Editorial: Big events set to put us on map

Napier Mayor Bill Dalton

As a province tucked away toward the east and fenced in by mountain ranges which give us what I believe is a form of splendid isolation, some would argue we are off the beaten track.

And that's not altogether a bad thing.

We have a comfortable climate (just don't mention the wind), we are not overcrowded and the scenery is very pretty.

So all right then, we are a little off the beaten track, but we are set to be very much an integral and well-publicised part of another track - the cycling track.

Napier has picked up the rights to run the national road cycling championships for 2016, 2017 and 2018, and that is a remarkable shot in the arm for the Bay in terms of the sport, tourism and national attention.

It is great news, and shows even slightly "off the beaten track" can pull major events.

Many people have worked long and hard, lobbying and putting the relevant and required figures together.

It also means national sporting bodies recognise that we can do it.

That has been proven in past events, like staging Rugby World Cup matches and international age group football.

What caught my eye most of all about this exciting news were the words of Bike NZ chief executive Andrew Mathieson, who remarked: "While it was a very tough decision, the Napier proposal edged out the others."

That indicates that serious background work had gone into putting the proposal together.

Napier Mayor Bill Dalton described the news as an early Christmas for the people of Hawke's Bay because, while focused on Napier, it will draw attention to the region.

There is a very clear determination among the region's leadership to bring more high-profile events to the Bay. And hey, we could end up being a well-beaten track.