Fronting up on Boob St

Like moths to a flame, camera-toting men could not resist the sight of bare breasts in Queen St. Picture / Brett Phibbs

"I come from India, so obviously I'm quite excited," said 30-year-old Phani Chevandra as 20 pairs of boobs on bikes passed him in the centre of Auckland yesterday.

"This is my first time to see this type of parade. It's not at all legal in my country so it is through my curiosity that I am standing here."

Mr Chevandra was one of tens of thousands - possibly more than 100,000 people - who packed Queen St for the spectacle to promote this weekend's R18 Erotica show in the city.

Police had to clear a passage for the lead car, a hotted-up convertible Bentley with the number plate Evil.

It was carrying organiser Steve Crow, his cairn terrier-shih tzu Monsta and topless aide Jan Maree, yelling her amplified message: "If you like boobies, make it known".

Two Army tanks followed, one carrying two topless women, the other male porn star Evan Stone, and then a procession of 26 bikes from the Harley Owners' Group with topless women riding pillion.

The crowd, predominantly male but with a good smattering of women, clearly enjoyed the parade from Karangahape Rd to the bottom of Queen St that was supposed to last 20 minutes but took 65.

Every vantage point along the route was taken. People peered from office buildings and construction sites. One man climbed atop a bus shelter.

Many unionists skipped a rally against National's 90-day workers' probation bill to watch the parade, including three men standing on a ledge of the Town Hall brandishing MAPP OFF placards.

Julia Dowling, a 26-year-old city office worker, thought the parade was a bit of fun that had been taken too seriously by others.

Marinus Beukus came into town especially for the parade, bought a pint of beer at the Queens Ferry Tavern and positioned himself on a planter box to get a good view: "It's cool. I see nothing wrong with it. It's only women's breasts, they are not naked."

Mr Crow, whose Erotica Lifestyles Expo opens at the ASB Showgrounds in Greenlane tomorrow, said he encountered one protester holding up a sign saying "dirty, perverted something-or-other".

But he was pleased at the huge turnout, saying it sent a message that Aucklanders wanted fun and entertainment in the city.

"People were laughing. I have never seen so many cameras."

Scarlett Knight, 22, of Auckland and hailed as New Zealand's first international porn star, said people who oppoosed the parade needed to learn how to have fun.

"I reckon if they don't like it, don't watch," topless Ms Knight said before she rode pillion on one of the motorbikes.

Her colleague, Courtney, 20, who declined to give her surname, said people didn't know what they were missing.

"We're all like these bikes, just different models," she said.

Auckland City Mayor Dick Hubbard made no apologies for fuelling the pre-parade publicity that led to the large turnout, saying it was appropriate to criticise the event.

Mr Hubbard, who had called the parade "totally inappropriate because it's shamelessly promoting a pornography trade show", said he would instigate a review of the bylaw to try to stop stop future Boobs on Bikes parades.

While the parade crawled down Queen St, Mr Hubbard was addressing a group of business people at the Auckland Club and then helping to launch a seafood festival "that epitomises what Auckland should stand for".


Keeping abreast

Craig Anderson 38 Highland Park
* If you don't want to see it then don't come. As long as nobody is getting hurt what does it matter?

Bodine Tutengaehe 14 Onehunga
* Guys on bikes would have been better. I think it's kind of wrong with women showing off their things to all of the country. They're just skanks.

Rose Reynolds 23 Remuera
* I think it's a good idea but they could have managed it a bit better. It's a different form of advertising and I think I could have done a better job than this.

Keith Coehlo 51 Auckland
* I think it's a great thing for a free society like New Zealand. I think the biggest hypocrite is the mayor - why can't anyone do something like this especially when you get a response like this?

Ingrid Cox 46 Wiltshire, England
* I don't find it offensive at all, it's not a problem. It's a part of life though and wherever you go people will always demonstrate against things like this.

Sandy Antipas 34 Wellington
* It was a spectacle which became bigger than it might have been because the mayor let it get that way. This is bigger than any Christmas Parade. As a visitor I think it's fantastic and if you are coming into Auckland for a day and you saw this it would be great.