I’ve managed to get SKype running so some of you can expect some phone calls when I’m somewhere suitably equipped. Aside from that I’ve had a typical Sunday, really – I’ve done nowt.

Took a small wander this morning and bought some new laces (when in reality I need new shoes), then wandered into The Warehouse. This is the kind of shop that sells everything at a huge discount. But it’s all kinda crappy. I found a 2-DVD set of KISS live with the Aussie Philharmonic (the DVD version of KISS Alive IV which I have on CD). The set was less than I paid for the CD versions. Cashcard in hand, I bought it. In my defense, I resisted buying another two films.

Next stop was a computer games shop. I had all good intentions of buying something Lou and I could play in the minibus next week. Instead, I bought CSI, Evil Genius and Sacred Plus. Ah well. They’ll keep me going in Vietnam. Well, CSI won’t. I’ve almost finished it. All were vastly reduced in a sale, so I spent less than £15 on all three.

One thing I’ve noticed over here is a “rounding” on prices if you pay by cash. Basically, there are no coins of a denomination smaller than 5c. Yet you’ll find many goods priced with a tail end of 99c. Obviously, unless you use plastic or buy multiple items you simply cannot pay this amount. The receipt for my laces shows a subtotal of $3.99 followed by “5 Cent Rounding” of 1c and a total of $4.00. I wonder how much extra cash companies make each year from this? Mind you, paying by plastic is incredibly common in NZ – virtually everyone has EFTPOS (electronic point of sale). This includes at least one taxi company who actually have card readers installed in the cabs with a Telecom link for card verification.

Aside from that, I’ve burned another 2 CDs full of photos which I’ll mail to the folks tomorrow for safe keeping. The free dinner was roast beef (delicious) with spuds (dodgy) and veg (awful). I supplemented it with a bag of jelly beans, a Snickers, a bag of crisps and a Burger King. This was on top of a now-traditional lunch of cheesy beans on toast. I have managed to liberate a can opener from the third floor for the sole purpose of getting into my beans. Said can opener now lives under my pillow.

On the way to BK, I saw a camper van being towed away outside while the backpacker driver stood on and looked distraught. Not surprising when you bear in mind they were also taking away all his posessions and his bed. I walked back from buying my burger a few minutes later and a Toyota was being winched up while one of the wardens jemmied the door open.

They really take their parking offenses seriously over here.

Up and about by 8am courtesy of my early start, I took a quick walk to the harbour and back before breakfast. Then went out and bought milk when I found out that some moron had turned the fridge up full tilt overnight and frozen everything.

Next stop was the cybercafe where I could plug my laptop in and update this blog, download Skype (in preparation for tearing more strips off Barclays) and get overcharged for my time there. I’m convinced the guy behind the counter charged me for how long it took me to unpack my laptop and pack it backup again. I was almost in a mood to argue with him, but as he was a Maori and twice my size I decided it was only 60p and walked off. Time to look for somewhere else I can use my laptop online.

There wasn’t a lot to do for the rest of the day so I just chilled out with some people from my dorm – two Swedes, one Canadian, a German and two Brits. Dinner was eaten and the off-license visited. I waded through 12 bottles or so of Speights Gold Medal. Oops.

Our kitchen also seems to have become a haven for a large number of oriental people. I’m not sure if they’re all resident on our floor (though loads of them are), but every dinnertime’s like a family get-together with over a dozen of them pottering about making food that’s far too nice-smelling to have any place in a hostel. We got talking to a few of them and it turns out they’re all from Hanoi – one chap gave me his business card and told me to get in touch when I was back there if I wanted someone to show me around the city properly!

Eventually, the hours passed and – half asleep from excessive beer consumption – we crawled downstairs into the bar to watch the England v Paraguay game. Annoyingly, as the game started the staff turned the music off… but didn’t turn up the volume on the TV. There were quite a few people in the bar, so the atmosphere wasn’t too bad but it’s always better with the sound up.

The girl in our group complained a couple of times, but we had no joy. At half time her and her boyfriend headed to another pub. I missed them leaving, but within a minute of them walking out, the sound was blaring. Until the match kicked off again, by which time it was down to “barely audible”.

As anyone who watched it will know, the game was a bit of a damp squib anyway. At least we got three points (courtesy of an own goal), and Sweden went on to draw against 10-man Trinidad & Tobago so we’re in pole position.

Bed couldn’t come soon enough – I was exhausted. Well done to the Swedes who stayed up for the 4am kickoff of their match!

Remember I mentioned about the wobbly bunk bed? Well, the guy on ground level struck lucky at a club last night, I think.

Suffice to say the usual force 2 turned into a force 4 sometime overnight when he returned with whoever he’d pulled. I don’t know if the earth moved for them but it flipping well did for me. I almost felt seasick. Again.

Quite a few people moved on this morning. As I mentioned, the girl I was chatting to headed for Cambridge, the Indian girl in the bunk under hers snuck off as well, and the other top-bunking female is packing her washing up as I type.

Not being one to miss an opportunity, I’ve shifted to the now-free bottom bunk. No more jumping off the top level onto a luggage-covered floor in pitch darkness. Instead I can now step gingerly out of bed and trip over the stuff. It did get me thinking about my bed situation back home and how lack luster it is. I browsed all night on sites like https://www.daringabroad.com/best-bunk-beds-with-stairs-loft-bed-with-desk to find what I need. In the end I think I will have to endure my situation a little longer.

The hostel does a lot of things in the evenings and Thursdays are quiz nights. I got roped into a team with an English girl and two American lads – one was a stereotypical loud Texan. He reminded me of Phil Anselmo crossed with Andy from Rios – apologies to those of you who don’t know these people!

Amazingly, we won. Partly as the people on my team seemed to know the staff very well. The worst bit was the third bonus round for which I was volunteered. I stepped up to find out that our task was… to neck a half-pint of Tui really fast. Oh, what a shame.

I came second, behind an enormous guy from the Midlands who didn’t seem to swallow so much as just pour the beer down his neck. No shame in that. And it was free!

Unfortunately, I headed off into town before the scores were racked up so I didn’t know we’d won till the next day. By which time, the rest of the team had drunk our $50 bar tab. Nice of them. First time I have ever won a pub quiz and I didn’t even get a share of the prize!

Not a massively eventful day today. Early doors, Lou was packed off into a taxi – destination Qatar. I loafed in the common room at the hostel, reading and tapping rubbish like this into my laptop and then moved to my new home for the next 6 nights – Nomad’s Fat Camel on Fort Street.

Another hostel without wireless (although a quick snoop shows they do have a secure one – grr) but with way more atmosphere than the place I just left. Also, free dinner every night! OK, the portions turn out to be tiny but it’s better than nowt. To upgrade to a full (Kiwi-style) serving is only NZ$4, so either way it’s great value.

The rooms are typically hostelly, that is rather scruffy but fully functional. 4 bunk beds to a dorm, secure lockers available and the showers are nice and hot. Each floor has its own kitchen area, reception is 24 hours and it takes three uses of the keycard to get into the rooms (front door, fire door out of the lift and the room itself).

They also run a lot of activites in the bar from quizzes to gameshows and killer pool. I don’t think there’s a night where they’re not doing something. All free entry and all for prizes such as bungy jumps, coach tickets, bar tabs and the like.

I ended up with a top bunk on the shakiest bed in the world ever. Every time I moved, it felt like a force 2 on the Richter scale. Still, it was comfy and the bedding was clean.

There was a really nice girl in the bunk opposite who I got talking to – I never did get her name, though! On her gap year before university and doing what more people should do. She worked for the first 6 months, saved like mad and is spending the second 6 months travelling to the envy of all her friends. She departed the following morning with the aim of heading for Cambridge and other spots on the northern island until her friend flies over from Oz so they can go have snowy fun down south.

Aside from moving accomodation, I popped up and saw the new mom and pop again. Lisa’s looking better already, but I believe they’re taking her off her painkillers in the next 24 hours so that might change! Megan is still looking gorgeous, but wants fed every 60 minutes or so. As a result, sleep is at a premium. Indy managed to press the right sympathy buttons with the matron again and managed to spend a second night sleeping on a mattress on the floor.

On the way back to the hostel, I managed to find the Central Library. I only intended to pop in to see if they had wireless (not that I could spot), but ended up sat on my backside reading comics for almost 2 hours. Great stuff!

Other than that, just dinner and nattering with Mystery Girl before bed.