It'll be the farthest away from home I've ever been

The past few days have felt a little eventful in the grand scheme of things as I have become very aware that this is officially the longest time I've ever been away from home. Being a Carlisle dweller and deciding to study there means that even though I've been to University I've never felt far from home at any stage of my life except for Camp America, which in 2005 saw me away from the UK for three months. The three month mark in NZ  passed just six days ago. With Christmas looming and calls from home telling of all things pre-Christmas, I obviously can't help but feel a tiny bit home sick. Mum mentioned she's been in over drive in the sticky toffee pudding making department, the thought of mum's cooking drove me a little loopy . . . however I am starting to explore avenues of cuisine out here and the first experiment has been a success. Last night I made a curry using a paste and method shown by our Asian house mate Boon, when he cooks the smells from the kitchen are unreal and he's always happy to tell me how he does things. I can just imagine when I do go home that I will miss some foods out here, like Hokey Pokey ice cream, Fergburgers and the much more affordable and endless supply of Kiwi Fruit and Avacados. But all of this is faaaaar far in the future, the very idea of going home is long in the distance, and even though I miss my friends and family at home right now, I have yet to have my fill of New Zealand.

view from the staff room at work

I finally started work last week and today I received my proper work shirt, so it all feels some what more official. The hours are very much part time at the moment but I am told if I hold out I will get the hours I so desperately need. It's a very bizarre feeling starting my work at Dick Smith as I seem to have settled right in like putting on an old pair of shoes. Sure I have a lot to learn as they sell every bit of tech imaginable, but it all feels very familiar, one of the other British guys worked for HMV at one point too. The amazing thing about the job is it's in the Remarkables out door shopping centre which lies in the shadow of the Remarkables mountain range and it could not be more spectacular, a far cry from the views around the Lanes I think you'll agree. At first I thought driving to work for 15 minutes would be a hassle, but even though it means I spend some money on petrol every week, it is a bloody great drive.

So the job is sorted, JB and I moved into our lavishly sized room with our own balcony which is suiting us nicely for the time being. However the house has not been kind to my dust mite allergies so once my six weeks minimum stay is up I will definitely be investigating alternative places, hopefully closer to town. We have had some new house mates move in including another Dan who is from Burnley, would you believe it he's even lived in Barnoldswick before. For those not in the know I used to live in a little town called Barnoldswick between the ages of 2 and 12, so to have someone around with a broad Lancashire accent has been a hoot to say the least. We went for a hike up a nearby hill the other day and found what has to be the best idea for hanging out around here. As pictured there were two car seats perched on top of the hill with a pit full of charcoal next to them and bottle caps strewn across the area. I think one night it would be worth a visit to watch the sun set with a few beers. Every day I wake up and look out on the mountains and feel very lucky to be living here right now, but more so it's willing me to get a mountain bike sorted asap. There are some opportunities arising and trademe.co.nz is proving very useful. Trade Me is every New Zealanders answer to Ebay, as it doesn't seem to have reached this part of the world, or the fee's are just too high for it to take hold here. So hopefully in the near future I'll be blogging about my new bike :) I've made friends with some local bikers thanks to my good friend Aimee up in Auckland who's sister Erin lives here with her British boyfriend Craig. They both are biking mad and I went to their house the other night to celebrate Erins birthday and met even more local bikers.

Anyway I hope to blog about something more interesting soon as I now have a little money come in, so I might dare a road trip or two to explore the surrounding area which I'm told is amaaaazing. Thinking of all the folks back in blighty, hope you're all doing well and have a very merry Christmas. Ciao for now. 

A wizard is never late

JB and his bizarre fruit eating habits

Well better late than never . . . my new job fiiiinally starts on Monday, having moved into my new home expecting to be off to work a matter of days later, I have now been here over a week and only just received the paper work that will make me an fully fledged employee. In the grand scheme of things its not that long to wait but it's felt like an eternity as with every dollar I spend, I know I'm not currently earning it. However my wonderful parents kindly sent out some Christmas money for me early, so thank you very much to the bank of mum and dad. The whole process has really ground on my gears though. If I'd known that it would take this long to get started with the job I would have gotten temporary work with an agency. The management were very vague about when I could potentially start as it was in their head offices hands, so it left me in a position where I wasn't sure temping would be such a great idea. Acquiring two references from a country 11 hours behind us proved to be the main slowing factor. My room mate JB (Jean Baptiste) had work for the past week at the Hilton hotel through an agency, having also had an interview at a French restaurant in town, he starts a waiting job there on Monday. So we'll both be happily employed in places that suit us.

So all this spare time has had me rolling into bed at silly hours of the morning and sleeping away half the day as without money coming in I don't want to go throwing my dollars at days out. A couple of weeks ago I went up to the luge with a friend from the hostel, it's a killer way to spend time especially with 6 rides including the gondola ride up cost less than $50. That's pretty much the cheapest activity you can do around here apart from Frisbee Golf. So the Queenstown night life never ceases to keep me entertained and once again I took to the open mic stage the other night to sing for a beer. I've been to this open mic three weeks on the trot now and have been learning new songs, although the same staple tunes I usually play always sneak on to the set list. But earlier yesterday I met up with a guy, Dave, who was looking for a singer for a band he plays in. We got on like a house on fire, it was actually scary to meet someone who has such a similar taste and direction in music. So I'll be jamming with him and his band sometime soon to see how I gel with the rest of the band. They do covers of mainly reggae/funk/soul/blues so its not something I'm massively versed in, however if I don't gel with the band, me and Dave will definitely still play some music together.

So in all this spare time I found the ultimate place to just hang out in Qtown. Yesterday was THE day to hang by the lake shore, and everyone was out. Locals and backpackers buy a crate of beers and hang at the shore drinking, eating ice cream and soaking up the rays as the summer gets warmer. I took my guitar down with a couple of friends, a perfect little hang out and a great way to meet new people too. After hours of soaking the sun I had a yearn for a Fergburger again and got myself the Tropical Swine burger . . . once again it floored me, no sooner had I eaten it I was in bed passed out!

So I can't wait to start work and start earning, thankfully I will be getting paid fortnightly and so I can start properly saving for a decent mountain bike.

There is a fell voice in the air

I went for a shop today at Warehouse and bought several things thanks to new funds from home. Saw this on the shelf and any resistance to not buy was utterly futile. I love the sticker in the corner that just says PLAY LOUD. I blasted it in the car on the way back, it was the dogs nuts. My first CD purchase in NZ at a whopping $22 or £11 at the current exchange rate. Worth it though it's nice to actually have a CD to look at rather than all my music on my little laptop. If you don't listen to the Black Keys already, get your ears on them fast, definitely the saviours of blues rock. Start from the beginning with The Big Come Up and go from there, you won't be dissapointed.

Check out the website here to give some songs a listen and order a copy.

I cannot jump the distance, you'll have to toss me! . . . Don't tell the elf.

So Queenstown has a serious penchant for all things on two wheels, but like all great things, the things to do on a bike around here are more versatile than they first appear. With the surroundings dominated by huge hills and mountains, it would seem the best thing to do is take to them riding a

full suspension rig and get your thrills from clattering down the mountain side.

After going out with a few bikers the other evening it's obvious that any Q-towner worth their salt has a collection of bikes for all occasions, with some also owning a trails bike or a bmx. I had clocked the brilliant skate park in the park complete with huge purpose built kidney bowl (empty pool). But when I heard about a jump park out on Gorge Rd I wondered what it might be like, I've never been to one, I don't have the confidence to try such ballsy manoeuvres on a bike.

However the summer has just arrived and the park, after some post winter prep, had it's summer opening day on Saturday. So I went along to check it out, and found out just how some of the locals both young and old spend their summer weekends.

As soon as I arrived I couldn't help but imagine how my biking friends back home would react, and how they would just hang here all day and never want to leave. Steep jumps, one after another rise out of the ground like huge waves rolling into shore, the skies clear, the sun blazing. The folks at the mountain biking club have set up a PA system playing a good dose of decent music next to a large barbecue. Folks roll in either on their bikes or in cars as the park sits at the end of car park. I say at the "end" the jump park takes up just as much room as the large car park. People congregate in their groups with non bikers just sitting back and chilling away the day. The park itself has a great variance of jumps from the high steep angled jumps with large gaps on the left side down to rolling short jumps on the right. It's catered to those who know what they're doing but it has levels of progression that keep in mind those who may never have even taken air on a bike before . . . a breeding ground for air junkies. 

There's some great talent on show but no shred of elitism here, kids are trying first hand to jump the short gaps on the right side of the park whilst in the middle others get comfortable with tweaking in the air or taking bigger leaps of faith, and those hitting the left try to nail their trick of the day and push their abilities. There are of course occasional heart in mouth moments, and a couple of dudes take a tumble in their efforts to land some difficult jumps.The evidence is all around me of how dangerous this particular sport can be, several people have arm or leg casts, one kid has a full on metal scaffold round his head keeping everything from his shoulders up perfectly aligned. BMX's, trail bikes even a few full suspension bikes take to the park of all shapes and sizes. Those not riding hang either around the park, or around their cars, some in awesome low riding pick up trucks that seem to almost be a status symbol around here. The beer flows among the onlookers as the sun slowly descends through the afternoon as guy n gals step up to show their stuff. I don't stick around for long, I'm merely an onlooker, but it was a great way to spend some time. There are a bunch of great photos uploaded by the Queenstown Mountain Bike Club to view here. The hawk eyed among you may even spot me watching in one. 

The weekends here exclusively revolve around getting outdoors and using as many of the daylight hours available to have a good time whether its on a bike, a skateboard, kayaking or windsurfing on the lake or simply going for a walk. Then the night rolls in, and as I mentioned in my earlier post, the town comes alive with music and revellers. I met up with my friend Aimee's sister who lives here with her boyfriend, both keen riders, so we had plenty to talk about. I am now considering waiting a while to buy a bike, I know I want a good ride, and I know that once I fiiiinally start work I might be able to save for a month to get the bike I really want, rather than just a basic hard tail that I can afford right now. Needless to say I will be sticking to the mountain trails rather than the jump park, however I wouldn't mind trying the beginner jumps to see how I go. Right now I am still waiting patiently to start my new job, I try my best to enjoy my days at home but there's only so much you can do when you're watching the pennies. However its not difficult to admire where I am . . . I just have to look out of the window or drive down the road to an event like this . . . 

Tomatoes, sausages, nice crispy bacon

So Queenstown has sucked me in. I have landed myself a job at Dick Smith that will see me start next week and I'm currently sat in my new abode in Fernhill that will do nicely for the time being. The view is uncompromisingly beautiful as the house faces out onto the lake with the distinctive peak of the Remarkables dominating the horizon (pictured below).

Fortune has shone on me recently as money woes have turned to money wins as financial things back home, including a fat tax refund, start to finally role in. I am on the prowl for a good second hand mountain bike to take to the trails and with a few leads on the go I'm sure to have one sorted in the next couple of weeks. I have found a regular open mic evening in town that I've now played twice, and with a penchant for popular tunes and the regulars being pretty damn good, I'm looking to up my game and learn lots of new songs. There are potential leads on getting more involved with the music scene around here as I stumble upon people who are really passionate about performing. I have just been in to town and had my first Winnies pizza and I can't help but notice how Queenstown, and New Zealand in general prides itself on its cuisine.

Near the top of what is a looong list of things to do in Queenstown is to get a Furgburger down your gullet. I have to say, hype does sometimes spoil a good thing, not in this case. The feeling Sam L Jackson has when he eats a Big Kahuna Burger in Pulp Fiction, it's all that and more, a tasty, veeeery tasty, satisfying burger. I also had a cold bottle of New Zealands famous L&P to wash it all down. However, no sooner had I tried said burger it was immediately suggested that I try a Winnies pizza. Queenstown has a serious appetite, and it comes as no surprise. The big word here is adventure, and all that adventure works up a healthy appetite. People don't want to just eat when they finish their day, they want a bloody good feed. The prices may stun you, a basic Fergburger, thats a patty with salad and relish, is $10, which given the exchange rate is just under £5. The thing is that burger alone will fill your gut no problem, and with fries coming in a $4.50 that's a bloody good feed for under £8, not too shabby I'd say. Now that I have sampled this most glorious place my plan for the next 9 months is to get through the entire menu here before I leave. Have a look at the inspired menu here which will tantalise your imagination.

Winnies was definitely a sure fire winner, if you want a pizza that re-writes the rule book on how you do a pizza then this place has got it covered. The prices however reflect the unique quality of this place, a basic small pizza can cost up to $16.95, however going in between 3 and 5pm you can get any pizza on the menu for $12 (the option I went for). They do a variety of other dishes, not just pizza and again these can range wildly. The pizza I went for was the Montonara which came loaded with a fillet of chicken, sundried tomatoes, brie and spring onion, drizzled with sweet chilli sauce topped with pistachio sour cream . . . mmmmm. It was a great treat to go out and get one of these and rolling in at £6 for a decent little feed I think its safe to say that I have found two bloody good spots to eat when I'm feeling lazy.

But I definitely need to find a bike and get riding as too many trips to the Ferg might result in an expanding gut, one which I am determined to trim down over the next nine months in an effort to go home a leaner, fitter lad. Tomorrow I might be heading to see some bike park action as a new park is unveiled for the summer and an event is taking place. Then hopefully after the weekend I'll be a working man earning properly rather than relying the fortunes of karma back home to pay my way.

Until next time folks.

What do your Elf eyes see?

Originally written November 21st

So here I am . . . finally . . . in Queenstown with hopes high and possibilities endless, so much so I wanted to let my friends share in my discoveries here.There seems to be plenty going on around here and with my ambitions set on getting musical, getting up the mountains on a bike, working and of course hitting it up on the odd night out I thought I would give you folks an idea of what living in Queenstown is really like.

So where do I begin? Firstly I didn't want to write a tiresome blog that encompassed the whole of my journey around New Zealand . . . with travelling, hostelling and getting as many things done as I can being at the forefront of my agenda for the past 2 months, I don't think I'd have ever found the time to write a commentary on what I was up to on my travels. Plus I feel that commentating on my various experiences can be utterly tiresome for the reader, however I might recap some of the eventful stuff on here when I get the chance. In short it has been the most eventful couple of months of my life with amazing scenery and situations changing on a daily basis . . . it actually has taken me a while to come round to the fact that I am staying here and not leaving in the next two days. My body has been in shut down mode, any anxieties about making it here have washed away, the car I bought in Auckland has made it having now clocked close to 4,000km and been on the whole a reliable machine. My bank account looks good so I have a little time to play with and get myself set up with a good job.

The town is a buzz of tourism, possibility and excitement. During the day hoards of tourists line the streets with old couples taking in the views, mass japanese groups taking photos everywhere and young people eagerly waiting to board a bus to take them on a thrill ride, be it shotover jet, canyoning, sky diving or of course bungy jumping. The traffic is a mix of these buses, rented campers, the usual beat up cars of NZ and mountain bikers fully armoured ready to take on the surrounding hills. Every 20 minutes or so shadows loom over parts of the town as paragliders fly in with their paying partners. The papers pages read one word at the moment HOBBIT, their in town, a famous wizard and a certain elf have been spotted several times in town and even a friend has a photo to show of Sir Peter Jackson riding the Luge. There's always a queue outside of Fergburger as people line up to get their fix of possibly the best burgers this country has to offer, a fix that continues well into the evening as the hotel tourists bed down and the hostel youngsters hit the streets to party. This town jumps to the rhythm of many beats nearly every night, and I've never seen people having such a bloody good time. There's an eagerness to everyone's night out here, the dancing starts early and potential for a glorious night is potent in the air of most of the bars. In a town that has people flowing in and out all the time the nights are never the same, there's always someone new, there's always a story to hear. The repetitions being only the way you introduce yourself, what's your name, where are you from, how long have you been in NZ? Locals are a rarity here, there's great diversity here, however there are many UK folk. It feels like the best place I could possibly stay in New Zealand and I am glad I decided to get here sooner rather than later. I'm sure in a month the gleen may wear off, but right now I am in awe of this place.

I have a job interview on the way and I am house hunting so hopefully I will be settled for the long term soon.

Ciao for now folks :)