Opua's dog swimming champs
Every dog had its day in Opua on Saturday when the highlight of the town’s annual regatta was a series of canine swimming races. The event is the main fundraiser of the year for Opua School and featured, apart from swimming dogs and humans, a kids’ fishing contest, kai, children’s activities, mini ambulance rides and market stalls while the cruising club hosted kayak and sailing races. The event has been running since the 1980s and was held for the second year at Opua Wharf instead of the former venue at the beach in front of the community hall. Money raised will go towards a set of exercise stations for school and public use. This year’s champion swimmer in the small dog category was Rosie (a jack russell owned by Hunter Kay, 8, of Opua); medium dog: Abby (chocolate lab, owner Jackson Brittain, 11, Haruru Falls); and big dog: InkOH (German shepherd, owner Paitangi Ostick, Waitangi). Photos by Peter de Graaf.
Image 1 of 10: Six-year-old Amy Romeyn of Opua pops out of a lucky dip tunnel. PHOTO / PETER DE GRAAF
