Heading North
Well, it's happened. I've held out for a while, but I'm now officially old and useless. I was looking for seat R18 last night and struggling when the usherette came to help me: she laughed and told me I was in O 40. R18 meant no under 18s were allowed in. If I'd found the seat (and I was in Row R when I got helped), I'd have sat in it. Shoot me now.
I thought Dylan Moran would be disturbing-I once saw Jonny Vegas interviewed and although he was funny, you worried for his mental state. Dylan seems fine, intelligent, philosophical even, but not quite as funny as I expected.
I'm really worn out: 3 nights is the longest I've stayed anywhere since the end of January and I've stayed in a different place every night for the last week. Plus I've done a lot of travelling and organising. And I had a buzz saw sleeping in my dorm at Waitomo. So I'm thrilled that my new abode, Captain Bob's Beach house, is delightful (follow the legend of Bob Nelson, you won't go far wrong). I booked in for 2 nights in case it was another Cactus Jack's, but I'll definitely stay 3 nights, maybe 4!
Usual drill today-early start, bus, arrive, hostel, supermarket, plan and explore. I visited Waitangi this afternoon, which was very tranquil till the coach party arrived. Waitangi is where in 1840 the British and Maori signed the treaty that essentially made NZ British. I could go into a lot of history, but I'm fuc...., very tired. The Marae was stunning-the one thing I made a beeline for after seeing a pic in the Lonely Planet.
It was the equivalent of non-denominational-there was no affiliation to a particular tribe. The interior was decorated with many carved faces, about half with their tongue sticking out. This guy has the scariest tongue I've ever seen.
So long, and thanks for all the fish
Not been on a boat for a couple of weeks, so it was clearly time for an all dayer round the Bay of Islands, to the hole in the rock, the Pacific, lunchtime stop and stroll on an island,
with a load of dolphin spotting thrown in. Orcas were an outside chance, but didn't emerge.
We spent about an hour morning with 3 pods of dolphins around us. Dolphins spend 75% of their time socialising-that's chatting, playing and mating. The other 25% is eating and resting.
Anyone still think we're the smartest creature on the planet? I've spent 75% of my week working before amd 25% shagged out-it's not quite the same.
They don't actually sleep they shut down half their brain (and 1 eye)-they'd drown if they slept. Gonna live while I'm alive, I'll sleep when I'm dead. Tell you, dolphins have the right idea. They can also 'see' a 3-d image from their 'clicking' sonar-with regular eyes as well, I guess they effectively do have eyes in the back of their heads. There are lots of babies about at the moment, we even watched one suckling: the babies meant there was no chance to swim with them (a protection law). Since I'm still unsure about the swimming thing, I wasn't perturbed. There was plenty of acrobatics and I managed a pic.
The bay is full of islands as you'd expect, which provided variable and restful panoramas. When we docked, the sight that greeted my eyes freaked me out a country music festival had started and was on for the weekend. I saw a 'country till I die' t-shirt. There were plenty of street performances over the weekend and I just don't get it: crap lyrics, badly sung to slow dull music-you might as well listen to Timberlake. I lost count of the number of cowboy hats, boots and RVs.
Fat is Fast
Today is a big all day coach trip-400km up to the top of NZ. We passed the oldest building in NZ-only about 1840, but stone and most attractive. Then onto the Kauri forest: Kauri are another monster tree that live for thousands of years. Naturally, this means most of them were cut down before being protected. Unlike in Oz, Kauri is a very dense wood. I knocked on one and nearly broke my frankie knuckles.
90 mile beach (it's 64 miles) is rather like Fraser Island-the coach was belting down it at over 100. This was a full size coach, despite there only being 11 of us. This buried yute is eloquent testament to not getting into trouble on the beach.
It's been there 2 weeks.
Just off the end of the beach, we stopped at some massive sand dunes for some sand boarding. Stylistically it was more sand skeleton-no standing up, just lie down and hurtle down the dune face first. I was glad of my shades, but could taste the sand in my mouth for the rest of the day. The police have been up here and clocked people at 80+ kms per hour. Clambering up the dune was hard work as ever.
As on snow, I generated great speed but had no way to control it. On my first run I hit a bump where it started to level out (stopped being sheer), took off, lost my grip on the board and wiped sufficently spectacularly for folk to enquire about my health. Drives set the benchmark for my second effort-he went down the steep bit of the dune, across the flattish bit where everyone else had stopped, down the last slight incline and across most of the creek nearly back to the bus. He took a run up and a dive to start his run. I all but matched his effort, getting plenty wet as I skidded across the creek, despite taking off again: this time only one hand came off and I managed to grab the side of the board so I at least stayed on. I did this from a stationary start, with my brakes (feet) on a bit and without lifting the front of the board for extra speed. Gravity and the gut really help acceleration! Apparently 'hauling arse' is the technical assessment of my zippy performance. Perhaps the Olympic dream isn't dead. Anyone got a phone number for Shelly Rudman or Alex Coomber?
Cape Reigna isn't the most northerly point, but effectively is due to accessibility.
They must get some storms here. Go West (life is peaceful there) and after 1500 km you'll hit land just South of Sydney; East-land's a touch further and 5,500 km gets you to Santiago; going North you'll need to change hemispheres and keep on a bit to reach Siberia. This is an exposed spot. The point marks the meeting of the oceans (Tasman and Pacific). Incredibly you can actually see them meet.
I thought the idea of separate oceans was a notional thing.
I found a kindred spirit in Austrian Katie-we were both drawn to the more interesting spots away from the crowds (although I'm sure there are many more punters in high season). The bus stopped at a beach round the corner from Cape Reigna: we went on a walk up the cliffs and really wanted to carry on back to Cape Reigna, but had to get back-even then we were 10 minutes late. It's the lack of flexibility that's a pain on these organised trips. Still, no other way to do it-hire companies won't let you take cars on the beach.
On the way back we stopped for legendary fush n chups (kiwi accented spelling); chups n chups for me.
Russell
I decided to stay another day as I was loving Paihia. There's wasn't much left to do, but I've not had a day off in 7 months and wasn't going to start now. I walked through the forest behind the village to get a view across the bay. I took the ferry across the bay to Russell, which was once known as the hellhole of the Pacific due to the drinking and general licentiousness. Sadly times change.
They have the oldest church in NZ
and a one fifth scale model of Cook's Endeavour.
How over 100 men lived on the full scale version is beyond my imagination.
I also climbed up Flagstaff hill for the view.
This is the site where Maori 4 times cut down a flagpole flying the Union Flag. The British didn't bother a fifth time.
Back at Captain Bob's I went on the internet to finally book a place on Easter Island-pricey at 15,000 Chilean Peso, or 15 quid a day. That's about double what I've been paying in Oz/NZ. The computer's in the TV room and I was surprised to find people watching The Two Towers-surprised as that was my plan for the evening. Hadn't missed too much, so I watched the rest; still didn't recognise anywhere. Just the Fellowship to go.
I head back to Auckland tomorrow. I'll miss Paihia-it's been the best of the North with one of the best hostels. Odd to think I'll be in Auckland tomorrow, Easter Island in a week, Pisa in 2, Vienna in 3, Oxford in 4 and Glasto in 5. Time to get those tour t-shirts printed.
I thought Dylan Moran would be disturbing-I once saw Jonny Vegas interviewed and although he was funny, you worried for his mental state. Dylan seems fine, intelligent, philosophical even, but not quite as funny as I expected.
I'm really worn out: 3 nights is the longest I've stayed anywhere since the end of January and I've stayed in a different place every night for the last week. Plus I've done a lot of travelling and organising. And I had a buzz saw sleeping in my dorm at Waitomo. So I'm thrilled that my new abode, Captain Bob's Beach house, is delightful (follow the legend of Bob Nelson, you won't go far wrong). I booked in for 2 nights in case it was another Cactus Jack's, but I'll definitely stay 3 nights, maybe 4!
Usual drill today-early start, bus, arrive, hostel, supermarket, plan and explore. I visited Waitangi this afternoon, which was very tranquil till the coach party arrived. Waitangi is where in 1840 the British and Maori signed the treaty that essentially made NZ British. I could go into a lot of history, but I'm fuc...., very tired. The Marae was stunning-the one thing I made a beeline for after seeing a pic in the Lonely Planet.
It was the equivalent of non-denominational-there was no affiliation to a particular tribe. The interior was decorated with many carved faces, about half with their tongue sticking out. This guy has the scariest tongue I've ever seen.
So long, and thanks for all the fish
Not been on a boat for a couple of weeks, so it was clearly time for an all dayer round the Bay of Islands, to the hole in the rock, the Pacific, lunchtime stop and stroll on an island,
with a load of dolphin spotting thrown in. Orcas were an outside chance, but didn't emerge.
We spent about an hour morning with 3 pods of dolphins around us. Dolphins spend 75% of their time socialising-that's chatting, playing and mating. The other 25% is eating and resting.
Anyone still think we're the smartest creature on the planet? I've spent 75% of my week working before amd 25% shagged out-it's not quite the same.
They don't actually sleep they shut down half their brain (and 1 eye)-they'd drown if they slept. Gonna live while I'm alive, I'll sleep when I'm dead. Tell you, dolphins have the right idea. They can also 'see' a 3-d image from their 'clicking' sonar-with regular eyes as well, I guess they effectively do have eyes in the back of their heads. There are lots of babies about at the moment, we even watched one suckling: the babies meant there was no chance to swim with them (a protection law). Since I'm still unsure about the swimming thing, I wasn't perturbed. There was plenty of acrobatics and I managed a pic.
The bay is full of islands as you'd expect, which provided variable and restful panoramas. When we docked, the sight that greeted my eyes freaked me out a country music festival had started and was on for the weekend. I saw a 'country till I die' t-shirt. There were plenty of street performances over the weekend and I just don't get it: crap lyrics, badly sung to slow dull music-you might as well listen to Timberlake. I lost count of the number of cowboy hats, boots and RVs.
Fat is Fast
Today is a big all day coach trip-400km up to the top of NZ. We passed the oldest building in NZ-only about 1840, but stone and most attractive. Then onto the Kauri forest: Kauri are another monster tree that live for thousands of years. Naturally, this means most of them were cut down before being protected. Unlike in Oz, Kauri is a very dense wood. I knocked on one and nearly broke my frankie knuckles.
90 mile beach (it's 64 miles) is rather like Fraser Island-the coach was belting down it at over 100. This was a full size coach, despite there only being 11 of us. This buried yute is eloquent testament to not getting into trouble on the beach.
It's been there 2 weeks.
Just off the end of the beach, we stopped at some massive sand dunes for some sand boarding. Stylistically it was more sand skeleton-no standing up, just lie down and hurtle down the dune face first. I was glad of my shades, but could taste the sand in my mouth for the rest of the day. The police have been up here and clocked people at 80+ kms per hour. Clambering up the dune was hard work as ever.
As on snow, I generated great speed but had no way to control it. On my first run I hit a bump where it started to level out (stopped being sheer), took off, lost my grip on the board and wiped sufficently spectacularly for folk to enquire about my health. Drives set the benchmark for my second effort-he went down the steep bit of the dune, across the flattish bit where everyone else had stopped, down the last slight incline and across most of the creek nearly back to the bus. He took a run up and a dive to start his run. I all but matched his effort, getting plenty wet as I skidded across the creek, despite taking off again: this time only one hand came off and I managed to grab the side of the board so I at least stayed on. I did this from a stationary start, with my brakes (feet) on a bit and without lifting the front of the board for extra speed. Gravity and the gut really help acceleration! Apparently 'hauling arse' is the technical assessment of my zippy performance. Perhaps the Olympic dream isn't dead. Anyone got a phone number for Shelly Rudman or Alex Coomber?
Cape Reigna isn't the most northerly point, but effectively is due to accessibility.
They must get some storms here. Go West (life is peaceful there) and after 1500 km you'll hit land just South of Sydney; East-land's a touch further and 5,500 km gets you to Santiago; going North you'll need to change hemispheres and keep on a bit to reach Siberia. This is an exposed spot. The point marks the meeting of the oceans (Tasman and Pacific). Incredibly you can actually see them meet.
I thought the idea of separate oceans was a notional thing.
I found a kindred spirit in Austrian Katie-we were both drawn to the more interesting spots away from the crowds (although I'm sure there are many more punters in high season). The bus stopped at a beach round the corner from Cape Reigna: we went on a walk up the cliffs and really wanted to carry on back to Cape Reigna, but had to get back-even then we were 10 minutes late. It's the lack of flexibility that's a pain on these organised trips. Still, no other way to do it-hire companies won't let you take cars on the beach.
On the way back we stopped for legendary fush n chups (kiwi accented spelling); chups n chups for me.
Russell
I decided to stay another day as I was loving Paihia. There's wasn't much left to do, but I've not had a day off in 7 months and wasn't going to start now. I walked through the forest behind the village to get a view across the bay. I took the ferry across the bay to Russell, which was once known as the hellhole of the Pacific due to the drinking and general licentiousness. Sadly times change.
They have the oldest church in NZ
and a one fifth scale model of Cook's Endeavour.
How over 100 men lived on the full scale version is beyond my imagination.
I also climbed up Flagstaff hill for the view.
This is the site where Maori 4 times cut down a flagpole flying the Union Flag. The British didn't bother a fifth time.
Back at Captain Bob's I went on the internet to finally book a place on Easter Island-pricey at 15,000 Chilean Peso, or 15 quid a day. That's about double what I've been paying in Oz/NZ. The computer's in the TV room and I was surprised to find people watching The Two Towers-surprised as that was my plan for the evening. Hadn't missed too much, so I watched the rest; still didn't recognise anywhere. Just the Fellowship to go.
I head back to Auckland tomorrow. I'll miss Paihia-it's been the best of the North with one of the best hostels. Odd to think I'll be in Auckland tomorrow, Easter Island in a week, Pisa in 2, Vienna in 3, Oxford in 4 and Glasto in 5. Time to get those tour t-shirts printed.
posted by Poll Star at
8:33 AM
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