Rotorua's Grey St turns green in best-dressed bid

Rotorua's Jean McGaffin is adopting Ireland.

The Grey St resident has encouraged her neighbours to enter a nationwide Best Dressed Street competition for the Rugby World Cup and Mrs McGaffin has decorated her house in support of Ireland. The NZ 2011 Best Dressed Street competition is being run by New Zealand 2011, the organisation behind the Rugby World Cup.

The winning street will win a catered street party for them and 50 of their friends and neighbours.

Mrs McGaffin said she wanted to get involved because a local business had inspired her.

"Urbano, which is at the end of our street, just looks so amazing with all of their flags and decorations," she said. "Then we heard about this competition, so we thought it would be good to enter."

She rallied her neighbours and they took to the street to decorate their fence-lines and houses in support of the Rugby World Cup.

"I am supporting Ireland," Mrs McGaffin said. "I have a great friend who is Irish, so I thought I would get behind them."

Other Grey St residents had decorated their fence-lines with All Blacks flags and flags from various countries competing in the Rugby World Cup.

Mrs McGaffin said she hoped more people took part in similar events. "It just brings a buzz to the community," she said.

"It adds a bit of excitement."

Mrs McGaffin said she hadn't been able to make it to any of the World Cup games that had been held in Rotorua but had been watching the matches on television.

"On Sunday when Ireland are playing in Rotorua I will be sitting outside dressed in green and waving my Ireland flag," she said.

"I am hoping that some of the Irish fans see me and get a buzz out of it."

Mrs McGaffin hopes her house will inspire other Rotorua residents to decorate their houses in support of the World Cup.

"It just brings people together and is great fun."