Aiming at Olympiad

Noumea Enthusiasts Aiming at Olympiad

NOUMEA enthusiasts are deter mined to get to the 1956 Olympiad at Melbourne, but how they are to do it remains a problem.

Messageries Maritimes has briskly knocked on the head a proposal to use one of the French liners for transport to Melbourne and as a floating hotel during the Games.

The answer was that the liners’ schedules would not permit chis.

The decision has caused some sur prise, because it was expected that when the new Polynesie came into

the Sydney-Noumea-New Hebrides route in July, the liners from France would end their voyage at Noumea.

Previously the liners, except the Eridan, went on to Sydney. Eridan, after being described as a “hell ship” by Australian newspapers several years ago, has not returned to Australian waters.

Meanwhile Air France has been asked to provide special planes for flights to Melbourne for the Olympiad, but the airline problem is likely to be more complicated than that of shipping.

The local foreign exchange office will probably grant a quota of Aus tralian pounds to Olympiad-bound travellers.