New Zealand Vaudeville

At night we went to Fullers Vauds [Australian vaudeville article] 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 Stewart Dawson aboard of Ambassador fame and Davies and family of Davies and Davies the Ford car kings of NSW and Stefansson 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