The Arahura or "pathway to dawn" is the oldest of three ships linking the north and south islands of NZ and the one I'm currently onboard now. I was somewhat pissed when the earlier sailings had booked full and I had to take the night trip across the Cook Strait but now I'm not so agitated. It's cold and even a great view would be ruined by the stiff Antarctic air over New Zealand right now. Apparently the views are amazing but I'd rather wait for summer to hit in a few months. The pitching and rolling of the ship reminds me of a much slower version of closing my eyes and being put into attitude awareness training for flying. Backing into a ships hull for the first time looking over my left shoulder was an experience as well.
Earlier today when I was trying to kill time in Picton I decided to play slots at a local pub. As some of you know I'm terrible at gambling and playing cards. I know I have An obvious tell but won't disclose it here. Also the fact that when I have a cocktail or two I come to the delirious conclusion that I will win because I deserve to win. Haha, what naive nonsense. With this in mind I decide to spend a ten spot on killing hopefully an hour of time. I'm fifteen minutes into a game at a Mickey's pub with fifteen slots playing a game I have no idea how to play and it happens. The machine starts making more frequent and unusual sounds then before and says I have ten free spins....then twenty....and it starts spinning and I just sit. Every time it spins I win. And win big considering it's a two cent slot machine. I continue to sit there in disbelief, mainly because I never had this happen to me before and watch the total keep climbing with each spin....on a game I don't understand! Bam! 5min later and $200 up it asks if I want to double up? Hell no. I grab the waitress (who is also the bartender and apparently the pit boss) and she shells me out $200NZ. Not bad for fifteen minutes of work. This so concludes the first and only time Stephen MacKay will ever cheat the gambling system and it was glorious!
You know it's victory at sea when then passenger cabin is noticeably above and below you onboard a pretty lengthy ship. Hope the car is secured as the captain announces we will be expecting less than favorable conditions on the voyage tonight...should have bought the patch..oh well...wine will suffice. Hold onto your kids people I can hear the bow smacking against waves.
Catch ya on the flip side if we make it. I'd rather be experiencing violent turbulence in an airplane listening to Metallica than this. Sea legs go!
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