KEY POINTS:
Where was everyone else? And was there anywhere else to be, other than the Queen City? For half a million Aucklanders, at least, yesterday was a ferociously busy day.
There was Pasifika, the Pacific Island cultural festival, which had about 200,000 people crowding into Western Springs.
Then the Auckland International Boat Show, and across town the Diamond Day races at the Ellerslie Racecourse at the still-new Auckland Cup Week. Even on the outer north-western fringes there was something; the Kumeu Show.
As the day wore on and people wore out, new crowds moved in for the Auckland Blues at Eden Park, playing the South African Lions.
And through it all, AK07, the grand culture fest, exploded with a fireworks display in the Domain.
It's not so many years since Frenchmen bearing gunpowder weren't welcome in this city.
And today, in keeping with the seventh day, it continues with the Jubilation Gospel Choir at 11am - a 30-piece unaccompanied choir - and sundry other musical and theatre treats.
