It was an exciting time for Pawa the duck as she paddled her way upstream to
the Hastings Blossom Festival last weekend.
Hastings Mayor, Lawrence Yule,
took time to pose with Pawa,
and stated that he was not
embarrassed to be seen
with a big yellow duck,
and that he couldn’t
understand what all the
fuss was about.
Over 20,000 people turned out to line the streets as the floats, dancers and
clowns made their way past, and Pawa was made to be felt welcome.
At three different places around the parade commentators undertook an informal
survey as to whether Pawa should be allowed back on Waipawa’s main street
and the applause and cheering was quite deafening according to the duck-minders
who accompanied her around the streets.
“It was an awesome day,” Jan Gosling, who readied Pawa for the
parade and accompanied her around the streets, said, “The reaction to
Pawa from the crowds was just amazing. It cements in my mind even more the appeal
to of a yellow duck. People were just so positive and it really put Waipawa
to the fore.”
Otane sound man for “Pawa” the duck Robin Barker said, “When
people saw Pawa coming around the corner, the look on their faces went from
astonishment to delight.”
