Did Serena Williams score a few valid points on Auckland and it's abhorrent weather as a venue and can Hawke's Bay capitalise on that. PHOTO/NZME.
IN November, as I sat at the majestic clubhouse of Natadola Golf Course in Sigatoka, Fiji, after a forgettable but enjoyable nine holes, I got into a chin wag with a middle-aged bloke.
It turned out he hailed from Gisborne but had carved a niche as a businessman in Auckland and was relishing renting beach apartments in the prime resort area to visitors while his wife, an artist, found inspiration in the tranquillity of the tropical islands.
"You know, in New Zealand, summer really doesn't start until January," he said with an air of authority. "And, before you know it, it's over."
I didn't give it much thought until I came back from New Plymouth last weekend after covering the Super Smash T20 cricket final at the picturesque Pukekura Park.
Thousands of loyal Central Districts Stags fans had rolled in, many bravely wearing sleeveless tops on what was really a springy 17C Saturday.
By the time the Wellington Firebirds had dusted their innings, the barometer had plummeted to about 13C with wind whipping up a few spots of rain as park savvy locals started reaching for beanies, jackets and blankets.
"Not a day goes by when it bloody well doesn't rain here," said the gregarious B&B operator the next morning as his ornate outdoor furniture on the rear deck lay dormant.
As I drove through Inglewood, Tom Bruce's hometown Stratford, the birthplace of Poi-E in Patea, and a string of other towns through to Whanganui, I experienced more of the same weather, punctuated by unheralded passages of rain.
It wasn't until my faithful "Navwoman Zoe", in her lisping voice, mentioned Norsewood that it occurred to me that I had ventured into summer territory.
Golden rolls of hay, parched hills and clear blue skies warmly greeted me all the way back home.
For the past week, I was tempted to wade into the debate on the ASB Tennis Classic and how it seemed every seeded female seed player couldn't wait to pack up and jet off to Melbourne from Auckland.
What was an organiser's dream - with the likes of Serena and Venus Williams and bosom pal Caroline Wozniacki, to name a few - was fast turning into a nightmare in Auckland.
I could understand how fans felt, having bought tickets to watch the big names but rain deprived them of that pleasure.
The debate rages on a retractable roof for the venue amid organiser Karl Budge's admission that they dropped the "service game" on informing semifinal fans at the Wozniacki match that they could return the next day to watch again but irate ticketholders, who had also paid for a day's parking, were told that was a blunder.
"At least I can get out of these conditions," No 2-ranked Serena said after her loss and premature exit.
"I would say it's my least favorite conditions I've ever played in ... I really abhorred these conditions," she said. "I can take solace in the fact that the conditions won't be like this in Melbourne."
I suspect Serena scores a few points but she's returned too heavy on Melbourne. I've been to Australia's culinary capital and found you can have four seasons in a day there, too.
But, my friends, she won't have a pot shot at the Australian Open as she finds herself at the cusp of equalling Steffi Graf's 22 grand slam crowns.
The reality with tennis is that this country will always play third or fourth fiddle to Aussie equivalents in the lead up to the Aussie Open.
But luminaries, such as the William sisters and co, have global clout and when they start dissing a venue those sentiments will reverberate universally.
As custodians of the code, Budge has to do what's in the best interests of the marquee tournament in this country.
The bottom line is Auckland, like New Plymouth, doesn't really have sparkling summers and roof costs outweigh using them a few days in a year.
This is where Hawke's Bay comes into the equation. Build them and they will have no choice but to come.
Few centres in New Zealand enjoy such sizzling 30C-plus, rain-free summers.
But how well are the twin-city fathers using the God-given resources here to embrace entrepreneurial orientation.
Imagine - and I'm saying it's about time the Bay really started thinking big - if the major tennis, cricket, golf and athletics events were to be staged here.
Is the Bay prepared to make hay while the sun shines?
Do we have enough five-star hotel rooms to whet the appetite of super stars?
I recall several years ago when there was talk about enticing the New Zealand Open golf here, there were doubts about accommodation and airport capabilities and, it seems, not much has happened since although the five-star Porters Boutique Hotel in Havelock North and sprucing up McLean Park for cricket are a start.
The weather here, its status as the fruit bowl of New Zealand, wineries and panoramic scenery provide a perfect backdrop for sitmulating growth.
The annual Riverbend Cricket Camp, the national road race cycling and the Colgate Games athletics meeting lend credence to that assumption although I am informed parents and players were booking motels in Taupo because of a dearth here.
It's a matter of pragmatically taking event management to a grander scale with some astute scheduling.