Many folk, especially women, had no wish to go anywhere near a public bar. So even today, when Auckland city centre swings with cafe culture, and a multitude of wine bars and licensed eateries graces many suburbs, some abstemious souls still recoil in horror at the prospect of a neighbourhood pub or bottle shop. And, to be fair, their apprehension can be understood, if not shared, for the macho ambience of some New Zealand pubs hasn't changed all that much since the days of the six o'clock swill. We of the Big Dry do not go totally unquenched, of course. Bars are legal in local sporting and social clubs.
Lights blaze invitingly from golf clubhouses long after dark has fallen across the fairways.
Moreover the area is ringed with bottle shops just a metre or two into friendly territory. Cars return home heavy-laden. But one Saturday morning in the near future we'll once again ignore the dire strictures of the yellow flyer and have our say at the polling booth. It would be pleasant to drop by the local for a pint and a chat afterwards. We live in hope.