Speech
New Zealand Olympic Committee Dinner
May I begin by greeting everyone in the languages of the realm of New Zealand, in English, Maori, Cook Island Maori, Niuean, Tokelauan and New Zealand Sign Language.
Greetings, Kia Ora, Kia Orana, Fakalofa Lahi Atu, Taloha Ni and as it is the afternoon (Sign)
May I specifically greet you: Your Excellency Tony Browne, New Zealand's Ambassador to China; Eion Edgar, President of the New Zealand Olympic Committee; Barry Maister, Secretary-General of the New Zealand Olympic Committee; Dave Currie, New Zealand Olympic Team Chef de Mission; Team members and your families; Distinguished Guests otherwise; Ladies and Gentlemen. And in the context of this gathering, may I add the greeting: Ni Hao.
It is with pleasure that my wife Susan and I join with you for dinner here at the New Zealand Ambassador's Residence in Beijing and we add thanks to you, Ambassador Tony, and your wife Susan, for your hospitality.
It is now a week since we first gathered at the New Zealand Olympic Committee team function when flag bearer Mahe Drysdale was named, and six days since the opening ceremony in the National Stadium.
And what a week it has been. In the early 1980s, Susan and I visited GuangdongProvince in Southern China and to compare the country we saw then, with the modern nation before us today, is an amazing contrast. Indeed, memories of that trip have recently been brought back to us by a friend who sent an old photograph of ourselves in what was then a quaint and seemingly old-fashioned street and market in a village called of Foshan, near Guangzhou.
There have been many other highlights. For myself and Susan, on top of seeing many of you competing, we have also undertaken the first, albeit whistlestop, State Visit by a New Zealand Governor-General to Mongolia, a fascinating land-locked country whose history stretches back to the time when Genghis Khan ruled much of Asia.
New Zealand's performances to date are underpinned by the football coach's adage that "you don't need to do anything too flash in the first half!"
On the immediate horizon is this Saturday's events which the New Zealand media has already dubbed "Super Saturday" due to the numbers of New Zealanders competing, particularly in rowing. Susan and I are looking forward to cheering on the rowers at the Shunyi Olympic Rowing Park in the afternoon, having visited the training facilities at LakeKarapiro in the Waikato earlier this year.
In the early evening we will head to the Olympic National Stadium to see Valerie Vili and Rebecca Wardell competing in the women's shot put and heptathlon events respectively. To you and to everyone competing in the next few days, may we wish you all the best.
In two days, we will return to New Zealand but speaking for my wife Susan, myself and our party - "Governor-General Inc", I would like to publicly thank New Zealand's Ambassador, Tony Browne, and your staff and your family, for the sterling work you have all done in putting together our programme and in assisting us during our visit, both in China and Mongolia. It is hugely appreciated.
And on that note of thanks and good wishes I will close in our nation's first language, Maori, by offering greetings and wishing everyone good health and fortitude in your endeavours. No reira, tena koutou, tena koutou, kia ora, kia kaha, tena koutou katoa.