Blogs from Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand, Oceania - page 8

Absolutely loving Dunedin - here's a few photos - sorry its taken so long but my camera had to go to Auckland to be repaired! I've been in Dunedin for a month, living with three kiwi's - 2 guys and a girl (joiner, product designer and student artist) and a french couple (Antoine, teacher and Marion who's looking for work), 2 kittens called Deb and Bean and a budgie called Cha-Chi !! We've been out to see bands, to the beach and bowling together and I've been working hard in a pillow making factory and a sports bar/restaurant in The Octogan!! The Otago Peninsula which juts off into the Pacific Ocean is beautiful and full of amazing wildlife. I drove myself and Marion out to Taiaroa Heads one windy afternoon. The most spectacular flying visitor to ... read more

THE MASTERS GAMES - Basketball During the week I offered to help out by officiating two men’s basketball games each day. It was a pretty uneventful affair, and tied in nicely with my physio appointments with Lena. Her name is irrelevant, but in being young and blonde, and paid (by the government, not by me) to massage my thigh, I had to fight pretty hard to stop myself from saying “the pain seems to have shifted towards my inner thigh”. Nevertheless, I reluctantly endured the course of treatment, well, up until the point where she was replaced by Bob (who was neither, young or blonde {or female for that matter} and hence could not provide an appropriate level of service). Anyway, yeah the basketball was pretty dull. Only one Technical foul all tournament, and not too ... read more

The last couple of days were a good laugh. I got a lift with a lad called Fabian who is a very efficient and organised and quite serious German. However, it wasn't boring because there were two others in the car for the trip; another German lad, Dave and an Austrian girl, Tina. Dave, despite being German, is very dry and quite surreal; he is extremely funny. We drove down from Christchurch to Dunedin where we camped. I have this account about when we stopped to get some drinking water: Heading south we pulled into a petrol station to get some water. Tina got out of the car and went to the toilet, taking a bottle with her to fill with water. Fabian though took the concept to another level. He took two empty bottles and ... read more

February 4th,5th & 6th - SOCCER There are many things that New Zealanders do that should be confined to New Zealand. Walk around barefoot at work… drink shit beer, and think it tastes great.... dance to the Hokey Tokey (not to be confused with the Hokey Cokey)… dress like your grandmother runs your wardrobe… etc, I could go on. However, the Masters Games is one thing that really needs to travel the world. It's kind of like an Olympics for Oldies like myself. The event lasts just over a week and includes a stack of different sports from underwater hockey, to poker, wood chopping, sheep shearing (of course), motorcycling and flying (presumably with some kind of assistance), alongside all your mainstream sports for gimps like me. Although this year’s championships did not include the Hokey Tokey ... read more

That is a question I've been mulling around in my mind today. 28 days left. That seems like a long time but not when you have to earn each mile peddling on a bicycle. I've spent today in a blissful state of laziness and contemplation. Should I go south to the Catlins or should I skip it and go right to Lake TeAnua for sea kayaking and a lakeside view? Hmmm, penquins or giant waterfalls? I haven't left the hostel today as all roads lead down and then back up a steep climb. I'm trying to give my body a rest. I did managed to venture down to get groceries yesterday so I'm well stocked. Yesterday was the Whaitangi Treaty holiday here in NZ. On my journey to a grocery store I heard 3 incredibly talented ... read more