The caravan has made its appearance on the roads of New Zealand, and is now resting in a pleasant green cutting under a tall stone-faced hill, a little distance beyond the Logan Point quarry. A lady and two girls were busy washing clothes outside the caravan yesterday morning. They were Mrs E. Eglinton, a lady of independent means from Featherston, and her two daughters, Helen (aged 13 years) and Doris (aged 14 years). ‘‘See New Zealand,’’ written in large black letters was before Mrs Eglinton for years, and now she is well on the way of traversing the roads to every scenic resort and town in the Dominion. There is to be no rush about this trip. So far, a little distance has been covered in a long time, for, although the caravan and its occupants lost no time in coming from Wellington to Dunedin to see the Exhibition, they have been camped here for nearly eight weeks. And the stay has been so enjoyable that a move on to Queenstown will not be made for at least two weeks.
The caravan is built on a Morris truck. With £300 invested in the one-ton motor and chassis, Mrs Eglinton prepared her plans and ideas, and a carpenter, with no experience of caravan building, was commissioned to build the home on wheels. At the remarkably cheap price of £140, the work was carried out, and with another £20 on furnishings, Mrs Eglinton has a comfortable, well-appointed touring house. The compactness of the caravan and the amount of room is surprising. The driver’s compartment is ‘‘the guest room,’’ to use Mrs Eglington’s own description, and also serves as a wardrobe. There is no cramped space between the seat and the dashboard in this section, which is completely enclosed, the doors extending the height of the roof, the lighting being obtained from two windows. At the rear of the caravan, which is 13 feet long, 6ft 9in wide, and 9ft above the ground at the highest point, steps, reminiscent of the Gypsy vans, lead up to the apartments. Entering the door, a homely, yet gay little kitchen presents itself. A kerosene stove fits into a corner, a row of cups, saucers and plates surmounts a sideboard, and underneath three cupboards hold the eatables. On the left is a small table and lockers under the seats on either side. A coloured photograph of Gum Grove, the family’s home in the Wairarapa, adds a final touch.
The sleeping room is as capacious as a ship’s cabin and as neat as a lady’s boudoir. The colour scheme is blue, and chintz covers the three beds. One is of the collapsible type which can be lowered during the day. Under the bed is a full-size bath. Wardrobes and plenty of locker space are provided. The tourists are as snug as the proverbial bug in a rug in this room. It is in this home on wheels that Mrs Eglinton and her daughters intend to travel the Dominion. Mrs Eglinton had been informed it is the first of its kind
in New Zealand. ‘‘We love the life, and although some people in our home district were pessimistic, and said we would soon tire of it, we do not want to stop travelling.’’
Mrs Eglinton has proved that by caravan is the cheapest way of seeing the country. ‘‘Yes, it’s a lovely life, and we don’t want to go back home,’’ stated Mrs Eglinton, who proposes to open her caravan for public inspection before she leaves Dunedin, and the
small charge for admission will be handed over to the Karitane Hospital.
— ODT, 28.4.1926
