Bit of a lie-down works for Louie

Wanaka's Bullock Creek was a sea of yellow rubber ducks as 1500 were dumped into the water at the top of Dungarvon St at the start of the Rotary Wanaka annual duck race. Photos: Kerrie Waterworth
Wanaka's Bullock Creek was a sea of yellow rubber ducks as 1500 were dumped into the water at the top of Dungarvon St at the start of the Rotary Wanaka annual duck race. Photos: Kerrie Waterworth

It took a week of preparation but it was worth it for Harcourts Property Management when its sponsored rubber duck ''Louie'' came first in Rotary Club of Wanaka's inaugural corporate duck race on Saturday.

Harcourts Property Management owner Anne Moffat said the team purchased and named Louie four weeks ago and at the start of last week gave him an all-over blue spray tan before applying his ''very corporate'' stripes.

She said the team were ''a bit worried'' about Louie, as he ''looked a bit tired'' when he crossed the finish line at Dinosaur Park.

From the start of the race at the top of Dungarvon St, ''he was on his side most of the way but he did right himself once during the race but then he went back on his side again''.

''Maybe that was the secret [to winning], not as much resistance,'' she said.

The team won a $750 New World voucher and Louie would go on display at work, she said.

Harcourts property management team members and supporters with their duck Louie, the winner of the first ever Rotary Wanaka corporate-sponsored fundraising duck race. (From left) Anne Moffat, Megan Paterson, Ben Paterson (3), Lisa Prince, Riley Prince (4)
Harcourts property management team members and supporters with their duck Louie, the winner of the first ever Rotary Wanaka corporate-sponsored fundraising duck race. (From left) Anne Moffat, Megan Paterson, Ben Paterson (3), Lisa Prince, Riley Prince ...

Rotary Wanaka fundraising director Ken Goldfinch said they had had a ''great response'' to the first ever corporate duck race, with 54 Wanaka businesses each paying $50 for a large duck they could decorate with their branding colours and logos and keep at the end of the race.

The traditional annual duck race followed, with tickets selling ''up to the second'' before the digger tipped 1500 rubber ducks into Bullock Creek to float over the same course.

Mr Goldfinch said this was one of Rotary Wanaka's big fundraising events. All money raised would go to the Glendhu Bay boat ramp and barbecue facilities.

kerrie.waterworth@odt.co.nz

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