16 years since the wind tunnel aka Athletic Park hosted its last match:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-pos...parks-century-of-spectacle--150-years-of-news
In 1972 I saw my first-ever AB Test there, v the Awful Aussies; the following year AB v an Invitational XV as part of Colin Meads' testimonial; in '75 Wellington v Scotland & '76 AB v Ireland: they rested/ dropped Sid Going for the under-rated & under-utilised Lyn Davis, Going got a huge reception when he came off after Davis was told he was injured (IIRC he limped over to be given the doctors' clearance then jogged the rest of the way).
Didn't go there again for rugby until the 1996 AB flogging of the Wobs in the worst storm to hit Wellywood since the Wahine sank (1968 with the loss of 53 lives) but in the interim did go to a coupla great gigs incl Neil Young & Bob Dylan. Also sat in the back yard of my flat in Newtown & listened to U2 for free. Last visit was in '99 for the last Test played there when we hammered France: pieces of turf & seats were taken as souvineers but pretty sure we left them at some bar in Bond St.................
For all that it was a dreadful place to watch rugby even if the sun was out & there was no wind ('canes v Brums in (?) 1997 is the only occasion that springs to mind when such was the case) it did have a certain je ne sais quoi that you just don't get at Westpac & I've gotta say that on the whole I miss the old girl. That said it's fitting that it's now a retirement village.