All Blacks Wellington parade

Not to be smug, but I did call it, that is winning the RWC 2011!

It was a close one, but in the end victory is ours.

We attended the All Blacks supporters parade in Wellington to a rapturous crowd.

Andrew Hore

Jerome Kaino & Hosea Gear

Jerome Kaino, Hosea Gear, Ali Williams

Keven Mealamu

Brad Thorn

Richard Kahui

Steve Hansen

Stephen Donald 

Brad Thorn, Wayne Smith, Richie McCaw & The Webb Ellis Cup

Well done our All Blacks.

RWC supporter car flags

Due to popular demand, this blog is all about flags.  Yes, truly.  More specifically, RWC supporter flags.

We went looking for New Zealand car flags at the Warehouse, sold out.
We went to every petrol station, sold out, or you could only get one with a Mastercard (BP Connect Stations)
We went to New World supermarkets, sold out, but had car side mirror covers, good but not fluttery enough.
We scrolled through the internet, no joy.
We went to $2 shops, who had some, but they weren't hemmed, and quickly frayed so might not last as long at the Rugby World Cup.  Not good enough.

But now we have The Flag Shop, right here in Thorndon, Wellington.

See their website here.

The Flag Shop are selling car flags at $9.95 and you can collect them in Thorndon.

New Zealand - Car Flag $9.95

Click to enlarge 30 x 45 cm Car Flag of New Zealand Made from fully hemmed 100% screenprinted Super-polyester with plastic attachment for fixing to your car window. Flag flies as you drive along. SHOULD NOT BE USED FOR DRIVING ABOVE 70KM/H Postage prices are more due to size of plastic mast.

They also have car flags for the following countries:

Argentina
Australia
Canada
England
France
Scotland
South Africa
USA
Wales

The Flag shop also have bunting flags, desktop flags, banners, mast flags, etc.

So, what are you waiting for?  Show us your patriotism!

Spring Festival at Botanical Gardens

The Wellington Botanic Gardens have their Spring Festival on this weekend.

The tulips have survived the icy hail stones in the week and are about to show us all their glory.

SPRING FESTIVAL

17 September - 2 October 2011

This two-week festival has more than 30 events, with highlights including:

▪ Otari open day and plant sale on Saturday 17 September

▪ Tulip Sunday in the Botanic Garden on 25 September.

This year we've designed the Botanic Garden's renowned tulip beds to pay tribute to the overseas teams playing in Wellington for Rugby World Cup 2011. The planting's been done so that the flower colours will represent teams' national flags.

you can download the festival guide here:

Spring Festival 2011 programme 

The duck pond

The magnificent flowering Magnolia tree

The surviving tulips of the icy week

Flax ball at entry

Daisies

Waterfront Fan Zone

Fan Zone Central on Wellington Waterfront:

Kiwi short films screened every night from 5-10pm

What we like for 5.9 − 11.9.11

Let's not beat around the bush any longer.

There is nothing else on this week - it's all about the rugby.  The Rugby World Cup (RWC) to be precise.

There is talk of rugby everywhere you turn, flag bunting hoisted outside shop fronts and houses and there is a thick air of anticipation.  What will people think about NZ?  What if they get stuck behind a caravan on SH1 or even worse get a bad coffee?  Heaven forbid.  But, really the thick air of anticipation is not because of the state of our roads or coffee, but whether the All Blacks will win at home!

I can answer that, I have just read The Dominion Posts RWC 2011 guide to the biggest event in NZ (on sale today).  Non Kiwis look away now if you don't want the result spoiled for you.  WE WIN!

Ok, so that is THAT sorted.  Now, let's relax, enjoy the party atmosphere, and get on with doing what we do best, play great rugby and afford our visitors the best hospitality anywhere in the world.

Most of the teams have arrived by now.  Scotland is the last team to arrive, arriving in Invercargill at 7.25pm tonight (7.9.11).

Friday 9th Sept at 7.30pm is the official opening of the RWC at Eden Park, Auckland.  This precedes the first game of the tournament between the All Blacks and Tonga at 8.30pm.  Tonga will follow the All Blacks haka with their own, and then the games commence.

Whilst you are out and about, pick yourself up a Wellington Region 2011 Festial guide map for the RWC.  Or, download it here:
Download the Festival Guide

You can also get a mobile guide:
m.WellingtonNZ.com from your mobile phone
or
text WELLINGTON to 315 and get the link sent to you.

Official RWC 2011 websites:
rugbyworldcup.com

Festival of Carnivale and Wellington information
WellingtonNZ2011.com

Wellington Official Tourism Websites:
WellingtonNZ.com

REAL NZ Festival
realnzfestival.com

GO THE ALL BLACKS