Visiting NZ very soon

[Neil Morton]

Had my very first bowl of Cop Suey in Bluff and haven't touched the stuff since.I doubt the cook was a Chinaman. Stuck with the fish shop after that.

[Ronnie Grant]

#17 , Hi Alf from Jafaland!Bluff oysters are now close to $NZ2 each! That's close to a quid in your money. Punters have been filmed in supermarkets feeding their face in a corner to avoid paying ! Hang in mate. Ronnie

[casso]

I've been back 6 days and still can't get back to sleeping normal hours, I woke up at 03:09 this morning and am still up at 07:15, crazy, I guess I'm up for the day now.
We loved NZ, the places, the people and the food. You can't easily get meat pies or pasties in the States so I stuffed myself and Lamb Sausage, never seen it before, yum. Caught a snapper in Bay of Islands big enough to feed the pair of us for 2 days.
Put many miles on the rental. We started in Christchurch then to Queenstown over to Teanau. Then atour bus up to Milford sound and back. Next day off to the West Coast road at Haast via Arrowtown and Wanaka up to Westport then cutting over to Blenheim through Murchison, taking the ferry from Picton. That was the first 12 days.
We spent 2 nights in Wellington before driving up to Rotorua via Taupo. While we were in Rotorua we took a drive to Napier and stayed the night then back to Rotorrua for a night before heading for Paihia Bay of Islands for 5 days, On our last full day in Paihia we went to see 90 Mile Beach at Waipapakauri Beach just above Awanui stopping for tea and tabnabs in Mangonui. Then from Awanui back to Paihia with a last look at 90 Mile Beach from Ahipara. Our last full day in NZ was spent driving from Paihia to Auckland with a bit of sightseeing in Auckland then next day home to NY. We spent 24 days in NZ and still left a lot unseen eventhough we took day trips whenever we were in one place for more than a day. Given the chance I would go back tomorrow, if I had gone there in my sea going days I'm sure I would have joined the merry throng skining out.
If I missed anyones home town or favourite place I'll try to get there on my next trip.

I picked up some good books in NZ, Oceans of Time: David Share, Where Giants Dwell: Gerry Evans, Kiwi in a Crow's Nest: Walter Caldwell, Reading them there made them even better.
Cheers
Casso.

[Bob Cheeseman]

Hi there Casso,glad you enjoyed the place,i first came here in 63 and done a number of trips back( plus skinning out) ,but then saw the light and flew out in 70 and joined the NZ coast and have never looked back. After finishing with the sea in 94 i moved to Mangonui where i spent 10 years and would still be there if it was not for the grand kids all in Auckland regards Bob c

[alf corbyn]

hi ronnie from auckland?. i don't think i could handle many oysters these days but when i was in bluff i was supplied mainly by my maori girl freind who was alledgedly the fastest oyster opener in NZ. this was not the only thing she was good at. alf

[happy daze john in oz]

If I recall Alf some of those Maori girls were slippery customers.

[alf corbyn]

you have to be good with your knees john. alf

[Ronnie Grant]

#25 Hi Alf my oldmate. Yes I'm North shore Auckland. I haven't had a Bluff oyster for years. Same with crayfish, too expensive. Can still get a blurdy good fish and chips for two up the road for less than a fiver in your money. Spring in the air here mate! Ah, cold beer and bikinis. Isn't life grand? Ronnie