Last week had a super start. Bendon launched a new Lingerie range on Tuesday. It was a well laid on event with 42 below providing fine cocktails, James Leuii the beats, the surprisingly friendly and co-operative models by Red Eleven, but by far the coolest touch was a dressing chamber dedicated to a balloon twister. He really could concoct anything; I got a helicopter.
 
From there I pied pipered some troops along to Grolsche’s new bottle launch at The Stardome Observatory. What a great place to launch the new bottle for the future. First off we went into the galaxy room, searching the Milky Way and beyond. It was out of this world and informative, despite the alcohol effects taking force on most of the gazers. Wandering the rest of the observatory we checked out meteors, Saturn’s rings and the decked-out rave room, with full coloured laser show and pumping beats. It was when a certain blonde someone demonstrated the lack of centrifugal force a large spinning table and a fully ladened plate of tapas has, that we knew it was time to move on.
 
Remaining sober(ish) on Wednesday I did “Dinner and a Movie” at Toto’s. The meal was the best yet, but the movie was very much on the flip side. “Crump” has to be one of the most offensive films I have ever seen. I’ll leave it there. Which is exactly what 90% of those watching did - retiring to the comfort of the roaring open fire in the main bar area. Vice Magazine were holding their 2nd birthday party at 4:20 club on the same evening so I went there. Ideal move if you like the EMO massive, out-of-tune instruments giving more feedback than a jumbo jet and sickly bourbon and coke RTDs. So Pony Club was the only option for some feel good 80’s. We closed the night out with nightcaps at Lime Bar, while dodging wobbly older men and sheilding the girls I was with.
 
Thursday’s atrocious weather didn’t dampen the urges of many. Sing Sing at Pony was as busy as ever, this may have been to the toliet malfunction upstairs at Showgirls. So the calibre of candy was quite captivating.
 
It was one of those nights on Friday, those ones when you are out for just a couple and home tucked up in bed by 12 at the latest, no ifs or buts; but it all goes pear-shaped. Two smallish house parties warmed me up, before A’isha’s official opening party. Unfortunately, I can’t see the place doing well, let alone attracting the 25+ cocktail drinking urban professional they are aiming for. Even with the help of the George FM crew it lacked a party vibe. Malente at Toto’s was next. Arriving soon after 12 it was packed with youngsters keen to impress. One obviously did in excess as the fire alarm was triggered and the party shut down.
 
Walking from there to Spy I encountered 3 seperate comotions with a collapsed person not looking well on the footpath, and a NZ Black taxi driver being pulled over and breathalyzed by the 5-0. What’s going on here Auckland?
 
Ohakune has to be one of the best party spots in the country during the ski season. It was my first time, and the entire 2 nights I was there was like a dream. It reminded me of Aspen, from the movie Dumb and Dumber. The Powderkeg was even better than I had heard, on the stroke of the final whistle of The Warriors game, funky uplifting beats pounded and the table dancing began, led mainly by Amber who I gather is nursing some brutal bruises. The Projector Room next door was a funky atmospheric change (once you got past the determined bouncer).
 
Partying all night was never going to be hard. I was on holiday for goodness sake. After a realxing few hours in the spa it was time to have a look up the mountain. We did, had a brief snow fight, Corona and headed back down to the party house on Foyle St. Later that day we cleaned up our act and went to the Classic Comedy night at the Turoa Lodge. Word of advice; don’t sit up the front when you are feeling fragile.
 
A little jaded we reluctantly got back to Auckland Monday evening. I went to Studio 111 for my first TV interview in connection with this Guide. I passed, but it wasn’t my best work.