Canada geese are famous for their ability to migrate thousands of miles but it is a different group of Canadians who make an annual trip to the Bay of Plenty.
Every year, starting around December, a large group of Canadians travel here to escape their harsh winter. Many are casual
golfers who become seasonal members of the Omanu and Mount Maunganui Golf Clubs, and a core group decided 12 years ago to organise a golf tournament hosted by them, and played the second Monday of February.
Since then the Canomu Golf Tournament has grown to a playing field of more than 110 players with 114 in action in this year's event held yesterday at Omanu.
"It is a fun and casual tournament, and the goal of the event is simply to have a lot of laughs and great camaraderie," said the Canadian tournament organiser Ed Klassen.
"This is simply a way of saying thank you to the many local Kiwi residents and golfers for taking such great care of us. It seems that Canadians and New Zealanders have a lot in common, and we very much appreciate the warm hospitality that is shown to us.