Stranger's idea puts festival on Internet

By Staff Reporter

What do a mystery hitch-hiker called Bob, the Internet, an English author called Steve Jarvis and the Waitaki Power Heritage Festival have in common?

Quite a lot, apparently.

Bob wandered into the Oamaru Visitors' Information Centre one day in November and said he would like to put the heritage festival programme on the Internet, which was agreed.

Unfortunately no-one at the Visitors' Information Centre can remember Bob's last name, but they do want to thank him, because as a result of his initiative, thousands of people have learned about the festival in New Zealand and over seas.

Oamaru's heritage festival then caught the attention of English author Steve Jarvis, who rang the information centre to say he would include the heritage festival in a new book on events around the world early next year.

"He phoned back quite excited, and said it was a really good event, worth a mention in the book. It will (be) published in the New Year and we will be ordering a copy," Tourism Waitaki spokesperson Nicholas Cowie said.

He said Mr Jarvis concentrated on "strange or crazy events" for his book and believed there were very few other heritage events like it in the world, although a lot of people in the United States and the United Kingdom participated in medieval banquets and fair days.

A little is known about Bob, because he was picked up hitch-hiking one day by Department of Conservation officer Dave Houston, and Mr Cowie remembers Bob as a fairly quiet, unassuming guy.

And if Bob is reading this, Mr Cowie would like to meet you again - and this time get your surname!