[postmarked 'marine post' RMS Tahiti.2? Aug 1924] envelope printed on back R.M.S. Tahiti. 6 pages on two folded sheets (2 blank)
R.M.S. Tahiti
Still at Sea
22nd Aug 1924.
Dear Father,
Again I am forced to write in pencil as the writing room (four tables) is full up as this morning it was announced a mail would close at 5 this afternoon so we are all busy.
I doubt very much if I could write in ink as it is a very rough day and the old ship is both rolling and pitching so you can picture me on the couch in the cabin with the paper on my knees rolling first one way and then the other. I am quite a good sailor after all and have felt no ill effects since the first night and even then I was not too bad.
So far it has been a rotten trip no one on board worth bothering about as they are all either very old or very young and the weather has been far from the best, nearly all dull days and lots of misty rain and consequently we spend lots of time in bed as there is nothing to do when we do get up.
Bill is goodo and now concentrates well enough to read books and magazines and he also butts in now and again in different conversations. He is going to see the Mayo Bros however as soon as we get to the Eastern side of the States which I think will be about the end of September.
We had about 30 hours at Wellington and it was about 28 too long for me. It rained and blew the whole time and was bitterly cold.
It is a very quaint place with streets similar to Sydney in so much as they twist and turn all over the place. The buildings are all small and nothing higher than four storeys. Bricks are seldom used and there are very few reinforced concrete buildings. The finest public office is the Post Office and the poorest the Railway Station. The latter is woefully small and falling to pieces. It is not as good as Warialda or anywhere near it. It puts me in mind of the old Point Station in appearances only and only has one platform.
We spent the morning looking around the town and in the afternoon took the tourists bus around the outlying surroundings and drove for 2 hours for 5/- which was reasonable. There are no homes of any great beauty that I saw but they certainly have some fine scenery as the town or City rather is built on the edge of the harbor and is surrounded by high towering mountains on all sides and I certainly would not like to have to reach some of their homes if I had a few aboard.
Their trams are owned by a Corp'n and are very nice and clean but I think much dearer than ours. Safety first is their motto alright and they close the blind side of the tram up so there is no getting on or off the wrong side and nobody moves from their seat until the tram has stopped. Their harbor is a very fine one indeed and they try to class it with ours but I still remain firm for Aussie. Ours is much prettier I think and certainly in made more use of.
We saw lots of snow on a mountain quite close to Wellington.
At night we went to Fullers Vauds show and saw Jim Gerald. He was awful but quite took with the crowd there and was recalled time and again for singing Mr Gallagher and Mr Shean and other songs about the same calibre and maturity. It was a pleasure to get to bed at the Grand Hotel where we stayed as there was plenty of nap on the bed and after being there about 2 hours for the first time I was warm. The next day was cold bleak windy and rainy so after a few purchases we came back to the boat and have been here ever since.
We have Steward Dawson aboard of Ambassador fame and Davies and family of Davies and Davies the Ford car kings of NSW. and Stfansson the Artic explorer and Miss Steinberg late Sec for Melba.
I am excelling myself today but the seat is comfortable and so I roam on. I hope you can read it at all as the boat is as rough as bags and one wants a good saddle and a pair of spurs to stick on with.
Tomorrow we lob in at Rarotonga and if fine and calm enough we can go ashore in a boat from the ship for about 3 hours but if it is at all rough or likely to be we will not be allowed off as there is no wharf and if it blows up at all they are forced to put to sea at once. So that is that.
36 hours after that we land at Papeete for a day and then the long 10 day stretch to the completion of our long first stage of the journey. This will be the last time you will hear from me before San Fran as there is no other mail I can catch.
I hope you are all well at home and that Fred is in some small way making up for my absence. Love to Mother yourself Chas (when you write) and Fred.
I will write to Chas when I reach San Fran.
Tell Mother to tell Mrs Day I will write her later on when I get some dry land under me.
Gordon
