The Book of Ashes

Reminising about Dunedin... 2:55AM

So I'm here once again, illegally logged on to an Otago University computer under my brothers name. He's not even a student at the moment, he's taken this last semester off to work since he missed a critical exam at midyear exams. I'm caught up on my sleep, I think 13 hours worth last night and feeling pretty damn cool. Dunedin rocks, it didn't let me down either, its been raining here and very cold. I was freezing out last night. But the place really rocks. The country side is a patchwork of grass fields and tree hedges. Theres no native forests here, for that you need to go just a little further south to the Catlands. Still it is beautiful. Dunedin is spread out quite huge, thousands of old crappy damp houses, not much new stuff, its amazing but familar, so familar and so trippy being back here once again. The students have become even younger, some I think seem young enough to be my daughters, lots of immature little kiddies, running round, thinking they're old and grown up. How little they know. Eddies working today but I will catch up with him for drinks tonight. My cell phone has gone dead so I can't call anyone which sucks. Still will find a way around that. Went and visited the old Speights flat, walked through the campus grounds, went past Arana hall, took a photo of the hill Dan & I raced up. Man it is cool to be here again. Yes Kate, holidays do rock. Take one

Hitching down to Dunners once again... 3:09AM

Friday night I packed my bags around 10:30pm. Treens had come round and brought me some chicken salad sammies which was nice. I was prepared this time though and had my stash of food with me. It was to become vitally essential. Dan dropped me off at the ferry terminal around 12:45. I got my first scare when they turned all the lights off at the terminal and I found the doors were locked. A second look told me this was the arrivals terminal and the departures terminal was just over there... fewl!

So there I was walking up the gangplank once again to the ferry. The whole adventurous feeling of just begining an exciting road trip hit me full on and I became excited. I found a seat and sat down to read. I had been talking to Treens about how I never get a boat full of hot chicks (or any) but this time there was quite a few. I didn't talk to any tho. I ate my sandwiches before the boat even took off. I was hungry. The trip passed quite quickly. I ate my cheezels at the end and drank from my trusty bottle of water.

Debarking I was too scared to stand at the stairs with my thumb out and so trusting to my good looks alone I wondered out into the mild morning air of Picton. The sky was just starting to lighten at 5am in the morning and it was cool but not too cold. I put on my beanie and wondered 15mins down the road to the best hitching spot which I'd sussed out previously. There I waited, excited at travelling through a land of my past, and quickly becoming bored of waiting. I stood there for about an hour and a half to two hours gathering more hitchhikers. There was three of us before I finally got a ride and then only to Blenheim. Still it was a start. From Blenheim I got a ride within 30mins and I was on my way, all the way to Sedden that is, only 25km away. In Sedden everything sucked. I ate some of my bread rolls and ham and drank more water while I waited. For over 3 hours I stood there. Tired and lonely (dramatic license being used here). I had a short lie down on the grass as I was falling alseep on my feet before finally some cool dude from Hawkes Bay took pity on me and gave me a ride all the way to Christchurch. This was a good ride. Someone my own age and listening to good music.

Much later we arrived in Chch. I was tired so took a lunch break in the square. There a guy was preaching Jesus at the top of his lungs. His voice was almost hoarse and I don't think he had many followers as he was putting down all religous groups and church and everything while still preaching Jesus. I think he was his own following. So after a quick break I caught the bus to the airport, took a quick toilet stop then got back to the hitching. It didn't take long and a local picked me up. He was off to work and pretty friendly and dropped me off at the primo hitching spot, 30kms up the road. From there I quickly got a ride with an Egyptian who had a pile of banana skins in the back. Half way through the trip he opened up his glove box filled with bananas and offered me one. I politely declined after his third offering and he eventually dropped me off another 20 kms up the road, still on the outskirts of Christchurch. By this time it was getting on to about 3:30pm and I was thinking I wouldn't make it to Dunners

hitching down continued... 3:16AM

But then luck found me and a cool dude from Queenstown but now living in Christchurch with his girlfriend stopped to give me a lift. As luck would have it he was heading to Dunedin (and actually passing by the street I wanted to be dropped off on). We had a pretty cool trip down but he managed to get a speeding ticket on the way, travelling at 76 through a 50 zone in roadworks. Fucker. Still we finally made it, listening to some Tool, Sublime and Salmonella dub... sweet. I kept almost nodding off, the head would drop then I would snap it back. At one stage we went over a bump while I was drifting and my head knocked back onto the head rest. I thought at first someone had smacked me round the back of the head. That woke me up fast!

So finally we approached Dunners, past Omaru, the rolling hills of grass, the paddocks and the rain. We saw a cool tower up apon a lone hill that looked like it was out of the Lord of the Rings and we noticed the temperature drop. Dunedin didn't let us down. It was cold like I couldn't believe it and raining. I thought it must be abnormal weather but no, the whole week had been like this. Dunedin huh. So we went out to the Cook for the mandatory drink and I revisted the flying sqid for those old time crinkle chips. Everything here is the same, but just a little different and I'm much older. I purchased my $2 handles at the Cook then we headed to the Bowler for a game of pool, my brothers favourite hangout. We didn't drink much and came home by 11 as Eddie had to work the next day. I slept for 13 hours straight and am muchly refreshed now. One thing about Dunedin is the rain. It falls straight down on you and only the tops of your shoulders and your head get wet. Unlike Wellington where its horizontal and bombards you from every direction.

Now I must return to my journey..