Gizzy comes out to play

Gizzy is what the locals call the main surf spot in Gisborne. they say it like i should know that's what it means. the day after i got back from the drive around the east cape, the same day that my board was supposed to be ready at 3pm and i was going to head to Auckland for the rugby game, Gizzy woke up. it had been quiet the whole time i'd been there and the only proof i had that this was a big time surf spot were the pictures on the walls around town...

this is the perfect example of what Gizzy is capable of

it wasn't nearly that big, but it was big enough for me. i was planning on just hanging around town, relaxing for the day until the board was ready but since the surf came up, i rented a board and spent the day in the water. like any time you take a board out for the first time, it was a little rough and i had problems just standing up and getting going in the right direction but it was fun to get out again.

gizzy

picked up the board afterwards, everything looks good. haven't gotten out on it yet, but hopefully in the next day or so. the toe feels pretty good too.

that night i left for Auckland. i drove halfway to Auckland and stayed in Mt. Manganui the first night and the next day drove the rest of the way to Auckland. the highlight of the drive was dinner in Mt. Manganui. mexican food is very uncommon in NZ. the flavors and spices must not be a taste NZers care for. i've seen one restaurant so far, Sombreros, in Queenstown and it looked pretty sketchy. which is a shame because i think mexican food might be my favorite and i didn't even realize it until this trip started. absence makes the heart grow fonder right? i found a place in Mt. Manganui that was really good though, Mundo Mexicano. it was down this dark alley and i was pretty suspicious walking down there but it opened up to this really nice little place. it felt like i was sitting in somebody's home. it was such a find, i splurged a bit and got a big dinner and drinks.

sunset at Opotiki beach on the drive up to Mt. Manganui

entry to the alley

headed to Auckland for the rugby game, Blues vs. Stormers at Eden Park in Auckland. the Blues are from Auckland and the best team in NZ. the Stormers are best team in South Africa. they both play in the Super15 league, made up of teams from NZ, Australia and South Africa. i think it's the top pro-league in the world, not sure though. the Blues are currently #2 and the Stormers are #3 in the league.

the Blues jumped out to a big, early lead by half and i thought it was going to be a blowout but the Stormers came back and won the game on a controversial score with less than a minute left in the game. Check out the highlights.

Eden Park stadium

here's what i noticed about the game, fans, etc..

1. the stadium is really nice but not big. Eden Park is the biggest and best stadium in NZ. it holds 50,000. it's hard to find it though because it's tucked in this neighborhood and doesn't dominate the skyline like arenas and stadiums do in the States. trying to find the place, i was a block away and still couldn't see it. you see stadiums in the US that are absolutely massive and i think that's a reflection of a lot of elements coming into play in our culture.
2. fans are extremely civil. nobody threw bottles at the other team, no loud and obscene outcries to the refs and players, there weren't even any bare-chested obese guys dancing! everyone was generally pretty quiet and nice and even complimentary of the other team when they made spectacular plays. it was really refreshing to be in such a positive sports environment. make no mistake, plenty of alcohol was consumed before and during the game (they sell 6-packs in the stadium) but generally everyone was really nice. it was even more reflective in the way children acted. despite the outcome of the game, i heard kids saying really positive and nice things about the game afterwards. it was weird.
3. the male/female ratio is really off. i'd guess it was probably pushing 90% men at the game. i had heard that rugby was so popular in NZ that everyone stays current on the sport, even women are interested and discuss it but the demographic at the stadium doesn't reflect that.

after auckland, i drove out to Piha, west of Auckland by 35km to check out a surf spot that was dead flat and then headed north. i'll do a separate post for the Far North shortly.