Kaikoura is famous for its abundant marine life, especially the whales that live in the area all year round. Unfortunately, the proved to be quite elusive when I visited. There were plenty of dusky dolphins though.
However, during the 3 hour cruise we managed to only spot one whale. I later found out that they ran into 22 whales the day after. Well, dems de breaks.
Too right it is. Chris Cheney strikes again on While My Guitar Gently Weeps. This is one of the many highlights of the gig. The man is a machine when it comes to solos. Tell you what, it might even beat Eric Clapton’s solo on the original.
I had to get up early the next morning to go on whale watching. Gave me a few moments to soak up the crisp air on the shingle beach.
Did I tell you that I went to the White Album Concert a few months ago? Four Aussie artists (and a huge backing band) performed all the songs The Beatles’s double White Album in one concert. I’ve just found some fantastic videos, and would like to share some with you.
The first is Helter Skelter by Chris Cheeney. It all sounded brilliant from the back, but this really shows what a madman this guy really is on the guitar.
There was a storm approaching on my first afternoon in Kaikoura. I’ve hardly seen a sky so menacing. Very Lord of the Rings-like.
On one of my trips to NZ, I made a substantial stay in the little town of Kaikoura. It is about 2-3 hours north of Christchurch, locked between the mountains and the sea. Now, NZ is full of exquisite scenery, but Kaikoura is certainly up there as one of my favourites.
The Harbour Bridge viewed by night and day makes for a wonderful contrast. I suppose living out in the ‘burbs, I don’t get to see the harbour at night so very much, so it is a bit of novelty for me.
I’m not a fan of amusement parks, but Luna Park, and Sydney Harbour in general, certainly looked pretty at night.
My first time seeing Josh Pyke live. I have his two full-length albums now and they are good, if rather gentle and poignant listens. On stage he is a rather straight-forward performer. Aside from a few jokes he doesn’t talk overly much, but is generally at ease. What surprised me about the performance is how powerful his voice is. It is really quite a standout, and that’s not particularly evident from listening to his albums. Also his acoustic guitar work when he was playing in solo mode was clever. Had no idea he was doing these things from the record, and if Josh can tab what he’s doing I’d be really grateful!
We didn’t exactly see The Mikado but saw a few things lying around backstage:
Costumes
Props
Static and Silence 