Tauranga helps trader’s crew

Press, 30 December 1985, Page 7

Tauranga helps trader’s crew

PA Tauranga The stranded crew of the idle Islands trader Timo lived well on Christmas Day and Boxing Day thanks to the generosity of Tauranga residents.

On Christmas Day the three Fijians were given a barbecue lunch by a farmer and dinner aboard another ship.

On Boxing Day they were taken sightseeing in Rotorua.

By contrast, the Timo’s owners sent neither greetings nor wages to their workers.

It is now 16 weeks since the crew t received full wages.

The ship lies idle at the Tauranga wharf, with writs attached to the mast on November 21 after action by creditors. Three crew members have left the ship. Also aboard are the master and the engineer who have an interest in the ship. The cook, Mr Booby Swami, aged 38, said a Tauranga farmer he knew as David had organised a Christmas Day barbecue lunch for the three crew on his cattle and sheep farm in the hills south-east of the city. “He said he had been to Fiji and owned an island up there,” Mr Swami said of his host. Also on Christmas Day a man and his wife brought four roast chickens and a bottle of champagne to the ship. “He just said ‘Merry Christmas, this is for you boys,’ then left,” Mr Swami said. The Seamen’s Union gave each of the crew $lOO. Fijians aboard the fishing, boat Western Pacific berthed at the port gave the crew four crates of beer and fed them a Christmas dinner of curry and rice. On Boxing Day a retired man known only as Jack took the crew to Rotorua in his car. He showed them the Whakarewarewa thermal reserve, took them to a few hotels, then shouted them fish and chips for lunch. “Jack comes down every day and takes us for a ride and brings cabbages,” Mr Swjjxni said.