In a nut-shell my 7 day stretch consisted of mild sunstroke, a homebrand visit to A&E (cheers for the TLC Nurse Mum), a plethora of gee-gees, Princess Anne verse tractors, a seahorse wedding and roast chicken with Yorkshire pudding. But I can’t fool myself here, Christchurch is not always this much fun.

Cup week in The Garden City is the highlight for all Cantabrians, I’m one, always will be, but I choose to live in Jaffaland, due to the expanded amount of options, especially socially.

It’s a week that evolves around horses, tractors and traditionally stinking hot weather. 2008s display showed me all this, and some. The second Tuesday in November’s the biggest horse racing carnival day in the country, this year nearly 30,000 came along to eat, drink, bet, flirt and get merry at Addington Racecourse. I had my first alcoholic beverage at 9am, and my last some 22 hours later. I only stopped as I fell from a table, cut my leg and found walking incredibly painful, and the squirting blood nauseating.

The day began with Lindauer Brut and finished with Moet. Everywhere I went people had made an effort to dress-up. Some stayed in the carpark and partied, others went trackside for a punt. It was the sold-out Lindauer Lawn zone (most of which was tar seal and concrete) where everyone wanted to be, it was OK, but I preferred mingling ,and making friends, on the inner track. People had gone to elaborate lengths to want for nothing, they had it all. One set up consisted of a rave room (with vibrating floor), plasma screen to see the races and a paid barman.

From there 11 of us piled into a Nissan Terrano and went to an after party (this was at 6pm). The owner had it all, arcade games, fully stocked bar, DJ room and most gadgets a guy could want. I got the call I’d been waiting for, filled my pockets with roadies (after asking permission), and moved on into the CBD. Liquidity was the place, it was alive. Dance anthems rang from all corners, I must have got a bit carried away on the dancefloor, because a bouncer pulled my aside and threatened to throw me out unless I calmed down.
 
People and places turn things up a notch during Cup Week, every day I found excitement; Even if it was during the afternoon watching sheep getting rounded up in Cashel Mall, there was something horsey, or agriculturally, related around every corner. Another major part of Cup Week is The Royal A&P Show held out at Wigram (Hornby way). Where the country, and all it stands for, comes to town. 120,000 went along this year, most on the Friday (Canterbury’s anniversary day, thus a holiday), Princess Anne was one of them. She came to represent, smile and present some of the major awards, not bad looking really, for someone who’s 2 shy of 60.

I’ve never been to a wedding where both parties are good friends of mine, so after flipping a coin and picking a side to sit and saw Hard House DJ/producer legend Jon “Captain Tinrib” Bell marry Sarah “Horsey” Terras, at the Christchurch Cathedral on Saturday. The reception was at Pegasus Bay Winery, just north of Amberley, a glorious fitting spot to celebrate the unity.

Many of the guests were visiting international technoheads, so when the after party kicked in just after midnight I was in heaven. 200 metres from the restaurant, down the hill, through the pine trees and over the creek, a rave zone had been constructed, with lasers, roboscans, overflowing bar, an oversized sound rig, the whole shabang. It became riotously wicked and most got extremely messy, and they carried on well into Sunday in the searing heat.

My last supper was a classic favourite of mine, roast chicken with all the trimmings. I never get tired of staying with the olds; what with washing that has a turn around time of less than 12 hours, and meals that can be at any time you choose, I felt like privileged royalty.

Seeing this was my last night I chose to not have an early one, and took the offer of “watching a movie” at Monie and Yves’s place in Sumner. What a good call I made. It turned out to be one of the best leaving parties I could ever wish for. My camera was banished to the car, and I was pressured into following the crowd and letting my hair entirely down.

So I’m back in AKL now, and planning my next 4 parties, that all fall before the clock strikes 2009. I hope to party with you all real soon, somehow. Remember, if you hear of a fun/wild or party/event going on drop me a line, I don’t hear about everything.