KARAMEA NOTES

Grey River Argus, 22 September 1937, Page 7

KARAMEA NOTES

[Our Own Correspondent]. KARAMEA, September 21. Great excitement prevailed in Karamea when it became known that the fresh in the river had broken through to the sea one morning recently at the end of the training wall. The channel is fairly deep, presumed to be about 12 feet at high water, and with another fresh or two it is not unlikely that we will have the boat again trading here. At present she has to trade between Little Wanganui and Wellington, and goods brought by boat have to be carted 13 miles to Karamea. After the Test match at Christchurch, Mr. Day (Manager for the Springboks), sent greetings through 3YA to Mr. Coleman, of Umtali. 'rhe message brought back to myself and other members of the 4th. and 5 th. South African contingents, reminiscences of the year 1900 when we passed through Umtali, on our way to Marindalas, where we equipped prior to our 300 mile trek to Bulowayo. A Mr. Coleman (formerly of New Zealand), kept the hotel at Um tali, and was very pleased to meet our boys and would take no pay for our drinks. Umtali is only a small settlement, half way between Rhodesia and the port of Biera, Portuguese territory. Many in the above contingents, including Harry Head, Bill Currie and other West Coasters, will remember the hubbub which arose over the disappearance of a 10 gallon keg of beer from the Railway platform, and how Colonel Newall declared that he would not allow the train to proceed until the culprit was found. After the train had been delayed for four or five hours, a Christchurch man turned informer. 'inc culprit got six weeks C. 8., and the iniormer was shunned by all. The Australians arrived at Bulawayo a fortnight before the New Zealanders and challenged the Bulawayo football team (unbeaten for several years) to a game, the Bulawayo team winning by about 40 points. On arrival, a New Zealand team was selected and challenged Bullawayo. It was estimated that £3,000 changed hands that day, the Aussies backing Bulawayo. New Zealand won by 22 to 3! This was the first time any African team met a New Zealand team Some 12 months later on our wayhome, a New Zealand team met another unbeaten team at Worcester, New Zealand again winning by 17 to 5. This was another good betting game! This account of the first meeting between South Africans and New Zealanders, if not interesting to your readers generally, will be of interest to surviving West Coast members of the old 4th. and sth. Contingents. One Saturday' night lately at the Sydney -Stadium, in a wrestling bout between Brain and Rogers, the men had toe holds on each other and each had the other’s shoulders pinned. The referee was in a quandary, but gave both men a fall! The only solution he knew.