Qantas strike

blow to Norfolk tourist trade

The Qantas air service to Nc folk Island came to an abru

stop when Qantas pilots went •

strike on November 25.

TT is the only air link the islai has and nearly 150 New Zealai and Australian tourists were le stranded.

Qantas normally operates a DC bi-weekly from Sydney to the islan and at Norfolk, the plane simp changes its colours to Air Ne Zealand and continues south to Auc land.

Both countries made hurri< arrangements to bring their touris home. A chartered Ansett-AN DC6B left Sydney on November for Norfolk and returned with ( agitated Australian tourists. Two da later a Royal New Zealand Air Eon Hercules turned up from Ne Zealand and flew 64 tourists hon to Auckland.

Mr. Eric Semple, of the Island Accommodation Houses Associatio: and Mr. Don Reidpath, of tl Norfolk Island Chamber of Con merce, flew to Sydney on the Anse plane in a bid to arrange an alte native air service for Norfolk.

Fruitful trip

Their trip was fruitful; both Anse and the Australian domestic airlir TAA agreed to operate DC4’s b weekly from Sydney (once eacl Ansett on Tuesdays and TAA, Satui days). Both airlines have their DC4 heavily chartered at this time of th year but they agreed to fly on t Auckland “as often as possible”.

It was certainly better than not! ing but the improvised timetable wa not completely satisfactory to th islanders. Norfolk Island was set fc its biggest-ever tourist season thi Christmas and New Year. At leas five new blocks of flats and two ne’v hotels had been built, and a ne\ section added to the Paradise Hotel Qantas had planned four flight to the island a week from Decembe: 16 to January 31, It had schedule daily flights from December 19 t« 26 (with the exception of Christma

iy). All its daily flights were oked out and other flights were avily booked.

But under the new arrangement ly five flights to the island from dney were arranged between icember 19-29. Three were booked t by December 15 and two were arly full. Ansett were scheduled on :cember 21 (twice) and 29; TAA December 22 and 27.

The two airlines were then given mission to run 19 special flights and from the island from icember 20 to February—provided i Qantas strike continued. A mber of the flights were to continue New Zealand.

On top of inconveniencing dozens tourists and honeymooners and so ;ing vital tourist money, the intas strike upset regular supplies foodstuffs. Both Ansett and TAA noved two rows of seats on their to carry the extra freight.

The Norfolk Island Tourist ireau’s Sydney agency said about 0 people had been booked to fly the island in the daily Christmas »hts, but many wouldn’t be able to . These would be lost to the island d they would take their holidays mewhere else.

The strike could not have come at worse time for Norfolk. Tourism the backbone of the island.

IWENTY-FIVE per cent, reduc tions in fares have been an unced by the Matson Lines on its o liners, the Monterey and the ariposa, on their “South Seas uises” in 1967.

The twin liners, each carrying 360 ssengers, call regularly at Bora >ra, Tahiti, Rarotonga, Auckland, dney, Noumea, Suva, Niuafo’ou, igo Pago and Honolulu.

>An American Airways Will

increase their trans-Pacific flights tween Australia and the US west

coast by 50 per cent, from February 2. PanAm flights will rise from four to six a week in both directions.

PanAm will fly every day except Wednesday. On Sundays, Tuesdays and Fridays, the jets will operate via Nadi and Honolulu; on Mondays via Pago Pago and Honolulu; and on Thursdays and Saturdays via Auck land and Honolulu, RABAUL may say it with flowers in an effort to promote tourism in the area.

Mr. A. Mitty, a member of the Rabaul Tourist Association, has sug gested that Rabaul stage a regular Frangipani Festival along the lines of similar festivals in Australia, such as Sydney’s Waratah Festival.

His suggestion could become part of an overall tourist development plan for the territory and operate in conjunction with proposals by Rabaul members of the Territory’s Tourist Board.

[?]A Caravelle

[?]In Service

[?] a cobra rearing [?]head on take-off, [?] UTA Caravelle [?]based in Noumea, [?]gone into service [?]link Noumea with [?]dney, Auckland [?] Nadi. The p hoto [?]ph was taken at [?]usori Airport, Fiji, in December, [?]hoto: Rob Wright.