The plan was, fly down to Queenstown, hire a car, take my friend Tanya to see Wanaka and Arrowtown and then jump on a Stray Bus which also happens to be where I work, and see the bottom of the South Island. I had a great time. The weather was awful, but met up with some old friends, made some new ones and bumped into some.
We were in Queenstown trying to find a place for some breakfast. I'm standing at the counter "umming and ahhinh" over what I will order (I'm nothing if not indecisive) and behind me I hear "Treezy!" Turning around, I see my friend Craig, and his partner Fran. We sat outside and enjoyed the sunshine (although at that time we were in blissful ignorance as we didn't know would almost be our last on this trip). Craig and Fran are great, and hanging out with Craig is kinda like hanging out with a mini celebrity, as he is the author of the biggest selling New Zealand children's book in the last year, "The Wonky Donkey"
And it was a little like being with a celeb. A wee 3 year old girl nudged over by her Mum, came up to Craig, who was so good with her. Upon seeing another little girl shyly staying next to her Mum, Craig asks:
"Is that your twin sister?"
"Yes, I came out first but she eats more so she's bigger."
Oh the world is so blissfully simple and lacking in political corectness when you're three!
After signing the book, we drifted back to our conversation.
Tanya and I then drove up to Wanaka. The last time I went to Wanaka was with an American friend of mine, Danica. I was excited, as I had never been. We went to Puzzling World, and although 5 years ago I revelled in this childlike world of cool illusions, this time, both me and Tanya, left, feeling a little ripped off. It was cool, but Puzzling World? We decided to rename it Puzzling Village. It would also be cool if they could update their displays and illusions as it was exactly the same as 5 years earlier. The cool illusion bathrooms though are still cool though.
Puzzling World, hereby known to the world as "Puzzling Village"
Next on my list was Cinema Paradiso, a gorgeous little cinema in Wanaka known for its back to the simple basics cinema.
5 years ago I had not been able to get into the theatre, due to a film festival and all the tickets being sold out. This time, I had visions of us walking up to the counter, purchasing our tickets, ordering our food and having no problems. Of course I underestimated one thing. This cinema is popular, and I hadn't booked.
Faced with a second denial into the cinema I had told so many people about but never been to myself, I felt the tears creep up. I calmly said that I understood, but was gutted since I hadn't been able to get in 5 years earlier. Despondently I put our names on the very large waiting list, and with lack lustre enthusiasm, I ordered food, and proceeded to watch as many more people arrived (most with tickets) in the foyer, and realised that there was no way we were getting in.
I ordered Quesadillas and they were simply superb. However the shine off my perfect movie evening had been lost a little as I tried to keep happy. I know you're probably thinking what's the big deal? It's just a movie. However it wasn't the movie that I cared about, it was the whole experience, of sitting in armchairs and couches (there's even a car!) and having an intermission. Having the owner introduce the movie to you, and at half time get your food or order freshly baked homemade cookies, or homemade icecream.
So I waited, with baited breath as all the punters with tickets filed into the 80 seat cinema, while us lazy sods who hadn't booked waited on tenterhooks to see who would get to go inside (the inner sanctum). As each name called, I realised that we weren't going in, and once the last name had been called, I grabbed the car keys, and said to Tanya "let's go back to Queenstown and get drunk eh?".
The car key was in the door, when one of the girls that worked there came running out
"We have two more!!"
The fact that she had run out to me rather than give it to any of the several people still in the foyer proved to me that sob stories sometimes do work.
With a childlike grin on my face, I settled into my couch to watch Sherlock Holmes. At half time, I got my homemade Baileys icecream in a cup with a real spoon, and happily ate away. On the way home, I was in high spirits, because that, my friends is what cinema experiences should be about.
