Succat Serials IV

It Begins...

2008-05-31T22:36:00.010+12:00

According to the CIA Fact Book, New Zealand has a total 93,460 kms of road, which, in worldly terms, is roughly 4,700 kms further than circumnavigating our earth's equator — twice

Arriving Christchurch, Guy Fawkes Day, 5 November 2003, Succat has been hitchhiking those roads, touching the country, meeting her people and sampling the mood

Now, more than six years on, Succat's journey through this Land continues . . .

Hitchhiking Log

2006-09-17T22:34:00.069+12:00

REFERENCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . [rides] . . . . [distance]

2003

November. . . . . . . . . . . . . . [11] . . . . . . [740]

December. . . . . . . . . . . . . . [20] . . . . . . [1,345]

2004

January. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [31] . . . . . . [2,866]

February. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [17] . . . . . . [1,138]

March. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [26] . . . . . . [1,945]

April. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [11] . . . . . . [910]

May. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [12] . . . . . . [991]

June. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [7] . . . . . . [230]

July. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [25] . . . . . [1,678]

August. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [27] . . . . . . [996]

September. . . . . . . . . . . . . [24] . . . . . . [1,320]

October. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [10] . . . . . [988]

November. . . . . . . . . . . . . . [22] . . . . . [2,160]

December. . . . . . . . . . . . . . [21] . . . . . . [1,641]

2005

January. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [24] . . . . . . [2,215]

February. . . . . . . . . . . . . . [10] . . . . . . [1,024]

March. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [18] . . . . . . [1,571]

April. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .[32] . . . . . . [2,235]

May. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [8] . . . . . . . [931]

June. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [15] . . . . . . [792]

July. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [19] . . . . . . . [957]

August. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [23] . . . . . . [1,341]

September . . . . . . . . . . . . . [18] . . . . . . [778]

October. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [12] . . . . . . [1,201]

November. . . . . . . . . . . . . . [25] . . . . . . [2,249]

December. . . . . . . . . . . . . . [33] . . . . . . [1,963]

2006

January. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [20] . . . . . . [2,233]

February. . . . . . . . . . . . . . [ 6] . . . . . . . [ 375]

March. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [15] . . . . . . [1,162]

April. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [13] . . . . . . . [1,001]

May. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [18] . . . . . . . [1,645]

June. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [16] . . . . . . . [1,621]

July. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [14] . . . . . . [675]

August. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [11] . . . . . . . [544]

September. . . . . . . . . . . [40]. . . . . . . .[1,673]

October. . . . . . . . . . . . . .[33]. . . . . . . [1,562]

November. . . . . . . . . . . . [27]. . . . . . . [1,928]

December. . . . . . . . . . . . .[7]. . . . . . . . [725]

2007

(off the road, post-graduate study, see Diary entries...)

2008

(return to the road, see Diary entries...)

March/April . . . . . . . . . [33 ] . . . . . . [1,987 ]

May . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [12] . . . . . . [1,070]

June . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [7] . . . . . . . . [513]

July . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [12] . . . . . . . [1,281]

August . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [9] . . . . . . . . [520]

September . . . . . . . . . . . [4] . . . . . . . . [100]

October . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [6] . . . . . . . . [527]

November . . . . . . . . . . . . [9] . . . . . . . [1,118]

December . . . . . . . . . . . . [20] . . . . . . [1,603]

2009

January . . . . . . . . . . . . . [15 ] . . . . . . . [1,294]

February . . . . . (off the road, houseminding — see Diary)

March . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [16] . . . . . . . [1,108]

April . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [12] . . . . . . . [1,072]

May . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [14] . . . . . . . [1,175]

June . . . . . . . . . (off the road, photo shoot — see Diary)

July . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .[11] . . . . . . . [1,556]

August . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [12] . . . . . . . [1,572]

September . . . . . . . . . . . [8] . . . . . . . . [603]

October . . . . . . . . . . . . . [13] . . . . . . . [1,564]

November . . . . . . . . . . . [16] . . . . . . . [2,185]

December . . . . . . . . . . . . [4] . . . . . . . . [516]

2010

January . . . . . . . . . . . . . [ 9 ] . . . . . . . [1,308]

February . . . . . . . . . . . . [15] . . . . . . . [1,146]

March . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [14] . . . . . . . [1,320]

April . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [19] . . . . . . . [2,906]

May . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [12] . . . . . . . [1,208]

June . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [4] . . . . . . . . . [642]

July/August . . . . . . (journey completed — see Diary)

`
Running Totals . . . . [998] . . . . [85, 467] . . . [avg - 85.63km]

* . . . Earth's circumference at the Equator is ~ 40,075 km

Diary

2006-09-17T22:32:00.059+12:00

_______________
5 November 2003:

Arrive Christchurch, New Zealand, and spend first night sleeping under tree line in Thompson Park at New Brighton Beach

Spectacular fireworks display off local pier celebrating Guy Fawkes night seem a fitting bookmark to begin this journey

_______________
7 January 2004:

Succat meets Mr. "P" . . . story published Here

_____________
1 March 2006:

Commence construction of this Blog, transcribing from my original, handwritten hard copy

______________
11 March 2006:

Ride number 500 in New Zealand . . .

Walking out of Dunedin, heading north, picked up by Couch-Surfer Leila and taken to top of Pine Hill Road at edge of city

Leila wins the choclate fish!

_____________
18 April 2006:

Tooth extracted . . . story published Here

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5 May 2006:

Complete writing article: "Exiting New Zealand Cities - Part I"

Publish . . . Here

____________
12 June 2006:

Hitchhiking north, camped overnight in South Canterbury, awoke to a big snow fall

Images and article . . . Here

_______________
6 September 2006:

Heat from the rising sun drove me from my tent before 8.00 am this morning ... spring must soon be here. It's been a difficult winter this year; sleeping in snow and ice stopped being a novelty a long time ago

______________
17 October 2006:

And I thought that summer had arrived ... slept overnight beside the road at National Park and awoke to snow on my tent. Nothing about the weather in this land can be taken for granted

____________
January 2007:

Off the road this year (see my hitchhiking log) after accepting a scholarship grant for post-graduate study at a private tertiary institution: photography, advanced professional certificate — photojournalism

_____________
January 2008:

Some big changes will come into motion this year...

______________
February 2008:

An announcement on these changes posted here:

http://www.digihitch.com/ftopict-8592.html

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March 2008:

Return to the road

I enjoyed my year's study — but it's good to be back!

_________
April 2008:

Commence a parallel blog regarding the changes, here:

http://obrien.wordpress.com/

________
May 2008:

Caught out in Central Otago when the winter's first storm blasts through. Snow, hail and sleet has me stranded for five days

___________
7 June 2008:

Caught by another snow storm while travelling through South Canterbury; a brief delay

_____________
5 - 6 July 2008:

Stranded by another winter blast sweeping up this land from the Antarctica — bringing snow, ice and freezing temperatures

___________
August 2008:

. . . and, then came the rains; flooding and 3 weeks without sun

_____________
15 August 2008:

Off road for a week, repairs to main pack — excellent job by these people in Christchurch, highly recommended:

http://www.twinneedle.co.nz/

____________
October 2008:

Some media attention . . . here

______________
December 2008:

Off the road for a few days during local "holiday madness" — my posting at Digihitch.com regarding this is here:

http://www.digihitch.com/ftopict-10606.html

_____________
February 2009:

Off the road at Dovedale, a rural locality in the foothills of Kahurangi, New Zealand's newest and second largest National Park: house minding and resting up

_________
June 2009:

Off the road for month: photo shoot across the "top-of-the-south"

_________
July 2009:

An appointment in Wellington . . . link

____________
October 2009:

Interview with documentary film company, Wellington . . . link

_______________
July/August 2010:

Journey completed — refer back to Index of Serials

Observations, Tips & Tricks

2006-09-17T22:30:00.004+12:00

This is not a "How To Hitchhike" section—although experienced hitchhikers will be familiar with the common sense suggestions

These pointers are loosely categorized under some general headings and published in no particular order

(the page remains under construction)

Hitchhiking in New Zealand:

* New Zealanders are a well travelled people and hitchhiking is accepted, although it is not very common to see other travellers especially in the winter months

* Lengthy waits can happen in some areas due to low traffic densities, but remain positive—it's not uncommon for drivers to say they have never picked up before

* Beware the "expert" passer-by who will give advice on everything from how one should stand to where one should stand. Unless they are experienced hitchhikers—ignore the advice

* Generally, open roads in New Zealand are narrow, dual-carriageways with little shoulder room for drivers to stop safely. Best practise is to stand and hitchhike from the outskirts of town

* As in any country, hitchhiking out of cities can be difficult. Some suggestions: "Exiting New Zealand Cities - Part I" an article by Succat . . . published Here

Camping:

When it comes to sleeping, any place that is dry and sheltered from wind is good—even better if the location is hidden, lessening the chance of being disturbed

With a tent, anywhere you can get away with will suffice. If the location is not quite kosher, just remember the rule of getting "in after dark/out before light"

In essence, don't get caught

Here are some places Succat frequently uses:

* Any part of the DOC Estate

* Parks, reserves and botanical gardens

* Church grounds

* Cemetries

* School gounds (on weekends when classes are out)

* In rural areas, most farmers and landowners are willing to allow a tent on their land overnight. Always ask

* New Zealand is well equipped with official camping grounds but they are often noisy places, more suited for caravanners or campervans, and Succat does not use them

Police & Law:

Hitchhiking offers a unique perspective of law enforcement officers performing their function

In his time on New Zealand roads, Succat has not been approached by Police—nor had reason to approach them—but there have been many opportunities to observe officers dealing with his drivers, and the public in general

* New Zealand has a national police service which conveniently provides for uniformity of jurisdication, livery and training

* In main centres, front line officers appear young and inexperienced. Be mindful of the "attitude test" because many officers behave in an unprofessional manner, are ill-disciplined and appear both poorly trained and badly led

* Assessments in 2006/2007 rated the IQ of New Zealand's Police recruits in bottom 1/3 of the general population. Another way of saying this is that 2/3 of population can outwit police. It needs noting that . . . Police National HQ improved their result by removing the figures of their bottom performing 10%

* According to a 1998 - 2000 survey by the United Nations Office of Drugs & Crime, New Zealand has the second highest rate of crime per capita in the world with 105.881 per 1000 people (Dominica is first with 113.822 and Yemen the lowest at 1.16109 )

Border Control & Customs:

* Friendly, courteous, professional—and efficient, so don't even think about it

*

Dangers & Risks:

* Alpine and wilderness: don't be fooled by the pretty landscape and relatively small areas of wilderness. Each year experienced climbers and trampers perish in New Zealand's outdoors

The Mountain Safety Council and Department of Conservation (DOC) offer some useful resources

* Drowsy drivers: no statistics are kept on road accidents caused by drivers falling asleep at the wheel but in his time hitch hiking around New Zealand Succat has had five close calls – one of which was near fatal . . . story published Here
Be aware!

* Thieves: each year many visitors have their belongings stolen, often at great inconvenience. Car parks, especially those in areas frequented by visitors, have signs advising users to "lock it or lose it"

Don't leave your pack in plain view inside a vehicle, even when locked. Remember — the day your gear gets stolen from a car will be a day your gear gets left in a car

Health:

* No special precautions required

*

Accomodation:

* Succat sleeps in his tent and has no recommendations in this category

*

Public Transport:

* Succat hitchhikes and has no recommendations in this category

* An article by Succat with some suggestions on using public transport to exit New Zealand cities is . . . published here

The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

2006-09-17T22:28:00.002+12:00

The Good . . .

* Those hundreds of New Zealand motorists (more than 900 at last count) who stopped and helped me out

* Countless kind New Zealanders who have opened their homes and invited me into their lives

* The Reverend Dorothy Gabriel, Anglican vicar of Dargaville, and her husband, Victor, who nursed me when sick, winter 2004

* Brian from the central North Island who not only extended an open invitation to stop and camp on his lawn when passing through — but also built an outdoor latrine for my use should he be away

* Mr James, a dentist in Gore . . . story published HERE

The Bad . . .

* Bottled Water: don't touch the stuff! Build up your natural immunity, drink what's available locally; boil if you must. The West's almost obsessive preoccupation with cleanliness, a bug free environment, excessive use of antiseptic hand washes and the like is detrimental to the serious traveller

The body is a wondrous vehicle. Toughen up — road hardened travellers rarely get sick

and . . . the Ugly

*