It’s showtime on three big fronts

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

Opinion

A fantastic first day of the Spring Show yesterday was just the ticket for bringing our community together, from town, country and all walks of life. The sun was shining and the mood was festive as families and friends set about enjoying the many facets of the great institution that is the Gisborne A&P Show.

There will be a lot more of the same out at Showgrounds Park today as the many people who make it happen do it all again, and the crowd gathers for what is one of the most anticipated occasions of the year for so many.

This year, more than ever, it’s an important opportunity to connect, have fun and put the challenges that have been thrown our way lately behind us, at least for a while.

The Showgrounds facilities are in top order and there are some good new offerings this year, alongside the old favourites.

Well done to the large organising committee and everyone involved in bringing the Show together. The welter of entertainment and day or two of socialising are always appreciated.

Of course, there are a couple of other events this weekend that will be occupying people’s attention as well.

Alongside the traditionalists there are those who have been undecided and those who wanted the whole campaign to play out, waiting for the official election day today to cast votes in the 2023 general election.

The 40 polling booths around the region — mostly at schools but also at Treble Court, Tairāwhiti Museum and Gisborne Hospital’s Poutama Room — will have a steady flow of people doing their democratic duty from 9am through to the 7pm close-off.

If you haven’t voted yet and there is still time, make sure you get to a polling booth near you. They can be found on the vote.nz website under “Find a voting place”.

Then it’s election night with its accumulation of revelations building towards celebrations or commiserations, with coverage on various media channels starting from 7pm as the numbers start coming in.

It will be a long night for some, but even many of the politically energised among us will make sure they don’t get too carried away this evening as there is more highly anticipated action early tomorrow, with the All Blacks taking on their recent nemesis the world No.1 Irish side in their Rugby World Cup quarterfinal.

It is the knock-out stage and the Irish have never progressed beyond it. New Zealand rugby fans were beside themselves the one time the All Blacks stumbled at this hurdle, in a shock defeat to France in 2007. This year the  All Blacks are seen as the underdogs.

Buckle yourselves in for decisive viewing — an election finale tonight and what will hopefully be a great game of rugby tomorrow morning.