A Sleepless Train Ride to and from Wellington for the Sports Convention

2025
  • Deaf Clubs
  • Deaf Sports
In 1972, Kevin played basketball for the Auckland Deaf Society at the Deaf Sports Convention in Wellington, where the team took home the Cunniffe Cup. The Auckland group travelled by overnight train, with one carriage packed full of Deaf people. Sleep was scarce with constant chatting and playing with the lights. Alcohol was banned on trains at the time, but on the return trip on Monday night, a friend met them at Paekākāriki and dropped off a crate, which they secretly brought into the carriage!
HomeNZSL StoriesA Sleepless Train Ride to and from Wellington for the Sports Convention

In 1972, Kevin played basketball for the Auckland Deaf Society at the Deaf Sports Convention in Wellington, where the team took home the Cunniffe Cup. The Auckland group travelled by overnight train, with one carriage packed full of Deaf people. Sleep was scarce with constant chatting and playing with the lights. Alcohol was banned on trains at the time, but on the return trip on Monday night, a friend met them at Paekākāriki and dropped off a crate, which they secretly brought into the carriage!

No one has been tagged in this video. Can you identify anyone? Click here.

Taonga source:
Kevin Pivac
Reference number:
SignDNA – Deaf National Archive New Zealand, KPADS-04-STO25
Note:
This item has been compressed and/or edited.