Wairoa's basking in its new found rocket fame.
And so it should.
The rocket industry entered northern Hawke's Bay folklore with the opening of Rocket Lab's private orbital launch site on Tuesday. No one needs reminding this facility is a world first, not to mention world class.
Accordingly, as a colleague quipped yesterday, it's a "boom" for the Wairoa district.
While the boost to local businesses contributing to the scheme so far is significant, the tourism component is what holds the most excitement, if not the most potential.