Nation in gridlock - work comes last on our big day

The thousands who turned out to welcome victor and vanquished at the waterfront were caught in human gridlock at the Viaduct Harbour in Auckland, but the fifth and final race in the America's Cup brought the whole country to a standstill as well.

From Balclutha to the Bay of Islands, people in their hundreds of thousands dodged daily duties to watch the last hours of the successful defence.

Many more set up televisions in workplaces and classrooms and pretended it was business as usual as they kept one eye on events on the water.

Brian Waters' wife would not let him leave his Manawatu farm to come to Auckland for the event because he had 700 sheep to shear

He didn't mind much. Auckland is a "bloody awful place full of townies," he reckons.

But as soon as his wife went to work, he dragged the television into the woolshed and watched it while he sheared.

Reception was a problem until he jammed the aerial wire into the corrugated iron wall of the shed to create the "biggest aerial in the Manawatu."

Mr Waters admitted not knowing the finer rules of the race - but he was in awe of the expertise of Team New Zealand and happy to watch them "prove New Zealand is the best bloody country in the world."

The victory that sparked Auckland's waterfront party also stopped land-locked Hamiltonians.

Crowds packed around handily placed television sets at the Centre Place and Chartwell shopping centres to watch Team New Zealand make yachting history.

One store had two television sets for viewers - one outside for passersby and another inside for shoppers bitten so hard by Cup fever that they were still splashing out on souvenirs.

In Rotorua, the House of Elliott hairdressing salon was packed as the black boat crossed the finish line and a small crowd formed on the street outside to watch one of two television sets which were operating at full volume.

Owner Brenda Elliott was overcome with tears of pride as clients and hairdressers applauded Team New Zealand's efforts. But she remembered the runner-up as well, wishing the Prada team "better luck next time."

"I'm just so proud to be a New Zealander at the moment and that's why I've welcomed everyone in off the street - this is a moment for us all to share," she said.

Television sets were installed in most Rotorua businesses, and the streets emptied as Team New Zealand and Prada neared the finish line.

In nearby Murupara, about 30 people gathered at the hotel to watch the historic win.

"It doesn't sound like much, but this is a crowd for Murupara," said one patron.

Further south, the race brought a relaxation in military discipline at Burnham Army Camp near Christchurch.

Captain Kendall Langston said enthusiasm about the Cup was high, so soldiers and officers were sneaking more than a peek at the race on television sets around the camp.

"Most soldiers are very much into anything sporting that New Zealand is involved with," he said.

Invercargill Mayor Tim Shadbolt - also a former Mayor of Waitemata (now Waitakere) - said he sent a memo to council workers telling them they could take the time off to watch the race on a screen set up in the staff cafeteria.

Mr Shadbolt was holding a meeting in his mayoral lounge during the race, but said it rapidly became a "yachting meeting."

"There were lots of cheering and yelling in here, but it was even louder in the cafeteria."

In the Bay of Islands, almost 100 Kerikeri High School students cheered the winners on as they watched the match on a large television set up in the school gymnasium.

Principal Elizabeth Forgie said there was extra interest and enthusiasm because the school had three former pupils - Barry McKay, Mark Turner and Warwick Fleury - in Team New Zealand.