AOTNZ tour Opunake & Hawera

Seem to have dropped a day somewhere.....Taranaki - land of cows and boxthorn

hedges and more concrete block motels. Opunake was OK.....the venue a little

soulless but a good crowd, although there were a few cockies who looked like

they'd been dragged out by their wives to see some 'culcha', sulking with arms

crossed and being very unamused by the whole experience. A group of dancers

demonstrated at half time....Ceroc perhaps or something similar. They were very

good. Also met a very nice bloke who wrote a musical about Jean Batten, staged

it once in Opunake, and then had to shut it down under threat of legal action

from the copyright holders of a Batten biography.

Drove up to Dawson Falls and had coffee & muffins and a guided tour of the

lodge, which was made over in the '70s by a bloke called Keith Anderson, who

hand-carved all the room fittings, doors etc and themed every room individually

(there are 12) and the whole effect is startling. Very 'Swiss Alpine Chalet'.

Took a wet 5 minute walk to Dawson Falls - very spectacular.

Played in the lovely Hawera Memorial Hall last night to a rowdy crowd which

included some old friends. Mr Glen Nevis joined us afterwards for celebrations.

Andrew