Local & General

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 10, Issue 60, 9 December 1946, Page 5

Local & General

Wharfage Figures Following are the comparative wharfage figures for October and November over the past four years: October 1943, £267 3s 6d; 1944, £357 7s 3d; 1945, £316 18s 9d; 1946, £36(? 11s 2d. November 1943, £403 Is 6d; 1944, £335 8s 4d; 1945, £353 7s; 1946, £404 18s 6d.

Mutton Birding Trips - Reporting to the Whakatane Harbour Board at its last meeting on. the number of mutton-birders he had transported to Whale Island for the annual season last month, the Harbourmaster, Captain G. Carey, stated that he had altogether made seven trips out, and seven back. The % weather going out had not been the best but..all had made the journey safely.

Depth on Bar According to the report made to the Whakatane Harbour Board at its last meeting, by the Harbourmas- . ter, Captain G. Carey, the amount of water on the Whakatane Harbour bar is now back to normal. He expected that it would probably become shallower about March, 1947, in the usual manner at that time of the year. The depth of water at the -> wharf was holding well. No Shed For Hides At its last meeting,’the Whakatane Harbour Board decided that the re- . turn from hides stored at the wharf, did not warrant the 1 erection of a special shed to contain them. The secretary (Mr C. G. Lucas) pointed out that the cost of the building would be in the vicinity of £6OO, whilst the return from the 100 tons or so of hides, at a rate of 3/9 per ton, would produce little' more than £ls or £l6 per year. Ohope Hamper Competition It has been announced that the winner of the Ohope Progress League for a Christmas Hamper, is t© be drawn on December 17, at a social evening in the Captain’s Cabin Hall, Ohope. 'The deciding of the competition, which has been open to the public for some weeks, will be the main feature of the night, and a highly entertaining programme has been built in support. The Ladies Committee has charge of the supper arrangements, and from all accounts, the night should be one at which fun for all will be well to the fore. Over The Waves Whilst 99.9, per cent, of the resi- • dents of Whakatane were snuggled, comfortably between the sheets at 3 a.m. last Sunday morning, a grim episode was being enacted at the Heads; a grim episode that whilst it had a humorous side, could quite possibly have ended in tragedy. Central figures in the plot were six of A the local younger generation, who A decided to have a midnight picnic on the sandbank opposite the Heads. The party, we understand, broke up shortly before 3 a.m., and the. ‘guests’ decided to make the return trip. Their only means of conveyance was a dinghy, so it was decided to make twp trips across to the ■■ mainland. On the way over, the rip suddenly caught the boat, and before the crew quite realised what had happened they were being carried out towards the broad Pacific. Fortunately one had the presence of mind to throw out the anchor which still more fortunately held, and the. 1 rest of the distance to the mainland was accomplished with difficulty. On the trip back to the sandbank, the oarsman decided to take, the same course through the rip again, confident that he could do so with- • out accident. But alas! The identical thing happened again, but this time the plight was worse, for an oar was carried away. Once more the anchor was the good luck charm, and this alone, saved boat and occupant from a watery grave. But with only one oar, the boat was out of commission, and the result was -' that one of the party already landed had to secure assistance. The necessary equipment was borrowed, and before the grey light of dawn paled the eastern sky, all .were safely homeward bound.