Day 23, Level 1: The Corner Bar, The Hobbit, Piha, Islands

An icy day today. Spent most of it on the computer - still refining and tweaking website. Nearly there. But it's amazing how one tweak leads to another and, before you know it, you're adding this, deleting that, changing the other.

Also sorting business cards and collateral. Liaising with Michelle re Facebook.

Sorting contracts and client info stuff.

It's exciting, after all this, to nearly be ready to properly launch! So many pieces - and the jigsaw needs to first be a picture!

I was just about to wrap up for the day around 5.30pm and ponder what chicken dish I'd make for dinner when Brett called to suggest dinner with friend Phil. Done. We met at the Corner Bar, which is where I was last night as it's our quiz venue. Oh just realised I forgot to post that we came second last night - got pipped for first place by just one point!

Anyway, back there again tonight and it was busy. Had a good meal and catch-up. Phil has a place at Scott's Landing, Mahurangi, near Omaha, and wanted to avoid the peak traffic. So the meal idea filled in time and the three of us had a good yarn and catch-up.

Thankfully tonight didn't deal up drama on the corner, like it did last night ... As I was waiting at the lights, on the corner next to the Corner, heading for the parking area, a very drunk woman appeared. She'd pissed her pants (white leggings!), was off her rocker, opening car doors of people waiting at the lights. I was in Brett's new car and had no idea how to do central locking and it was too dark to see any buttons or labels. So I sat tight and hoped she didn't come to me.

All of sudden she started walking straight out into the middle of the intersection in front of cars! It's a busy main road! Cars stopped, swerved, tooted. It was a miracle she wasn't run over right in front of my eyes. I was still waiting for the lights to turn green when she came and stood right in front of my car (I was at the front) - again, I was worried she might try to get into the car but she just stood there. I couldn't drive off until she moved. And once again she waltzed out into the street. She was kind of playing chicken, but also kind of walking straight in front of cars. Luckily no bus came by. It was quite surreal and shocking to see.

I went and parked and when I walked across the road to the Corner, she was still at it. Thankfully, an older guy grabbed her and took her  off the road to the footpath, holding onto her, and I think the people at the sports bar across the road took things from there. It was bizarre and rather freaky. Oh dear.

Interesting that I should post Mt Ruapehu photos in yesterday's post - Phil owns a motel at Ohakune, the township at the base of the mountain where those photos were taken from! He's been down there sorting out new management for the motel, which is now in place.

It's called The Hobbit Motorlodge and - mirroring my own efforts - Phil has got a marketing campaign under way with a new website and Facebook engagement! He's a few steps ahead of me, but it was good to have a conversation with someone in revamp mode. Especially seeing we know The Hobbit well and have stayed there often.

https://www.the-hobbit.co.nz/

https://www.facebook.com/hobbitmotorlodge

Mt Ruapehu opened today for the ski season, I hadn't actually realised. I'm a bit out of touch with skiing, and there hasn't been much snow in the North Island. Not sure it'll be much good until a few big dumps of the white stuff come along. Meanwhile it's all go in the South Island.

And here's a photo of something quite different - a spectacular sunset at Piha on Auckland's west coast. Taken Feb 2013 after a big hill hike - it was steep and pretty taxing - but very beautiful and amazing views.

Sunset on the horizon - Piha

This is the hill we climbed!

View from the top

We had a nice meal at the Corner - I had a delicious curry - in fact I think it's the first curry I've had since lockdown happened in March that I haven't cooked. It was just the right balance of spiciness, right amount of food, sauce, rice. Delicious. A nice impromptu unexpected night off cooking!

SHARE-NOTE OF THE DAY:

Islands ...

North Island, South Island - New Zealand's main islands have pretty dull names in English.

The original Maori names are Te Ika a Maui (North), meaning the fish of Maui (legend has it that Maui fished up the island).

And Te Wai Pounamu (South) - meaning the waters of greenstone.

So much more eloquent and evocative in Maori. But also somewhat more cumbersome.

It's interesting that the small island at the bottom, Stewart Island, is now commonly referred to by it's Maori name - Rakiura. And most of the smaller islands dotted around the country all have wonderful Maori names.

Maybe ... in time ... as Te Reo becomes more and more ingrained in our culture ...North and South might take on their more interesting nametags ...

I've always thought NZ was an attractive looking set of islands, with coastal contours, mountainous relief, and rivers running through it. Something about the shape invites you investigate the nooks and crannies of the place. And I guess that's what we Kiwis will be doing for a while yet!