Where's Nelly Rugby World Cup Tour: And Finally

Where's Nelly Rugby World Cup Tour: And Finally: Thousands of expectant All Blacks fans snaked their way along the ingenious fan trail to Eden Park already celebrating a World Cup Final vic...

And Finally

Thousands of expectant All Blacks fans snaked their way along the ingenious fan trail to Eden Park already celebrating a World Cup Final victory. Three hours later the mood was one of relief as the best team in the competition very nearly got mugged by the enigmatic French who very nearly pulled off a brilliant win. Jeepers that was close!!

It seemed fitting to me that the hosts  should be rewarded for putting on such a great show and embracing every single fan from every country in such a friendly and enthusiastic way. The world stopped for seven weeks in NZ and when the fireworks lit up the Auckland sky and Richie McCaw lifted the Webb Ellis trophy surely nobody could begrudge them their first win in 24 years. Brilliant.

The final week of Where's Nelly saw us almost blown away at Cape Reinga, hugging the great Kauri trees in the north, dolphin spotting in the Bay of Islands and getting very emotional watching a quite fantastic Dame Kiri Te Kanawa on the eve of the final.

We finally finished the Owzthat cricket at 5-30 am in Auckland Airport with the W Indies winning a closely fought game by two wickets. England 356 and 280, West Indies 442 and 195 for 8. Man of the match Bacchus. 

The Match Prediction game was won by Martha on 245 with John on 229 and Greg on 215. Michelle receiving the trophy on Martha's behalf at an emotional awards ceremony in Paula's bedroom skyped live to Loughborough University.

We have loved flying the 'Where's Nelly' flag all over NZ but couldn't resist a 'Best of' to finish what has been a quite brilliant trip.

Best Anything- Rugby on the beach in Dunedin
Best Fans- Argentina and France
Best Team not to make the last 8- Samoa
Best Player- Ma 'a Nonu NZ
Best Beach- Lonely Bay in the Coromandel
Best Place- Lake Waikaremoana
Best View- From the top of Cecils Peak in Queenstown
Best Drive- Rotorua to Waikaremoana along 'certain death' gravel road
Best Campsite- Te Anua. Like a Hotel
Best Cafe- Rhythm Cafe in Mairangi Bay
Best Tourist attraction- Doubtful Sound boat trip. Awesome
Best Stadium- Otago Stadium in Dunedin
Most Surprising- How bad the damage is in Christchurch and yet how positive everyone remains.
Most disappointing- England
Champagne Moment- Running down the giant sand dunes with Greg."Come on Sarge"
Most Hospitable- Michelle. You were brilliant thanks.
Funniest Moment- Auckland Zoo watching two parrots mating and Greg says "I bet she's had a Cockatoo"
Nominations were also received for - The Radios, Hoodies, Flag, Pirates Rugby Club in Dunedin, Owzthat in the van, Skiing, Helicopter flight and  Kayaking near a fin in the water at Ohope Bay.

And finally thanks to our friends Greg and Paula who we loved spending the last 7 weeks with.

KIA ORA

Where's Nelly Rugby World Cup Tour: Running Amok

Where's Nelly Rugby World Cup Tour: Running Amok: According to Elbow 'One day like this a year will see you right'. We have had several in the past weeks however one day supporting Wales or ...

Running Amok

According to Elbow 'One day like this a year will see you right'. We have had several in the past weeks however one day supporting Wales or France in a lifetime is probably enough and was beautifully summed up by one England fan in a text to his friend in Wales which read " Thankfully my time as a Welshman was brief and if thats what its like no wonder you always look miserable"
Gallant in defeat yes, poor with the boot certainly but probably not robbed by the ref and I guess we will never know how Wales would have fared with 15 men. It was another match that seemed to suck the life out of the crowd to go alongside most of the England games.
The following morning the local church notice board summed up the feeling around NZ with the plea "Please God help us win". Bill Shankly was right, it is more important than life and death over here at the moment. The game certainly lived up to the hype and demonstrated that there really is no love lost between NZ and Australia when it comes to Rugby. Todays papers headline " FINAL-LY the choke is on them"
As Jonathan Pearce on Radio 5 would say "What can possibly go wrong now for the All Blacks"

Other highlights this week included-

• The Coromandel even in the rain
• Cathedral Cove, Hotwater Beach and the fantastic Driving Creek Railway.
• The Argentinian fans for one last time. The fans of the tournament for me
• The stunning Opito Bay. We went wild and free camped next to the beach in a no camping area. We are out of control.
• More Fat Boy breakfasts. They do them really well over here.
• Whitianga Hot Springs.
• The Auckland Sky Tower. The people who Bungy off it are mad
• The Rangitoto Volcano despite falling on the lava. Thankfully its had 600 years to cool down.
• Waiheke Island Vineyard. The one England visited after the French defeat. Unlike Tuilagi, Greg resisted jumping off the ferry as it entered the wharf in Auckland.

Off to the Northland now as the whole country holds its breath for one more week.

Where's Nelly Rugby World Cup Tour: Pants

Where's Nelly Rugby World Cup Tour: Pants: So all along we were rubbish after all. Dodgy against Argentina, Scotland and unconvincing against Georgia and Romania only to confirm it ag...

Pants

So all along we were rubbish after all. Dodgy against Argentina, Scotland and unconvincing against Georgia and Romania only to confirm it against France last night. Ever the optimist I thought we might improve... Oh no we definitely didn't improve. From an England perspective Eden Park was strangely subdued with nothing to shout about to get everyone going. Most of the Kiwis in the crowd seemed to have adopted France with much more noise for Le Bleu. You know things are pretty bad when I fall out with someone in the crowd but an arrogant Kiwi was asking for it with his taunts of "England's going home". "So why are you so anti England then and pro France?" I knew the answer really but by then we were just glum. But were not going home yet. After all we have the prospect of a Wales v France semi final to look forward to. The americans would say that was like being asked to kiss your sister. Who to support?
Enough doom and gloom..... after all there are many more fat boy breakfasts to look forward to and the Kiwis are brilliant hosts. Some of the highlights from the past week to brighten up a gloomy sunday morning here in Auckland included-

• A brilliant century from Bacchus in the van in Rotorua during a thunderstorm to put the W Indies on top in the Owzthat cricket first test. I will never forget the standing ovation he got
• Meeting Barry, Gary , Harry and Larry in Lake Waikaremoana who only needed Robbie to make a last of the summer wine 'Take That' tribute band. They gave us the rainbow trout they caught and took us out in their boat. They have been going there every year for the past 30 years. 
• The rainforest in the Te Urewera National Park. More Hobbit like than the Hobbit
• The Maori trail
• Sea Kayaking at  Ohope in the Bay of Plenty with the fin of a shark sticking up at one point. The local said it was a Stingray but what does he know. Shark Shark Shark
• Martha leading the predictions by 19

So sadly no Sky Bungy for me. It was never even close.

What happens to Johnno now then??

Where's Nelly Rugby World Cup Tour: Whales 5 Sick Bags 5

Where's Nelly Rugby World Cup Tour: Whales 5 Sick Bags 5: The Whales were 30 miles offshore and we were told the chances of a sighting in the next few days was slim. The following morning at a time ...