Photo/Robert Milne
It was a sparkling clear night last Saturday in Ohakune for the annual Mardi Gras, which drew 7240 revellers.
And it was the best Mardi Gras night ever, say the local business community, the mayor and organisers.
Event organiser David Williams said that "without a doubt it was the best night ever" in his 11 years of organising the celebration.
"Everyone was dancing up a storm," he said.
"The night seemed just effortless and fabulous from start to finish."
He had taken along his teenage children to the Mardi Gras for the first time and said that even his shy 16-year-old son was up dancing in the thick of it and loving every minute, Mr Williams said. The demographic for the Mardi Gras showed that of the 18-24 age group, 60 per cent were female - mostly university students. The 25-34 age group bracket also showed more females but the under-18s and the 35-50 age group were an even spread of male and female.
"Some people still think we should make the Mardi Gras an R18 event, which won't happen. The 7pm start through to 9.30pm and the fireworks display is a family occasion and it's great to have families coming in and we want to encourage that."
Though there were two special-licence bars (on Thames and Rimu streets), if security staff at the gates thought people had pre-loaded, they were breathalysed. If they blew more than 500mcg they were banned from entering, Mr Williams said. The legal limit for adult drivers is 400mcg.
For him, the only negative had been local motels insisting on charging a three-night minimum stay over Mardi Gras weekend.
"They're just being exorbitant and greedy and it's totally unnecessary. We are very mindful as the organisers to try and keep the Mardi Gras affordable for everyone. This is a local event; it's not an international glamour event like the Queenstown Winter Festival, for example."
The cost of staging the event was about $1.2 million, he said.
Councillor David (Rabbit) Nottage said the night was perfect.
"I was seriously worried on Friday, though, when they were putting up the stage in driving wind and rain. But who would have thought that overnight the weather on Saturday was absolutely perfect?"
And most people had really got into the spirit of fun and party costumes, he said.
"I was dressed in Russian snow sniper gear. Most people wore animal-style onesies ... sheep, horses, dogs, you name it. There were people dressed as rubbish bins, cardboard cartons, Arabs, matadors and police officers and there was a lot of skin exposed.
"Well, there were dozens of young women dressed in strategically placed furry, fluffy things."
One young man had dressed as a convict, as a comic-style Beagle Boy, he said.
"But he was loud and stroppy before he even got to the ticket box, so the police handcuffed him and took him away."
Ruapehu Mayor Don Cameron collected for St John Ambulance from 7pm-9.30pm.
"It was such a well-organised night and everyone was having fun ... there was a really good feeling this year," he said.
Mr Cameron laughingly said that when one of the group, Baptist Minister Graeme Cragg, asked for donations and people answered that they had no cash, he quickly whipped out a mobile zipzap machine he'd borrowed from the bank.
"It was very funny watching people get out their cards and manage a donation. He made about $150, so it was great for us. All in all, it was a fantastic event. I feel very proud."
The renowned Nations Skiers Inn bakery, famous for its monstrous chocolate eclairs, sold 1200 of the popular pastries over Mardi Gras weekend.
Co-owner Steve Nation said business had boomed and there had been a constant queue of customers.
With the Mardi Gras held every year celebrating the opening of the ski season at Whakapapa and Turoa Skifields on Mt Ruapehu, mountain staff were hopeful the fields would open this weekend.
Customer-relations manager Anna Dowsett said everyone was excited that a storm predicted in the next two days could mean a great dump of snow.
"We're all very hopeful and optimistic but it's a day-by-day thing so no decisions yet. And there'll be snowmaking when the temperature allows."
The Mardi Gras had been a fabulous night, she said.
"There was such a nice crowd. It was really fun and a great celebration."
Incumbent Mayor Weston Kirton is undecided about running for another term.