Editorial: Mother Nature's final blow to 2011

How often have we heard people say they had nothing better to talk about than the weather.

That couldn't have been further from the truth during the past few days.

There would be few among us who weren't cursing the persistent downpours during the past three days. The rain simply refused to stop.

Such weather couldn't come at a worse time. Organisers up and down the country have put hours of work into planning outdoor events.

Mt Maunganui's big New Year's Eve event on Marine Parade featuring two stages of entertainment had to be cancelled because of heavy rain and strong winds. It was a good call because it wouldn't have been safe to hold it - let alone pleasant to attend. We assume there was a valid reason for the Mt Maunganui event not to have been moved indoors.

Rotorua's parade was rained on too but not completely. The annual New Year's Eve Rock The Lake Mardi Gras had to be moved to the Rotorua Energy Events Centre - the first time it has had to move in 16 years because of bad weather.

Sure, the crowd numbers were down but the 4000 people who did attend were treated to a top show.

We are lucky in Rotorua to have such a great indoor venue that could be used as a backup. Congratulations to Monty Morrison and his team for putting in the extra effort rather than pulling the pin.

In a bizarre way, perhaps it was fitting we farewelled 2011 in such an out-of-character fashion as 2011 was plagued with natural disasters, such as floods and earthquakes. Here's hoping Mother Nature stays well away from 2012.