TOKAORA

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXI, Issue LXII, 7 April 1911, Page 6

TOKAORA

[PROM «ua OWIC CORRESPONDENT.!

There can be no mistake about it, bust we m«st give over blathering about this as "God's own country." The country hills and dales are no better than any other part of o_ur Empire, but we have an untransferable asset in our climate, and when the clerk is not in good mood, how we howl! Just see the effect of the recent spell of fine weather, what it lias done for all New Zealand, and Taranajki in particular. The newspapers are sav#d the trouble of recording big milk yields and photographed butter-fat cheques; the Murphy family are riddled with grub, the young stock will or are likely to have a bad time this coming winter, but we Tokaorites go on the even tenor of our way, as with the slightest shower grass grows luxuriantly.

On Wednesday evening a euchre party and dance took place in Mr Duffill's barn. About 60 attended. Cards were played till about 10 p.m., Mr McPhail (Normanby) winning the gentleman's prize, and Miss W. Johnstone the ladies' prize, the booby prize falling to Mr T. Benzie and Miss C. Bretherton. The floor was in excellent order, everyone thoroughly enjoyed themselves, and each is looking forward eagerly to a similar re-union. Mr McPhail supplied the music. In the company of a Hawera friend we were standing on cliffs at east side of Waingongoro river, and with a pair of binoculars were watching events going on, on the sands away down below. We remarked if £he bathers were not very careful they would soon find themselves in trouble as we could see there was a tremendous undertow in progress amongst the breakers. In the distance we could see some commotion amongst the bathers, but whether it was only their antics or a more serious affair we could not at that distance make out. We noticed a rider being washed off his horse and in a very short space of time learned of the narrow escape from drowning which we could see but were powerless to prevent or assist. It is not when the mountainous combers are on that there is most danger to bathers. The bathers on such occasions give the surf a wide berth, but the cross seas caused by sudden change of wind is where the danger lies. In fact a person needs experience to know the danger hours.