Sydney writer reels in fish and material

Mr. Peter Harding, a sub-editor on The Australian Women’s Weekly, had never cast a line in surf in his life, and had confined his fishing to dangling a line over the side of a dinghy in barren Australian waters and drinking a little beer.

So when Mr. Don Walters took him to the Ninety Mile Beach last Friday, and made the off-hand remark that this was where they usually caught a few eight-pound snapper, Mr. Harding was only politely interested.

Don cast for him, Peter latched on to a fish, and was thrilled when he pulled it out, though it was one of the smallest ever caught at that spot. Before the afternoon was over several goodsized fish had come Mr. Harding’s way, and he was drooling at the thought of his own fresh snapper for breakfast next morning at the Orana Motel.

A Wellington-born man, Mr. Harding is in New Zealand on an assignment for his popular magazine to do a long account of New Zealand’s off-beat tourist attractions. It will appear in the pull-out supplement in the centre of the magazine, a method of publication that offers a chance of some permanence, for these supplements are often kept when the magazine is discarded.

On Friday night he met Mr. P.J. Quilter, Mr. H. Manuera, Dr. W.F. Parkes and Mr. D. Vincent for a briefing on some aspects of the district.

He took notes on the open fishing contest, including the delightful angle that the last stampede from the ramp was preceded by the traffic officer and the police sergeant.

On Saturday he made the mini-bus tour, and apparently it went over as big with him as it has with others, including the veteran U.S. travel writer Mr. Thomas B. Lesure, who is back in New Zealand.

Mr. Harding passed on his greetings — the far north was the only place Mr. Lesure mentioned.

On Friday night the executive officer of Northland Travel Promotion, Major A. J. Voss, rang and asked if everything was going according to schedule.

“I couldn’t resist telling him that fish don’t bite on schedule,” said Mr. Harding. “He’s a ball of fire. I get the impression that if he had his way all snapper would be lined up at the edge of the surf, all scales cleaned bright and slightly oiled and report themselves ready for duty!”

Mr. Harding was entertained again on Saturday night at a chicken supper at the Orana, provided by the manager, Mr. Harry Clifford.

On Sunday he was driven south by Mr. Quilter, appreciative of Far North hospitality and with material for a few good paragraphs in his survey.

— March 1, 1968

"A Wellington-born man, Mr. Harding is in New Zealand on an assignment for his popular magazine to do a long account of New Zealand’s off-beat tourist attractions. "