Touring Aussies back All Blacks

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 2, Issue 8, 24 July 1984, Page 18

Touring Aussies back All Blacks

Each season for the past three years Ohakune has been host to a tour party from small-town Parkes, 320km out of Sydney. Travel agent Anita Jackson's week-long package tours to Turoa have proved popular with residents of the New South Wales town, population 9,000 plus. Last week Anita brought another 22 exuberant Aussies through town, including nine members of the local rugby union team, Parkes Boars. Lack of snow ; kept the party off the slopes until the middle of last week, giving the tourists just two days' skiing before their return flight.

And indeed their three white minibuses were seen all round the Waimarino. Suffering bumps and bruises after their first day's skiing the rugby players were looking forward to the relative comfort of 90 minutes play back on Australia's firm, dry football fields. Amazed at the friendliness of locals one member told us "if you mention you're a rugby player they kiss you in the pub." The party was stopping over in Sydney on Saturday to watch the first test between the touring All Blacks and the Wallabies. 'Tm backing the All Blacks," one convert declared. Whatever the score Anita hopes to returrt next year on her fourth consecutive tour.