Week 17

We'd heard a lot about Petone prior to our visit. The shops for instance. Margaret couldn't wait to get there. But there is a lot more to Petone than great shops. Their iconic event and major fundraiser is the Petone Rotary Fair which is a little similar to the Martinborough Fair.
30-40 thousand people turn out for this event which raises funds for a number of service clubs. Rotary nets approximately $30k itself. And this event is organised solely by the Rotary Club of Petone's 23 members. Remarkable.

Petone also is the envy of many New Zealand cities because of its Walk of Champions - 150 plaques (costing about $700 each) cemented into the footpath on Jackson Street commemorating the achievements of its sports men and women who have represented their country while living in Petone.

A big thank you to President Neil Potter and members of the club for their hospitality on the 1st of November.

The Historic Petone Police Station

A happy inmate. I was locked in for all of a minute

Mixing and mingling prior to the meeting _ 1112 and Margaret made friends with the chef and from him extracted his recipe for butterscotch sauce.

I made friends with the parents of former All Black Alan Hewson.

And then it was onto the street to tread the Walk of Champions.  I found the plaque of my boyhood hero, Robert William Henry Scott - Bob Scott. Bob was a former member of the Petone Rotary club.