We saw a sign for R&B music playing on Saturday evening, so we put actual clothes on (not bathing suits or pajamas or workout clothes) for the first time in a while and hit the town. The pub is also the restaurant that serves brunch all day and it’s attached to the hotel. So it’s one of those places you never really have to leave. It has an incredible view of the ocean. There’s a statue of Opo the dolphin out front…check out this story about Opo from a guidebook:
“Older kiwis remember Opononi’s moment of fame in the summer of 1955-56 when a wild bottlenose dolphin, dubbed ‘Opo’, started playing with the kids in the shallows and performing tricks with beach balls. Christmas holidays-makers jammed the narrow dirt roads; film crews were dispatched; protective laws were drafted; and Auckland musicians wrote and recorded the novelty song Opo The Crazy Dolphin in one day. Their tape arrived at the radio station for its first airing just as news came in that Opo had been shot under mysterious circumstances. No one ever took responsibility, but amid the national mourning the song became a hit anyway.”
Whew. Extreme highs and lows in one paragraph, eh? (Kiwis say “eh” even more than Canadians, I think.) I love that the song was recorded in a day. Then I hate what happened to him. Here’s a photo I just found that made me run outside to show Brittany and Kasey.
Our responses:
Kasey, “So people were trying to shoot it often?”
Beth, “The girl in the middle is already mourning…has Opo already been shot?”
Brittany, “Why does it say ‘golphin’?”
So many questions. Opo the golphin reminds Denise Boston about Winter the dolphin that brought fame (and traffic and long lines at the aquarium) to Clearwater, FL. I hope they’re keeping Winter safe!
We played pool in the pub/hotel/brunch restaurant and met new friends, Alain, Rory, and James. When we told Alain we were from the states, he said, “What are there, 56 states? Or 52?” Kasey said with confidence (she’s a Harvard grad!) “50.”
Alain retorted, “50? Neh. There are either 56 or 52, I’m fairly certain.”
We played pool like hustlers, but without the part where we challenge people and win.
Alain found us entertaining. He gave us his business card with his contact information. So this is what we gave him in return:
beth of fresh air 
Beth, you are going to get me in trouble . . . I am literally "laughing out loud" while reading your blog while I should be working at school. I try to look like I’m doing offical school stuff, but I’m pretty sure me smiling at the computer is a dead give away!! Keep them coming!