A happy-go-lucky English rambler dude goes to New Zealand for a year. Here he interfaces with some of those he left behind and details his nefarious activities. Or summat.
Recently clicked on MP3s - 7th June 2005 The Lucksmiths - Warmer Corners
Jens Lekman - When i said i wanted to be your dog
The Trashcan Sinatras - Weightlifting
Teenage Fanclub - Man Made
Laura Veirs - Carbon Glacier
The Decemberists - Picaresque
The Eels - Blinking Lights
Monday, February 18, 2002
Safely back in Christchurch after a very pleasant few days spent with the Sanj-meister cruising around the many delights that the central part of the South Island (Canterbury/Otago) has to offer. With gorgeous weather all the way!
We spent the first day travelling down to Wanaka, one of my favourite spots in NZ. Passing through Lake Tekapo and Mount Cook Village on the way. It was nice to get a view of Mount Cook / Aoraki for once, and from the foot of the Tasman glacier it looked surprisingly climbable, even at 3700ish metres, but I doubt i'll be attempting it in the near future as I, er, can't be bothered.
Irritatingly everywhere in Wanaka was booked up for the night, but after 1/2 hour of phoning around, we found a caravan site 6km out of town, down a dirt track, that had some spaces. So we bought a few 6-packs of Steinlager, and became trailer trash for the night! :o) This actually involved sitting on the steps of our caravan, getting pissed, counting shooting stars, reminiscing and making random phone calls home (On Sanjays company mobile! Thanks Ronald :op & Sorry to bemused friends & family)
Before setting off the next day, my car started to make some fairly alarming grinding noises, which turned out to be the brake pads disintegrating. Although it cost me $100 that i really couldn't afford to get them replaced, it was almost worth it, as Greg, the mechanic who did the biz, was a classic Kiwi character. While running around his garage organising 8 other jobs at once he explained where he got his energy from - not having drunk alcohol for 3 years, and drinking the local lake water, until he was sick, to clean out his liver, hmmm.
Then, when he started work on fitting my brake pads, bizarrely, he threw me the keys to his car, and asked me to drive off to the other side of town, to pick up a part for another job he had on the go!
Once i'd finished my errand, and he'd finished the job on my car, he displayed a level of trust never shown by British mechanics - arranging to meet me by the cash machine in town later that afternoon, allowing me to drive off in my now fully functional car! (And yes I did turn up to pay him by the way).
Queenstown lived up to it's reputation as the I-beef-er of New Zealand, but this was ideal for Sanjay's birthday, as he met a super foxy Dutch bird, who was clearly impressed by his silver tongued charm. Her mate was very nice, but i wimped out early to return to the hostel (Towny nightclubs not being my favourite places on earth). On return to the dorm a couple were shagging in the bunk below me - Now do you see why I prefer Wanaka to Queenstown?
Ambling around town on Sunday morning, when I least expected it, I had a close encounter with one of my and NZ's heroes - Edmund Hillary! He and his wife were having a quiet cup of tea outside a lakefront cafe, when i wandered by, gawping (I've just read his autbiography and he's on the NZ $5 note, so i'm sure it was him!). I bottled out of actually talking to him. Possibly just as well, as i've since been informed by Lyndon, that he's actually a bit of an ego-head, not surprising when your're on your own country's $5 note i suppose.
Before leaving Sanj & driving the 500k's back to Christchurch, we went up the Queenstown Gondola, and soaked in the view over the town & lake Wakatipu, as well as more gorgeous weather. Also followed my Mother's extreme footsteps had a quick go on the luge! The drive back was just as gorgeous & enjoyable as the drive down, and was enhanced still further by finding a tape i'd forgotten i had, featuring some Boards of Canada recorded from James while he was here - In a beautiful place out in the country indeed. Bliss....
Please Note: Regarding the 1st NZ vs England 1-day international. I have been asked to point out, by certain New Zealanders, that the Kiwi fans did in fact come up with one good song. This song was "You can't eat your bee-eef, You can't eat your bee-eef" * 100. Sadly I have forgotten the tune (As well as most of the second innings). I hope this satisfies any disgruntled Kiwi's, and will make them shut up about the 2nd 1-day international now.
