As Christmas approaches, the time to mingle with family and friends is narrowing ever closer. A quick trip to Rawene, to catch up with whanau, brought a great night at the Masonic Hotel with Dj Trey and his light show. With an unusually young crowd packed into the pub, the atmosphere was high spirited and welcoming. Good luck to Grant, the new owner of the Masonic, and merry Christmas to all in the sleepy settlement perched on a narrow peninsula, protruding into the visualy absorbing Hokianga Harbour.

Now playing: Pitch Black - Flex

Isn't Summer such an extraordinary time. Your senses seem to be somewhat heightened by the constant rays of light smothering the skin. The hazy, lazy days are upon us. With great people to share the warmth with, makes for sublime moments in ones life! Bravo!

Now playing: Ministry Of Sound - Anthems 2009

Now playing: Renegade Soundwave - Renegade Soundwave (Leftfield Remix)

Now playing: Wild Cherry - Play That Funky Music

Now playing: Finley Quaye - Dice (Finley Quaye & William Orbit)

Tis the season for Christmas parties and various other drinking vocations. Thanks heaps to Katie and her fellow flatties for the impromptu gathering in the Grey Lynn hood. Che!







Now playing: The Beatles - Drive My Car

It's officially official. It's set in stone. It's a done deal. Los Angeles, Las Vegas and South America beckon! The silver winged bird will be departing in just under 36 days. The excitment is building and the time is ticking!!!

Now playing: Jody Wisternoff - Amsterdam Dance Event

Life does not get any better than right now!!! Ye-ah!!!

Now playing: Greg Benz - Aurium November 2008 Mix Part 2

After a few hours of meandering through the Waitakere Ranges, what better way to cool and satisfy the senses from the humid, warm afternoon air, than slurp up some delicious creamy ice from the local dairy. Superb!

Now playing: Way Out West - The Fall

The current high water levels reminded me of my encounter with the 'sinking' of the Lagoon Island of Venice. No where near as dramatic as now but December 2002 made the visit more interesting than usual. My thoughts are with the many shop keepers and dwellers continually barraged by the incessant salty waters.

Now playing: The Killers - Human

Now playing: Sophie Ellis Bextor - Me And My Imagination

What better way to bring in the new month and enjoy the wonderfulness that is Summer, than sharing such a fantastic time of year with someone special. I've been blessed with meeting a beautiful person, whom has swept me away into her life. There aren't any feelings or emotions that compare to these that are fueling me right now. WOOHOO!!!

Now playing: Delerium - Innocente

The 2008 Ernst & Young Ball.
A rather spectacular affair, with stilt walkers, opera singers, fire jugglers and the amazing aerial artist performing in the abundant space of the Auckland Town Hall. An extraordinary evening.

Now playing: Barbara Norris - Heavy Hitter (Dub Version)

Natural Habitats Landscape Division fishing jaunt to Kawau Island. Big thanks to Jim for the use of the boat and bach, and Glenn for the organising of the fruit loops that is us! Cheers.

Now playing: Klaus Weiss - Don't Play That Game 1

Now playing: FABRICLIVE. 09 - Steve Miller Band - Abracadabra

Thanks to those that organised a great afternoon of lawn bowls at the Auckland Bowling Club, down in the ol Grafton gully, on the the Friday. Great food, great tunes and great peeps....

Now playing: Futuresound - Call My Name (way out west remix)

The Grey Lynn Park Festival, in all it's colour and variety, packed to the gunwales!!!

Now playing: Art of Noise - Wet Dream (wow extended)

Now playing: Ace - How Long

Now playing: Dubtribe Sound System - Dubplate - Southern Version (unreleased album version)

Now playing: Human League - Things That Dreams Are Made Of

Now playing: Roxy Music - Love Is The Drug

Isn't it cool, one minute you're minding your own business, when you get blind sided by something special. Sometimes something comes along occasionally that you think is special, but turns out not to be. Then there's the something that you don't know is special, but turns out to be very very special. Well, special things do happen, and by cricky, they are wonderful. :o)

Now playing: Deep Dish - Jori Hulkkonen - Back When We Were Attached

Now playing: Deep Dish - Spiritulized - I Think I'm In Love

I am now realising that the days are dwindling, 78 in fact, till my departure. I ponder as I sit here in half of my Halloween garb, that makes me more Tom Baker from Dr Who than what I'm supposed to be, and 'SHIT' (please excuse my English!!) it's friggin November tomorrow. Oh how time passes you by when your so intertwined with other, extraordinary, things going on in your life. Extremely extraordinary things......!

Now playing: Roland Klinkenberg - Dusty Horizon Interlude

Now playing: Banzai Republic - No Matter How Hard I Try

It's been a couple of weeks since I last posted and this was mainly due to some unscrupulous thieving goings on. Three white teenage boys decided to enter my house and relieve me of some of my possessions. Always makes me wonder at what point people feel like they deserve something in which someone else has busted a gut to save up for and buy. Simple souls with simple minds and not much else between they're aural canals. None the less, not much was touched and things are pretty much back to normal! YAY.

Other than that, life is really really really enjoyable at the moment. Great things are happening and the outlook pleasantly exciting! Double Yay!!!

And thank cricky for Labour Day. Let the summery summerness begin...
Annnnnd a big welcome home to mike....che

Now playing: Icehouse - No Promises

Now playing: Pet Shop Boys - West End Girls (Robbie Steel Ibiza Edit)

The annual Hokianga Country Music Festival, was a screamer. 24 bands circulating around 5 venues, the historic Masonic Hotel in Rawene, Opononi Hall and pub, Omapere Copthorne and the pub in Kohukohu. The bars were bustling and the country was being flung far and wide into the darkness of the early morning. The line dancers showed their skills on the well worn carpet and the creaky old building stood up to the vibrations of the powerful PA system. A great time, although safe to say, I've experienced my fair share of country music for quite some time.....!

Now playing: Stranglers - Skin Deep (Original Extended 12 Inch Version)

Mt Ruapehu, 6.30am on a brilliant Spring morning.

With 3.8 metres of base on the ground, Whakapapa ignited into a frenzied mass of skiers, boarders and various other people riding various other contraptions. First time ever have I strapped a snowboard to my hooves, I wanted to know what all the hype was about. Slipping down an icy slope at great speed always interested me, but people get so high off it and I needed to find out why. By the end of the day..........I was friggin high!!! Thank you snow. Thank you Whakapapa and by golly, thank you sunshine. I am a convert and sleep well dreaming of doing it a lot more often!!!

Now playing: Yes - Owner Of A Lonely Heart (Red & Blue Remix)

Zeon is stoked the sun is blaring down. Oh, damn you Facebook! And is that a slight sunburn I feel on my nose and forehead.....?

Now playing: U2 - Some Days Are Better Than Others

The curtains have closed on Winter. YEEHAA! Spirits are growing and the mood in the air is building. Am I getting too excited too early? Is my celebrating attitude going to turn around and bite me in the arse? Is God playing tricks on me, is he going to pull the rug from under me at the most inoportune moment? I bloody well hope not!!! I'm expecting good things, the box of beers and lazing in the park listening to some block rocking beats. Wallowing in the warm shallow waters in some out of the way bay, lined with pohutakawas blooming their rich red pin cushion like flowers, the smell of spf 50 swathed over my pastie wintered skin filling my nose and the long kind evenings allowing the impromptu bbq's to line the stomach with meaty goodness and gather with long lost hibernating friends. Now, Spring.......don't you go letting me down now, ya hear!!!

Now playing: Michael Jackson - Beat It

Can you believe it, it's true, the end of Winter is officially here. Only one day left till Spring comes screeching around the corner and I get the feeling the general public are running, cycling, walking, lazing and absorbing the energy from the anticipation that is consuming this stunningly beautiful day. Please, drag us out of the gloop that has been the wettest season in my aging memory, and plonk us fair and square in the middle of another scorching Summer. Just in case, make the most of today....

Now playing: George Michael - Amazing (Full Intention Club Mix)

Rawene, Northland, New Zealand.

Now playing: Talking Heads - This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody)

I don't know what the hell has been happening. With an extremely dry Summer season, the tides have turned dramatically to one of the wettest Winters in a long, long, long time. Nine days till Spring and hoping for a change, desperatly, from this hopeless mess of mud, puddles and slop!

All is not lost however as I turn to the seemingly one and only ray of glory shedding its path through the crap at the moment. To turn on the tele last night and see New Zealander Tom Ashley standing on the pinnacle of the boardsailing hierachy. Proudly standing toward the Kiwi flag being hoisted in the Olympic games and God Defend NZ thundering across the crowd, gold medal slung around his neck, what a supremly heart felt moment. The white letters etched into the pure black singlet, a moment to be truly proud to be Kiwi. Thanks to all our Kiwi athletes who have shone their winning spirit across our fair land and making our current grey, gloomy days worth while. CHEERS!!!

Now playing: Bryan Ferry - Don't Stop the Dance

The Archive from Sean Dunne.
Some things are just way to precious to throw away. Anyone got a spare 3 million smackers??? Anyone??? :o)

Now playing: Fairfield Parlour - From Home To Home - 01 - Aries (1970)

Ooooooooohhhh. This is exactly how I feel. Like a bunch of stuff is swishing around in my head. Was it too much drink over the weekend, the sunny Sunday that sucked you in by thinking it was warm so you wore summery atire, or is it that time of year when the dirty, dodgy lurgy creeps around a dark corner and bashes you over the head and makes you realise that good only comes with bad! My eyeballs feel sunken and sore, my muscles have a dull ache and the stuff that comes up when I cough makes me want to gag! Oh how hard it is to remember what normal feels like when days like this come around. Poor me!!!! ;o)

Now playing: The Black Seeds - The Black Seeds / cool me dub