THE INTERNAL - NEWSLETTER 30/04

TIME TO SAY GOODBYE

But we don’t want to say goodbye to Sophie!

Sophie has not been long with us, just 6 weeks. And now our voice of reason is leaving us.  She is going to be travelling round New Zealand for about 3 weeks, and then fly back to Germany from Christ Church, so we will not get to meet her one last time.

This is her last week, and there will be a farewell party for her on Friday, so everybody, keep that day free! That will be the last time you will see Sophie here. As a goodbye present Sophie, I present you, a picture of a lamb! J

We will miss you.

WHAT’S ON IN AUCKLAND

After that wonderful weekend in Rotorua, there might not be a strong urge to travel far out of Auckland this weekend, so here are some ways you can entertain yourself.

It seems to have become somewhat of a tradition amongst ourselves to go to the movie theater every Tuesday (half price day J), but shouldn’t we have a change? The theater maybe? We could also visit the standup comedy show, I heard that was great fun. If there is an interest for the comedy show, please tell me, so we can all go tomorrow. It’ll be fun!

What about having a totally lazy and relaxing day, say on Sunday? Play golf to let out some aggression, then go to the sauna, get a massage and just generally spoil ourselves? That’s my plan for my Sunday, who wants to join me?

Classic Comedy and Bar
From 8pm it's FRESH COMEDY on BIG WEDNESDAY with 10 comedians for just $10.
Host ANDREW CLAY. (Awesome Value - Students 2 for 1)

Theatre

11 September – 2 October, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie

The Howick Little Theatre presents the light-hearted drama based on the novel by Muriel Spark about an enlightened teacher and her female pupils in 1930s Edinburgh.

Venue: Howick Little Theatre, Sir Lloyd Drive, Pakuranga.

Tickets: $18 for Students 

Phone: 5341406

14 – 25 September: This is what we call the Justine Smith show

One of New Zealand’s leading comedians, Justine Smith, presents a show that has been billed ‘Think Dame Edna, Bette Midler and a touch of Miss Piggy’.

Born as a love child of the sixties Justine finds herself in Christchurch dreaming of glamour, glitz and Hollywood Starlets. While watching The Muppets, The Osmonds and The Sonny & Cher Show, Justine’s suspicions that she is the illegitimate child of Bette Midler and a NZ roadie grow… and grow…and grow! It’s more than a big nose and red hair - Justine feels Bette is a secret and spiritual guide throughout the trials and tribulations of growing up in a conservative suburban nightmare.

Venue: Aotea Centre, The Edge

Tickets: $18 for Students

16 September – 2 October, Tag Team

Tag Team is a battle of wits, strategy and brawn. And it's downright hilarious! Improvisers pair up in teams of two and go head to head against other teams live on stage. Round after round the improvisers will be challenged to different scenes to perform for your entertainment pleasure. They'll be sweating and bleeding trying to make it through the knockout competition. Who will take out the improv heavyweight title?

Venue: Covert Theatre, 84 K’Road

Tickets: $12/$14/$16

Phone:366 6637

Soul

If you’re looking for a quiet place to drink, a romantic interlude, a table for 2 where you can whisper sweet nothings then dial for a pizza and stay home. Soul Bar is more like an on going New Year’s Eve Party where the idea is to flirt, be seen, look gorgeous and spend money. The crowd is a mixture of young students and older, sexy women. On a Friday night expect Soul Bar to stack, rack, and pack ‘em in. The wine list is extensive and highly priced and the staff a little dour and sometimes slow. Open daily 12-3am 204 Customs ST East, Viaduct Basin

Play golf at Golf Today!

You get a choice of a 18 hole minigolf for just $4.

Or, if you want to let out some aggression, try the driving range – so you don’t have to go through that annoying putting procedure – for just $6 for 45 balls. No bookings required. Situated at the infield Ellerslie race course, gate 1.

Pool, Sauna, Steam and Spa.

Enjoy central Auckland's only indoor 50 metre heated pool, for lane swimming, aqua jogging, or just relax in our sun drenched spa conservatory. Also offering 2 saunas and a steam room, the Olympic is a great place to sit back and unwind. Supervised and maintained by qualified lifeguards, the Olympic Pool is the total fitness centre complex featuring the best in equipment and service. Students $4.

Extreme Karting

This is an indoor kart track with sweeping banked curves, steep downhill and underpass with a wide track for plenty of racing room. 15 minutes cost $22. A great fun when you go in a group. Phone: 09 273 5 552 www.extremekarts.co.nz

Megazone – Lasertag

Slip into a hi-tech vest and let yourself into a dark and eerie sci-fi maze room. You are blasted by red lasers, returning fire, taking cover, moving stealthily forward as the game progresses and then you search for more opposition. The game ends after 15min with a printed score sheet evaluating their performance. Then you’ll want to do it all over again! It costs $8 for a game. Phone: 360 2 900 www.megazone.co.nz

Rocknasium

This indoor rock-climbing centre really rocks. This is a great rainy day facility. Beginner’s courses are taught covering basic technique with additional instruction on lead climbing and industrial abseiling. There are supervised courses each weekend morning. Bookings are essential. Regular costs: $20. Phone: 630 5 741 www.rocknasium.co.nz

Quad Biking

Imaging blasting through a playground that covers 36.000 acres of towering forest and wild west coast surf beaches. You can have a 300cc quad bike for the 1, 2 or 3 hour safari adventures. All bike safaris are guided. Costs: 1h $95, 2h $155, 3h $195.

Phone 0800 487 225 www.4trackadventures.co.nz

Rainbow’s End

Auckland’s kingdom of fun and excitement. A brand new ride joins all your favourites, Coca-Cola Corkscrew, Eta Ripples Motion Master, Enchanted Forest log Flume and much much more.

Cnr Great South & Wiri Station Roads, Manukau City.

Costs 37$ for an all ride pass.

www.rainbowsend.co.nz

Auckland Zoo

Experience the noctural world of the kiwi and tuatara, take a unique coastal journey through Bluebird Sealion and Penguin Shores and wander through a valley filled with native birds such as kereru, kaka and tui on the Wilderness New Zealand trail. Explore the African savannah and tropical rainforest.

Motions Road, Western Springs.

Tickets $12 with student identification.

FRIDAY 24 SEPTEMBER

Khuja Lounge

Last Friday of every Month..Dj Dan Clark , Dj Issac Aiseli[Thisinformation/Solaa/Open Souls] and The Nabatean[Thisinformation/Sugarlicks Records] bring the fresh grooves to Khuja Lounge. Live and un-cut..with special guest performers/percussionists/vocalists, with Kelly Kahukiwa [ Sax/Percussion/Vocals] $10 from 10pm

4:20

Drop that high rollin’ attitude and prick up your ears to the very best forward thinking beats from every corner of the dancefloor...recloose, P-Money, Dick Johnson, D-Form, Simon Flower. Doors 11pm. Tickets $15:Text Social to 858 from you 021 mobile. www.lightspeed.co.nz

SATURDAY 25 SEPTEMBER

Safari Lounge

LUSCIOUS LOLAS BOOTY SHAKER

an afro brazilian samba meltdown featuring batucada sound machine, scribes of rah, sambassadors, capoeira pasifika, bobby brazuka

Khuja Lounge

Auckland's favourite selecta Cian O'Donnel [Conch Records/Turnaround] digs deep into his crates to bring you tunes hot off the press and burning old beauties followed by Stinky Jim is host of the long running Stinky Grooves weekly radio show and a regular record troubler up at the Khuja Lounge. Though best known for his Jamaican and New York flavours Jim's sound is all around encompassing jazzy business, deep fried funk and whatever else may take his fancy on the night. A selector in the old school tradition you will not be wowed by his immaculate mixing or wrist-defying scratching but you may well be floored by killer tunes or flummoxed by music that is simply so unfathomably fine that it reeks to high heaven with Tim Hopkins [Saxophone/Percussion] $10 from 10pm

Galatos

Lounge bar: Caesar and Isaac Aesili. 9pm - $5

Main Room: iEventz presents ignite – Hip and R&B

Plume: In the neighbourhood with DJ Kava (Wgtn), Cian, Junior and Bobby Brazuka. 10pm, $10.

OUR WEEKEND TRIP

Yes, we did make it to go to Rotorua, and we are all glad that we did. That is a lovely place, that is, if you do not think of the smell. And it is true, it stinks like rotton eggs. Not all the time though, as you would get used to that quite quick, but it just comes in occasional waves, making you sick each time.

We actually made it to leave Auckland at 6 in the morning on Saturday, but the boys had already gone on Friday night. The scenery on the way to Rotorua is not very spectacular, which is good as we were asleep the whole time.

On arriving in Rotorua, we dashed to our Hostel, The funky green Voyager, which is very recommendable, where we got a tip about a “secret” thermal pool.

We hurried on to the Wai-o-Tapu thermal wonderland, looking forward to watching the Lady Knox Geyser erupt, which we read happens everyday only by 10:15am. You can imagine our disappointment when we found out that the eruption was not very natural. A piece of soap is thrown in, which then triggers the eruption.

Nevertheless, we wandered around the thermal wonderland, enjoying the beautiful sites, but being forced to hold our noses most of the time, as the smell there was particularly unbearable.

We walked around for about an hour or two, during which we were looking forward to having a nice swim in the thermal pool. It is a well kept secret, and the only people we met there were a New Zealand family, having a Saturday swim. It was simply lovely there. The Thermal pool is actually a river, from one side comes hot water, and from the other side cold water. And where the two of them meet is where we had our swim.

That’s us right there putting some mud on our faces, which we could scrape from the banks of the river.

While lounging in the bathtub temperature water, we discussed the activities for the rest of the day, and the next, deciding to come back to the pool later in the night with candles and wine and celebrate a little private party.

After that relaxing experience, we drove on looking for some adventure fun. And the Go Kart was found. This is a wheelbarrow sort of cart, without a motor, which you sit in and let roll down a steep and curvy hill, steering yourself all the way down. Being a scaredy cat, I did not take part (though I tried J), but every other person went up there three times each and shot down the hill, their bodies pumped full with adrenalin.

We went for our night swim, though we had a few problems with the candles and the wind, but somebody was intelligent enough to bring a torch with them, which we tied to a tree, and so had enough light. It is a simply wonderful experience, und everybody should try it out.

The next day, we had a look around the town, had breakfast in The Fat Dog, which was absolutely gorgeous, and drove down to the Rotorua River. From there, we went to the Kaituna Falls, which is a favourite rafting spot, and Katja and Steffi spontaneously decided to go Rafting. They really loved it! And have said they would like to do it again.

From there, we drove to the coast to Mount Maunganui, where a walk up was made, and very lovely scenic pictures shot.

All in all, it was an awesome weekend, something everyone who comes here should definitely experience.

MESSAGE FROM JONATHAN

Hey guys! You can tell that I am running out of things to write about when I start doing jokes! But one thing you will know if you spend a lot of time in Auckland is that certain parts of the city have certain stereotypes about them.  For example, Remuera  has the reputation for being rich and a bit snobby.  (There is even a Kiwi expression – “Remuera tractor” to describe 4 wheel drive vehicles driven by city dwellers).

The most well-known stereotype, however, is that of a ‘westie’.  A westie is a person from west Auckland who: drinks cheap beer, has been in trouble with the police, has a drug conviction or ten, owns a pitbull, steals car stereos, likes heavy metal, and wears black jeans, has a mullet, wears velvet dresses, etc. - or any combination of the above.

So here you are, a few ways to tell if you are talking to a westie :

• Bikers back down from their mum.
• They’ve been married 3 times and still have the same in-laws.
• Jim Beam and Jack Daniels makes their list of "Most Admired People."
• Every day someone comes to their door mistakenly thinking they're having a garage sale.
• They have a working television that sits on top of a non-working television.
• Their dog was neutered by court order.
• The value of their car goes up or down depending on how much petrol is in it
• They wonder how petrol stations keep their toilets so clean

THAT’S IT FOR TODAY!

Our nighttime Party