Community marks the passing of a legend

Tomorrow marks the 50th anniversary of the death of Opo "the friendly dolphin" whose legendary status hasn't waned over half a century.
Next month the small community of Opononi will celebrate the life and times of its famous dolphin during a gala event on the foreshore.
Opo was a bottlenose dolphin that arrived in the Hokianga Harbour in 1955 and became famous for her fearless contact with humans.
Every day during the summer of 1955 and 1956 the dolphin played among swimmers at Opononi beach, letting children ride on her back and performing for the crowds.
Opo would toss balls and beer bottles from her nose and catch them again, leap into rings made by children holding hands and was smart enough to stay clear of anyone who played rough.
One local who remembers that magical summer is former policeman, now Opononi publican, Ian Leigh-McKenzie.
"Most of the kids around my age went and played with her and most of the locals who were here then remember her," he said.
Mr Leigh-McKenzie and his schoolmates had daily experiences of Opo's antics due to the local Pakanae School being closed for renovations. School was temporarily relocated to the Opononi Hall, directly across the road from the beach.
"We could go swimming every lunchtime and that's when we mainly played with Opo."
Sadly, Opo died at the end of that magical summer.
She was found dead at nearby Kouto on the very day a government order protecting dolphins was due to become law.
It is widely believed she was killed by a blast of dynamite illegally used for fishing.
The Hokianga Museum at Omapere and the Opononi Resort Hotel is displaying a few photographs by renowned New Zealand artist and one-time Hokianga resident Eric Lee-Johnston captured during Opo's stay.
A larger display of Lee-Johnston's work, Shadow on the Land Te Hokianga, is showing at Whangarei Art Museum.
The memorial gala at Opononi on April 1 will include waka ama, stalls, performances and displays of Opo-memorabilia.