Tahiti Wants Tourist

Traffic

Travellers Are Eager But There Is No Transport

From Our Own Correspondent

Papeete, Nov. 20.

THE highest officials of this Adminis tration are taking a keen interest in the possibility of establishing a new and profitable tourist traffic between

French Oceania and other countries. The fame of Tahiti’s beauty and charm is world-wide, and the eagerness of world travellers to visit us is well known. Un happily, we are at the mercy of inter national transport organisations.

Before World War 11, there were many ships available; but, to-day, the only regular shipping line between Tahiti and the outside world is Messageries Maritimes, running between Marseilles and Sydney, via various French colonial ports and the Panama Canal. Union SS Co. freighters, carrying a few passengers, call irregu larly, as do various casual freighters. And that is all.

We had high hopes that we might be included in one of the new Trans-Pacific Airways; but Tahiti is too far off the direct route between North America and Australia, and we have nothing, as yet, except the monthly air service run by TRAPAS between New Caledonia and Tahiti.

Some day, if there is a regular air ser vice between South America and Aus tralia we may be better served: but there is no sign yet of anything of the kind.

Our new Governor, M. Anziani, is eager to develop a profitable tourist traffic: and we were all happy to hear a recent re port that one of tne Matson liners might resume a regular run in the Pacific, with a frequent call at Tahiti—but there has been nothing further about it.

A ship like the Monterey and Mariposa —both so well known on the Sydney ’Frisco run before the war—could easily be filled to capacity several times a year, for a luxury cruise from San Francisco to Hawaii, French Oceania and, perhaps, Samoa and/or Fiji. It would be a won derful thing for these Territories; and it ought to be very profitable for the Matson Line, One wonders why nothing of the kind is done. It is almost incred ible that these fine ships are laid up in definitely in North America.

Mr. C. R. Turbet. Senior Veterinary Officer, Fiji Department of Agriculture, is to leave shortly for Nyasaland where he has been appointed Senior Animal Husbandry Officer. He returned to Fiji last year after a period of secondment to the Department of Agriculture in Ceylon. Mr. Turbet will be succeeded in Fiji as Senior Veterinary Officer by Mr. A. F. S. Oilmen, of the Queensland Department of Agriculture,

The good old days—Matson ships Mariposa and Monterery in Papeete Harbour in 1940.