HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM NEW ZEALAND

Mi oh mi! I have just returned from having the best 3 nights partying in the middle of nowhere in a place called INANGURHOA (spelt wrong but pronounced this way) - this was indeed the location for the PHAT10 Drum&Bass/DubStep/HipHop/Reggae rave.. Got there on 30th Dec about 4pm after driving for a good 4 hours (after stopping for a toilet break) in my beautifully clean automatic van (minus a cd player or even tape deck). It was so much fun driving, just listening to the radio, I realised how much I've missed being behind the wheel after all this time! The journey there was a bit scary because there were STRONG WINDS to the point where, a couple of times, I honestly believed the van was going to blow over into the woods. I was THE SLOWEST driver on the roads for sure and everyone was over-taking me but I didn't care, I wanted to get there in one piece. The scenery there was amazing - large snow-capped mountains, and rolling green hills, could be seen throughout most of my journey there...then came the rain. I drove for about an hour in the pouring rain, after the wind had left me...

When I eventually got to the gates to the festival I was told my vehicle was going to be searched. Which they did. After a 'negative result' I continued on, and asked one of the stewards where the stage was. "Up the hill - about 5 mins walk from here, love". Fine. Took me about 1 min then to find a decent spot AWAY from the main stage (so I could get 'some' sleep at least!). When I got out, I realised I had parked about 20 metres from the toilets/sinks - result! Then I looked into the distance and could see mountains and greenery. From hearing the solid heavy baselines pumping out from the stage behind the camp area, I knew I was going to have some seriously good partying times!

So after freshening up, I walked up the hill to one of the stages there. I sampled my first taste of the music from going to the smallest of the two stages, which was intended for up and coming DJ's & MC's. I was VERY IMPRESSED with the music and I got to learn the name of this 'phat' sound. Welcome to "DubStep" - a slower version of Drum&Bass but MORE DEEP and DARK BASELINES! Camilla YOU WOULD HAVE LOVED IT! Only thing was it started to rain and I had no coat. So I started dancing (ON MY OWN!) After about 30mins, the rain got so bad that people started to leave the mud-soaked floor (there was no cover at this festival!) and retire to the drinks area. I decided to get my coat instead.

The first friend I made was from Malaysia (called Kal) and asked me why I was 'by myself'. This question is always a favourite with the locals! So I told him briefly about my adventures and he told me his story. He was a international student from Malaysia, studying in Christchurch, but having now having finished his studies has decided to stay in NZ. He found it absolutely hilarious that I had never heard of this famous UK DubStep DJ, who had performed the night before, and that was MASSIVE in New Zealand. I said that I am 'new' to this music- IS THAT OK?! It was quite amusing when one of the MC's shouted out over the mike "Is anyone from England?" s i l e n c e. "Is anyone from Tokyo?" again silence. It appeared to me that everyone was either kiwi or aussie! I was representing ENGLAND!!!!

Guess what?! Over the 4 days that I was there I drank a total of......2 cans of beer. 1.5 litres of water every day as well. Must have been one of the few people there not on acid, coke or weed though. I am very impressed with myself that I was able to dance all night and then until 6am of the morning of New Years Day. Next night though I had an early one and went to bed at 1.30am.

Made some other friends through Kal - a DJ/MC/Events promoter named Barry (and his girlfriend Kat) who was also part of the Phat10 line up. He gave me the low-down of the DubStep scene in New Zealand (and London, England!) and has already invited me to some parties in February and to see his music store in Auckland - he also told me that his granddad is from Wye in Kent! I ended up giving them all a lift back to Christchurch on 2nd Jan, and was glad of the company - at least the van would be weighed down coming back to survive the winds again!

Well today is 3rd Jan and I'm in a place called Kaikora after having driven 2.5 hours from Christchurch - I've booked myself a place on a Dolphin Watching tour on a boat tomorrow afternoon. Oh and I had a flat tyre this morning! A nice fireman just happened to see me pull out of the drive to the hostel that I stayed in last night and saw that two of my tyres were flat! I literally had just been given the hire car 10 minutes earlier from another rental firm - not impressed. I called them straightaway to tell them and they came within half an hour to replace the dodgy tire and drive me to the garage to get all the tyres pumped up.

By the way, on the plane over here I got to see Michael Jackson's "This Is It" - really impressive footage ay! I still can't believe he has gone.... Took 9.5 hours from Singapore to get to NZ! Way too long a journey. Also Immigration wouldn't let me in the country initially because I hadn't booked an onward flight from New Zealand! Had to use their internet to book me a flight to Philippines on Wed 10 Feb! Gotta go now as the internet is about to throw me off!

lots of love to you all

Nadz xxx