The election is not the only hotly-contested race tomorrow - an Opua underwater club is hoping to reclaim one of Northland's oldest, and oddest, sporting trophies after it was forced to pull out of last year's Russell to Paihia Snorkel-Scuba Race.
The annual event, a spring highlight on Northland's diving calendar, sees teams of six compete in a 3.5km relay race across the Veronica Channel towing a decoy duck as a baton. The first five competitors take turns to snorkel; the sixth swims the last 200m in scuba gear, then sprints up the beach at Paihia and downs a beer.
The race had been won seven times in a row by Port Valley Opua and the team had been training hard for an eighth victory last year when it was forced to pull out due to injury. The trophy went to Auckland's Wettie Young Guns.
The race starts in Russell at 9.20am (timed to coincide with the tides) tomorrow. The fastest teams are expected to arrive on Paihia Beach about 40 minutes later. Fourteen teams are expected to take part.
Meanwhile, a children's ice-breaker swim will take place at 9.20am at Paihia. Kids brave and hardy enough to retrieve blocks of ice from the sea will win prizes. The event, now in its 32nd year, will also feature a spearfishing competition with the biggest snapper, crayfish and kingfish speared by each team to be auctioned at Paihia's Village Green at 3.30pm. The proceeds will be split between Russell Radio, Bay of Islands Coastguard and the Paihia Fire Brigade.
