travel

Solomons Start

A Drive

For Visitors

travel

From a Honiara Correspondent The British Solomon Islands

lamber of Commerce, in

miara, has launched a fund to [p put the Protectorate on the irist map. Members are being ced to find the money for

jrseas publicity and represen

ion.

EPRESENTATION will be 1 through Hewlett Keeling & Asso tes Ltd., of Sydney, whose man ng director, Mr. Bob Hewlett, is il known in the South Seas, ilicity for the Solomons will origin r be distributed among tourist ces in Australia and New Zealand, later it will extend to the US. j BSIP Government will help with printing of local publicity material, n a letter to members, the mber’s chairman, Mr. J. Close, s the executive “has been aware the growing interest in new tourist as throughout the Pacific and is of opinion that the Solomon Islands one of the major tourist interest tres. While there are many blems yet to be overcome, such as arger airfield, more hotel accom dation, action is already in process I we can look forward to great im vement in these fields within the r future.”

At. Close points out to fellow mem s that the Solomons is still un >wn, except for the name Guadal al and its war-time association.

Tie Solomons can be reached from Iney by air through Trans-Aus ia Airlines, which has a service n Sydney via New Guinea, and m Fiji by Fiji Airways, which rates from Nadi via the New irides. It is usually necessary to •k on the Fiji plane well ahead, there is no difficulty in getting ts on the more expensive and ger route via New Guinea.

EOPLE in Chile and Tahiti have been talking of the possibility a regular air service between their > countries following the corn ion of the first flight from

Santiago, Chile, to Tahiti and back on September 12.

The flight was accomplished in a an early vintage Catalina skippered by Commandant Parrague, of the Chilean Air Force, and a crew of four. Chile’s Director of Tourism, Mr. Rene Pairoa, also made the trip.

Stops were made both ways at Easter Island, where an aerodrome, capable of taking DC-6’s, is due to be opened next year.

The distance from Tahiti to Santiago is about 5,000 miles.

PAN American Airways will begin a direct air service on Mondays between Auckland and Tahiti with Boeing 707’s after Auckland’s inter

national airport at Mangere opens on November 24. From Tahiti, the flight will continue to Los Angeles.

The new service will provide the first direct New Zealand-Tahiti link since the French Government with drew landing rights in Tahiti for TEAL (now Air New Zealand) at the end of 1963 ( PIM, Jan., 1964, p. 9).

Pan American also plans to originate a service in Tahiti 24 hours after the arrival of the Auckland flight, providing a direct link with Honolulu and Los Angeles, THE assistant general manager of Air New Zealand, Captain J.

McCrane, told the New Zealand

ess in September that his airline is considering the introduction of i air service between New Zealand id Aitutaki, Cook Islands, with >ckheed Electras.

“But I don’t know about the ning," he said. “It’s a matter of inging the Aitutaki airstrip up to e required standard for use by ectras, and of our other service mmitments.”

He added that since Air New aland’s flying-boat service to the >ok Islands ceased nearly five years o, it had been the airline’s policy bring the islands back into its yional network as soon as adequate •port facilities were available.

Captain McCrane was commenting a reported statement by the Cook ands Premier, Mr. Albert Henry, it his government expected Air jw Zealand to be operating weekly ■vices by Lockheed Electra into tutaki by about next June. iTTTH the expansion of its services I in the South-West Pacific, )AC has made three staff appoint ;nts in the area to take effect on itober 8. Mr. Peter Wood, at jsent sales manger in New Zealand II become NZ manager, based in ickland. Mr. E. T. Smith, at jsent sales manager in Iran will :ome NZ sales manager, based in ickland. And Mr. Arthur Horn >w, at present manager in Iraq, 1 be BOAC special representative Fiji, based in Suva.

Captain J. N. Weir, manager, jth-West Pacific, will continue to d overall responsibility for the ith-West Pacific area. His position 1 title are unchanged. BOAC, nmencing from November 26, 1 extend to Fiji its present ce-weekly service between London I NZ via Australia. The present vice to NZ is operated by Comets these will be replaced by Boeing r ’s. They will cover the new leg 1,300 miles between Auckland I Nadi in less than three hours, fhe new services will leave Sydney Mondays and Fridays at 0900, iving at Auckland at 1345. They 1 leave Auckland for Nadi at 0, arriving at Nadi at 20 minutes t midnight on Tuesdays and nrdays.

Departure time from Nadi is 0505 Tuesdays and Saturdays, arriving Auckland 0755 and at Sydney at 5.

"he fare for the circle trip iney-Auckland-Fiji-Sydney will be 124/15/- from November to mid >ruary, when the excursion fare of /12/- will come into force. The le fares apply to Air New land.