A few pics from our boys’ weekend January 15th/16th 2011 Aidan Ho, Ben Gray, Craig Wells, Chris Tansley, Mike Tansley, Mark Shaw, Randhir Sewgolam, Simon Knox & FTO
What a bunch of guys!! We drove out in the middle-of-nowhere, past Pigs Head Rd out Whananaki way, where the enigmatic Dr Ho lives. We had piled 5 kayaks on the cars, ready for a serious afternoon fish even further out in nowhere land (read: complete wops!). First thing in the morning however, we trotted up on the hill of Aidan’s neighbours place to demolish a few claybirds. I’m not sure how Aidan actually ended up out there and has to travel across three lakes and four counties to get to work every morning – but his neighbour Shane got lost in his helicopter, landed on that very hill and has since been farming and trying to repair the helicopter to get the hell out of there again. Oh, the people we meet!
Two claybird-throwers, operated by Craig (away from the camera) and Ben (closest to the camera). The trigger-puller (if there is such a word) is the baby and mascot in the group, Mike Tansley, a North-London boy now surrounded by cows and green hills and armed men in shorts & sun cream. Come On You Spurs!!!
Admittingly this photo provokes a lot of different emotions. Randhir, provocatively dressed in a South African football shirt, with shotgun & ear muffs. After about 50 rounds we could breath our relief that he started hitting the occasional saucer going past him. For the time being I think we prefer that he gets involved after the shooting is done, which in hunting terms means in the kitchen where he’s a master at plucking, chopping and cooking whatever succumbed at the hands of us more manly, primitive, hunter-gatherer types. In fact, I live with a lawyer who is drawing up a contract…
We had more confidence in Marksman-Mark, who showed off quite a talent in splitting clays into tiny little pieces! He’s just back from a few years in Cambridgeshire in England and also caught the most fish in the afternoon. However he was kind of cheating when fishing, as he decided to take a kayak up the estuary, with veeery light gear, where he settled in catching yellow-eyed mullets. What kind of fishing club do you think we are??
This leads us back to our boy Mike, who’s fishing like a man. While some of us battled the swell in the kayaks, he opted to fish off land with his old man. Just to show off to other beach goers he dragged a stingray on land. He further proceeded to flick the damn thing onto its back and managed to get the hook out of its mouth. Then the good Samaritan dragged it back into the surf, kissed it on both cheeks and bid it farewell. The stingray thanked him by just catching the top of his hand with its poisonous stinger. Lucky for him it didn’t penetrate the skin too deep. At the time he didn’t tell anyone that his hand “went a bit numb” and he started dribbling from every orifice of his body. Until next time the question remains whether he’s one very brave young man – or just utterly mad…
Sorry, but I also can’t help but posting these photos of our Olympic wannabes Ben & Simon….
Ben in the back has resigned and looking forward to getting wet. Simon is still trying to keep the ship on course…
Ben slowly reappearing, frighteningly resembling the Loch Ness monster. Simon is nowhere to be seen… yet..
Poster-boy Aidan Ho shaking his head over the kayaking amateurs, before paddling out in the rolling swells, fantasising of wet sea nymphs and lost Swedish mermaids….
Back at the HQ, poor old Frankie Oliver had to get straight into kitchen duties. Here in the flames with some Middle Eastern flavoured quail – shot by Craig & yours faithfully last hunting season.
Scandinavia was well represented that evening in the New Zealand back-blocks
It turned out a beautiful night in good company! Lucky for the possums in the trees around us we had run out of ammo that morning.. Ben, Craig & Chris still in good shape, while Simon also had appeared from one wet element, joining another!
That quail must be tasty… but Randhir still manages to smile..
The band is getting comfortable, before Eye of the Tiger, some brilliant Ben Harper and numerous versions of Wonderwall fronted by Simon Gallagher & The Chrissy Spurs!
Birthday-boy Ben got a beautiful pancake as soon as we passed midnight, then stole the show until the small hours of the morning with his guitarra, while Simon Garfunkel became a new dad less than 24 hrs later. (Well done Laura for being such a good girl holding on! Who said pelvic floor muscle exercise doesn’t work?!) The young hoon started showing off his dance moves, while Randhir picked up the Hindu rap (those pics have been sencured!).
PS. The Pigs Head Award for biggest bruise on his arm/shoulder went to our snooker master Mr Tansley Senior. He did eventually work out the path of the shotgun pellets and mathematically joined them with the clay clad birds! (I think he also concluded that the clays we found whole afterwards, with a single pellet through them, were all his.)