Astronauts visiting Hamilton this week were lured away from the city by Raglan’s charms. Their visit saw them touch down on the Wahine Moe for a day of R & R hosted by Charlie Young of Raglan Boat Charters.
The crew of the space shuttle Discovery arrived in Auckland on the morning of Tuesday 17th before coming to the Waikato for five days. Ree Varcoe, Hamilton Central Business Association’s general manager arranged the tour. She is a friend of shuttle pilot Colonel Eric Boe, going to high school with him in Georgia, USA.
Ms Varcoe said, “A whole crew coming to New Zealand, it’s unprecedented.” The shuttle’s final mission in February-March 9 saw then take a HamiltON flag on board.
The shuttle crew also visited earthquake damaged Christchurch for four days to raise morale, especially in children, explaining the importance of resilience and setting goals.