The Giant Rugby Ball on Sydney Harbour was the place to be on
Father's Day for Sydneysiders: more than 3,500 of them flocked to
Circular Quay to go inside the Ball on Sunday.
After a dramatic opening ceremony on Thursday morning and
coverage on nationwide television, including the popular Footy
Show and breakfast show TODAY, interest in the Giant
Rugby Ball has been high.
Already more than 11,500 people have passed through the Ball and
experienced the stunning audio visual display.
Around 25 Australian media outlets covered the opening ceremony of
the Ball on the morning of 2 September, which saw Australian
Aboriginal and New Zealand Maori cultures meet in an historic early
morning ceremony.
Sir Peter Leitch, New Zealand's own 'mad butcher', made a visit to
the Ball during the opening ceremony.
"I thought it was an outstanding presentation for New Zealand. I
think it's mind-boggling and you've got to really get to see it
because it's unbelievable - sensational," he told Tourism New
Zealand's camera crew in Sydney.
The Giant Rugby Ball is open to the public until Sunday 12
September and is expected to host at least 18,000 people over the
full 10 days that it's open.
Tourism New Zealand General Manager Public Affairs Suzanne Carter
said the Ball was proving very popular, with a number of visitors
also stopping by over the weekend to show support for New Zealand
in the wake of the Canterbury earthquake on Saturday morning.