NGARUAWAHIA REGATTA.

Auckland Star, Issue 66, 19 March 1900, Page 6

NGARUAWAHIA REGATTA.

President, Mr F. W. Lang. Vice-presi-dents: Messrs R. Kathborne, E. Fitzpatrick, A. Morris, B. Simmelhag. P. Guthrie, T. Paterson, J. Smith, and S. Wilson. Committee: Messrs E. Rathborne, E. Hall, R. H. Nicholson, W. Hunt, R. James, J. Marshall, M. N. Skelton, E. L. Snelllng, G. Roper, j. H. Hanlon, A. Nicol, J. A. I.vnch, A. ,T. Simmelhag-, D. O'Leary, H. Booth, T. McKeown, T. U. Wells. F. Warren. F. W. Hunt, T. Davis. A. Paynter, W. Collins, H. Hinton, H. Tarawhiti, W. Lowrie, W. R. Gillespie, and A. M. Bradbury. Executive: Messrs 12. Rachbome, J. H. Hanlon, J. Marshall, .1. A. Lynch. G. Roper, A. Morris, F. W. Hunt, W. Collins, A. Paynter. AY. Lowrie, W. R. Gillespie, A. M. Bradbury, and H. Tarawhiti. Jtidye of rowing races, Mr R. Logan. Judge of canoe races. Mr T. W. Davies. Starter and umpire o£ rowing- races, Professor Carrollo. Starter of canoe races, Mr Heta Tarawhiti. Starter of mounted swimmingrace. Mr R. Rathborne. Judge of mounted swimming race, Mr E. Fit;, pa trick. Call stewards: Messrs T, U. Wells,'A. A. Davies, and F. W. Hunt. Auckland representatives: Messrs T. U. Wells and A. A. Davies. Thames representative. Mr 11. Williams. Hon. treasurer, Mr T. Patterson. Hon. secretary, Mr M. N. Skelton. Once a year does pretty little Ngaruawabia, most picturesque of. townships, assume an air of life and gaiety quite foreign to its customary calmThousands of town-folk shake the city dust from their shoes, and hie them by i rail to "the meeting of the waters." as the Maoris poetically named the spotwhere ihe placid Waipa mingles with the rushing waters of the Waikato. Thousands more Hock into the litflo township from all round the countryside; from the Waipa, from Waikato, j from Te Aroha and Paeroa even. Ngaruawahia has entertained as many !as eight thousand people on this, its 'annual gala day. They come ostensibly to see the Ngaruawahia Regatta, j but with most of the excursionists it iis probably the prospect of a day in | the open air, among new and picturesque surroundings, that tempts them !so far from home. Ngaruawahia, by j reason of its distance from town, has all the charm and novelty for hun- | dreds of Aucklanders, for the annual ! regatta is but a recent institution j there. I This year's reg-atta was held on Sat- | in-day last—St. Patrick's Day—and j proved as successful as either of its predecessors. It was a beautiful day, twith a cool breeze pleasantly temperjing- the heat—just the sort of weather to tempt the most inveterate stay-at-home lo treat himself to a day in the country. Small wonder then that all the excursion trains were crowded with pleasure-seekers in gayest of holiday attire. The trains from Auckland and the Upper Waikato brought i over three thousand excursionists, and j nearly as many came by rail from Lower Waikato and Thames. The arrival of the Auckland train at Ngaruajwahia station, with the crowds pouring out from the long line of carriages and trucks, was a sight to remember. It was a gay scene, that old Sol looked down upon for the rest of the day. The crowd distributed itself about the township very quickly, some lining the river-banks to see the races, others picnicking under the trees or on the grass by the wayside. A steam merry-go-round by the river was a source of attraction to hundreds, both Maoris and "pakehas," but especially the former. No one can say the Maori takes his pleasures sadly. A ride on ••» merry-go-round, lo the piercing strains of a steam barrel-organ, lifts the young Maori buck and his "tamahine '' or best girl to the seventh heaven of delight. So reluctant was one native to come to earth again that he refused to get off the merry-go-round when it had stopped; but a "scrap" with the attendant showed him his mistake, and he retired into obscurity, a sadder man and wiser. But this was about the only disturbance that occurred. Everywhere was good-humour and happiness, and bright sunshine over all—and every now and then a boat-race. One knew it was a boatrace by the shouts of the enthusiasts at the winning-post. The boats were only visible —or at least distinguishable —for the last three or. four hundred yards, so it is not surprising that the general interest taken in the races was not absorbing. Much more interesting, from a spectacular point of view, were the Maori events, among which the war-canoe race naturally took pride of place. The real Maori war-canoe (Wakataua) is almost a thing of the past; King Maliuta's "Taheretikitiki" is one of the few that yet remain. The three canoes taking part in Saturday's races were of the common or garden type— wakatiwaj—lacking the picturesque carved head-piece and fittings of the real wakataua. Still, when each was manned with some thirty or forty brawny natives, it was a stirring sight to see them shooting past the riverbank, every paddle dipping with a rhythmic beat iv perfect unison. One canoe, the Paparata, belonging to the Mercer natives, was a good deal larger than the other two. She carried a j crew of f,., whereas the Whawhakia, of I Ngaruawahia, and the Kaiwha, from i Taupiri, carried only 27 and 20 respectively. The Whawhakia's crew wore white singlets and neat blue sashes, but the attire of the natives in the other boats was decidedly nondescript; a singlet, and trousers that had once been white was the commonest garb, but one Maori was resplendent in a pair of pink tights! There were two races for the war canoes, the first being over a course with a turn, and the second over a straight course, starting some distance down the Waikato and finishing up the Waipa near the bridge. In the first race Whawhakia beat Paparata i by over a length, with Kaiwha, the heaviest boat of the trio, a bad third. The second race produced a splendid finish between the first two canoes. They came round the last bend prow-, to prow, every man 'paddling all he knew. Paparata being on tiie inside gained a slight lead, while Whawhakia wour rounding the bend, while though the latter closed up gradually, the big' canoe maintained its lead to the finish, and won an exciting race by a bare six feet. Kaiwha finished a longway behind the other pair. From the babble of tongues whicli ensued as soon as the canoes had passed the win-ning-post, it seemed as though every paddler in every canoe was giving ! every other paddler and the world al large his views on the race, aud ex- ! plaining the reasons why his boat won ! or didn't win, as the case might be. But as everyone was talking at once and no one listening—except the unenlightened pakeba spectators—their eloquence was more or less wasted. Still, it seemed to relieve their feelings considerably! I The race for canoes manned by from ten to fifteen Maoris produced another capital finish, the Eleanor Friar, a Ngaruawahia canoe, just beating Papapa, the Mercer boat, by about two yards. Kaiwha also started in this race, but was hopelessly out of it, and gave up at the last bend.' Then there was the "Chase for a bride"—he kawhaki. tamahine, as the ,

Maoiis call it. The "bride," a Maori damsel gorgeously apparelled in a bright blue blouse,, with a handkerchief of vivid pink surmounting her long black tresses, started off in a small canoe, followed by a number of other canoes each manned by six natives. The crew which caught the girl was to transfer her to their canoe, which would then be chased by the others, and if overtaken would have to give up their prize. The "chase was allowed to paddle in any direction, and the canoe which managed to get past the winning post with the "tamahine" was to receive a prize of AM. The girl gave her pursuers ft good chase, but was eventually overtaken; by one of the canoes—Takapu.v ■-•.-in-j net! by Ngatikoroki natives- a , '.is boat managed to elude the others and i pass the winning post. j The canoe hurdle races were aj source of great amusement to the on-! lookers, particularly the "under and over" race for the men. In this latter, event the crew—two in each canoe—1 had to drive the boat over the hurdle and dive under the obstacle' themselves, climbing into the canoe again ou the other side. Sometimes the canoe would stick on top of the hurdle, while the crew was carried downstream by the vapid current. In such cases it was no easy task to swim back j against the tide and regain the boat. 1 The wahines (women) were not obliged to dive under the hurdle, but their efforts to get their canoes over caused even more merriment, for as often as not the canoe capsized and lipped its occupants into the water. The mounted swimming race was another interesting competition. The riders—four in number—had to enter and leave the water on horseback, the course being from one bank of the Waikato .to the other. Each man swam with one hand on the horse's mane, getting on the animal's back again when it could touch bottom near the farther bank. All four got safely across at the same spot, finishing very close together. Paora Hopere, a native who has been successful in former competitions of the kind, won the race.

The gig races were rowed over a course about a mile long, starting some distance down the Waikato and finishing up the Waipa just- below the bridge. All (lie Auckland rowing clubs sent crews to the regatta, and the Ngaruawahia Club was also represented in two events. West End were the most successful club, winning the Maiden Gigs (under 10 stone), the Junior Gigs (open), the Junior Gigs (under 10 stone), and the Senior Gigs; that is to say, four out of the five gig races on the programme. Waitemata won the Maiden Gigs (open) and filled second place in three events, while Misses Garnaut and Smith, representing Waitemata, scored an easy win in the Ladies' Pair Oar Race.

The chief drawback about the regatta, from the spectators' point of view, was the want, of pleasure boats to paddle about in. The solitary steam launch which followed the races was crowded throughout the afternoon, but- of course it could accommodate only a very limited number. There is no doubt that the presence of a number of rowing boats would add very greatly to the attraction of this already popular function. The Wuipa, with its slowrunning stream and "margin willowveiled" is an ideal river for boating, and it is very tantalising to have to walk about on shore all da v.

The committee, and especially Mr M. N. Skelton, the hard working honorary secretary, are to be congratulated upon the sucess achieved." The arrangements were well carried out and the whole affair went off smoothly, the last race being finished some time before the first train was timed to leave for town, Mr R. Logan acted as judge of the rowing races, and T. W. Davies judged the canoe events, while Professor Carrollo discharged the arduous duties of starter for the gig races with admirable promptitude and firmness. The Kin Ora Brass Band, a native combination, provided a musical programme of eighteen items during the afternoon. The excursion traffic was admirably handled by the railway officials, and no accident occurred' to mar the pleasure of the day's outing. Till': RACING. Canoe Race (for Maori girls): Kiri Karenu 1, A'ni Te Whiupouminui 2. Five started. Won easily. Maiden Gigs (open): Waitemata Rowing Club (P. J. Bailey, stroke, G. Nicholson, S. A. Tyler, T. Brownley), 1; North Shore Rowing Club (L. Bakewell, stroke, G. Wynyard, P. Burgess, F. Best), 2: West End R.C. ~1. Carder, stroke, G. Green. R. 11. Cook. I{. M. Doull), 3. St George's and Auckland also started. Waitemata took the lead from the start and were never caught, winning by three lengths. West End and St. George's fouled, an accident which lost the former several lengths, and spoilt their chance of winning.

War Canoe Race (over course with turn): First prize £25, second £10, third £s.—Whawhakia (Ngatiwhawhakia crew) 1, paparata (Ngatinaho) 2. Kaiwha. (Nga-Iwi-o-Taupiri) 3. The three canoes came round the last bend of the river in single file, Whawhakia leading on the inside. The pace slackened somewhat in the straight, while the paddlers braced themselves for a final spurt; then the canoes dashed up the river as fast as paddles could drive them. The Paparata's crew, encouraged by the cries and antics of their "ta.ngata-hautu" (a sort of master of ceremonies who stood up amidships and, brandished a paddle about to the imminent danger of the paddlers' heads) made frantic efforts to overtake the leading canoe, Whawhakia, however, maintained her lead, and won by over a- length. Kaiwlia was a bad third.

-Maiden Gigs (under 10 stone): West End R.C. (J. 11. Bigelow, stroke, T. Maxwell, 0. Carlaw, A. Stephenson), 1; Waitemata R.C. (C. Ward, stroke, S. A. Smith, F. Hampton, C. Tyes), 2; Ngaruawahia R.C. (E. Rathborne, stroke, A. Bailey, A. Lorkie, W. Collins), 3. St. " George's, Auckland, and North Shore also •started. Waitemata were leading coming round the last bend, but West End caught them in the straight, and won by a few feet, after an exciting

sprint

Canoe Hurdle Race (for men), over three flights of hurdles: Hikurere (manned by Paora Hopere and Wi Maid), 3; Topito (Hori Te Aokai and Tirua), 2; Kahikatea (Kerapa Rotana and Karaka Rotana), 3.

Ladies' Pair Oar Race (distance about half a mile): Misses Garnaut and Smith (Waitemata R.C), 1; Misses Paterson (Ngaruawahia R.C), 2. These were the only starters. The winners, who pulled with a long

swinging stroke, in perfect time, finished about six lengths ahead of their opponents. Canoe Hurdle Race (for Wahines): Mere Rotann aud Kiri 1, Auta aud liana 2. Won easily by a couple of hundred yards.

Junior Gigs (open): West End R.C. (A. Littleproud, stroke, A. Bond, H. Sands, P. C. White), 1; Waitemata R.C. (C. Porteous, stroke, B. J. McDonald. K. Blair, W. F. Smith), 2; North Shore R.C. (W. Logan, stroke, J. Sullivan, F. Burgess, W. H. Oliver), ... Auckland also started. West End and Waitemata were close together at the bend, but putting on a fine spurt near the finish the former drew ahead and won by half a length, with North Shore a bad third.

War Canoe Race (straight course): Paparata 1, Whawhakia 2,Kaiwha 3. Won by six feet after a splendid finish between the first and second canoes. Whawhakia was overtaking the leader rapidly at the finish, and would probably have won had the distance been a little longer. The Kawhia's crew, who were a long way

behind, contented themselves with paddling easily home to get third place. Junior Gigs (under 10 stone): West End (W. T. Stephenson, F. Young, F. C; Stevenson, J. Carrigan), 1; Waitemata (C. Wand, E. A. Smith, F. Hampton, C. Tver), 2; St. George's (T. Richard, C. E. Stone, H. Saunders, E. Cuthbertson), 3. Auckland and Ngaruawahia also started. Woii by a quarter of a length. Mounted Swimming Race: Paora Hopere 1, Wira Paiura 2, Stanley McBurnev 3.

Canoe Hurdle Pace (under and over): Wira and Mana 1, Paora Hopere and Wi Maid 2, Keropo Rotana and Karaka Kerapa 3. Six canoes started. Won by a length.

Senior Gigs: West End (W. R. Rees, stroke, G. 0. Stephenson, E. C. Stephenson. C R. Fricker), 1; Auckland (11. Bach, 0. R. Gooch, W. J. Lovett, J. Negus), 2; North Shore (W. Logan, J. Sullivan, F. Burgess, W. H. Oliver), 3. St. George's also started. When the boats came into sight round the last bend West End were leading by a length, with Auckland and North Shore in close company. Coming up the straight West End drew right away from the other boats and won in very hollow fashion by fully five lengths. North Shore lost a lot of ground by steering a very devious course.

Canoe Hurdle Race (Maori girls): Tarukenga and Noki 1, Parehuia and Haua 2. Won by three lengths.

Large Canoe Race (for canoes manned by from 10 to 15 Maoris): Eleanor Friar (Ngatiwhawhakia), 1; Papapa (Ngatinaho), 2; Kaiwha (Nga-Iwi-o-Taupiri), 3. These were the only starters. The Eleanor Friar won a hotly contested race by barely two yards. Kaiwha gave up, there being no third prize.