Diverse Interests

Te Ao Hou, June 1962, Page 55

Diverse Interests Most Maori summer sportsmen think, ‘What shall I do this summer?’ not, ‘I'd better start practising my cricket shots', or tennis strokes, and the such-like. Most Maoris have a whole host of sporting activities that they will indulge in during the summer, but they very seldom concern themselves with preparation for summer sports as they do for those of the winter. What usually passes through the mind of the Maori is, ‘I hope the summer is a good one for the beach!’ Invariably you will find large groups of Maoris going to the seasides each weekend to collect sea foods, diving for crayfish and all the other fruits of the sea. Underwater swimming is becoming popular, being a product of this pattern of beach-going. Also, during the spring and Christmas period large numbers of Maoris are involved in shearing, harvesting, freezing works and other seasonal work, which many treat as a sport. Pighunting and deerstalking also absorb many Maoris during the summer—there is never the call, ‘Let's go off and practise cricket or tennis'. So there are two basic facts here: the fact that most Maoris live in the country, and the trend towards activities that, though treated in a competitive spirit, are not on a competitive basis.