One supporter going the whole nine yards, in Wanganui. When we first passed, a whole lot op people were outside partying. They also had a van painted to match the house.

Another quaint sign in a paddock created with fencing poles.

At the start – Spider Man and all.

Runners in the distance making their way up a hill.

The sign that Gerry is nearing is a permanent sign that the school kids created, warning motorist that they are approaching a school and should drive carefully.

A little girl supporting her mom all the way as dad drove the car further up the road every few kilometres.

Another hill to negotiate.

These chirpy bees livened up the atmosphere for all who were in the area. We recently attended the Rollar Derby held in Palmy and the Taranaki team are known as the The Taranaki Rollar Corps Rumble Bees. We were wondering if these two are part of the team?

A wet finish – just to keep one honest.

Frozen to the bone with the finish in the background.

Gerry, myself and Marianne, with Des and Henriette in the front seats.

The Rugby World Cup is in full swing, and it is great to see all the supporters’ flags and messages on houses, in paddocks and on cars. Everywhere you look there’s support for people’s favorite teams which in NZ is, of course, the All Blacks.

All the way, as we drove to New Plymouth on Saturday, evidence of the country’s commitment to the RWC is visible as the world cup fever casts its spell on everybody. There’s no escaping the mania that plays off all around us – tonnes and tonnes of little flags representing all the different countries are hanging from every shop and restaurant, while loads of cars are driving around with All Black flags stuck in their doors. The occasional Irish, England or South African flag can also be spotted, but the black flags are hard to miss. An article was even published, giving stats about the amount of extra petrol your car will be using with the drag of each flag sticking out from your window. Continue reading →