Cavalcade 'all go' at this stage

Denis Aitken, of Outram, at his Woodside property yesterday, celebrates news the cavalcade will...
Denis Aitken, of Outram, at his Woodside property yesterday, celebrates news the cavalcade will go ahead. Photos by Peter McIntosh/Leith Huffadine.
Cavalcade organiser Terry Davis  welcomes  the rain in Cromwell.
Cavalcade organiser Terry Davis welcomes the rain in Cromwell.

The rain has fallen, the call has been made, and the Otago Goldfields Cavalcade will ride on.

Rainfall and cool temperatures last week and forecasts for similar weather to come have allowed the organisers to go ahead with preparation for the event.

Organiser Terry Davis, of Cromwell, said the short story was ''the cavalcade is all go'' but 12 days before the first three trails headed off he was having to ''keep an eye on the dry''.

''Once again the weather forecast is encouraging. Given that last week's weather played out as predicted, I have hope that the forecast for the coming fortnight will also be accurate.''

The predicted conditions would help alleviate the fire risk where the cavalcade travelled.

''It's a very rare thing, but a wonderful thing, that February will be cooler and damper than January.''

He had committed to the event happening and had rented items such as satellite phones and had caterers buying food.

A trail boss for the cavalcade had contacted farmers on his route, from Kyeburn to Outram, who were ''OK'' with the event going ahead, but did not want it any drier.

Three days of temperatures above 30degC and northwesterly winds would create ''serious risk''.

''It's still a theoretical possibility it could be cancelled.''

The host at the final stop, the Outram Cavalcade Committee, was happy with the news it was to go ahead.

Committee chairman Denis Aitken said preparations could now continue for hosting the end of the cavalcade on February 28.

''We've been in a holding pattern for 10 days.''

The committee had continued organising but had stopped spending money until a decision was made.

''We'll fly into it now and everything will happen as we've got planned.''

More rain and then sunny weather when the cavalcade arrived in Outram would be good, he said.

''A couple of inches of rain between now and then will be fine. We look forward to a good day but we are going ahead rain, hail or shine.''

Mr Davis said cavalcade participants would travel through the Kakanui Mountains, the Nenthorn Valley, past Lake Mahinerangi and other areas in Otago.

''There's going to be a lot of rocks, a lot of tussock and not much grass.''

The nine trails which comprised the cavalcade would meet at Outram on February 28 for a parade and market day at the town's rugby grounds, followed by a hoedown, to which members of the public were invited.

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