OUR PLANNED ACTIVITIES

Te Ao Hou, June 1961, Page 9

OUR PLANNED ACTIVITIES Football and basketball provided a full and exciting game; Matakana won the basketball, Punaruku the football. Socially, the heroes of the tour were beginning to emerge, and the chief of them was Wiri. Removed from the classroom with its abstruse demands, Wiri had all the advantages— the concert party depended on him, his boisterous humour and brawn singled him out as a redoubtable visitor. During the football match the opposing players were in dread of him, for he looked as though he would stop for nothing; as Punaruku's goal kicker, he proved to have a powerful and accurate boot which would not have been despised by far more experienced teams. At the concert Matakana performed a number of accomplished action songs; in contrast to our own community, Maori dancing is a regular part of life on the island. Nevertheless our group shrived up very well; our action songs had now become quite vigorous, and acquired harmony and unison. Our real strength, however, still lay in the grotesque Hawaiian and troubadour numbers, which were received with roars of laughter, and the double poi dances of the two sisters, who this evening far surpassed anything they had done before. We also showed the folk dances, which proved very successful with a Maori public.