Waitangi weekend and puking in public: The Wellington Rugy Sevens

After a weekend of listening to real-estate agents dressed as cartoon characters and accountants in Barvarian costumes yahooing their way around Wellington, bottles of Steinlager pure pure clutched tightly in each hand, I wanted to say something about Waitangi weekend and the Wellington Rugby Sevens. I'm all for people dressing up in funny costumes and having a good time. But the river of puke, broken glass, and enduring revelers that I had to negotiate when I walked down Cuba Mall to the bus early on Sunday morning tarnished my impressions of the event somewhat. However, my comments were pre-empted by the likes of Robyn Gallagher with her post "Welcome to the Muntryside" and by the folks at Wellingtonista who commented on the Sevens:

"I can't claim to speak for all the Wellingtonista, but I have to say it: Sevens weekend is horrible. There's a lot of gushy talk in the main media outlets about how colourful and vibrant and alive the city becomes, but one could say the same about a nasty fungal rash. Many of us who live in the central city can attest to how colourful and vibrant and alive the city is most of the time, and in an appealing, organic and independent way, but we found the CBD close to unbearable during the weekend."

Of course, the Sevens is only one aspect of aspect of Waitangi Weekend in Wellington. This Venn diagram posted by the Masked Barfly sums things up pretty nicely.