souther

Well Christchurch to Oamaru was the plan, cos I heard about a hostel with a music room (organ, piano, drums etc)...sounds sweet! Took about 6 hours...bus to the edge of Christchurch, then about 6 short lifts - an agricultural student, a US expat dirtbike rider, a retired british couple (she'd hitched round NZ in the 60s or 70s), the local fire chief (originally from Durham), a couple of hoons (who took me in to their house for a brew and brief jam of sorts), a young lad in his sportscar(!) and finally a fella driving a done up old 50s US chevvy (or summat) which was a pretty stylish way to be dropped at the backpackers!

The best thing about the hostel isn't the big spacious house, or the crazy decorations (loads of psychedelic and other paintings) or even the remarkably friendly and chilled guests and workers, or even the fact that there are proper made up beds that even I can fit on (not often normal in backpacker hostels)...it's the organ!! You have to operate the bellows with 2 pedals and it has various stops (I think is the correct term) for different organ sounds...lovely church organ sound to it. Went to see some penguins on the beach and either later or tomorrow we'll go see some penguins which apparantly walk across a carpark to get where they are going! It's $25 if you are lazy and want to pay, or free if you are cheap and don't want some talk by some fella I hear.

In the meantime, here are some more photos...

oamaru - yeah it's blurry, but that's what makes it for me...

oamaru is the steam punk capital of the world apparantly...where else would you see this on the high street?

a ram...I prefer this to the pic showing him all

sunrise in oamaru

a picture

something about the lines?

pleasant little park

a big fly (on steam punk hq)

it's good to feel welcomed

my new friend

what is it about me and lamp-posts

one of many scrap things (which has been dug up from the ground by the look of it)