No target safe in Point(ed) parade
Having three Donald Trumps and Kim Jong-uns in the same place might seem like a recipe for disaster, but in Pleasant Point it was just the start of a slightly unconventional Christmas tradition.
What may be New Zealand’s most politically incorrect Christmas parade kicked off on Friday night, watched by thousands of people who lined the town’s main street.
After a controversial first year, Trump featuring heavily in the parade was a foregone conclusion. But the US president wasn’t the only subject to face some good oldfashioned mocking.
With no registrations taken prior to the event, it’s anyone’s guess as to who will appear on the night.
Transgender weightlifters, the Downlands water supply issues, and the Manus Island refugee situation all featured, and even Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern made an appearance, along with her recently deceased cat Paddles (Rest in Peace).
Meanwhile, with asbestos recently confirmed in its water supply, the Pleasant Point Rugby Club suggested Temuka might be the new Waimate.
Shortly before the parade kicked off, Jenny Ryan was busy working on the Sutherlands float, featuring Ardern, Trump, and the Manus Island refugees.
‘‘We have lots of long debates about what we’re going to do and how we’re going to do it,’’ she said.
Timaru’s former Hydro Grand Hotel, which was reduced to rubble last month, also featured in the parade.
‘‘We’re taking the p*** out of the hysterical brigade,’’ one of the float’s creators said, standing on a pile of ‘‘Hydro’’ rubble on the back of a truck. ‘‘It should have come down years ago.’’
A few floats down, the unmistakable sound of Beyonce’s Single Ladies was blasting. It was the Playboy Bunnies, from the VetLife Pleasant Point float, who said they had taken over the Playboy mansion following the death of founder Hugh Hefner this year.
And it wouldn’t have been a Pleasant Point parade without a traction engine or two, billowing enough black smoke into the air to give an Environment Canterbury smoke-spotter nightmares.
As well as the tongue-in-cheek entries, there were also plenty of traditional floats, as well as Santa Claus himself.
With people bringing out their deckchairs, and a crowd vacating the nearby pub, stubbies in hand, to watch the parade, it was clear the entire community was keen to enjoy the fun.