In typical Jack fashion I am again late on this post. Two weeks have already elapsed since I packed up the van and headed into the unknown once again. I ended up spending a total of 5 weeks in Gisborne (Gizzy) and to be back on the road again feels almost like I am beginning a fresh. In my last post I mentioned the work I was doing in Gizzy, here I will touch on some of the rest.
First off Gisborne was hot! After discussion with locals, hotter than usual at this time of year. Towards the end of my time there it felt like I was in a constant sweat and sleeping in the van got quite rough. The hottest day I had there was 32 Degrees C and it seemed like it rained maybe 5 times. Work became a real struggle in that heat, however the beach was lovely!
The reason I dropped into Gizzy in the first place was because of the surf, and it didn’t disappoint. Surfing at Makorori beach (10 minutes outside of town) with its faded denim blue cloudless sky and bright spring green hills all around made for one the most beautiful surf location I have ever seen. I reckon I managed to get out 10 or more times during my stay is Gizzy and that was while working a full time job. It seemed like every other day there was good surf somewhere close by. It wasn’t just small swell either, there were days when it was hitting almost double overhead. I highly recommend Gisborne as a surf destination.
Not long after arriving in Gizzy I was roped into the local old boys cricket team. My boss at work was the captain and being down on numbers insisted that I play. I told him that I hadn’t played in years, 7 to be precise, but he said it would soon come back to me. It seems like the world believes that all Englishmen can play cricket, like it is in our DNA or something. Anyway, I went into bat number 9 with 3 overs left and to my disbelief actual batted fairly well. I managing to hit 14 or 15 not out (this included two 6s) and we won the game. It didn’t feel like the most triumphant victory however due to the fact we were playing the under 15s second eleven from the local high school. The reality is that there aren’t many local cricket teams which results in teams competing against any one who is interested. In the T20 league I was playing in there were only four teams and you played at the same ground every week.
If I’m being honest I struggled to meet people while in Gizzy. It didn’t help that I was camped out 30 minutes from town nor that the team I was working with was very small. I was told that I had arrived in Gizzy a little early and that it picked up and became more lively as it got into summer, either way it wasn’t easy. I did meet a few people however, some through local churches and others at the pub in Te Karaka where I got to know two young English lads who were working on an orchard near by. I think coming from the UK I was used to there being people everywhere when in reality there just aren’t anywhere near the same number of people in New Zealand.
Gisborne is a big logging port. Massive trucks hauling 40-50 tons of Pine roll through at all hours of the day. This squishes the roads as if they are made of putty, consequently around every corner there are orange cones and grit that flicks up into the underside of your car sounding as if your taking fire from a Gatling gun.
Whether its a Gizzy thing or something about NZ more generally I am not sure yet, either way the “pubs” seem to shut early. One Friday I was out with a couple others looking for a place to have a drink at 9:30pm and we could only really find one spot. One place in a city of close to 40,000. It seems to be that Kiwis are morning people not night owls.
I went of a couple light hikes while in the Gizzy area. About 30 minutes outside of town there is a wonderful arboretum called Eastwoodhill, I spent a couple hours wondering the grounds without seeing another soul. It’s not particularly curated which gives it a raw feel to it. If you like walking and you like trees then it’s a great place to visit.
The truth is I’m grateful to Gisborne, it gave me a place to chill out at a time when I was in need. It gave me a place to call home for a little while, a community of a few and some wonderful waves. Cheers Gizzy
Loving these blogs,they’re giving us a really great picture into your trip. Working outside in that heat isn’t fun and then sleeping in a metal box!Sea must have been very inviting!