By ANGELA GREGORY
The drizzle almost overtook the dazzle, but the seventh Hero Parade drew tens of thousands of spectators to Ponsonby Rd in Auckland.
It was a night of mega-high heels on tarseal, loud music, transformed trucks, marching girls and boys, dykes on bikes, lesbian mothers with their kids and ordinary folk just out for a look.
The weather was not encouraging. Two hours before the scheduled 8.30 pm start on Saturday, nearby Crummer Rd was offering its own alternative parade of umbrellas sheltering the bedraggled assembling performers.
Louise, wearing little more than bright orange body paint, shared concerns about its staying power with her fellow "random trollops."
"I am seriously hoping the paint is water resistant ... But we took extra steps, like using hairspray as a fixer."
Under dripping eaves, others puffed up wilting wigs and painted their nails. Hoping their eyelash glue would stick, they lashed on waterproof mascara and prayed for the rain to ease.
It did.
At 7.30 pm, the downpour gave way to the odd spit, and for the rest of the evening a fine drizzle was as wet as it got.
Dancing Queen blared out as the mistress of ceremonies, Miss Ribena, pumped up the crowd, some of whom had started gathering as early as 5 pm.
"We're going to make the street literally come alive tonight, darlings," she promised.
Someone needing no encouragement was 72-year-old Eileen Bush, from Riverhead. The cheering great-grandmother stood up, swung her arms to the music and clapped at the raunchy jokes.
Why did she love it so much?
"Because they're honest, it's for a good cause ... and I don't get out often," she winked, triumphantly punching her fist into the air.
Transsexual Labour MP Georgina Beyer, a crowd favourite, was chosen to scatter on the road a handful of colourful glitter mixed with the ashes of Auckland drag queen Courtney.
The 32-year-old died last year of lymphatic cancer after living with HIV-Aids for 11 years, and had never missed a Hero Parade.
Most of the sparkling ashes landed on a filmmaker's head and camera gear, but he was philosophical as he wiped the lens clean - "It's good luck, isn't it?"
Prime Minister Helen Clark cut a ribbon to open the event, which celebrates the gay community.
Buzzing with homosexual, bisexual, transsexual - virtually anything sexual - pride, the parade could not help but get across its message. Even those with Vodafone cellphones got it, albeit in text format: "Luv who UR."
The Queen, the Queen Mother and Princess Margaret made a show, wheelchairs trailing the last two in case they fell.
A bevy of bewigged Dusty Springfields, rugby players and Tepid Baths swimmers also starred.
Tamer floats were provided by the coastguard and the Fire Service, which prompted a few calls to "show us your hoses."
By 10.20 pm the spectacle was almost over, but for one new immigrant it was a promising start.
Scotsman Jim Mair, still in his kilt, was impressed: "It's better than similar events I've seen in Britain, and seemed incredibly well organised.
"It's nice to see Auckland open its arms like this."
Hero marches on despite damp night
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