour of the outer islands was abandoned, and a plane was sent from Fiji to pick up th Sir Pa Cyril said that he regretted they were unable to complete the tour of the outer islands. They hoped to make a further visit in the near future.