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Published: April 2nd 2009
I’ll start with a story that Dad told me on one of our first hikes in the town of Lake Tekapo.
This young bull and an older bull were grazing in a paddock. Beside them in the next pen there were hundreds of beautiful, blue eyed cows. The young bull turned to the old bull and said “Boy! Look over there!” He pointed with his hoof. “ Look at all of those beautiful, blue eyed cows grazing in that field over there! Look at them all!!!” he yelled with excitement. “C’mon! Let’s run over there, jump the gate, and have one of those cows!” There was a little pause, then the old bull lifted his head and said....
Tuesday, March 17 (St. Paddy’s Day): The day had finally arrived that Dad was coming to visit his youngest son in New Zealand. I was really excited to see him, and I was settled on the idea of meeting him at the airport. As I arrived in Auckland from my long bus trip from the north, after my surfing adventure with Vicent, Kyla and crew I walked down the main drag of Queen Street with both my packs packed full with
lunch bag
writing our names on our bag of food in the kitchen of City Garden Lodge, Parnell, Auckland, NZstuff. I looked at the BBH guide and decided I’d stay at a place called City Garden Lodge in an area of the city called Parnell. So, I half orientated myself on a city map, but could have used Lutz’s help with this one; supposedly he’s pretty decent at this sort of thing. Regardless, I was excited to find a place to rest up a little bit because the night before and the bus trip took quite a bit out of me. Stupidly, I didn’t look at the bus routes throughout the city before I decided I’d walk. It turns out the bus would have taken me steps away from the hostel, and would have only cost me $1.60. I didn’t look at the scale of the map either, so I had a long walk ahead. After a few wrong turns, and experiencing the hilly terrain of the Auckland ‘inner city’ first hand, I was there after an hour long hike. The hostel looked great, and people were once again very friendly. I booked the twin room for a few nights for Dad and I and stored Bubba at the hostel overnight. I took off with just my day pack.
BBQ
Dad bbqing steaks I prepared for my sleepover at the airport... Dad’s flight was due to arrive at 4:30am the next morning. So, with time to spare, I looked around again for some deals on vans and cars, took off for downtown again, and watched as leprechauns were enjoying their day in the sun as people celebrated St. Paddy’s Day. The people wearing green weren’t exactly walking straight either. There was actually an interesting sidewalk drawing that just featured a long, straight white line and asked that you try to walk along it. At the end of the line it said “Can’t walk straight? Call a cab.”, and had a phone number beside it. Cool idea. I grabbed the airport express bus from the bottom of Queen Street eventually.. The airport was about 20 minutes away. When I got there I made myself as comfortable as possible before Dad arrived.
Wednesday March 18: Dad finally arrives. Surprisingly they didn’t have any queen-sized beds in the airport, so I laid out across a bench row of seats in front of the arrival gate. There weren’t too many flights overnight so I wasn’t worried about getting kicked off the bench to let others sit
The Spread
this was for only four people originally... We shared with some other travellers passing by the table. Ian the owner of City Garden, said this was the best spread he's seen in a while at the hostel. We clinked our glasses. down. I used my backpack as a pillow. It was by far my cheapest night of accomodation, but I got what I paid for. A horrible night of sleep. Dad’s flight got pushed up by about half an hour, but he took forever to be processed. I was excited to see him, so I was on the edge of my 'bed' waiting to see his ugly mug come through the doors. There were two or three other flights that were being processed at the same time, so he came through the gate at around 5:30am. It was great to see him, and he was excited to be in New Zealand. He had always wanted to visit and he was glad he took the opportunity. We updated each other with some stories and I asked how everyone was at home. We had a few hours to kill before we could get going because everything was closed in town, and the sun didn’t come up for a few hours! We grabbed a sandwich in the airport, and eventually headed out to grab a shuttle for City Garden Lodge. After struggling in some horrible Auckland traffic we finally arrived at the hostel. The
Our new Israeli friends
Yael is on the right and Gatit closeby. They shook our hands promising to come visit us in Canada... If you ever see them, remind them for us! It was great meeting them. first day we had a big start. After passing the morning with some more coffee, we headed downtown using the bus system. It was a good way to check out the layout of the city. Dad had read about the Auckland City Fish Market, and was determined to get there. After a walk along the waterfront, Dad followed his nose and we ran into the fish market. It was honestly like taking Nate into an ice cream shop. He was skipping his way across the shop looking at all the fresh fish, with a huge smile on his face. He ordered two fish and chips meals which took a few minutes to prepare, and brought them over to the table to enjoy. The next few moments while we enjoyed that fish were moments of ecstasy... Dad loved it, and so did I. It was very good. Still on cloud nine we sauntered back to the waterfront past some huge yachts and sailboats in the harbour and parked ourselves at an Irish Pub for our first pints of the trip. They were great. I was really happy to have Dad with me. After the pints and some banter back and forth
Unpaved roads
This led to our near collison with the Volvo and dad's raised heartrate. Yikes... we were set on heading back to the hostel for some well deserved rest, but as we walked past the last restaurant, we decided to pop in for some ribs and oysters. Was this a bad decision? Perhaps. Did we care? No. We sat down, ordered another pint, had the ribs and oysters, and couldn’t believe we were both in New Zealand. It was a great first day with the old man.
Thursday March 19: Thursday was more a day of work rather than play. I had set my mind on getting a van that would be used by Dad and I, as well as for when Northy arrives soon after Dad leaves. It is clearly the cheapest way to travel in New Zealand, assuming your van or car doesn’t have any major problems. So, we were on the hunt for a nice, beat up van to start our country wide adventure on. We visited the Backpackers Car Market along K-Road in Auckland. It was tucked away behind the main strip, and as soon as Dad and I walked in we noticed all of the hopeful sellers chilling out in the place. There must have been twenty of them.
Happy to be alive
After our advenutre on the unpaved road. It's not evident on this picture but my pants were a little damp... Music was playing, and the warehouse style building was filled with cars and vans for sale. We had a quick introduction to the process, then walked around and picked out a few potentials. We asked to meet the owners of an old Mazda van. They were a young couple from Slovakia, and it was their last day in NZ. I went for a test drive and fell for it. I thought the price was fair, and would have been willing to buy the van, assuming the mechanical check was all good. So, we arranged a mechanical check with the shop across the road and left, assuming we were going to go back and buy the van. We grabbed as much cash from the banks in the area as we could (which isn’t an easy task), and grabbed some lunch. The process was getting tiring. We took a break in a local park on a bench and I dreamt of our adventure in the Mazda van... My hopes and dreams were shattered quickly when we found out there were some serious problems with the 20 year old van had many serious problems. There was rust near the door hinges, the engine
struts were rusted badly, there were a few leaks (one specifically in the brake line) and the wheels weren’t aligned. The right choice was to walk away, and we did. It was a heavy day with so many emotional ups and down, and we were both exhausted. We retired to the hostel and crashed. I cried myself to sleep, but was still intent on getting a van. 😊
Friday March 20: In the morning I noticed on the City Garden noticeboard a Van for Sale. It was a year older than the sellers; a Mitsubishi van made in 1987. The sellers were three German girls who all had slept in the back for part of their trip. The van was multi coloured and my next target. Our day at the car market had educated me on the buying process and I figured I could handle doing it privately. It turned out to be a much cheaper option. I called them the night before and arranged a meeting to check out the van. It was really too dark the previous night to notice anything, so we set up an appointment at a mechanics around the corner from the hostel to
Maori canoes
At the Maori Museum at Okrain Bay get it checked out. After the mechanical check was done, there were a few questions, and I bargained hard to get the price down. They were asking $2500 for the van, and I offered $1300 considering the additional money we would have to put into it. They almost seemed offended, and would have been willing to sell it for $2300. I was planning on writing the van off by the end of my trip in June or July, because at that time I would be selling in the lowest tourist season. The girls weren’t willing to negotiate any more, and they decided to keep the van and look for other potential buyers. I assured them that they wouldn’t find another buyer for that price, and that they should take $1500 cash right there. They refused, and I walked away again. About ten days later they would call again, and the van was still in their hands. They couldn’t sell it, and I was out of town... It’s too bad, but I’ll be back in Auckland to look for another car with Northy. That day we also met two Israeli girls named Yael and Gatit. We had a wonderful bbq with
Elusive Kiwi bird
Unfortunately this one's stuffed... steak, lamb, veggies, potatoes, wine and beer. They were great company, and they showed us their videos from bunjee jumping and skydiving. Both Dad and I watched in horror. Dad vowed he would never do it, and I almost second guessed doing the bunjee. Went out for a pint at a pub during the food coma. It was a big night, but well worth it. Again, it’s hard not to meet some great people when your backpacking.
Saturday March 21: Today we rented a car from Scotties Car Rental in Auckland. He recommended that we fly down to Christchurch and drive back up north so we didn’t have to do the trip twice. We decided to go for it. We had a few moments to spare, so we decided to go down to the fish market AGAIN, and get a ferry to an island about 20 minutes offshore from the Auckland Marina. So the young bull and the old bull were sitting on the dock waiting for the boat, and we figured we didn’t have enough time to catch the ferry, enjoy the island, return, and catch our flight to Christchurch. So, we missed the ferry in Auckland. We
GB Downwind
the wind was strong at the top of the Peninsula. grabbed a quck ice cream and then drove towards the airport. Flew for one hour from Auckland all the way to Christchurch for $104 each. It annoyed me because it took so long to get from Christchurch to Auckland on a ferry, and hours in a bus. It cost me more money for a two day long, uncomfortable adventure, including the ferry trip from hell. We stayed at Foley Towers in Christchurch (after the young bull got lost for a few minutes) and walked by an Irish pub that was playing the final of the Six Nations early the next morning. We promised ourselves to go, but we had a big night. We went to watch some super 14 rugby and have a few pints in a little tucked away area of Christchurch at the Vespa room (it was my second time there), and then to a sports bar where the game was on a much larger screen. We met a few locals who told us where to go and what to see, and we decided we’d be back in Auckland for April 10th to catch the Auckland Blues play a game at Eden Park. We walked back to the
hostel along Manchester Street before we had too many Guinnesses. We bumped into another local named Andrew who was middle aged, quite friendly and PIE EYED. He couldn’t see straight nor walk straight, and wasn’t too friendly with the local police. He had recently got into some fisticuffs with other locals, but thankfully was more than happy to see us. After he blurted out some belligerent and colourful language and we managed to push him off in another direction. He latched on to another couple of blokes down the street as we breathed a big sigh of relief. We walked down Manchester street with eyes on the back and sides of our heads and made it home safely. Dad couldn’t believe how little some people were wearing in the cold. I just admired them... We had a midnight snack of chicken noodle soup and bread and fell asleep in the cozy room. Lucky there was an en suite that night... There wasn’t too much of a walk for midnight piddles.
Sunday March 22: We caught the rugby game early this morning. What an experience. The scene was electric, people were drinking their breakfast Guinness, but we settled for coffee
and a meat pie. We couldn’t even get seats inside the place, so we sat for most of the game outside. It was absolutely packed, but we managed a seat inside to watch the second half. Wales was playing Ireland, and we were sitting amongst some animated rugby fans. It was the most exciting game of rugby I’ve watched for a long while. Dad and I thoroughly enjoyed watching the game and were glad we actually got up to watch it. It was well worth the hassle. After the game was finished we began the drive through the Banks Peninsula. I had done it already, but it was worth a second look for me. It turns out we took an entirely different route to get to Akaroa.
The drive to Akaroa was sketchy at best. We went to Lyttleton first; it was a quiet town and a good little start. We got out of the car and looked around for a bit. After Lyttleton we didn’t heed Tom Tom’s advise when she asked if we wanted to avoid unpaved roads. Instead, we decided to take the sketchiest route to our destination along a wet, unpaved, one lane, two way route
Lake Tekapo
Pretty place along the unguarded edge of an almost sheer drop into the rolling hills and bays of water below. Thankfully I was furthest away from the edge in the driver’s seat... Unfortunately my passenger wasn’t feeling confident about the narrow road. Dad rarely shows emotion, and when he does, he really means it. I think the unbarricaded edge got to him mostly, and the fact that he couldn’t see solid ground at the road’s edge at all. He let me know about every five seconds that he was a little concerned by letting out a little whimper or a prayer for our safety... I pretended to keep my cool for the drive, up until the moment a Volvo came screaming around the corner. There was probably just enough road to cover the width of both vehicles, and I squeaked by on the downward cliff side, as he slid by us on the safer side. I think Dad stopped breathing for a few moments here, but we managed it. Barely. In exchange for our horrified expressions on both of our faces, we got a neigbourly smile and wave from the local in the Volvo. We decided if we lived through this drive
we deserved a good lunch at sea level. Soon enough we arrived at Pigeon Bay and stopped for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with some rice pudding for dessert. It was a nice spot right on the water, and no one else was around to enjoy it with us. We took our time there. Further along our way we stopped by a Maori Center in Okains Bay. It was an interesting stop, and Dad noticed a few items from his childhood... In a museum. Please don’t make any inferences into how old he is... He’s already told me he’s 29 years of age and getting younger. It was a very full day, and by 3pm we decided to stay at a hostel called Chez le Mer in Akaroa. It was another quiet spot and we got a great room overlooking the main street. We took a half an hour tour of the whole town and retired to our room for a couple beers and a late night meal of sausages and rice, cooked by yours truly. It was the worst meal of the trip thus far, but Dad still ate it with a smile. We both flaked early and
Coffee at the peak
Luxury really... They didn't have any Bailey's though... had an early start the next day.
Monday March 23:Drove from Akaroa to Lake Tekapo. We had been told by a few people that this lake was a must see because of it’s unique colour. The town of Lake Tekapo had a population of only 400, and had a small strip of stores right along the water. It was a really nice day, and we stopped by a small hiking route up to the top of Mount John, where you could get a full view of the lake. It was a half an hour hike up to the top, and was worth it. On the way up this small hike is where I heard the young bull and old bull story for the first time. He told me this story after I had made a small 10 meter dash up the peak. Not being in peak form anymore I was obviously gassed, and Dad began the joke. At the top there were a few Observatories for star gazing. There was also a café at the peak, where we picked up a cup of coffee to sip on while we enjoyed the view. We took our time coming back down,
and at the bottom we stopped at a newly built recreation center that was right beside the entrance to the track. There were hot springs and an ice rink, and I figured I’d go in and investigate. I sat down with the operations manager and asked for a job at the rink for the next couple of months. It looked promising at the time, but it turns out the jobs had already been booked by a few other Canadians. It sounded as if the job was to run a hockey school for visitors to the rink. The owner of the place was really passionate about hockey, but he was out hunting in the Fiordland, so I wasn’t able to meet him. I will be calling him again soon and see if I can muster up any jobs that might have opened up. We checked into the local hostel and enjoyed some overpriced Chinese food at one of the restaurants along the tiny strip of shops along the Lakeshore. We headed back to the hostel, eavesdropped on some banter between an older Australian backpacker and some other Canadians, enjoyed a game of chess or two, and hit the sack.
Tuesday
March 24: Drove from Lake Tekapo to Mt. Cook. We had a few good hikes and again, enjoyed some of the unbelievable scenery. We had met a Canadian girl at the hostel the night before who we ran into on the trails three times going in the opposite direction. Later on we noticed Sydney, the Canadian girl, was hitchhiking towards Wanaka, so we picked her up, and began our journey to Wanaka. She shared some stories about her time in Wellington and how she’ll probably end up back there before she heads home. She was due to start at the University of Calgary in the fall, which she wasn’t particularly looking forward to. We checked into the Purple Cow, which was a great place in the middle of Wanaka. That night we took a late night wander around town, which was another beautiful place. We picked out a store where dad picked up his new hiking shoes from, and headed back to the hostel for the night. We played a few games of pool and I learned that I’m not so good after all.
Wednesday, March 25: We spent the day in Wanaka. We played pool in the morning,
Tailor MAd Hostel
Dreaming about the dream job at the ice rink down the road over a few beers. A few days later those dreams were dashed... I plan to persist though. and I got thoroughly beat. Four times. I have figured out what Dad wasted his time on in his youth. We went to visit Joanne, Maureen’s niece. Joanne’s husband Matt was out flying with some guests they had from the United States. They keep themselves busy with a unique flying business and they also farm. They own a couple of horses, plenty of sheep and cattle. We got a drive through their property in Geordie Hill, and had coffee and sponge cake. Joanne and Matt kept very busy, and we were very glad we caught Jo when she had a few moments! It was good to see her. We went through our plan for the South Island with her and she had a few great recommendations. We said our goodbyes for the time being and headed back to Wanaka for the night. Jo has invited Northy and I back when we’re in the area. I’m already looking forward to it!
Thursday, March 26: We visited the Air Fighter’s Museum in Wanaka on our way to Dunedin. Dad really wanted to check this place out because Uncle Jim would never have forgiven him if he didn’t go. It is a
Dangerous wildlife
Caught snoozing. Early morning in Lake Tekapo. worthwhile visit if you’re in the area; plenty of great stories recounting the wars, plenty of wartime paraphernalia and of course a few planes. On the second level there was a memorial wall listing all of those who were lost in the air during the world wars from the New Zealand Air Force. Beside the list, a poem called High Flight read:
Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I’ve climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
Of sun split clouds - and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of - wheeled and soarde and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov’ring there,
I’ve chased the shouting wing along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air.
Up, up the long, delirious burning blue
I’ve topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace
Where never lark, or even eagle flew.
And, while with silent lifting mind I’ve trod
The high untresspassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.
- High Flight: John Gillespie Magee
Pretty heavy stuff, but it was perfectly fitting for the memorial. Again, it’s well worth
a visit if you’re in the area. And if you’re up for it, the skydiving is right next door. When we arrived into Dunedin we were both pretty exhausted, so we had a very quiet night. We watched the movie called The Machinist in our room on the TV, caught up with local rugby and news, and fell asleep early.
Friday, March 27: We enjoyed Breakfast in a café, and finished it off with a french crepe. It reminded me of the crepes mom used to make on Sunday mornings back home. We checked out the train station and walked past the cadbury factory. We visited the Albatross Center at the tip of the Peninsula near Dunedin. We got a rare glimpse of an Albatross and watched the seals on the rocks down below. On our way out we also checked out a beach where the water was cold, but there were four or five surfers in the water enjoying the waves... I wanted to join them but I would have surely hurt myself. I took some notes on technique and after Dad and I headed to Gore to visit Fred and Judith, Maureen’s sister and brother-in-law. We were
warned by Joanne a few days earlier to have a quiet night before meeting Fred and Judith. It was great advice! We were greeted by Judith when we arrived; Fred was at the bowling green preparing for a big bowls tournament on the weekend. We all caught up, and soon after Fred came home, the first beer was cracked. Both Fred and Judith were characters, and it was great to have been there. We were shown to our rooms, and treated like royalty. I had heard rumours of the musical talents of both Fred and Judith, and I was looking forward to an impromptu performance. I would have to wait until Sunday, but it was well worth the wait. We had a great night, and looked forward to a few more with them.
Saturday, March 28: We booked our boat and bus tour of Milford Sound in the I-Site in Gore, and arrived in Te Anau soon after. We stayed at Barnyard Backpackers overlooking the mountains for the night. We had our own cabin with an ensuite bathroom which was a luxury. We played a couple more games of pool in the lounge, had some steak and potatoes for
dinner and hit the sack early. We had a big day coming up!
Sunday, March 29: On Sunday we checked out Milford Sound. Not even the pictures do much justice to how scenic it was, but just take a look at them and hopefully you get the idea. We listened to advise given to us by Judith and took a bus up instead of driving from Te Anau to Milford. The only road that takes you there is just as scenic as the Sound. This way Dad and I could both enjoy the view. We took plenty of pictures, enjoying the commentary by the bus driver on the history of the area. We sat right at the back of the bus, and somehow were in trouble by the time we got on the bus after our first stop at a flat. The bus driver had noticed my patch on my bag. We learnt later that a Canadian woman decided she would dip her toe in the fast flowing river at another stop called the Chasm. The problem was the drop was ten feet to the water from the rocks, and she fell in. She was eventually recovered. We also
More Mountains
The lake and glaciers weren't too pretty, but the mountains were nice. learnt that not everyone is so lucky. So for the rest of the trip we behaved ourselves and stayed out of trouble. Another visitor did the same thing and was never seen again. The few stops we made were well worth it. We stopped at Mirror Lake and of course the Chasm. Both beautiful spots. The history of the area is really interesting as well. We learned that throughout the depression families settled in the surrounding Fiordlands without their families, and with little equipment built the road. Eventually their families were allowed to join them, and little camps were formed all along the route. The land in that area of the world isn’t friendly, and I’m sure the job was dangerous. It’s hard to imagine their living conditions. Along the road there were plenty of avalanche warning signs. When we drove through they were all covered, but the road is susceptible to avalanches from the surrounding mountains. The road is closed from time to time if the local authorities think it’s too dangerous for traffic. We eventually got to our boat named the Lady of the Sounds and cruised around the Sounds. We had a barbeque lunch on board, and
after went to the top deck to marvel at our surroundings. It had been raining in the area for the past few days, so we were spoiled by a few waterfalls created by the rainfall. The weather changes so much in the area, but we were lucky to have a few hours of dryness. Eventually it would start raining on us, but we didn’t mind. We enjoyed the mountains, saw a pod of bottlenose dolphins, and some lazy seals on a rock. At the end of the loop we stopped at an underwater observatory which was interesting as well. It was a big day, and by the time we were back on the bus we were a little sleepy. I was battling a cold so I didn’t feel 100%, so I snoozed a little on the way back. We were back in Te Anau at five and we drove back to Gore for another evening with Fred and Judith. We were treated to another meal, flipped through some photo albums and a rendition of Frank Sinatra’s I Did it My Way; Vocals by Fred, accompanied by Judith on Piano. They played a few other songs which we thoroughly enjoyed, and
Hurricane
inside the museum, a WWII fighter thankfully we didn’t have to pull out our party pieces. Surely, I would have pulled out the throat bagpipes which no one wants to hear any more, and Dad might have played the spoons.
Monday, March 30: Monday was a golfing day. After waiting for the early morning rain to stop, we were headed out to the Gore Golf Club. Fred and Judith shared their golf clubs with us, and we started on the tenth hole. There was a group of four women playing a match on the front nine, so we let them go ahead. They would be the only people we would see on the course all morning. I wasn’t used to taking my time on a course in a while. All clubs in Toronto are usually packed and there’s almost always a group just ahead of you, and one right behind you. Mind you, it didn’t help my game much. I hit a few nice shots, but that’s it. I was slicing, hooking, duffing, and ruining a nice walk. I can’t really speak for him, but I think Dad was feeling the same way... He can’t remember the last time he played golf. Regardless it was
Dad and the Tiger Moth
Dad learned to fly on one of these beasts. good fun. After the round Judith had a few piano pupils scheduled, so Dad and I went into town to take care of some errands and shop for dinner. For dinner Dad made his signature dish featuring salmon, green beans and olives. Of course, we had a few Speights and watched Tiger’s performance at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
Tuesday, March 31: In the morning we had breakfast with Fred and Judith, and were spoiled again with bacon and eggs prepared by Judith. We were absolutely spoiled the moment we walked through their door a few days earlier. We gave them both great big kiwi hugs and were on our way towards Queenstown heading for Wanaka. Queenstown wasn’t on the itinerary for Dad and I; when Northy arrives I’ll definitely be making a bigger stopover. It looked like a busy spot. On the way out I spotted the famous Fergburger, where I’m sure I’ll enjoy a famous burger once or twice down the road. For now, Dad and I just stopped by the waterfront for a quick lunch. With a couple pieces of bread, a few bananas, marmalade and nutella, we were satisfied and hit the road again. We reached
Fred and Dad
Sitting watching some rugby, and enjoying some refreshments Wanaka again and stayed in the same room at the Purple Cow. We had a few spots of wine, grabbed a few pints at the local ale house and moved on towards an Indian Restaurant which we had scoped out earlier. Dad claimed it was the best Indian food he’s ever had... For the first time on our trip I watched as he sweat profusely throughout the meal. He recalled a story of one of his associates he knew when he had worked at city hall in Toronto, who would rinse curried meat in water until it was curried no more. I thought it was a good idea and considered doing it myself... This stuff was hot. I enjoyed Dad’s company, some Bollywood style group dancing music videos and drinking the water that was provided, and we were headed home for a good night’s rest.
Wednesday, April 1: We stayed another night at the Purple Cow. Used some time for the internet, and did a hike on Mount Iron overlooking Wanaka and the surrounding mountains. It took just over an hour and we were satisfied enough with it that we thought we deserved some beer. So we went to
Dinner at the Sutherlands
from left to right, Judith, Geoff, Dad and Fred. New World and got the makings for a few tuna melts and picked up some Speight’s Gold Medal Ale for myself, and Speight’s Old Dark, 5 Malt Ale for Dad. We played a few games of pool where I evened out the series (finally). We had a good meal and prepared to head out to the west coast of the south island to begin our return trip to Auckland. As I mentioned before, we plan to watch a super 14 game on April the 10th at Eden Park. We’re both really looking forward to the game.
You are now up to date. As for the finish of the story of the young bull and the old bull, you’ll have to wait until the end of our next blog...
Until next time,
Kiwi GB and Kiwi Malky...
And to quote Fred Sutherland, “SWEET AS!!! What??”
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Dave Long
non-member comment
Great Trip! Excellent Blog!
Geoff, we here at the Long household are thoroughly enjoying your stroies and adventures. I am quite impressed by how much you have done and acomplished so far. Holy up to date blogging.... It's April 1st here right now, and I'm reading about events that took place on the 2nd. I wish that these blog sites had been more devleoped years ago when I travelled. Well, you're not missing too much here with the weather... it's pretty grey these days. Take care and keep on living to the max! Dave and the Fam P.S. When does the un-rated material rear it's ugly head?