PLENTY TO DO AT WHAKATANE OVER XMAS & NEW YEAR

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 14, Issue 78, 19 December 1949, Page 5

PLENTY TO DO AT WHAKATANE OVER XMAS & NEW YEAR

Those people who will be remaining at Whakatane over the Christmas and New Year holiday break should not lack for anything to do or places to go. Various sporting events, amusements, gala days and picnic trips to Whale Island will be available to those who would want to be doing something, while in the different beauty spots in the district there will be ample places for camping and picnic trips.

The organised festivities will commence this week with the children’s fancy dress parade on Wednesday afternoon. Following the judging of the costumes there is to be a Christmas party and tea in the Winter Show building. On Friday, the night when Christmas Eve will be celebrated, there is to be a dance in the winter show building and visitors to town will be able to conclude their merrymaking to music. On Saturday night there will be another dance in the same hall. Spotting Competition

First of the \ carnival events, the “spotting competition,” has commenced already. There is no entrance fee. but competitors must use the correct forms (obtainable from either Armstrong’s or King-sley-Smith and Matthews’). First prize is £2 2s, and second £1 Is. The competition finishes on ' December 30.

It’s quite easy. Nearly every shop in town will have in its window display some article foreign to its normal trading. All competitors have to. do is. list those articles, and say in whose shop they saw them. Nearest to a complete list takes the money.

Over the next week-end nothing has been organised but the bowling greens and tennis courts will be open to those desirous of taking part in these sports, while for the swimmer and surfer there are the Heads and Ohope Beach.

From Tuesday, December 27, Boxing Day, the daily picnic launch trips to Whale Island and the fishing grounds commence and on the same day the R.S.A. invites all cricketers to take part in its cricket day on the Domain. For the remainder of the week some of the businesses will be open in the town for essential shopping and on Friday, December 30, new year’s eve will be celebrated and the usual carefree gay merrymaking is expected. Among other events this night there is to be a talent quest outside Lennie’s Motors in George Street and entries will be taken right up until the last minute. Ohope Gala Day

On the following night the Whakatane Board Mills will hold a new year ball in the winter show building and on Monday, January 2, the Ohope Progressive League holds its big annual gala day on the Caledonian sports ground at Ohope. Side shows, stalls, novelties, horse riding and girls’ marching are only some of the activities planned for that day. That covers the organised celebrations for the holidays but there are several other events taking place. On January 15 Ohope is to be the venue of the biggest surfing competition held at Whakatane since before the war when seven surf clubs will compete for the Bay of Plenty Cup.