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A Weekend At The NZ Rugby Sevens – 2018

Have you ever wondered why there is such a desire by folks go to a Rugby Sevens Tournament? It’s always been a mystery to me. After all, I’ve been to a few rugby games over the years and I’ve always found that the two or three hours pass and it’s just another game of rugby.

I’m now prepared to have a different view on this.

The Sevens have got their own unique buzz that can’t be found at any other time or place. These tournaments consist of two consecutive days of around ten hours where you’re mixing with crowds of punters – in varying stages of increasing inebriation, weird and wonderful costumes, expensive food and of course, the weather – be it rain, hail or sunshine. And to add to the pleasure, you spend hours each day moulding your bum into a numb moon-shaped human frisbee from those hard, unforgiving plastic seats.

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7 “Firsts” from our Visit to Perth: and a Couple of Jaw Droppers

Holidays and travel should be a time of firsts” and our trip to Perth was no exception.

Some people have “firsts” of a magnitude that Teddy and I could never achieve (and frankly, nor would we want to), such as climbing to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, or maybe something slightly more subdued yet achievable, like a ‘stroll’ along the Great Wall of China or arching to kiss the Blarney Stone in Ireland.

Our “firsts” are unlikely to appear in any famous bucket lists, but for Teddy, whose life is a chronicle of well-photographed milestones, our journey will become etched into his memory. 

 So, as we start out braving the 30o plus temperatures here is our list of Perth “firsts”:

1:  The Big Dry in 36o Temperatures

 Our first and lasting impression of Perth was the parched landscape.

Not only was the air dry, but so was everything that I associate with the colour green. Brown wisps of vegetation marched like grass imposters across the lawns, verges lay unkempt and vast parklands find little relief from the fringes of protecting gum trees.

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To B&B or not to B&B? That is the Question.

Making the move from motel/hotel accommodation to a B&B was a decision I didn’t make lightly. But I did, and I am glad. Would I do it again? Definitely!!

Rain on the plane’s windows speckled the view of Nelson’s water-soaked tarmac. But Nelson is supposed to be sunny, I hear you say. Doesn’t it have the highest number of sunshine hours per year across New Zealand?  That maybe so, but that’s not the welcome that greeted Teddy & Me today. Our plane was forced to circle for a few minutes while the a backlog of flights negotiated the misty conditions. We touched down with no drama and only a few minutes later than scheduled. And the rain persisted. 

But it’s only water. And water will dampen the air but it takes more than a few raindrops to dampen our spirits. We didn’t come all the way from Auckland for the rugby just to be wussy about the weather. On the other hand however, I was still a tad tentative about my decision to book a B&B for our two-day stay.

Collingwood Manor – A Grand Old Lady

I discovered this B&B by accident as I was looking to book some weekend accommodation. We wanted something close to Nelson’s Trafalgar Park as that’s where the rugby was to be played. Collingwood Manor was the closest to the Park that offered excellent overnight rates. But I’d never stayed in a B&B before and I had no idea what to expect.

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