Plenty of major sporting events on the eastern seaboard of the Far North over Labour Weekend attracted large numbers to the region.
It all began in Russell from Friday afternoon of course, as the Coastal Classic forerunners cruised into town. The tailgunners in the annual Auckland to Russell yacht race were arriving on Saturday morning pretty much at the same time as the Tokerau Beach family fun run was getting underway on the Karikari Peninsula.
The east side continued to be the focus for weekend sport on Sunday with a coast-to-coast bike ride running from Taipa to Waipapakauri taking place in the morning, while the opening of the Far North speedway season and the weigh in at the Karikari fire brigade's annual fishing contest were held in the afternoon.
To describe the Taipa Speedway opening day for the 2012/13 season as inauspicious would be a bit of an understatement although the diehards who did show up - to officially begin the first day of motorsport north of Auckland for the summer season - put the small turnout down to the weather as rain and wind lashed the region (although it wasn't really cold). Even the box office was unattended but stalwart Carole Teixeira was there, chain smoking, filming, reporting, commenting, organising, calling certain shots, lending cars, talking shop, networking and racing; all while displaying her usual positive outlook.
The speedway would have been packing up as the final weigh in and prize giving was getting underway for the 27th anniversary of the annual fishing competition at Whatuwhiwhi. A large and laidback crowd began to assemble at the local fire station under gloomy skies, with most seemingly happy just to be killing time on Labour Weekend Sunday. The best conditions for the 24 hour contest had been on Saturday afternoon when it was sunny and warm northerly winds slowly and gently strengthened over a low, glassy swell. The weather eventually packed up leaving one visiting angler from Auckland to bemoan how poor the fishing had been on the second day; his crew only caught one kahawai in two runs using a torpedo armed with 50 hooks each time.
Enjoying better luck was Jezz Knight who applied local knowledge to catch a snapper over 8kg from a boat at a relatively sheltered spot on Sunday but eventually not enough to secure the first place prize of $500 cash (won by local Adrian McCormick with a 9.4kg fish). And while no kingfish were caught and the overall numbers of fish at the weigh in were down, some impressive specimens meant the average weight of 3.5kg was up at least one kilo up on the previous year.
Knight also won one of the many spot prizes and had - along with Paul Warrender - donated two coffee tables made out of recycled rimu for one of the major lucky draw prizes. Which kind of made the local builder a fine example of how really community-orientated this event was. Cash and product prizes are as much contributed by locals as outside organisations, the proceeds are distributed back into various projects chosen by organisers, and a kitty was even passed around at the prizegiving to help the family whose house was set alight on Saturday night.
"That's what it's all about," said Knight of the contest.
"Last year I overheard a couple of Auckland guys asking, 'how are these guys putting in all this money to organise the comp?' Well, it keeps the community going and it generates back to us. It's all about swings and roundabouts."
When a big scream in the background suddenly interrupted his flow conversation yesterday morning, Knight explained that one of his weekend guests had just had a huhu bug chucked in her sleeping bag. Suggesting it was time for all the long weekend visitors to the Far North to pack up and head home.