Balm from Big Banana

Press, 29 June 1983, Page 3

Balm from Big Banana

Passengers and visitors at Christchurch airport yesterday afternoon were treated to whiffs of Banana Balm when four representatives of Australia’s “Banana Republic,” including the “Big Banana,” Mr Peter Fraser (above), arrived. Peter and Diane Fraser and Gary and Susanne Nehl, from Coffs Harbour in New South Wales, have come to New Zealand at the invita-

tion of their sister republic, the “Snowfed Republic,” known as Methven before it declared itself independent on June 1. They will be taking part in the celebrations tomorrow at the Mount Hutt Memorial Hall in which Mr Ivan Lyttle, a Methven cartage contractor, will be invested as President of the Snowfed Republic, thereby

earning the title of "Big Dagg.” Mr Fraser, the Banana Republic’s “El Presidente,” the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Nehl, and their wives, were appropriately dressed in green and yellow, and decked with plastic bananas when they arrived. They were piped into the arrival lounge and, declar-

ing that he was going to flood New Zealand with bananas as soon as possible, Mr Nehl produced a can of Banana Balm, a banana smelling air freshener. The Shire of Coffs Harbour was declared a republic four years ago and although they had made many promotional tours in Australia Mrs Nehl said this was their first such visit to New Zealand.