Jousting on Northland beach
Jousting isn't a sport you hear of often in Northland, but on Saturday Ahipara hosted a demonstration.
While details of the exact venue were yet to be confirmed, the visiting jousters hoped to put on a re-enactment of the medieval sport somewhere along Foreshore Rd _ and hopefully on the beach itself _ at the southern end of the Far North hamlet.
The visiting group of medieval equestrian martial artists arrived in the area last week, with several having just competed at an international jousting tournament in Wellington, the Grail of Chivalry, in Upper Hutt.
The plan was to spend several days riding and swimming in the area before putting on their demo to promote the sport.
Spokeswoman Vikki Subritzky, of Whangarei, estimated there would be six trucks, several horses and about four jousting knights, as well as extra riders and support crew coming to the hamlet.
The jousting exponents require an area of about 70m x 30m to strut their stuff.
As well as putting on several jousts, the group will also show mounted combat, spear throwing and various other ``skill at arms'' exercises before the jousting.
