The Beast Lands In New Zealand

28 November 2011
The Beast, the motorbike that i purchased in the USA, arrived last Thursday and was cleared by MAF and Customs on Friday. Today i picked it up and rode it to the VIN Station where it will be inspected and (i hope) certified as compliant with New Zealand road laws. It was great to ride The Beast again, it felt like catching up with an old friend. All going well, I’ll get it back from the VIN Station on Thursday and it will be legally ready for riding in New Zealand.

Thanksgiving 2011

26 November 2011
Our annual Thanksgiving party started yesterday as i picked up the rental plates, bowls and glasses, then picked up the two organic turkeys from Westmere Butchery. Then Larry and Karon Stewart arrived in the afternoon. They had been in France while i was in the USA, we hadn’t seen each other for months and it was great to catch up. After some dinner and wine at Nicolinos, Trude and Karon got stuck into making the stuffing.

This morning Trude was up at 4AM to get the smoker stoked for one of the turkeys. Then the four of us had breakfast at The Stone Oven. While i did some tidy up chores outside, Trude and Karon got the baking turkey all sorted and in the oven as well as all the other preparations for the party. Guests started arriving in mid afternoon and we had a fabulous feast and a heartwarming catch up with dear friends that lasted well into the evening. Thanks to everyone who participated in making this a wonderful day to be thankful for.

Photos: Thanksgiving 2011

Charlene Hillyard Visits

22 November 2011
 

Charlene got some cheap airfares up from Wellington and after spending the day exploring Waiheke Island she caught the ferry into Devonport. We had a nice dinner of curry takeways from Kabana then headed up to The Bunker to see the Arizona bluegrass band “X-Train” deliver a great concert. The next morning we had breakfast at The Stone Oven, walked MrT to Narrow Neck beach, and i dropped Charlene off at the ferry so she could do some shopping in Auckland.

2011 Oparau Acoustic Music Festival

11-13 November 2011
Once again Lott pulled off another great festival in the bucolic setting of the Oparau Hall. It was really nice to be able to relax and jam and socialize and really feel like i got “out of Auckland”. The Saturday night concert was fabulous with Kiwi folk from singer/songwriter Chris Thompson, amazing barber shop harmonies from Gridlock, a stunning performance from Melanie Lina on concert piano, and some influenced alt country blues from the Two Daves. The great bonfire after the concert kept the chill off as the jamming continued into the wee hours.
Photos: 2011 Oparau Acoustic Music Festival

Too Far Gone performs at the Auckland Bluegrass Club

9 November 2011

It was great to be on stage again with Too Far Gone. This was our first gig since playing at the Auckland Folk Festival in January and it took a few rehearsals to shake off all the dust but it was well worth it. I don't have any photos from the night but you can see us at the Auckland Folk Festival here: TFG at AuckFest

Wires & Wood at East Coast Folk Club

4 November 2011

Wires & Wood performed to a full house in Torbay for the East Coast Folk Club. It was our first Auckland area concert since I returned from the USA and it was nice to play for the local crowd.

Wires & Wood at New Zealand Music Awards

3 November 2011

As winners of the Tui Award for the 2011 Best Folk Album of the Year, Wires & Wood (www.wiresandwood.co.nz) were VIP guests at this year's New Zealand Music Awards Banquet. This included the full red carpet treatment which we found both daunting and enjoyable. There was a happy mood in Vector Arena and we enjoyed being in the company of the elite echelon of the New Zealand music industry. There was plenty of food and drink, lots of live acts interspersed with the award presentations and lots of laughs and celebrating. And, for the first time in my life, I saw Bryan wearing a tie!

Photos: WW at VNZMA