New Zealand Has Been Run – Puffing ‘n Bluffing into Bluff!
Or ends!
Country number 18 New Zealand has been run 
52km today. Unofficial total 26,955km in 637 road days. NZ circa 1,600km in 37 road days.
Many thanks to my hosts Brian and Rose for last couple of days of fun and tonight to Paul and Grace in Invercargill.
Brian and Rose
They are an Irish couple from Leixlip who have been living here for three years. I don’t think they could have moved further from Ireland to any other place in the world, well other than Bluff 30km away.
Paul is working as an engineer on some of the Christchurch earthquake rebuild projects and regularly flies there from Invercargill on standby flights which cost less than the bus fare. So as I fly from Christchurch to Tasmania on Wednesday evening I have decided to take a standby flight with him on Monday morning which he says are so frequent that we are almost guaranteed to get away easily. In Christchurch he will be picking up a hired car and dropping me back to my friends Valmai, Dave and Phil’s house. I tell you Irish construction workers get over here, there is heaps of work on the 20 year rebuild project.
At the South Islands and New Zealands so called ‘ Lands End ‘ in Stirling Point just beyond Bluff I touched the ocean by falling on my backside on the slippery rocks. 
Well the Rolling Stones did unfairly call this area ‘ the arse-hole of the world ‘ when they rocked through here 50 years ago.
Near the end of the road in New Zealand
There at the bottom of the country I did an interview for the Southland Times. Taking my cue from Brian’s breakfast time joke I jokingly answered the question of what it feels like to be running more than a marathon a day with…
” It’s a bit like hitting your head with a hammer, It hurts like Hell when you are doing it and great when you stop ”
Actually today was a very enjoyable 52km day due to my very early start, so early I was hanging back on the run a lot so as not to be too early for my 5pm media commitments.
The television cameraman drove by set up his gear and got some really decent ‘ action shots ‘ at several locations on the highway. Then everyone drove on and left me wondering were they were on the long, winding picturesque and deceptive run towards and then through Bluff. The town looked so close but was so spread out to the far end that I was half an hour late for the interviews! I had hung back too much thinking I was closer than I actually was.
Then the actual interview for the local CUE television station a subsidiary of SKY 110 tv which can also be seen on Freeview ch 23 on Monday at 5.30 and repeated at 9.pm.
The interviewer having heard the newspaper interview asked me to answer in brief couple of sentence answers. Well that was ok for the first few answers but as regular readers can well believe it didn’t take long for Motormouth Mangan to warm up!
A lot of people were sightseeing in the Lands End area and were wondering what was all the media fuss about before I arrived.
Quick as a flash Brian told them.. ” They are looking for some Irishman who took a wrong turn in Dublin… Back in October….2010! ”
Then I ran up with a big smile.
At the end of the road in New Zealand with Brian, my latest daily new friend!
On the way to Paul and Grace’s house Brian attempted to show me the local sights…
Early morning flight back to Christchurch with Paul
” Hey Brian show me the yellow arches! ” That was after we were thrown out of a closing pub that Brian told me we would get free coffee from. Well the hot chick there did give me free fish ‘n chips first!
On the way again Brian told me he has been living with Rose for 40 years and only proposed to her 4 years ago,
” You guys going on a honeymoon? ” I asked.
” I guess so, I gotta get to know her! ”
Thanks again to all the wonderful people of both island for making New Zealand so successful and an enjoyable running experience
Then I had one last thing to do.. Touch the water.
This is just before I fell on my backside and that's where I differ from The Rolling Stones
February 24th, 2013 at 12:53 pm
Good Man Tony, Congrats on putting another country behind you. And let’s hope you get a similar reception in Tasmania and Australia – you deserve it all. Enjoy the mini break.
February 24th, 2013 at 5:56 pm
Thanks to my Inverscargill host for this link to my newspaper interview, even if riddled by mistakes! http://i.stuff.co.nz/southland-times/news/8345872/Irish-man-on-track-to-run-around-world
February 24th, 2013 at 8:11 pm
tony, what a great country new zealand turned out to be. your blog confirms the great construction projects which are underway. good luck with the standby flights. kevin
February 24th, 2013 at 10:24 pm
Great job on finishing NZ Tony and enjoy your well deserved rest. Here’s hoping that your journey through Australia is just as enjoyable
February 24th, 2013 at 11:04 pm
Congratulations Tony on country number 18. Well done. Glad you had such a great experience there. Enjoy your couple of days rest, though no doubt you will be busy blogging and organising your route. Take care Ann
February 24th, 2013 at 11:17 pm
Hi Tony, well done on completing another country New Zealand. You are really stepping it out. Continue to enjoy and take care of yourself. You deserve your rest days. Mam
February 25th, 2013 at 12:36 am
Back in Christchurch now. Paul and I got a flight ok this morning. We paid just 25% of the regular fare and cheaper than the bus
February 25th, 2013 at 1:11 am
Congratulations, Tony. Enjoy some time off. Take care, Kev