By GREG DIXON
Magnola ($20 pack of four, $5.50 each): Not a pretty flower, but a six-shot flame thrower that sounds like a howitzer going off on a still night. Its shooting stars, which fire ever higher, feature an orange vapour trail and explode with white showers. The missus said
"Jesus!" before running for the shed. It may possibly have killed a neighbour.
Conic (50c): With a clown face on its tiny cone, this cheap and cheerful little number is a dwarf fountain that lasts perhaps 15 seconds. Pretty white and orange lights which won't scare the little ones.
Devil Crash ($13): Satan has all the best tunes, so surely he has the best fireworks? Well maybe. The promising name delivers gold, red and blue flurries while shooting crackling, flaming balls. The verdict: the devil didn't show, but a few nasty demons did.
Butterfly & Flowers ($2): A fountain of the old-fashioned kind issuing white butterflies and orange flowers. Splendidly cheerful and huge value for the money. The missus stayed on the lawn and said, "That's pretty".
Turbo Flash ($3): A golden hissy tree of orange and silver sparks shaped much like a fir. A 30-second fountain that, while it didn't have a turbo, still had plenty of lovely flash for three bucks. Just like fireworks used to be.
Hula Dancer ($5 for a pack of four): A novelty more than a firework, but fun all the same. Put it on solid ground (the lawn won't do), light and watch it spin madly with green and red sparks for about 10 seconds. In action it looks more like a small, whirling dervish than a hula girl.
Midnight Festival ($15): Big on promise it's as fat as a weightlifter's ankle and on price this one looked like the crowning glory every Guy Fawkes needs. Unfortunately it wasn't. There's variety in colour: crackling roses of white, green and red shot high and loud with bright orange flowers to finish. But all that's very short and sharp, lasting 20 seconds or so.
The Warehouse's most popular firework line is the Big Boom Box, at $24.99. It contains a Firework Station, which provides support for fireworks which can't or won't stand up on their own, and ensures that the thing is facing the right way when it is ignited. As well, the Big Boom Box contains a packet of 7in sparklers, two packets of 10in sparklers, a Strobe, a Solar Flare, a Cuckoo, 10-shot Ballistics and 10-shot standard fireworks, two Patriot Missiles, a Rocket-Launcher, an Aerial Rampage, a Blazing Fan, a Pyramid, a Crouching Tiger and a Magic Sing. The Big Boom Box has been a feature since 1997.
The second most popular line is the Jumbo Family Bag, for $12.99. It contains two packets of 7in sparklers, a Strobe, a Solar Flare, a Cuckoo, a 10-shot Ballistic and two 10-shot standard fireworks, a Patriot Missile, a Rocket Launcher, a Galaxy, a Violet and Crimson, a Flare and a Laser Volcano.
Other good sellers are the Megashot Box, for $34.99, the Astroblazer Megamix for $49.99 and Da Bomb, a multi-shot assortment for $19.99.
* Selection chosen from around 80 varieties of fireworks at Wah Lee on Hobson St, Auckland.
Fireworks are available from selected chain stores and dairies nationwide.
By GREG DIXON
Magnola ($20 pack of four, $5.50 each): Not a pretty flower, but a six-shot flame thrower that sounds like a howitzer going off on a still night. Its shooting stars, which fire ever higher, feature an orange vapour trail and explode with white showers. The missus said
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