A Note to my New Zealand Friends

[ausastronomer (John Bambury)]

Hi All in NZ,

I haven't told you guys yet, didn't even tell Robbie when he was here for SPSP but I have some links with New Zealand basically because my wife is a New Zealander.

All of the foregoing is really pretty irrelevant but in short it means I travel back to New Zealand quite regularly to visit her family (3 times last year) and I would like to get together with some of you guys to do some observing each time I go there. My wifes family live in Whangarei, Havelock North (Hastings), Christchurch and Greymouth although normally when I travel to NZ I just fly to Auckland and then a link flight to Whangarei or I get a rental car in Auckland and drive to Whangarei. I rarely get to Christchurch or Greymouth although I was at both in Jan 05. Its a pity I didn't know about this forum earlier as I spent 5 weeks travelling both Islands of New Zealand in January. I found some wonderful dark skies up the West Coast of the South Island between Haast and Franz Joseph but only had my Binoculars with me.

My question is where are most of you guys located and is it geographically possible to get something organised next time I come over which will most likely be in early spring when I will be going to Whangarei and possibly Hastings.

I understand there are a couple of guys not far from Hamilton and that a few of you get together there on occasions. I could certainly get to Hamilton for a couple of days on my next trip then fly/drive to Whangarei.

Can we get something happening ?

CS-John Bambury

[mick pinner]

Well now that ausastronomer has admitted to a Kiwi connection then so will l, l was actually born in Nelson before coming to Oz as a 6 y.o, a trip back later this year maybe a possibility so any guys near Nelson give me a post and maybe we can catch up.

[Striker (Tony)]

No wonder their isn't any Kiwi's left in New Zealand...

[john_drummond (John Drummond)]

Hi John,

good to know that Kiwis get around the world even though they're a flightless bird!

If you're heading to Hastings then please head north 2.5 hours and come to Gisborne (the first city in the world to see New Year's sunrise). There are about four of use keen amateurs here who have a couple of 16" scopes and a brand new 12" Meade LX200(?).

Just give us a week's prior notice...so we can get a few Tuis ready ('The beer we drink around here').

Cheers.

John Drummond
Gisborne, New Zealand
E 178* 03', S 38* 40'
email: john_drummond@xtra.co.nz
website: http://www.possumobservatory.co.nz

[[1ponders] (Paul)]

Thats spelt "Tooheys" John not Tuis Ya cant blame it all on the accent.

[gbeal]

And I am in Hamilton, well just out of Hamilton, same deal, a bit of niotice, and a great time can be had. I lived most of my life in Nelson.

[astromark]

Just a minete. . . back up a tad a !
Firstly you ausies cant spell. . . You have a beer named XXXX.
We have a very nice nectar of the gods named Tui's.
Which is unlike the tastless muck you call Toohys. . . lol

[[1ponders] (Paul)]

Hang on Hang on. There's only one nectar of the gods, and its brewed from sugarcane here in queensland. You might also know it as Mother's Milk.

[Robby]

Hi John,
I'm in Palmy north. Proably miles away from anywhere you would go!
Join up with the NZAstronomers on yahoo groups. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nzastronomers/ You will find heaps of people keen to go observing. Yes, we even have a couple of members in Greymouth.
As for beer... The proof will be in the tasting. It's a pointless arguement until you try Speights for yourself. Then all other (espicailly Aussie tooth beer) pales into insignificance.. But like anything you don't know what's best until you've tasted it. Gotta be Speights mate! Goto http://www.speights.co.nz to get the mouth watering!
Cheers
Rob

[gbeal]

And this is straight from a guy who accepted a box of Tuis as payment for transporting a scope on Friday night, good on ya mate.

[ausastronomer (John Bambury)]

Guys, whoa !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

After consuming 562,359,467 (but who's counting) cans and stubbies of Tooheys during the course of my 46 years young, I am well aware of the difference between a Tooheys and a Tui, of which I saw numerous on my 5 week tour in Jan 05

To John Drummond and others:

I was actually in Gisborne for 4 days from 26/12 to 30/12/04. A friend of mine married a Maori Girl, who he has lived with in Sydney for the last 10 years. I think her big brothers decided they would be getting married and it would be with the family in Gisborne

The wedding was on 28/12 at the Maori Battalion Marae at Manutuke.

Following the formalities was a brilliant hangi after which the brides brothers and uncles produced every form of alcohol known to man and then some I believe not previously known to man. It was a brilliant afternoon about 27 or 28 deg and perfect for a large number of cold refreshing drinks with the family on a beautiful hot summers day, which flowed into the early hours of the next day. My wife was not so impressed when at the end of proceedings I was talking left handed Egyptian and unable to get off my chair.

Its a bit of a pity this forum was not so well known back then as we may have been able to hook up for a nights observing.


I will definately try to get to Gisborne next visit to NZ as I would like to go back and visit the wifes family in Hastings again and I would also like to go to Rotorua and Taupo (loved Huka Falls) for a 2nd look. I may even fly into Palmy North and visit Robby, then drive nth to Hastings then nth to Gisborne via Taupo and Rotorua. Its a bit of a round trip but a beautiful scenic drive. I really enjoyed the drive from Gisborne to Tauranga last trip through some pass (about 5 hrs). I possibly will not get to Hamilton next trip but will try to get there on the following trip. I stopped a night in Cambridge in January on the way to Waitomo Caves so again had I known you guys then we could have done a night in Hamilton last trip also.

I will certainly give you guys plenty of notice as to when my next trip will be and thanks for the time responding.

CS- John Bambury

PS: Anyone on here north of Auckland, Whangarei to Bay of Islands area ? I will go and check on the nz astronomers Yahoo group as advised by Robby but thought I would ask the question here also.