In Johanna’s World celebrations began when visitors were called by the Norseman Jamie Hughes on his horn and Norsewood School students sang the Norwegian national anthem.
In Johanna’s World celebrations began when visitors were called by the Norseman Jamie Hughes on his horn and Norsewood School students sang the Norwegian national anthem.
The small Tararua District town of Norsewood hosted Norway Day on May 19, just two days after Norway’s Constitution Day.
A small hard-working committee of five - John Ellison, Eva Renbjor, Birgitta Rolston, Bill Gunderson and Anne Marie Kist plus a group of volunteers ran the traditional programme, Birgitta guiding the large group of visitors from event to event and John Ellison as the speaker at the venue.
Mayor Tracey Collis and Eva Renbjor raised the Norwegian flag.
Guest singer-songwriter Hanne Jostensen from Wellington opened the celebration at the traditional village Johanna’s World, singing a Norwegian welcome from the steps of its church.
Norsewood School Choir led the march down the main street to the memorial oak tree planted to celebrate Norsewood’s 75th year.
Below, at the flag pole was a group of 20 Norsewood School students who sang the Norwegian national anthem as Tararua District Mayor Tracey Collis and committee member Eva Renbjor raised the New Zealand flag.
John Ellison and Birgitta Rolston showed samples of native timbers which were the livelihood of the village in the early days.
After a parade down Norsewood’s main street to the Memorial Oak, John Ellison described the tough early days when children had to walk up to 5km on muddy tracks to school and could be easily lost in the bush. He displayed samples of the rimu, totara and matai timber with which the settlers earned their living
Eva Renbjor with Norwegian friend Ellinor Blikshaun, now resident in Napier and a regular visitor to Norway Day.
After memorial flowers were placed, the children led the way back to their school where they sang the New Zealand national anthem and the flag was raised.
There was entertainment - Scandinavian dances from Country Kids Kindergarten and the Norsewood School pupils, continuing a 50-year tradition.
Some of the winners and placegetters of the cooking competition with their certificates.
The festivities continued with judging of the cooking competition: savouries and sweets created by locals were judged, then added to a free, shared lunch served by the Norsewood Lions Club.
The special part of the shared lunch was the competition entries.
In Lower Norsewood a market ran throughout the event, selling everything from jewellery to fragrances, clothing to woodcraft and garden tools to sweets, while across the road a post-lunch concert filled the seats at The Old Dairy Factory.
Sweet: Connor Domper, apple cinnamon cake 1; Linda Cheeseman, Blueberry Brownie 2; Sigurd and Phoebe, kranse kake 3.
Dave Murdoch is a part-time photo-journalist based in Dannevirke. For the last 11 years he has covered any community story telling good news about the district.
