The chaotic and watery finish line of the Waipawa Duck Day on Saturday. Photo / Kiri Kirk
The chaotic and watery finish line of the Waipawa Duck Day on Saturday. Photo / Kiri Kirk
Thousands turned out last Saturday for a sunny and family-friendly Waipawa Spring Festival - aka Duck Day.
You had to be there early to get a parking space within waddling distance, and patience was a must with the queue for the ATM in the main street stretching for tens ofmetres. But the stallholders at Nellie Jull Park did a roaring trade and shops in High St were open and buzzing.
Organiser Mark Drake selling ducks like hot cakes.
One food truck owner, who attends every year, said his sales were double, as hungry punters fuelled up for the trek around the many stalls and entertainments.
One festival fan said this year was the “best ever” while organisers said the Corporate Duck Competition had a record number of entries. River levels hadn’t allowed for a channel to be dug this year so the Corporate Duck Race was done by a draw ... with Waipawa School’s Cleoquacktra winning a $100 New World voucher donated by Stephensons Transport.
The winner of the Corporate Duck public vote was Britton Housemovers.
The colourful and record-breaking line-up of corporate ducks.
First across the line in the Duck Race was number 6, belonging to Pet Thompson, number 805 owned by Pat Hastings was a close second, while 1266 with owner Julie Wallace was third by a beak. Sue Fargher’s duck number 342 was late out of the gates, lost its way and finished last.
Prize winners can claim their winnings at Kingfisher Gifts, High St Waipawa.
During the running of the duck race several ducks were spooked, threw their jockeys and ran off course. Some are still missing so if any ducks followed anyone home, they can be returned to Kingfisher Gifts or Waipawa Fish Supply.
Thousands of people turned out to enjoy the Spring Fling event.
Organisers want to thank everyone that helped make the Waipawa Spring Festival a success.
“Thank you to our stall holders and our buskers. Thank you to all our corporates who entered their ducks and to our race organisers who went above and beyond, and to Waipawa United Men’s Rugby for helping with the duck collection. Finally a huge thank you to our sponsors/ stall holders for spot prizes and Central Hawke’s Bay Council for our Community Vibrancy Funding - CHB and Waipawa was certainly vibrant on Saturday.”
Duck Day may be done for the year but the Duck Day fundraising efforts aren’t, as an art auction thanks to the Napier City Art Club is still under way. Visit the Waipawa Spring Festival AKA “DUCK DAY” Facebook page for details.
Stallholders did a roaring trade.
The Waipawa Spring Festival is part of CHB’s annual Spring Fling, which continues with the Ōmakere Coastal Hill Country Walk on October 28, a 17km loop across rolling and steep coastal farmland, with front-row views of the ocean and a homemade lunch, tea and coffee included, by Ōmakere School.
The last two events, Brews and BBQ at the Coles Factory in Ongaonga and Picnic in the Peonies at Tikokino Peonies are sold out, so look out for next year’s Spring Fling and get in fast.
