Indoor picnic keeps teddies dry

Out-of-towners Hoa and Mark Davis get comfortable on the Invercargill Workingmen’s Club floor with their baby son, Emil for the Teddy Bear’s Picnic.

They brought a blanket and joined about 150 other families who had come to enjoy free children’s games, face painting and a magic show.

Invercargill Plunket moved the picnic to the Workingmen’s Club from the Queen’s Park Rotunda after wet conditions forced organisers to hold the long-standing event indoors.

This was the first time in 14 years that the picnic had been relocated to an indoor venue.

Invercargill Plunket community services co-ordinator Judy Cook said she was delighted by the turnout and was grateful to the volunteers from the Invercargill Public Library and Aurora College for their help.

"It’s turned out better than we thought, despite the rain," Mrs Cook said.