Being in the local restaurant business we get to know the locals and hear the chat and what’s on people’s minds. Over the past months of course all we heard was rugby rugby, rugby, (including the minority who came to the restaurant to get away from the rugby)
A hot topic was lack of participation by the Tauranga City Council and the financial cost and downturn the World Cup had bought to our area. There was sheer disappointment at Tauranga’s lack of atmosphere downtown. But would the Tauranga people have got up and left their flat screens and headed down to a city party, where it would have been hard to concentrate on those very important games? It’s all speculation and conjecture now anyway.
The enthusiasm about how much the World Cup would do for Tauranga turned out to be just spin. Was it that we didn’t get into gear again and promote to the travellers of the world what Tauranga has to offer, or was it that it was never going to be big for Tauranga because the Rugby World Cup was only about where the games were played. People seemed to tire of it, and couldn’t wait for it to be over. It was a long time where it seemed life went on hold, yet we still wanted Ritchie winning it for us all and holding the cup up high.
Such a proud country though and New Zealand got in behind their Men and they won! Congratulations to everyone who waved their flag for the All Blacks in some small or major way. It was a national effort.
New Zealand hosted the cup well in the end but the earlier critics and over the transport for the opening did make us all nervous.
What price did holding the cup in New Zealand have on our local economy? That depends on who one talks to.
Many people in business in Tauranga say it hurt local business but it did put New Zealand on the world stage for a solid time. In the future if our tourism heads do it right we will get many more tourists here.
Then along comes the unwanted news about Rena. She also put us on the world stage, and as sad and awful as it maybe, there will hopefully be some positive results come out of this. Maybe people will want to come and see the beautiful coastline that has been beamed around the world. Maybe some clever entrepreneur will run trips out to the reef bringing tourists here, who knows? As long as red tape and political interference doesn’t get in the way we could win out of this huge loss.
The Rena news was horrific to all the local people. Messages of sympathy came from friends and family from around the rest of NZ and the world, on peoples social media accounts, emails etc. Stories of how each individual were being affected were everywhere. The community are still sharing the latest Rena news over coffee or dinner and passing in the street and there is huge relief that the crisis is now basically under control, as we head into the next faze of getting the containers off.
It was and is amazing how our local people came together to clean up - such a painstaking job but dedicated people, so generous with their time and so passionate about getting things back to normal. We saw true kiwi ‘can do’ attitudes when it was needed. We heard of a holiday maker from Wellington joined the Matua group for a day to help clean up the Matua coastline, which is a fine example of how New Zealanders respect and love this country and this area. There are so many very decent people in the Tauranga community. Most live here for the beauty and lifestyle that they want to enjoy and live with everyday.
The election is so close yet it seems to be passing by with little discussion, it’s almost an anti climax around here in Cherrywood. The Matua community group hosted a candidates meeting without the local Member of Parliament and National candidate present. Some say “He had other commitments” others say ‘He will get in so he doesn’t need to worry’ or “He was arrogant” I doubt if it will make much difference to the outcome on voting day. The days of packed halls to hear candidates seem to be few and far between as the media bring the campaigning into the privacy of our own home and now that the New Zealand First leader isn’t based or standing in Tauranga very few election stories are being beamed from here.
Some vote for candidates based on a lot of spin or in some cases, how wavy and glossy a candidates hair is. As long as our local Member of Parliament, who ever that will be, becomes the Minister of Tourism, I will be happy.(
