Students (from left) Sarah Maingay, Sigrid Davis, Courtenay
Clark and Phoebe Oetgen get friendly with Constable Jono
Airey outside the Captain Cook tavern. Photo by Stephen
Jaquiery.
The twice-yearly Cook-a-thon at the Captain Cook Tavern
in Dunedin was a colourful and fun affair yesterday, marred by
10 arrests for mostly disorderly behaviour offences later in
the afternoon.
More than 1000 students dressed in outfits from power
rangers, male fairies, a policeman in speedos to Oompa
Loompa's to celebrate the start of the University of Otago
second semester.
Hundreds queued for the 10am Cook-a-thon start, with about
500 in the tavern by noon, paying $25 for a T-shirt, jug of
beer and three meals during the day.
Those not wanting to queue set up parties in Clyde and Castle
Sts.
Two students in costume walking along Clyde St said they had
left the tavern for a few minutes to return to their flat for
"more booze".
Student Kaitlin VanBallekom (19) and her friends chose
Crayola Crayons as their dress-up theme for the event.
"We're here to put the colour into this party. It's going to
be one of the best days of our lives," she said.
Tavern bar manager Jaimie Tutbury said behaviour was
generally good, with full security in place to monitor the
tavern's three bars.
Minor disorder started about 8.30am as intoxicated people
made their way to the tavern, at the corner of Albany and
Great King Sts.
Senior Sergeant Craig Brown, of Dunedin, said the atmosphere
in and around the tavern was generally good.
About eight officers patrolled the area during the day.
The nine males and one female were arrested between 1.30pm
and 4.30pm for disorderly behaviour, breach of the inner-city
liquor ban and offensive language, he said.
Between 3.30pm and 4.30pm, no alcohol was served and no-one
was let into the tavern, to let people settle down, he said.
Staff at the Food Department, a cafe across the road, said
they were angry no portable toilets had been provided for the
Cook-a-thon patrons.
Those waiting in the queue for the tavern had been forced to
use the cafe's toilets, where they had created "quite a
mess", staff member Rebecca Johnston said.
"They are supplying beverages and they haven't given any
consideration to the businesses around them."
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