Fifty-Mile Walk

When President Kennedy said that every Marine should be able to walk 50 miles in 20 hours, he pained a lot of people, and their feet! All over the world soldiers and students were blistering their feet in 50 mile walks, Inevitably, the craze came to Gisborne with the organisation of a walk from Trafford's Hill to the Post Office in Gladstone Road, Thirteen members of the Gisborne Youth Hoatel Association started the walk at 2 a.m. and 15 hours later the ninth and last person completed it. Some of them stopped several times for two or three minutes only, while others had one longer stop for a meal, Pulled Muscles and blisters caused the other four to drop out after they had achieved over 30 miles in very good time. The only female walker was 16-year-old Janice Fenton who completed the course shortly after six p.m.

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Tony Burns, David Bacon, Roger Fenton, Reese Pearson and Jim Siriet on the flats

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Arthur Norgrove, Janice Fenton and Bill Armstrong, approaching Te Karaka, appear quite fresh

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There was unexpected refreshment for this party when they reached the Lavenham road. Gary Hyde gave them iceblocks and water on the march.