HISTORIC CANOE IN WHAKATANE EXCITES INTEREST
Believed to have been built a t Waimana perhaps 200 years ago, the big canoe which will represent the Matatua at next weekend’s sexcentenary celebrations is attracting a lot of attention where she lies behind Mr C. Kingsley-Smith’s store.
Forty-five feet long, 3 feet 6 inches at her widest and 2 feet 6 inches deep, the canoe is made from a totara trunk in the true Maori fashion,- The timber is as solid as ever except that it has broken away at the bulwarks. ✓ Signs of modernisation are broken iron rowlocks and an anchor chain.
It is understood that the canoe, after being brought down from Waimana, transported goods for many years on the Tarawera and Kangitaiki rivers. When the Rangitaiki swamp was drained, she was lost sight of > probably for 45 or 50 years. Efforts to find a canoe for the celebrations brought her to light, lying in the river weeds. Repair of the canoe represents a big task. A gaping hole near the prow has to be covered, for one thing. She will be varnished and painted.
Permanent link to this item
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/BPB19500918.2.21
Bibliographic details
Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 15, Issue 97, 18 September 1950, Page 5
Word Count
185HISTORIC CANOE IN WHAKATANE EXCITES INTEREST Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 15, Issue 97, 18 September 1950, Page 5
Using This Item
Beacon Printing and Publishing Company is the copyright owner for the Bay of Plenty Beacon. You can reproduce in-copyright material from this newspaper for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0 New Zealand licence . This newspaper is not available for commercial use without the consent of Beacon Printing and Publishing Company. For advice on reproduction of out-of-copyright material from this newspaper, please refer to the Copyright guide.