So far Labour Weekend has lived up to its promise with the sun out and throngs of happy holiday makers enjoying some well deserved time-out.
Many visitors have descended upon Gisborne to take part in events such as the annual Wine & Food Festival, the New Zealand Amateur Rock’n’Roll Senior Championships and the 204 kilometre Gwaloop Cycling Challenge.
For most, however, Labour weekend is a time to chill-out and relax with friends and family.
We see that Moko the friendly dolphin has made the national papers again and for many of our guests his antics has been the highlight of their stay.
We hope that Moko will be spending his Summer holidays in Gisborne.
The Dominion Post
By STACEY WOOD
24 October 2009
Moko the friendly dolphin is going to great lengths to keep his playmates – leaving a couple of surf ski riders up the river without a paddle.
Gisborne man John Allen snapped Moko making off with the paddle yesterday and said he was amazed at the mammal's dexterity.
"Every time they managed to get hold of it he'd start trying to knock them off their skis till they let go of it, then he'd grab it and disappear under the water for about 30 seconds, and then you'd see it come up on its end like that.
"He's obviously very intelligent."
Moko had been spending his time further up the East Coast in Tolaga Bay, but returned to Gisborne in the past week.
Mr Allen said he had seen Moko hanging out about a kilometre up the Waipaoa River, near the centre of town.
Mahia resident Bill Shortt said the dolphin's latest antics were totally in character. "He's got a brain very similar to ours, he can anticipate every move if you're reaching for a ball or a paddle, and if you get there before him he gets quite pippy."
One week when Moko was still lurking in Mahia, Mr Shortt had rescued three broken boogie boards, a rugby ball and three beach balls from his clutches.
Mr Shortt said there was no telling where Moko would spend the summer holidays, but he hoped to see him again. "I do miss him, we used to sit here at night, and there's a big yellow marker buoy ... and when everyone took off from the beach he'd come down outside our place and he'd clear it, he'd jump five, six metres in the air."
Conservation Department officials have warned people against playing with Moko now he is fully-grown, but that has not dulled public fascination.
This week Moko delivered a near record-weight snapper to a pair of Gisborne boaties, Mr Allen said. "It was a trophy fish, like a 12-kilogram snapper – the club record is 13kg. "They took it home and ate it."
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