Welcome To Party Central

in Auckland Featured General RWC 2011 by AKT — September 8, 2011 at 8:25 pm | 4 comments

After all those months of typically old school Auckland in-fighting and temper tantrums between Government Ministers and local body politicians, like it or loathe it, Party Central opens on Queens Wharf tomorrow afternoon.

So what do we get for all that trouble and money?

It’s a great transformation of a tired old wharf banned from public use until last year.

Queens Wharf’s Shed 10 has been given its $4m makeover in time for the Rugby World Cup fan zone on the wharf.

Renovations included repairs to make the roof watertight, new doors, repairs to the exterior cladding, repainting and the installation of essential services such as power, water and telco connections.

It’s the Shed 10 that is Party Central although because of that torrid political debate Party Central has become a frowned-on word by officials who insist the official description is that it’s “a covered space for the CBD Rugby World Cup fan zone.”

Critics feared the heritage Shed would be a giant booze barn like dreadful nasty beer taverns of old and drunken hoons that it would attract would end up falling overboard.

According to Waterfront Auckland, it will be serving beer (one brand, the sponsored one) and on some nights a DJ or covers band will play.

Doesn’t sound like my thing but I can see some hardcore Lions fans I spotted today drinking up large around the CBD loving it especially if they play Oasis. Again I would run a mile if I had to hear What’s the story morning glory original or cover band but everyone to their own.

We’ll have to wait until mid-afternoon tomorrow to check it out if you or me are one of the 12,000 or so let into the wharf. That’s the limit and they’re talking of the quota being filled soon after opening. I hope people can leave before 2am. It may get hot, noisy and claustrophobic. And then there are those endless Oasis covers. Sorry I’ll shut up now.

So while none of us have seen it yet apart from a glance across while queueing for the Cloud, I came across these shots which appear to be what it looks like inside:

After the Cup it will be, according to Waterfront Auckland, used for events and for when cruise ships arrive. Truth is in the mist between the Government involvement in the wharf and Auckland’s various waterfront authorities no one seems to know the future of the wharf and the Cloud. Whether it’s Queens that becomes the much-needed official cruise ship wharf is still a matter of debate.

I’m not as excited about the oversized rugby ball, the travelling temporary inflatable venue that measures 25 metres long, 17 metres wide (at its widest point) and 13 metres high and can hold up to 220 people. It has also landed at Queens Wharf at a reported cost of $700,000 by the time it was landed and erected. But when I went to the Cloud yesterday I could see people getting excited about it and waving their camera phones in its direction.

As for the Cloud, it looked great yesterday for the Pacific expo - but Polynesia culture with its friendly natural vibrancy and bright colours is always is a treat and Polynesian festivals always make me feel great about being part of a rich multi-cultural city.

How the Cloud will look tomorrow when all this is gone, is hard to know.

So what have we got?
At least out of it we get a refurbished shed that was at one point going to be demolished.
Let’s remind ourself how it was last year when the red gates to the wharf were finally unlocked and the public allowed to wander:

Last November the other heritage shed, known as Shed 11 was carefully dismantled and taken offsite to secure storage until further notice.

The asbestos roof was dismantled and disposed of, while some of the existing cladding was kept. The historical elements were salvaged and retained so the shed can be reassembled in part in a couple of years when a new use is found for it somewhere in the waterfront area. Again no one knows what that is but there was a curious tender for it a year ago at the very end of the ARC days.

From the outside the Wharf looks great. We can walk on it now. And it’s part of the waterfront rejuvenation and public ownership we have started to enjoy with Wynyard Quarter.

What do you think?

Also:

Friday’s Transport arrangements and the Cloud programe

Eden Park as you won’t see it as a member of the public

Gin Wigmore plays the finals 

See what Party central -The Cloud & Shed 10 look like

Army of tow trucks waiting near the bridge

How to get to North Harbour

Wi-Fi on Public transport 

RWC advertising ban - watch what you wear 

City workers told to leave town after 3pm

Kingsland  station becomes Emirates station  

Tags: fan zone Party Central Queens Wharf Rugby World Cup