A Whale of A time

London Leprechaun gives us the latest report on the New Zealand adventure delayed by some internet problems and distractions from train trips, searching for NZ marine life and the reality of life in Christchurch four years on.  The World Cup is on the back burner but there is some alternative cricket on offer.  Very pictorial this report.

Sorry not to be in touch from New Zealand for a bit but I’ve been a but busy wandering down the east coast and also been in some places where believe it or not internet access is limited and even more amazing they don’t have Sky TV in the hotel rooms! So you might know more then me about what has been going on with the World Cup.  You probably know more than me about what is going on with England.  I spent the day of the match against Sri Lanka on a train ride through the fantastic Southern Alps.  Now quite apart from the need to take pictures at every turn, riding through Middle Earth means that radio and phone reception is pretty limited.  And when you do get NZ radio they are not interested in matches when NZ are not playing and they were still going on about the win against Australia the day before.  So it was not until I got back to the hotel that I heard about the debacle. Seems like we can’t bat and bowl well in the same match.  The Kiwis are generally very friendly people but since then, they do keep saying to anyone from the UK that they won’t mention the cricket and then they do!   Still don’t mind them winning it though.  The other theory that their breakfast news came up with today,  is that England have devised a cunning plan to make sure they don’t play South Africa in the quarter finals. They are just cutting it a bit fine!

So that is as much as I can tell you about the World Cup but I can give you some other cricket reports; this is alternative cricket related stuff I have come across since we last spoke.

•       A girls cricket match in the middle of a village in the middle of wine country near Wellington; the winning team celebrated with a ride on the miniature train.

Do you think NZ celebrate wins like this?

•        Schools cricket next to the main Hagley Oval. Very traditional cricket in a very traditional park in Christchurch

•       a series of post work matches in Hagley Park; enthusiasm was of the highest order, skill maybe less so, but it was nice to see so many matches at once and not a football of any shape in sight.

•       The actual Hagley Oval where England’s great win happened. The new ground has a look of Lord’s about it.

And in between that I have had a few distractions:

•       Seeing some of the New Zealand off the tourist track
•       Coming across the end of the women’s cycling tour of New Zealand.
•       Whale watching and finding dolphins

That's a whale

That's a dolphin

Happy seals

•       Visiting seals in their rocky homeland
•       Taking train rides alongside the Pacific and over the Southern Alps with a photo opportunity at every turn
•       Trying to make sense of Christchurch; one moment in the middle of a park and a river that could be lifted straight from any English country town, the next walking in the middle of destruction and recovery all mixed up with some fantastic street art, and iconic old trams,

And this is Christchurch

•       Contending with truck drivers who keep catching you up every time the speed limit drops – which is frequent and intimidate you every time you drop 1K below the limit especially on windy and hilly roads.  I don’t like NZ trucks!
•       Realising that UK TV and Radio is very, very good compared to NZ.  Without access to the Sky sports channels I have had to see regular NZ TV which includes: A Shed of the year competition (think the Bake off but sheds!); Breakfast TV which has advertising demonstrations of pillows and kitchen equipment and where the presenters actually comment on the news stories. Today they were talking about a consultation about to happen as to whether NZ should have a new flag.  Which made me wonder what they would have done if Scotland had voted for independence.  Maybe they would have put the Scottish flag on their flag given the links.  

On which note I’m now heading north to Hamilton for the Ireland/India match via bus and train and no doubt more photo opportunities.  Hope that, internet permitting, I will have something good to write home about.