1 00:00:07,133 --> 00:00:10,453 Speaker 1: You're listening to the Saturday Morning with Jack Teams podcast 2 00:00:10,573 --> 00:00:11,693 Speaker 1: from News Talks at Me. 3 00:00:12,813 --> 00:00:16,173 Speaker 2: So before yesterday I can honestly say I hadn't ever 4 00:00:16,253 --> 00:00:19,933 Speaker 2: heard the word grouse. Well, no, that's not true. 5 00:00:19,933 --> 00:00:20,453 Speaker 1: Actually I had. 6 00:00:21,013 --> 00:00:23,773 Speaker 2: I had heard the word grouse. I'd heard the word. 7 00:00:24,013 --> 00:00:27,373 Speaker 2: I knew grouse as being like a bird, as game 8 00:00:27,693 --> 00:00:30,893 Speaker 2: for a hunter, but I had never heard it used 9 00:00:30,933 --> 00:00:36,213 Speaker 2: in slang form. It is grouse, said christ Church Mayor 10 00:00:36,293 --> 00:00:39,333 Speaker 2: Phil Major as he cut the ribbon in his city's 11 00:00:39,373 --> 00:00:43,133 Speaker 2: brand new six hundred and eighty three stadium, to Kaha, 12 00:00:43,573 --> 00:00:46,093 Speaker 2: so long as you mean it's excellent, I thought that 13 00:00:46,213 --> 00:00:48,853 Speaker 2: I'm with you, Phil. I was born and raised in 14 00:00:48,893 --> 00:00:54,893 Speaker 2: christ Church, and I will always have an affection for 15 00:00:54,973 --> 00:00:57,493 Speaker 2: the Three that comes from just having had a great 16 00:00:57,813 --> 00:01:02,853 Speaker 2: childhood based in an adventurous place. It's never been perfect, 17 00:01:02,973 --> 00:01:05,333 Speaker 2: no place ever is, but christ Church for me will 18 00:01:05,413 --> 00:01:08,653 Speaker 2: always be home. And we could see the old stadium 19 00:01:09,173 --> 00:01:13,133 Speaker 2: from our family home in the three. The first time 20 00:01:13,293 --> 00:01:16,413 Speaker 2: I was ever on TV was while sitting with my 21 00:01:16,533 --> 00:01:19,453 Speaker 2: dad in the old embankment at Lancaster Park as it 22 00:01:19,533 --> 00:01:22,413 Speaker 2: was then known for a test between Pakistan and New 23 00:01:22,493 --> 00:01:25,373 Speaker 2: Zealand and February nineteen ninety four, the cameraman came and 24 00:01:25,413 --> 00:01:28,093 Speaker 2: got a little cutaway shot of us between balls, and 25 00:01:28,133 --> 00:01:31,013 Speaker 2: the next day at school, various people excitedly came up 26 00:01:31,053 --> 00:01:34,333 Speaker 2: to tell me they'd seen me on Talley. There's no 27 00:01:34,413 --> 00:01:39,653 Speaker 2: doubting that the new stadium is a huge upgrade on 28 00:01:39,733 --> 00:01:41,813 Speaker 2: the stadium that has been used for the last few 29 00:01:41,893 --> 00:01:45,813 Speaker 2: years and on the old Lancaster Park or Jade Stadium. 30 00:01:46,533 --> 00:01:51,493 Speaker 2: Lancaster Park was in a kind of semi industrial spot 31 00:01:51,733 --> 00:01:54,333 Speaker 2: on the city fringes. But at Takaha you just walk 32 00:01:54,373 --> 00:01:56,653 Speaker 2: across the road and you straight into the bars and 33 00:01:56,653 --> 00:01:59,293 Speaker 2: the restaurants and the CBD. If you had the wrong 34 00:01:59,333 --> 00:02:03,373 Speaker 2: seat at Jade Stadium or Lancaster Park, you'd be pounded 35 00:02:03,733 --> 00:02:07,733 Speaker 2: by the cruel Leasterly Takaha's roof means there are no 36 00:02:07,853 --> 00:02:13,813 Speaker 2: such concerns. I often feel like I sort of have 37 00:02:13,893 --> 00:02:17,293 Speaker 2: the experience of viewing christ Church as a sort of 38 00:02:17,413 --> 00:02:21,853 Speaker 2: time lapse, because i know the city and I'm there 39 00:02:21,933 --> 00:02:24,973 Speaker 2: fairly often, but I'm also not living it every day 40 00:02:25,253 --> 00:02:27,733 Speaker 2: like the city's residents, and it means I sort of 41 00:02:27,733 --> 00:02:32,373 Speaker 2: get an interesting sense of progress, even for someone on 42 00:02:32,413 --> 00:02:37,613 Speaker 2: the outside. Progress has been agonizingly slow for the longest time, 43 00:02:37,693 --> 00:02:41,613 Speaker 2: it was measured only in empty lots in christ Church. 44 00:02:42,293 --> 00:02:46,133 Speaker 2: Of the seventeen anchor projects defined back in twenty twelve, 45 00:02:47,173 --> 00:02:51,133 Speaker 2: none was delivered to their original time frame. But they 46 00:02:51,173 --> 00:02:55,253 Speaker 2: have been delivered, they have, and almost all of them 47 00:02:55,853 --> 00:03:01,133 Speaker 2: are excellent. Topi their Convention center is just fantastic. Two 48 00:03:01,213 --> 00:03:05,613 Speaker 2: Dunger The Central Library is surely one of New Zealand's best. 49 00:03:05,853 --> 00:03:10,093 Speaker 2: It's a magical place. Add to it Partaciorde, the Metro 50 00:03:10,173 --> 00:03:13,933 Speaker 2: Sports Facility, the Canterbury University rebuilt, the new q E two, 51 00:03:14,013 --> 00:03:17,693 Speaker 2: the Margaret Mahi Playground. There are just so many great 52 00:03:17,773 --> 00:03:20,413 Speaker 2: public facilities in the city now, and each of them 53 00:03:20,973 --> 00:03:25,053 Speaker 2: is better than the one that it replaced. There have 54 00:03:25,173 --> 00:03:29,773 Speaker 2: been just two outstanding big construction projects in christ Church, 55 00:03:30,253 --> 00:03:34,253 Speaker 2: the christ Church Cathedral and what I suppose could be 56 00:03:34,293 --> 00:03:38,893 Speaker 2: described as a cathedral of a different kind. And the 57 00:03:38,893 --> 00:03:42,373 Speaker 2: thing about Takaha is that, by design it brings the 58 00:03:42,413 --> 00:03:46,813 Speaker 2: greatest number of people together, whether for six sixty or 59 00:03:46,893 --> 00:03:52,213 Speaker 2: yet another Super Rugby final. For so many years christ 60 00:03:52,333 --> 00:03:57,333 Speaker 2: Church was sad and sorry, but Takaha's completion, costly as 61 00:03:57,373 --> 00:04:01,853 Speaker 2: it has been, is such a milestone. It's more than 62 00:04:01,853 --> 00:04:04,693 Speaker 2: a stadium It's more than a construction project. It is 63 00:04:05,613 --> 00:04:10,613 Speaker 2: the crowning of what is surely the most vibrant city 64 00:04:10,733 --> 00:04:16,133 Speaker 2: in the country. Yes, it is Grouse, and to those 65 00:04:16,173 --> 00:04:19,533 Speaker 2: who've lived through it all and are now counting down 66 00:04:19,653 --> 00:04:22,453 Speaker 2: the last few days to their first match at Toka, 67 00:04:22,973 --> 00:04:26,533 Speaker 2: honestly enjoy being envied. You deserve it. 68 00:04:27,133 --> 00:04:30,213 Speaker 1: For more from Saturday Morning with Jack Tame, Listen live 69 00:04:30,333 --> 00:04:33,133 Speaker 1: to News Talks d B from nine am Saturday, or 70 00:04:33,213 --> 00:04:35,133 Speaker 1: follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.