Now Voyager: The Day After

I am sitting on a dead tree lying on the stone strewn edge of this beautiful river, the Rangitikei. The warm sun is blessing the first day of the year 2014. The all blue sky has a few gossamer clouds floating softly over its wide expanse where last night it was filled with billions of twinkling and shiny stars of the Universe. This is the weather of dreams and today we are on our way home.

Last night the revels lasted till the early hours, the gay end of Vinegar Hill awash with wildly festive feelings in front of a gigantic bonfire warming the hearts and bodies of the revellers. The stage carried a statuesque young Maori drag queen called Tara Beige, a good 2 metres tall on six inch heels, who gave a dance/mime rendition the quality of which I have never seen - she was stupendous. Especially given the fact that the night before s/he had compered the karaoke night and also delivered a fabulous interpretation of the classic favourite, 'New York, New York' in a rich baritone classically trained voice. But last night the voice had a rest and the body took over. She was a delight to watch and she received a tumultuous ovation. She and a few other performers, among them two lesbian as men, gave a comic song rendition which befitted their rough attire and suited the majority of females in the audience.

The show catered for all tastes, or certainly for those in attendance. I chatted to a English lady, no she was from from Christchurch, but you could hardly tell, recently moved to Wanganui after being stricken by the earthquake in 2011. She was sitting on a log near the bonfire taking it all in, cuddling her poodle shizu-cross puppy, and saying how much she loved it at V.H. I have no idea if she was straight or gay, but she typified the appreciation of the crowd.

Midnight came, the Queen for 2014 was crowned, a very popular choice. It was Shane, whom I had earlier met, you couldn't miss him, formerly a female, but now totally trans-gendered, only five foot odd tall and with a grin as big as Sydney Harbour Bridge. S/ he took the sceptre and sat on the throne and promised to deliver the same if not better next year. And so the old year was brought to a loud close with much kissing and hugging and bonhomie. A great NYE party, and I was very tired but pleased to have witnessed this great coming together of the alternate society. The best NYE I can remember.

However the night was not over yet. There was 'straight' end to Vinegar Hill precinct, and of course many had strayed up to where the major revelry was happening, the gay end. So some time after midnight, alcohol fuelled youth with not too many brains, returned, or should I say wobbled, their way to their end, screaming profanities, and at at a pitch Satan could have heard in the depths of hell. It was disturbing and blemished the great celebrations which had gone on before. It makes one wonder if NYE can really just be pure fun when over-consumption of alcohol is always present.

But today this is well forgotten and some happy campers take to rapids in their rubber rings and enjoy the beginning of yet another year, whatever it may bring. Now off to pack for the too-soon return to Wellington.

Tents on the riverside...