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Published: June 27th 2008
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Arrow Town
maning the barbie back in November last year 400 words seem to be to short, whilst 1300 seems a bit long. So I've decided to keep this in between. After reading through multiple blogs on this website, I've come to realize the different styles some writers have. Accounts of every day life, self realizations, anecdotes, tall tales, historical accounts, past life references and of course, epiphanies. I sometimes feel my entries lack depth and are burdened with to much Thompson-esc enthuse, but I figure that’s how I best explain my self. If anyone would like my input on the latter styles, let me know, Ill send you a post card without adding "esc" at the end of ideas closely stolen from my favorite authors. Here is the first entry to what I’ve been doing for the last three months..........
And before I forget, here’s Marc Feders blog site. He’s in SE Asia right now, so show him some love and support for getting lost.
And of course you should show love for the inspirational pioneer himself, Mat Zalk
For the past three months I have been in the northern part of New Zealand, on the north island, in a place called
My first class
Dargaville H.S. open water sessions held at Dargaville Lake. About an hours drive from where Im staying Northland, in a city called north town. Ok, the last was not true, it’s called Tutukaka. Three hours north of Auckland on the eastern seaboard. I originally came here to tour around the North Island after my South Island adventures last December were cut short, due to returning to the states for Kwanza. I felt that I had not truly seen all of this great country upon my arrival in the US, so I decided to fly into Auckland and check out the north before heading across the pond to Sydney. Original plan was to come here for three weeks, see some stuff, meet up with friends, catch a rugby game or two, do some sailing, etc. This all changed once I arrived in Auckland. I managed to haunt around the yacht clubs for a few days looking for freelance crew work, but to no avail. My hair had just been cut and properly groomed, so I figure that I didn’t look the part of sea worthy salt dog enough. This let down of no yacht employment provided me with plenty of opportunities as I would later realize ...(side note: to the Dutch girl I met at royal Auckland Yacht
My Crib
hard to think of anything else, when this is your pad Club looking to stow away on a boat to New Caledonia....God speed, hope you made it safely.) Wondering what to do next, I returned to my hostel, walked past the 30 people watching Borat, in the movie room ...yes, still, and figured out what the next step would be. Spend my three weeks catching buses and exploring Biboes country side were out of the question, A: bc I’ve already been to at least 70% of LOTR GPS coordinates and B: I just don’t like being on busses anymore. There are so many more options to be had. Buy a 300$ car, hitchhike, join a gipsey caravan? The last one is a bit harder to come by. Its not that I relish in solitude and have a callused view toward fellow tourist, I am one my self, but there are truly so many other ways to accomplish a task and solve a problem. When I see tourist freaking out about missing timetables, miss guided Travel book info and so on, it causes me to ponder. Whats the fun in traveling if everything is layed out in front of you. Half the fun is the unknown and taking that left when you’re
The Boat
another day at the office supposed to be taking the trusted right......... l
let me get back on track.
In the first few days I ended up finding a vacancy at a dive outfitter in the Northland. This was through a contact I met at the RAYC. I made the decision to continue my dive career on the spot. I figured that devoting myself to something and getting involved, would be a lot better than "aimlessly" traveling about.
The Northland of New Zealand claims to be "winter-less". This drew me right away. For the past three years of living on this side of the word, I have un-strategically been forced into year round, quasi demented winters and half ass'ed summers. I have not had a full summer in three years. This denotes equatorial travel, as they only have wet summers and hot winters. Anyway, the thought of sun sounded appealing, knowing that Syders would be hacked full of dark clouds and cold fronts when I returned. Thus began my journey toward the aptly named craziness of Tutukaka and Ngunguru. By the way, if you thought Ozzie names were difficult to pronounce, then come try some kiwi names. All Maori in origin, and
Scary Cave
20 meters down and 100 meters deep difficult for a Texan to grasp. .
So for the last 12 weeks I’ve been working on a dive charter boat named Poor Knight Divers, while doing my Dive Master certificate on the side. I work 4-5 days a week depending on weather conditions and study, practice theory while not out on the water. So far it has been great. Kiwis are a great bunch of people, always there with a good story and plenty of cheer. Funny being the bystander when the English, Kiwis and Aussies start having a go at each other. Sheep fornication seems to be the biggest insult. All in all, some very cool people out this way. I see why so many Americans move out here.
The Poor Knights Island Reserve, where we primarily dive, is said to be "one of the top ten dive sites in the world" according to Jacque Custo. This is debated highly round here, but it doesn’t mean that this isnt a remarkable dive destination. The island itself was the after math of volcanic
Lake Dargaville
where the trout live and where we take Open Water students activity, creating the many caves, tunnels, chimneys, air bubbles, swim troughs, which make this site famous. The waster temp here now is around 17 dg C. At first it was strange diving in a full wetsuit kit, gloves, boots, hoodie, etc. But the temp makes for incredible viz which averages around 20m. Theres not as much fish life, as say SE Asia or the Caribbean, but the islands geographic structures make up for any disappointments. Like I said before, heaps of under water caves, tunnels, air bubbles, etc. I’m up to 90 dives so far; hopefully the "crazy naked" 100th one will come when the Antarctic Current hits NZ, dropping the temp down to 13C.
As for now, I’m almost nearly done with my course work and am set to disembark and return to Oz in the end of July. Societies demand on my creative output beckons. Steel doors and hermetically sealed windows will have to keep me bound. If everything works, Ill be going back to my favorite of favorite'ist companies. They do pretty amazing stuff, but it’s not very Kerouac'an of me, as Francis would say.
As long as I can keep Louis L'Amour
from spinning in his grave, then I’m sweet.
Cant stay lost forever.....................................
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