Gold panning, gorse on agenda
There may have been fewer people at the Tapawera show but their grins were as wide as ever.
About 4000 turned up to Saturday’s laid-back country event to enjoy a wide range of family friendly entertainment.
Organiser Roger Carleton said while numbers were down about 1000 on last year – the result of the changeable weather and competition from other events, such as the Richmond rodeo – everybody had a great time.
‘‘It was great to see all those little kids with big smiles on their faces and everybody enjoying themselves and relaxed.’’
Many had a go at gold panning, while archery competitions organised by Kikiwa man Ed Shaw, who make his own bows, and a pet tent run by Heather Sands, of Dovedale, were also popular, Mr Carleton said. The number of animals entered by children remained high. ‘‘The blade and machine shearing and wool spinning demonstrations were busy all day – people just loved watching them.’’
A re-enactment put on by the Nelson Army Group Centre and Delta group members also drew a lot of laughs, as did a tug-ofwar between many of the children at the show and a vintage tractor, he said.
‘‘We broke the rope twice and they were pulling the old tractor backwards. We didn’t realise until we went to roll the rope up they had it tied to a tree.’’
A reunion by contractors who brought along some of their old crawlers and ploughs used to convert the hills around Kohatu from gorse and manuka into pasture during the late 1960s and early 70s created plenty of interest, Mr Carleton said. A lot of people had come up to have a chat about the ‘‘good old days’’ and look at old photographs.
‘‘Those chaps brought in land that was unproductive to running five ewes to the acre and the benefit to the economy was huge.’’
The day was finished off by a huge aerial lolly scramble conducted by Andy and Gary Brown of Coast to Coast Helicopters, he said. ‘‘All in all it was brilliant.’’