THE INTERNAL - NEWSLETTER 26/04

I was in Christchurch and Dunedin over the weekend and had a lot of fun! I was visiting a friend who studies at the university there, and he and his friends took me along on the Undie 500. This seems to be a yearly tradition which includes dressing up in stupid and embarrassing costumes, using a car that did not cost more than 500$ and changing its appearance to fit your costume, and last, throwing eggs and getting eggs thrown at you (if I had known about this, I would never have gone with them!)

Anyways, since the people I went with are in a brewery club, they named our team CAPE Brewery (Cape standing for Chemical and Processing Engineering), and this is what our car looked like. The beautiful oversized beer can got stolen though in Dunedin.

We got stopped about 5 times by the police on the journey, and our driver had to do 4 breath tests.

The journey from Christchurch to Dunedin, which usually takes about 3 to 4 hours took us about 10 hours. There were about 150 cars in this “race”, and about 24 bar stops along the way (the drivers were forced to stay in the cars to keep out of the way of temptation).

In Dunedin, we danced the night away, and woke up the next morning feeling quite good considering what we’d been through the day before.

Dunedin is a beautiful town and is mother to the steepest road in the world (according to the Guinness book of world records). I will write about what I saw and did in Christchurch and Dunedin in the next newsletter, so watch out guys!

So, that’s about it. Just two more pictures so you get an idea what the cars most have looked like there.

WELCOME TO MIDDLE EARTH

Bastian Stratmann is arriving on the 28th. And lucky him, he went to Sweden a few weeks before coming over. We’re all waiting to hear how it was over there. I for one am very interested.

He will be doing his internship in Propharma – technical stuff J

WEEKEND TRIP SUGGESTION

Goat Island marine reserve:

Around the island trip: Go on the Glass bottom boat and enjoy a fascinating 45 minute eco-tourism adventure which gives comprehensive views of the fish and abundant marine life both above and below the water. Also, admire the outer reefs and caves of Goat Island.
The goat island reserve is about 90 Km from Auckland.
Adults: $18.00 each

Or you can see the ocean bottom, sea urchins and many varied fish on a 30 minute substitute trip for the 'Around the Island' trip, depending on weather conditions.
Adults: $15.00 each

Hamilton (Waitomo, Raglan)

2 days and 1 night – in another world not far from Auckland

The trip to Hamilton by road from Auckland takes about 1 ½ hours by car (2h and $20 by bus) Hamilton itself is New Zealand’s largest inland city 129km south of Auckland. Built on the banks of the Waikato River, it is the Waikato region’s major centre.

From the highway you receive directly the Main St of Hamilton, called Victoria St. There are different kinds of Shops, Bars, Restaurants and Hotels along the street. A must see in Hamilton is The Hamilton Gardens. It’s like a huge Park, very clean and beautiful arranged with different kinds of flowers and trees, which are separated in different areas. Beside the gardens you have a lot of meadow and some lakes. It is really a nice place and for free.

If you stay for 2 days you should use your time to visit the Waitomo Caves, because they are famous for their glow-worms. The caves are about another hour to drive in the South of Hamilton. On your way stop at the “Kiwi House” at Otorohanga, where they have different kinds of birds and geckos and a Kiwi House, where they simulate night, so that visitors can watch the Kiwi Bird, which New Zealand is famous for. It costs just $10 to go in.

You pay $25 as an adult there, but you can try to get the family fee when you are 3 or more people. Going down the cave, you are with a guide who explains the origin of the cave, the structure and the living of glow-worms in it. You go deep down into the cave until you arrive at a dark cave-river, where small boats are entered by the visitors. After getting used to the dark you can see millions of tiny lights on the ceiling, all have exact the same distance to the next one, but some of them are less lightly than the other. The boat trip ends outside the cave and you have to walk up back to the entrée.

Going back to Hamilton means not taking the same way back as you came. So if you turn west from the caves towards the coast you get some nice views and maybe catch some sun-rays at the beach. The road is very bendy and it goes up and down the mountains and hills, so make sure you have eaten enough but not too much because your stomach will be wear out fast. Now and then you should stop to get out of the car and take a look around. The scenery is breathtaking and enjoyable.

Another nice place to visit is Raglan, the closest beach to Hamilton and most popular beach. It is famous for its surf and lies on a beautiful sheltered harbour, good for windsurfing, boating and swimming.

Mt Maunganui/Tauranga

The Beauty and the Beast

The town of Mt Maunganui (the name means ‘large mountain’) stands at the foot of the 232m hill of the same name. It’s just across the inlet from Tauranga and its fine beaches make it a popular holiday resort for Kiwis. Walking trails go around Mt Maunganui and to its top, where there are magnificent views. The Walk around gives you a great view of the stony coast around the mountain and the awesome water with sailors. It takes about 45 minutes. Climbing the mountain is steep but almost worth a great view and takes about 90minutes. Take your time!!

Tauranga is the principal city of the Bay of Plenty and one of the largest export ports in NZ, shipping out the produce of the rich surrounding region. The area is still thriving economically and draws increasing numbers of retirees, attracted by the temperate climate and a city well endowed with facilities. Because of the port and its business, it is not as nice as Mt Maunganui, the tourist attractions are limited to the beaches and headland scenery of Mt Maunganui.

Weather allowing, we might make it this weekend to go on one of these trips. We could also go to Rangitoto, which is the closest to Auckland.

WEEKEND FUN SUGGESTIONS

Sky tower

Vertigo Climb is a two-hour guided tour up the inside of the Sky Tower mast, culminating in a 15 minute internal climb from the upper observation deck to the first crow’s nest.
Gain in-depth knowledge of the southern hemisphere’s highest tower and enjoy the ultimate thrill of reaching the highest outlook in Auckland.
273 Metres.
Price: NZ$145 per adult.
Phone: 0800 4VERTIGO

Sky jump. Jumpstart your Kiwi adventure by leaping 192m (630ft) from Auckland's spectacular Sky Tower.
This OSH approved device means jumpers can "base-jump by wire" falling for approximately 16 seconds at around 75kph. Unlike bungy, Sky jump participants do not hang upside down or bounce around. You simply fall fast and smooth and then slow to a safe landing. A World First!
192 Metres.
Price: NZ$195 per adult.
Phone: 0800 SKYJUMP

Visit Sky Tower after 6pm for just $10.

Why not take in the night lights of Auckland city after your dinner?

Mention you saw the 'See the Lights' offer on the SKYCITY Auckland website when you buy your ticket after 6pm, and you will get your Sky Tower entry for just $10 per adult (usually $15 per adult).

Sky Tower recently opened what is hailed as a world first attraction with a lift that has a glass floor. Fitted with 38mm safety glass, passengers can see down the lift shaft almost 200 metres!

Sky Tower is the only known lift with a glass floor of this type. “Dare to Ride” is available to all Sky Tower customers, when purchasing a Sky Tower admission ticket.

Rugby

Good news guys, we might actually get to see a live rugby game. Feel the spirit of the game, pure and powerful without it being distorted by the television. Let us surge with the crowd as we are gripped with the fever of the game, letting ourselves go as we yell, clap and stamp our feet in support of the Auckland team. And also get a beer, sausage sizzle and 2 for 1 beer voucher, plus transport (so we don’t have to drink and drive), all for the unbeatable price of NZ$20! Anyone interested to join me there on Saturday, 4th of September?

Crazy about Sailing?

11.00am - 11.45am & 2.45pm - 3.30pm Other times are available, please check our office for times. Duration 45-50 minutes.
Adult - NZD$48.00

• Sit back and relax or help our professional crew steer the yacht and trim the sails.
• We provide windproof and waterproof jackets to keep you warm and dry.
• Listen to an informative commentary.
• Enjoy Auckland's famous City of Sails.
• Includes entry to the NZ National Maritime Museum.

For other offers like a cruise with breakfast, or lunch, half day or full day cruises, check the webpagehttp: www.prideofauckland.com.

MESSAGE FROM JONATHAN

Hey guys!

This week I thought I would write a little bit about films in Auckland.  I quite like foreign films – of course to me NZ movies are foreign, as are German ones! But if you like the film festival type of movie, here’s where you can find it in Auckland.

The most well-known place to catch festival films is at Rialto cinemas.  There are Rialto cinemas in Auckland and other towns which specialize in films that aren’t blockbusters – in fact there is a Rialto cinema outside the window from where I am typing this!

Underneath the main public library in downtown Auckland is the Academy theatre, which also specializes in foreign movies.  So too does the Lido cinema in Epsom.  Both theatres advertise daily in the main Auckland newspaper, the NZ Herald, so you can see what’s playing each day.

There are also two big film festivals in Auckland each year. The Auckland Film Society has regular screenings of special movies at a screen in Sky City theatre and at the Academy cinema.

If you prefer DVD’s and videos, the best place to go is Videon for rentals.  They are on Dominion Road, not far out of central Auckland.  They specialize in foreign and festival films and have a great selection. 

On TV, Sky has a channel for foreign movies, the Rialto channel.  This used to be called Sundance channel, a well-known American alternative channel, but changed their name to match the Rialto chain of cinemas in NZ.

So if the NZ scenery is getting boring, or you want to see something in German, French, Russian or Bengali, check out these places.

THAT’S IT FOR TODAY!