A TRIP TO TUAKAU,

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVII, Issue 5042, 20 October 1926, Page 4

A TRIP TO TUAKAU,

WITH A FEW ODDFELLOWS. (By V.G.) Ting-a.-ling, ting-aling, crash! bang! calls. Big Bfin as we are rudely summoned from the fields of dreamland and realise that another sun-up is upon us. Quickly, err the. wooer Sleep snatches us into his dell again, we spring out of Blanket Bay and cautiously lift the bl ini to determine how the weather clerk has served us. Fair prospects give us hope, for to-day is the big day of a year’s, waiting. Being good Oddfellows, we light the fire, and, being also Oddfellows with a purpose, we take, particular care to shave well and array ourselves in clean shirt ami collar, and with something quite classy in neckwear (for, you see, some of us- are still bachelors gay) wq sally forth. The stroke of eight sees us at the rendezvous, b®ribboned and ready. Roll-call proves a good muster, and with light hearts we are. under way. Our destination, Tuakau ; our objective, football.

Fine weather .and hard roads help us to quickly put Ntherton, Ngatea, and Waitakaruru behind, and, except for a slippery unmetalled threequarters of a mile stretch, Pokeno is reached without mishap and our journey continue! Over the clay road connecting Pokeno with Tuakau. A steep pinch on this part requires, a scrum formation to help the big bus through, but this ove,r, the 'remainder of the. trip is done in good time a,nd Tuakau reached at 10.30 a.m.

The weather has now broken and, from the leaden dome, the waterways of heaven gush forth. Bi’o. George Asher (late of Hikutaia), an officer of the Loyal Tuakau Lodge and skipper of the lodge, team, soon has) us distributed over the hotel, while even the sitting-room has to bow to our arrival by providing its shakedown. Sallying forth in bold array to explore the noble city of Tuakau and to impress the. natives with our All Blackishness we soon find a soft drink shop with a piano going .a-begging,' and Bro. M—, a la Rubenstein, taps out the latent song hits while the Brothers, a la Sistine ’Choir, join in, and Bro. F— in borrowed plumes cleverly executes the. hula hula while Bros., X—, Y — Z— make love to the shop girls. Dinner over, we prepare for the fray and make our way to thq Eden Park of the district. The rain and wind make us keen to get going, and the teams do not waste time in kicking off. Bros,. Potter, Goonan, McNamara, Cpnolly, Snow, Leach, Watt, KillgO'ur, Bullock, Carrick, Neil; Morrison, Williams, and Slyfleld carry the Paeroa colours. The game, a friendly lodge tussle, proves the, Tuakauans the better team, and the final whistle blows with the scores Tuaka,u 21, Paeroa 3. Bro. Bathgate, P.G., with the whistlq makes the game enjoyable to everyone.

With the tingle of the last b e ll we leave the field in rapid order, for, you see, there is only ope bathroom at the hotel.

After a clean up comes the official dinner with the Loyal Tuakau Lodge, representatives. Everything pa.sstiP oft admirably and the toast-lis ( t is duly honoured. Following the toast of “Thq King” comes- “The Visitors” (responded to by Bro. T. M. Wilkinson, P.G., as manager of the, team and Bro; K. L. Slyfleld as captain), “The Loyal Tuakau Lodge,” “The Referee, Bro. Bathgate,” “Our Host and Hostess,, Mr and Mrs Taylor,” and, last but not least, “The Waitresses,” whom we hope to ple,ase for we have kept them waiting from clearing aw.ay. After’ dinner the team, as guests of the proprietors of the; local picture theatre (members of the Order), e|njoy an evening before the silver screen. Even then the unbounded hospitality of our TutUtau .brethren has not ceased, for, following the pictures, we a,r® escorted to the Oddfellows Hall, .where a dance and supper from JO p.m. to midnnight have been arranged in,our honour. Everyone, seems, eager •to make us thoroughly at home, and in spite of the inclement weather the function is a wonderful success,. The brothers and sisters of the lodge, are responsible for a dainty supper, and we all sincerely regret >th'a,t our stay is to be so short. The lodge orchestra also assists to make the evening thoroughly enjoyable. Sunday morning finds iis still enveloped in the dampish mists of ehaven, but by IO 1 a.m. we are ready to sit’art for home. Surely. Tuakau and its wonderful 'reception to us will ever remain as a pleasant memory. Our return journey through'.Bombay; ,and Pokeho passes . without ,mishap until the low land of the Mangatawhiri Valley is reached. Here the road is under water, and a stop is called and a. parley held.’ The big bus decides to make the attempt and bravely enters the water. Slowly but surely the water rises until the. running board is covered, and soon the wafer is running over the floor of the bus and the engine baulks. Now the brothers bejeome miniature Robinson Crusoes. Nothing daunted, the cry of “get out and get under” is raised, and the big. bus to a passer-by (luckily there ’was none) becomes a seaside, change house. Clad in football shorts, while others lived nearer to Nature, by being only shirted, the brothers step over the sidet and line up behind the bus for the. “big push.” With the dual encouragement of Bro. N —singing “Hitch, y our waggon to a sunbeam” and probably the desire to get back into “undies” the brothers bepd and push and the big bus moves onward like some giant reptile emerging from its wallow. What a scene and' what a transformation!! as the? brothers hurTy (they dare not run) to again entej 1 the ranks of the dressed.

A puncture to the car*, a lift to twcx stranded travellers, and; a chained trip, over the mud bring us? to the- ha;rd roads a.nd nearer home and “tucker.”' It is 3.30 p.m. and :jve are home again. Undoubtedly opr outing with its great hospitality and .its. incidents will make us look forward eagei.'ly to the time when we will age tin go, tTuakauwards.