'Mini-city' planned for Lions fans

Auckland is planning to create a mini-city to host thousands of supporters heading here for the upcoming Lions Rugby Tour.

Alexandra Park and Carlaw Park will be transformed into massive camping grounds catering for thousands of motorhomes while plans are under way to build an open-air pub in the Viaduct Basin.

Up to 20,000 Barmy Army supporters are expected in early June for the month tour.

Auckland's Heart of the City marketing manager Liz Smith said the Lions tour would be "huge" for the city and meeting the needs of the fans meant a great deal of organisation.

One of the big issues was providing big screen and refreshment facilities for the huge number of supporters who will not have tickets to the matches.

Big screens were planned for Auckland's Viaduct Basin and in the square behind the Post Office at Britomart. An open-air pub in the Viaduct was another goal but consent issues had to be gained.

And with hotels in Wellington and Christchurch already booked out for the games, Auckland was set to reap the benefits as fans fly to matches around the country and back again.

That had seen the night curfew at Wellington airport lifted to transport the huge numbers wanting to get back to Auckland.

Christchurch had also been creative in finding more rooms with one travel company booking a cruise liner which would be berthed at Lyttleton for the South Island test and used as a floating hotel.

- HERALD ON SUNDAY