ROUND ABOUT

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 3, Issue 272, 17 February 1941, Page 5

ROUND ABOUT

(By Unoaie) I

The R.S.A. is objecting lo a suggestion that prisoners of war should be brought to New Zealand to work on farms. The members consider that already too many foreigners have become established in the country. They are right too. One doesn't have to travel the world now but merely has to wander not far from: home to find practically every nation of the world represented. Some people have been too fonil of importing things. Just imagine— once upon a time the only thing we had at all unpopular (apart from the Government of the time being) was the catipo spider and such was seldom met. But then some bright bird of the hunting shooting lishin* old school tie variety thought it & bright idea to bring hares from England to tallyho after. It would have not been so bad if they had caught them all. Then again some brilliant conception decided to start a rabbit farm. Well he did, the whole country is one with Southland the headquarters. (We understand that they have a rabbit on their coat of arms). And so they went on to import the deer which now prove a pest, bagpipes and other things which violate our peace of mind. They even brought a noxious weed from Scot-

land called heather to put in, of all places, New Zealand's National Park. Leaping linotypes what next! Yes, its a wonder they did not bring foxes, snakes or a few of Australia's choicest maneating sharks. ■ • • • I just recall rt little by-play overheard in a service bus.when an English tourist travelling through a gorse infested area remarked,. "R35 , Gad, driver it is shocking to see such an appalling amount of noxiouS growth about." An old Maori sitting handy took another pull at his pipe and chipped in "Py Corry ehoa, you bring the plurry stuff here you take it away."

at « « ■ It's a fact that there were during the holidays over two thousand people holidaying at Ohope (believe us we counted them). Well, there is room for them and then some. That's the beauty of the beach — there is plenty of toom. In fact there'll still be plenty of room when the spot becomes more popular as it surely will. It a gem. this Ohope.; There are lots of good beaches in New Zealand and a tremendous number of "best beaches in the Dominion"—stacks of them, in fact one or more at each seaside town, and. its probably only that Ohope really is that the residents are not untruthful when they say it is. It still would be of course even if it wasn't and when it is its better still. What I mean is—well isn't it. I suppose everyone has been to another beach —Wliakataneites just to see how inferior they are and to con-, sole themselves that they cannot jusC yet enter into the Auckland v Wellington harbour argument. Some of these beaches "where the~X un in the winter," "the best surf in New Zealand." "the glorious east coast" "the marvellous West Coast" and mod cons etc. are really traps for young players. One trots along for a quiet dip, struggles through a madding throng on a piece of sand about the size of a backyard antl searches for somewhere to sit. Now

never sit on a mound—you t never know what it might hide and then so many things on a beach, look, like a .camouflaged sandhill and may turn out to be a sixteen stoner emulating, a catipo spider. Well in my wide experience if you're lucky you fin<s a space and elbow your way in for a nice comfy sunbathe —that is if. there is any sun. The idea is to turn your back to the sun providing o£ course that the wind is not blowing the opposite way. Of course there* have been days without wind but usually they are without sun too. If you're lucky there's a chance of, getting through a solid ten minutes tanning without some careless idiot treading on your ear. If you want tc swim well all rou do is step carefully to the surf (if any) and keeping between the flags, in the reasonably, safe part and keeper ing one hand fiee to signal the life Guards if the rip gets you, in you. <*o If you're still on your lucky day you escape being torpedoed by a surf board or elbow jolted by some large mass of human being, escape crabs and don't meet up with a shark (legless, were npt discussing salesmen) then you've had. a big day* We,ll now, Ghope is different, because there is miles of it and if yoi* don't "like a crowd, or you suspect your wife is going to ask.you- to (Continued foot of previous column!