Rocking down to the South Island and rocking on with BON JOVI (Chris 28/1) January 28, 2008

Bon Jovi, NZ

Originally uploaded by chris.warn

Well we’ve been away for over 100 days now, did you notice us gone?? Travelled 21959 miles by air, 109 by walking, 95 by tuk tuk, 7278 by car (and counting), 2548 by train, 6 by bus, 80 by boat and 6 by tram - total 32081, I LOVE STATS!! strange thing shappening to my wife after 100 days, she’s putting things in strange places they don’t belong. 1st she threw a shop of vegetables in the bin and when it came to eat we had stir fried plastic (well we would of if we hadn’t rummaged around in the bin to find them and eat them) and 2nd she put a load of post-cards in a museum money donation box (well it was shaped like an old fashioned Brit post box so you can forgive her, guy in the museum just could not believe it, Soph asked if many people did that and he just said ‘No’ incredulously!
We left Raglan on west coast of North Island after bumping into an ex-bootneck who new a guy I worked with in recruiting, Bob Ewen - it’s a small world out here! Had food and beers with Jason and Hayley and it was nice socialising. Next day drove to the Waitomo Caves through lush forestry next to a beuatiful river that snaked through the valley in the Pirongia Park Reserve. We passed through a building called Whatuwhatu, great name. As the billboards increased and every building was advertising some adventurous activity involving black water rafting and glow-worms we knew we were getting close to the famous caves. We booked up for a standard tour and took the precaution of dressing in t-shirts, flip-flops and shorts, of course everyone else, including Pam our 60 yr old guide, was in fleecies and boots - classic Warn we said to ourselves. Inevitably it was freezing in the caves as we were led through underground caverns, with twisting eerie shapes thrown up by the meagre lighting. Then into a boat to be guided through about 100m of ‘Golem’ like caves to see the glow-worms. They were magical, thousands of pin-prick blue lights against the pitch black looking like myriad stars clustered in a desert sky. Almost poetic apart from the fact that what we were looking at was the worm poo that sits glowing in their abdomen attracting bugs for dinner! We also got a look at the 15-20 cm tendrils that hang down from the worms, covered in sticky mucous and grim looking. As we left the caves (no photography and NO talking, soph suffered I can tell you!) the light showed that Pam the pensioner had been the one dragging the boat and about a dozen people through the pitch black caves on guide-lines, she must have been about 65 what a job, there’s a lesson there Liz and Gill! After the caves we were glad to see sunshine again, the weather a bit all over the place but the sun guaranteed to start shining as soon as we get in the car! On drive to next camp site at New Plymouth, we stopped for strawberries, extremely juicy and freshly made mixed berry ice-cream, absolutely lovely. Spent a very pleasant 20 minutes munching on these in a clover field. New Plymouth not much to write home about (apart from gourmet hot pies), even worse than old Plymouth!! Stayed in camp site by the beach at Oakura. Went for a bracing swim in the Tasman Sea and beach side strolls on the black sands. Drive next day continued to Wellington through strange towns such as ‘Bulls’. Into city centre with Soph at wheel during rush hour (she as cool as a cucumber) to a back-packers which was filled with wasters so decided to turn round and drive back out of town to Upper Hutt, rural camp-site, again through rush-hour traffic, felt strange as we hadn’t seen much traffic since Auckland. Soph’s cooked up a storm on outer barbie and we ate like kings, as did the bugs feasting on my ankles and feet (just me not Sophs, I think mine smell more of quality cheeses). As we settled in tent had huge hoo-ha over thinking we’d lost the car keys, of course they were in a sleeping bag of course! Cold, cold overnight and when I shuffled out of the tent, had the privilege of a wet, slimy flysheet sliding down my back first thing, hadn’t experienced that for many a year! Up at 0545 and on road by 0615, next morning a record! Still dark as we drove to Wellington to catch early morning Bluebridge ferry, sun rising on the valley with freezing fog cloaking the river, tinged pink in early morning rays. Bluebridge ferry old and cheaper than the inter-islander, my seaman’s eye believed it to be safe though. After sausage sandwich we loaded and settled in to our comfy seats for more snoozing. Woke for entry into Tory Channel, ironic name as standing in the wind on the upper deck in the steel, grey light everyone was turning blue. This channle then turns into the Queen Charlotte Sound, which is famous for it’s beauty but I have to say as I huddled by the smoke stack for warmth the forested glens leading down to bleak foamed waters in a strengthening wind, it reminded me a lot of Scotland I half expected to tsee the floating dock in Faslane Naval BAse (AFD 60) hove into view. After 4 hiur cruise arrived at the South Island, in Picton with 2 old fashioned aircraft (bit like US Mustang, if you’re interested) doing acrobatics above our heads, they didn’t have to do all that just for little old us! Picton itslef v picturesque, but town rammed with local fete so didn’t stick around. Couple of hundred km to next camp site. Stopped off at Blenheim to do a bit of internet and indulge in yet more key losing (twice in about 18 hours must be lsoing our marbles) this time I’d left it under the keyboard in internet cafe, very wise! Drove on sharing driving, through, to be honest, the fairly boring vista of the Marlborough wine district long rolling dun coloured hills and lots of …you guessed it, vines! Arrived at Kaikuara, famous for it’s whales and dolphins, well didn’t see any of them (we are coming back for a spot of that) but did see some Bluebottle jelly fish we stopped me swimming. Fine dining that night in the campsite, red wine, pasta and pesto, accompanied by the grunts of 3 fishermen eating at next table, it was like being in The Dolphin all over again without the benefit of Bass! The next morning we slept in until 9.40 (check out at 10), as Soph’s went for morning ablutions I proved how good we’re becoming at packing up tent, by doing just that everything in the car in about 6 minutes and drove off. When Soph re-apppeared after cleaning her teeth, I’d gone. You had to be there, genius!! Fortunately Soph saw funny side and we had a right old chortle as we set off at 0959 for Christchurch. Not a lot to report, scenery continued in same vein and we arrived in CC nice and ealry to find a camp site in the city centre (you just can’t say that about many places). First one we visited looked like a set for a Quentin Tarantino movie, aplace where murderers do their laundry and crims hang out waiting for the heat to blow over - ie messy! Next place right up our alley though and soon settled in ready for the wait for THE CONCERT! We have been keeping this one a secret, apart from Sophs over the last few days tellig loads of people in e-mails so my blog isn’t as exciting as it should be (you know who you are Dover!) - the big secret off to see Bon Jovi in concert. Air of anticipation in the camp site as most people there were going. Had crayfish supper with our NZ neighbours and shared a taxi in with them. Concert excellent, ’stand up Jon’ we shouted as he arrived on stage and as he stood there with a guitar that looked to big for him, I wasn’t sure what to expect (this was my first big rock gig) - it was fantastic, lots of oldies that for some reason I knew all the words to, massive Richie Sambora?? guitar solos and lots of arm waving and shouting/screaming ’spit on me Jon’ - now why would my wife shout that?? We were at the back in seats (not sat in once) but it was awesome!!! Walked back after concert well happy with ourselves. In Christchurch library now having walked along the river that runs by the University, Botanical Gardens and Hospital - all road side cafes, ducks and people lolling around, great way to spend a Monday!! Anyway that’s all folks, unlike Jon who gave 3 encores it’s none for me, all together now ‘I’m a cowboy, on a stell horse I ride, I’m wanted ….DEAD OR ALIVE!!’