There is only one place that this could be achieved. Opononi, so that is where we headed.
Now as a small diversion and because it has relevance at this point, I want to introduce you to a film. It is an NZ classic made by Geoff Murphy (who also made “Quiet Earth” and “Whale Rider” “Utu” and others). It is now about 28 years old. It is hilarious, fun, irreverent, and pokes the borax at virtually all of ‘70’s NZ society. If ever you see, on a shelf, in a catalogue, a film titled “Goodbye, Pork Pie” buy, borrow or steal it. I believe that if you buy the DVD version, get the Region 2 and not Region 4 as the latter has about 12 minutes of the film “removed”.
It is the classic roadie movie – NZ style. Two societal misfits – a twenty-something teenager and a middle aged on the verge of divorce meet up, steal a car and drive it the length of NZ.
So, that is why (for no better reason) on our way north Good Friday we passed (heading in the opposite direction) 37 Minis (some of the new BMW ones included, yah boo!!) that were panting their way south in a re-creation, a commemoration of the film. One of the (proper) Minis had me in fits for the next ten minutes as the driver and passenger were dressed for the parts as well – yellow Mini, false glasses and mustache, old flying helmet, the works.
Their story does not end there… News this morning of the arrival in Invercargill on Monday. 36 of them made it in time. The 37th car blew a piston in Middlemarch. So, nothing daunted (and in true GPP style) the car was trucked to Dunedin, a new (well worn, second hand) engine fitted overnight and they continued the last 200 kms arriving in Invercargill at about 10p.m. Obviously the end-of-run celebrations were already well under way, so in keeping with the spirit of the event the car was driven into the hall…
Reports too, that the police joined in as well. One car was pulled over by the police who suggested that they “go back a-ways and drive past again. Don’t stop and we’ll chase you and arrest you.” Which they did, and which they did, and everyone had a great time doing it, handcuffs and all… Flick back to the film where in one of the chase scenes the Mini outruns a Holden (Aussie GM) V8 police car. Caught him at last – only took 28 years…
Oh, and in the course of all this hilarity and high jinks they raised over $200,000 for the purchase of hospital equipment for Starship Children’s Hospital. Good going fellas.
There is one part of the film that would need explanation. The story follows on the back of the 70’s “oil shock” which those of the right age might well remember. One of the actions taken by the NZ government (led at the time by The Rt Honourable Robert (Mouldy) Muldoon) was the introduction of “car-less days”. The fundamental premise of the film is that it was being driven on the day of the week it was supposed to have been “left at home”. That was the reason for fleeing the police, which led to the car being listed as stolen…. And so the tale goes.
So it was a long weekend that got itself off to a fine start. To make matters even better, the weather behaved itself. There were one or two light sprinkles around with a fairly cool sou-wester passing by; not swimming weather by any stretch of the imagination but nice to be with. The sou-wester in these parts trail behind each frontal system on its way past in the westerly Southern Ocean Flow (the Roaring Forties). After running around the lower part of Australia these systems bust out into the Tasman and give us our weekly dose of strong winds and cold rain. They increase in frequency during the winter, hopefully decrease in summer. That is why we had rain, very conveniently and Camelot-like, on late Tuesday and Wednesday and showers Thursday and Friday dawned calm and clear.
Add to all that, the comforts of home (our own little pied-a-terre in Opo) and things could not have been better. The newspapers roll in at about 10:30, the ice-creams are ginormous, what more can a man ask for?
Change tack time…
As might be recalled, I play around (and kid only myself) as a photographer and I like to try and record the landscapes that I am in – when they are interesting. Now, remember here that NZ is a fairly small piece of dirt. Remember too that far more takers of photographs than can be numbered, most of them far more skilled than I, have passed through the landscapes and scenery of this unique land and the possibilities of “finding” new, unique, and above all interesting subjects is very difficult.
One of the beauties of a relaxing weekend is that one can allow (what little remains of) the intelligence to wander into paths not usually trod. Such a sojourn led to a minor epiphany that given NZ is a small piece of dirt then many of the landscapes are likely to be so as well. That is how I came across a small piece of “badlands” country , at least how I imagine badlands to be, while pondering on which of the “interesting” places I could look to find new and interesting scenery. One frame below…
The ol’ probligo’s Easter was quite enjoyable - slow paced, relaxing, not too much to be done. A good old-fashioned Easter break.
There is only one place that this could be achieved. Opononi, so that is where we headed.
Now as a small diversion and because it has relevance at this point, I want to introduce you to a film. It is an NZ classic made by Geoff Murphy (who also made “Quiet Earth” and “Whale Rider” “Utu” and others). It is now about 28 years old. It is hilarious, fun, irreverent, and pokes the borax at virtually all of ‘70’s NZ society. If ever you see, on a shelf, in a catalogue, a film titled “Goodbye, Pork Pie” buy, borrow or steal it. I believe that if you buy the DVD version, get the Region 2 and not Region 4 as the latter has about 12 minutes of the film “removed”.
It is the classic roadie movie – NZ style. Two societal misfits – a twenty-something teenager and a middle aged on the verge of divorce meet up, steal a car and drive it the length of NZ.
So, that is why (for no better reason) on our way north Good Friday we passed (heading in the opposite direction) 37 Minis (some of the new BMW ones included, yah boo!!) that were panting their way south in a re-creation, a commemoration of the film. One of the (proper) Minis had me in fits for the next ten minutes as the driver and passenger were dressed for the parts as well – yellow Mini, false glasses and mustache, old flying helmet, the works.
Their story does not end there… News this morning of the arrival in Invercargill on Monday. 36 of them made it in time. The 37th car blew a piston in Middlemarch. So, nothing daunted (and in true GPP style) the car was trucked to Dunedin, a new (well worn, second hand) engine fitted overnight and they continued the last 200 kms arriving in Invercargill at about 10p.m. Obviously the end-of-run celebrations were already well under way, so in keeping with the spirit of the event the car was driven into the hall…
Reports too, that the police joined in as well. One car was pulled over by the police who suggested that they “go back a-ways and drive past again. Don’t stop and we’ll chase you and arrest you.” Which they did, and which they did, and everyone had a great time doing it, handcuffs and all… Flick back to the film where in one of the chase scenes the Mini outruns a Holden (Aussie GM) V8 police car. Caught him at last – only took 28 years…
Oh, and in the course of all this hilarity and high jinks they raised over $200,000 for the purchase of hospital equipment for Starship Children’s Hospital. Good going fellas.
There is one part of the film that would need explanation. The story follows on the back of the 70’s “oil shock” which those of the right age might well remember. One of the actions taken by the NZ government (led at the time by The Rt Honourable Robert (Mouldy) Muldoon) was the introduction of “car-less days”. The fundamental premise of the film is that it was being driven on the day of the week it was supposed to have been “left at home”. That was the reason for fleeing the police, which led to the car being listed as stolen…. And so the tale goes.
So it was a long weekend that got itself off to a fine start. To make matters even better, the weather behaved itself. There were one or two light sprinkles around with a fairly cool sou-wester passing by; not swimming weather by any stretch of the imagination but nice to be with. The sou-wester in these parts trail behind each frontal system on its way past in the westerly Southern Ocean Flow (the Roaring Forties). After running around the lower part of Australia these systems bust out into the Tasman and give us our weekly dose of strong winds and cold rain. They increase in frequency during the winter, hopefully decrease in summer. That is why we had rain, very conveniently and Camelot-like, on late Tuesday and Wednesday and showers Thursday and Friday dawned calm and clear.
Add to all that, the comforts of home (our own little pied-a-terre in Opo) and things could not have been better. The newspapers roll in at about 10:30, the ice-creams are ginormous, what more can a man ask for?
Change tack time…
As might be recalled, I play around (and kid only myself) as a photographer and I like to try and record the landscapes that I am in – when they are interesting. Now, remember here that NZ is a fairly small piece of dirt. Remember too that far more takers of photographs than can be numbered, most of them far more skilled than I, have passed through the landscapes and scenery of this unique land and the possibilities of “finding” new, unique, and above all interesting subjects is very difficult.
One of the beauties of a relaxing weekend is that one can allow (what little remains of) the intelligence to wander into paths not usually trod. Such a sojourn led to a minor epiphany that given NZ is a small piece of dirt then many of the landscapes are likely to be so as well. That is how I came across a small piece of “badlands” country , at least how I imagine badlands to be, while pondering on which of the “interesting” places I could look to find new and interesting scenery. One frame below…
The clues are there, try to put that scene into scale.
And that too is why a roadie film, which in the US might last for a week or more (in terms of plot time), is all over in four days. In that four days, the NZ equivalent of Buffalo to San Diego has been covered.
Yes, we are small. And beauty can be found in small spaces.
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