Nelson is NZ’s home of Rugby

As the signboard at the Nelson Boys College will inform you

here is the home of NZ Rugby, yes those mighty “All Blacks” can be traced

right back to here where the rugby game begun in New Zealand, in Nelson.

Back in ole blighty, it wasn’t up until a chap named William Webb Ellis came along

that anyone had given much thought to using your hands as much as your feet.

And the person who was responsible for bringing the game to New Zealand is below.

His name was Charles James Monro.

The first game didn’t actually take place at the college grounds as this painting depicts – it was first played at the Botanics Reserve, still there, just under the Centre of New Zealand monument.

After that it was generally accepted that Nelson Boys College was the home.

With the 2011 Rugby World Cup just around the corner you can imagine the level of interest and excitement locally with this sort of heritage.

Nelson Boys College has a great tradition of past greats, not all of them sporting like for example Ernest Rutherford who split the atom.

Reflecting some more of our towns heritage, two of the pool games featuring Italy will be played in Nelson, more than likely at Trafalgar Park.

In fact this event was celebrated last year at the birthday with 2 years to go by having the main street closed off for a “long lunch.”

Bring it on!

After that – what else

After visiting the 2010 NZ Volkswagen Nationals in the morning I had already planned the afternoon.

That was to head out Mapua way and to arrive long before the kick off at “12 noon.”


Then I happened to come across the traffic.

And let me tell you 5-10km per hour on a stretch that is used to 100km/hr ain’t much fun time-wise.  (turns out there was a reason for this - as according to reports in the Nelson Mail 15,000 people showed up to the 330+ stall Easter Fair at Mapua this year)


Twice before I had paid good money to go and see this group/band.

However the good news this time was that courtesy of Woollaston Estates Winery, they were performing locally, and for free!



As I hadn’t heard them for 6-9months I thought it was an ideal time to catch up.



Apparently the reason I hadn’t heard or seen them locally lately was because in 2009 they had performed 113 venues around the whole of New Zealand.

On both previous occasions and this one too, the reason that got me along was their “Eagles Tribute” show.

Simply because Paul Madsen (Madsen Promotions) and the band just do it so very very well.

Then he throws in a bit of Night Fever from the Bee Gees, amongst others.

Others like Neil Diamond.

And although I was so happy because it turned out all that traffic was going to the Easter Fair at Mapua......as the day when on…....more ……..and more folk showed up…....such that pretty soon the only space left was actually in the vineyard itself!

And from this photo you can partly visualise how far away we were from Nelson – not that far ………

 

– about 20-25minutes drive because yes, that there in the distance on the other side of the water/ocean, past the forestry lot on Rabbit Island middle of photo, is Nelson. A great way to spend an Easter Sunday if ever their was.

If you ever get the chance to see these guys, they have to be one of NZ’s best cover bands, ever…..and yes of course – the’re from Nelson..

Easter Weekend in Nelson

5th April 2010

It was originally conceived as the “peoples car.”

Yes I’m talking about the Volkswagen “Beetle.”

…..and yes ………

…it seemed that everywhere you looked………..

………..at the lights…….it was VW’s everywhere………

and some special ones too like ex Ambulances……

……………………ones in convoys…….you couldn’t miss them.

One of the highlights of the Easter meet was…………

……most certainly the public inspection day……..

(photo above was taken while more vehicles were still arriving….)

on Easter Sunday at Tahunanui Recreation Grounds …….

(seen this one above before? – look here)

where an Open Display was held …….

this Easter Weekend, celebrating the 2010 Volkswagen Nationals.

All manner of VW manufactured cars

single cab utes

dual cab utes

and vans…..

were on display…….

….along with some……..

more modern versions

there was also the throw-ins ………………..

from another German ……

…….car manufacturer …..

(albeit one with very close ties to this car company)

The camping theme was popular…….

…without a doubt

Others were trying…

hard just to make sure that……

the message about VW’s got out….

or how far they had travelled to be here.

But at the end of the day

it really belonged to one car,

the one and only…

….VW Beetle 

aka Herbie….

there were all sorts of examples

of these too. (don’t ask me what that is hanging off the drivers window?)

They were a bit lacking on the “equipment levels” of today

but served the purpose for which they were

conceived and constructed brilliantly.

If I had to pick a winner on the day - it was clear who was the biggest winner here…..………it was – NZ Plates!