Music and memories at Awanui

FIRST INSTALMENT: Anita Harold enjoying an early taste of Kangaroa author Kaye Dragicevich's current work in progress, a history of the Far North's Dalmation pioneers.

Music, all manner of stalls and enough food to feed an army all played their part in Saturday's 2014 Awanui Day, but once again it was the memories that attracted many people.

They included Denny Wilson, who contributed a scrapbook he had begun compiling as a child to the display of memorabilia and photographs, using an Archibald and Sons ledger book he found at the dump, then opposite Kaitaia College, in 1944.

He proceeded to fill the pages with rugby and cricket newspaper clippings, and the odd joke, although he said he only got serious about adding to the record when he began playing rugby himself.

"It must have cost my mother a fortune in paste," he said.

Kaingaroa author Kaye Dragicevich also contributed once again, this time with an early taste of her latest work in progress, a history of the Far North's Dalmatian pioneers.

Other highlights included the 20th running of the Trip to the Top (Triple T) motorcycle excursion to to Cape Reinga, line dancing and a variety of competitions, but those who were late showing up missed out on the best of the tucker. Many of those stalls had all but sold out by early afternoon, although by then most of those who had supported the day had headed off somewhere else, and things had quietened down considerably.

The day also featured the selling of Awanui Day passports, which, in exchange for $5, gave the bearer the right to pass freely and without hindrance, and to receive assistance and protection as may have been necessary, by order of the Governor-General and Commander in Chief in and over Awanui.

The annual celebration is organised by Awanui Progressive and Ratepayers Inc, which spares no effort to involve the entire community in all that it does. Meetings, on the first Wednesday of the month, are open to all local residents and business people, chairman Bill Subritzky saying they provided the perfect opportunity to plan, implement, change and continue on a path that honoured the community's rich pioneer heritage, strengthen community spirit and cement the town's importance as the gateway to the true Far North.

The organisation had been formed under the guidance and direction of Tony Brljevich, and had immediately begun implementing a town development plan that later included management of the Unahi wharf, the health of the Awanui River, street lighting and paving, road development and on-going beautification programmes.