Local & General

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 13, Issue 41, 14 January 1949, Page 4

Local & General

Camp Visitors Departing - Signs that the holiday influx of tourists is rapidly diminishing is shown in the Ohope motor camps, which were overflowing during the period over Christmas, but are now more than half empty, and witness fresh departures every day. Polio In Auckland Two suspected cases of poliomyelitis admitted to the Auckland Hospital on Friday have proved positive. They are an Orakei youth, aged 17, and a Bucklands man, aged 21. A Pukekohe girl admitted to hospitai on Friday has been diagnosed as negative. There are six suspect cases in hospital and seven acute cases. New Zealand Coral Coral, which is thought by many people to be found only in tropic seas, is fairly widespread in New Zealand coastal waters, states an article in the “New Zealand Science Review.” Small specimens have been found on Rangitoto Island, but larger and sometimes beautiful forms have been dredged up off the coast from time to time. Tiny Ponies Probably some of the smallest Shetland ponies ever brought to New Zealand are those owned by Sole Bros, circus at present at Whakatane. There are 13 of them, the largest standing about three feet high. The smallest is a tiny foal, standing* about 18 inches high, which was bom last Saturday night. They remind one of the animals that Gulliver would have met in Lilliput. _ ... " \ / Oscar Nalzke To Tour New Zealand-born basso, Oscar Natzke, will arrive in the Dominion in May for a concert tour. The celebrated Russian-American pianist, Simon Barare, and the famous French soprano, Ninon Valiin, will also visit this country this year. Negotiations -were also under way for the presentation liere in 1950 of a number of celebrities, including Jeanette Macdonald, Louis Kentner, Gitta Alpar, Jussi Bjoerling and Italo Tajo. v. A Miniature Zoo The circus at present at Whakatane is almost like a miniature zoo. It has 13 Shetland ponies, fire grey horses, three lions, three monkeys, two elephants and two high jumping kangaroo dogs. Great care is taken of all the animals as the circus leaders consider they are some of the most valuable assets of the show. Endeavours have been made to procure a greater variety of new animals but they are now very expensive and difficult to obtain.