The Official Christchurch Bookcrossing Convention Journal

by Numerous | Biographies & Memoirs |
ISBN: Global Overview for this book
Registered by Cathietay of Christchurch, Canterbury New Zealand on 3/25/2005
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17 journalers for this copy...
Journal Entry 1 by Cathietay from Christchurch, Canterbury New Zealand on Friday, March 25, 2005

This is the official journal of the 2005 Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand Book Crossing Convention,
The Rules
• Make a comment about the convention in the journal
• Note down the BCID number and journal your comment.
• Pass it on.

Journal Entry 2 by puppymummy from Melbourne CBD, Victoria Australia on Friday, March 25, 2005
I remember scribbling something incoherent in the journal, will be good to see if others can be even more inspired!

Journal Entry 3 by futurecat from Christchurch, Canterbury New Zealand on Saturday, March 26, 2005
I think someone handed me this journal when I was standing somewhere very inconvenient for writing in books, but I scribbled something illegible anyway.

The convention is going wonderfully so far, and everyone seems to be having fun (I'm so releived!!!)

We're off to a mystery location tomorrow, to release even more books...

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Journal Entry 4 by rarsberry from Christchurch, Canterbury New Zealand on Saturday, March 26, 2005
I wrote in this journal tonight at the great dinner and debate. :o)

Journal Entry 5 by Alithia from Christchurch, Canterbury New Zealand on Saturday, March 26, 2005
Wrote it this tonight, hope many more do so too to celebrate this wonderful convention. Has anyone who has read the journals at the convention noticed how many times I've written the word 'wonderful'?

:)

Journal Entry 6 by thebiblioholic from Riverdale, New York USA on Sunday, March 27, 2005
One of the several journal books floating around the convention. Great fun to read everyone's entries. :-)

Journal Entry 7 by catsalive from Rooty Hill, New South Wales Australia on Sunday, March 27, 2005
I've had an excellent time at the convention to date. Today was superb - fantastic weather & great fun. The weather wasn't so good yesterday but the mass releasing was.

Journal Entry 8 by catsalive from Rooty Hill, New South Wales Australia on Sunday, March 27, 2005
P.S. I got my first journalled wild catch of the convention today - http://bookcrossing.com/journal/2619764

Journal Entry 9 by Mundoo from Hindmarsh Island, South Australia Australia on Monday, March 28, 2005
Many entries by the time I filled my bit in. A good record of who and what at the New Zealand Bookcrossing Convention.

I loved my time with all the other bookcrossers.

Journal Entry 10 by Skyring from Reid, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Friday, April 1, 2005
I'll start my entry by echoing the word used by Alithia: WONDERFUL!

It has been a convention to rank with the best. A great location, friendly people, good company, good fun, excellent organisation. I enjoyed every moment, expect perhaps those spent teetering on the brink of a precipice in a hurtling bus with a driver on the verge of sneezing us into oblivion.

Somehow I've ended up with the official convention journal. And a kiwi to take around the world. And a couple of other journals. And a bag full of postcards. What makes people entrust me with these things?

Perhaps they think that I might tell a story. With pictures.

My wife and I spent four days in Dunedin before the convention. We love Dunedin, a darling little city with some outstanding architecture and a great situation with albatrosses on one hand and seals on the other. But this isn't the story of that.

We drove Rarsberry up to Christchurch and dropped her off at Futurecat's place, where we later shared pasta, chilli Tim-Tams and a good red with these two young ladies and the inscrutable H. But no pictures were taken.

We took pictures the next day when we were pursued by drunken students down city streets, met the Wizard of Christchurch, and released books with Rarsberry at a tram stop in Cathedral Square. But the Convention had not yet begun.

In the nick of time I linked up with Catsalive from Sydney, thebiblioholic from New York City and Mundoo from the smallest town in Australia, and we all drove in to the Christchurch Arts Centre, where the Dux-de-Lux provided the venue for the welcome sociable to begin the convention.

Here on the left we see thebiblioholic, my wife Kerri, and Catsalive seated on the left, and non-fiction (in formal dress) and Mundoo seated on the right. Standing in the background are the convention committee, Rarsberry leaning over to count the takings, Lesley with her shaven head and Bookcrossing earrings, Cathietay and Futurecat in front of the window, and a young lady bearing the first pizza.

Journal Entry 11 by Skyring from Reid, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Friday, April 1, 2005
Here's a complete list of the attendees, apart from some chap who turned up at the farewell brunch. Order of registration, not fame.

FutureCat/Jennifer
Lytteltonwitch/Lesley
Cathietay/Cathie
Daveytay/Dave
Rarsberry/Rachel
Catsalive/Kylie
Littlemave/Claire
Lollie-mavette/Alice
Skyring/Pete
Mrs Skyring/Kerry
Thebiblioholic/Fuat
Mundoo/Vicki
Meganh/Megan
Leith/Andrew
Puppymummy/Amanda
Redguard/Keith
Awhina/Margaret
Meerkitten/Heather
Natecull/Nate
Alithia/Luana
Steelman/Nick
Non-fiction/Kerry
Alpherae/Helen
ORNOT/David
MrPloppy/H
Sylvia86/Sylvia

Like Cathietay's memory, my pictorial record of the night pretty well ended where it bagan. I discovered the renewed presence of the famous Cheat Book, where it was performing in a supporting role.

http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/737362/

Journal Entry 12 by Skyring from Reid, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Friday, April 1, 2005
As a matter of sober fact, hard to find during the welcome drinks, where the beer was brewed on the premises and was totally yummy, the Cheat Book perhaps best epitomises the approach of the Christchurch Bookcrossers to life, the universe and Bookcrossing. Few in number, coming from a tiny country most people have never heard of - where is Old Zealand, anyway? - they strive to be number one at what they do, but they go about it in an entirely non-serious manner. By the time you have stopped laughing at the ridiculousness of a book journalled by a great number of Bookcrossers, none of whom have actually read it, you notice that this is one of the most travelled books in the Bookcrossing world.

Here Alpherae pretends that she is reading the thing. In reality, the photo is an utter sham. The book was thrust into her hands, she was told to smile for the camera, and just as suddenly, it was gone again leaving nothing but a delicious smile.

Journal Entry 13 by Skyring from Reid, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Friday, April 1, 2005
Speaking of delicious, it wasn't just the beer and the lady Bookcrossers who were tempting. The pizza arrived and was just heavenly.

And with so many women around smiling at me (as women so often do), it's hardly surprising that I fell in love.

With Catsalive's shirt. ***SIGH***

Journal Entry 14 by Skyring from Reid, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Friday, April 1, 2005
Convention junkie thebiblioholic arrived in town, fresh from three weeks on Queensland's Sunshine Coast, where he has been communing with Steve Irwin.

Journal Entry 15 by Skyring from Reid, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Friday, April 1, 2005
And my final picture of the night is of Mundoo, Australia's number one Bookcrosser, who is thousands of books behind the top Kiwis.

But determined to catch up!

A good night. The goodie bags were full of goodies, like Easter eggs and chocolate rabbits and bookmarks and books and notebooks decorated with precious stones and books and maps and labels and books and stickers and bookmarks and lotsa other great stuff.

The food and drink were good, but I was restricted in the amount I could drink as I had to ferry people back to the Aalton Motel, where five of us were staying, along with the motel cat which seemed to regard the rooms as its own turf.

Journal Entry 16 by Mundoo from Hindmarsh Island, South Australia Australia on Friday, April 1, 2005
Mundoo doesn't quite need 'thousands' Skyring to catch up with Lytteltonwitch. Well under 'thousands' with only 1600+ needed. A thou and a half.

Journal Entry 17 by Skyring from Reid, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Friday, April 1, 2005
See? You're catching up!

Journal Entry 18 by Skyring from Reid, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Friday, April 1, 2005
Next morning, Saturday morning, was the walking tour/release frenzy. We were to meet in Cathedral Square at ten, and the Aalton Motel mob thundered through the Botanic Gardens, scattering ducks and small children.

Straight up Worcester Street, following the tram tracks and there it was Cathedral Square. We were to meet at the cone/grail/flute/vase.

Hmmm. Big place, how do we find the Bookcrossers? Oh looky there! A flash of bright yellow in the distance! Bookcrossers were striding in from all directions.

Journal Entry 19 by Skyring from Reid, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Friday, April 1, 2005
Ah! It's called Thuh Chalice!

Naturally, it was seen as the logical start of a release frenzy.

Journal Entry 20 by natecull from Christchurch, Canterbury New Zealand on Saturday, April 2, 2005
This was my first Bookcrossing Convention and I had a lot of fun. The goodie bags were amazing, far more stuff than I expected (and a lot of it made by Aussies, hmmmmmmmm.) A great time, especially walking around town leaving books in strange places. I believe it was Futurecat who left one on a moving tram. Now I have to finish registering the boxload of old books I had shoved in my spare room.

PS. I think I've seen the actual journal but I couldn't swear on it. There were so many journals and things going around, what with Skyring's and the Cheat Book.

Journal Entry 21 by Skyring from Reid, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Saturday, April 2, 2005
FutureCat began to get concerned when people wandered off to take photographs, feed the birds, visit the pub...

And look how those books are multiplying!

And Littlemave decided to wear a littleskirt on this chilly day.

About this time this very journal appeared. Natecull made a descriptive entry consisting of two words: "Saturday morning"

Journal Entry 22 by Skyring from Reid, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Saturday, April 2, 2005
We set off and speaking of feeding the birds, the first stop was a memorial plaque to a Christchurch character - the place is full of them - known as "Thuh Birdman". Naturally we all released birdly books.

Journal Entry 23 by Skyring from Reid, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Saturday, April 2, 2005
We walked on. I was passed this journal and told to make an entry. "It's a walking journal", miniskirted littlemave assured me. So I did my best to make an entry. Please excuse the wobbly walking.

FutureCat, our guide on this tour, found herself at the head of a lollygagging mob of Bookcrossers, streaming behind her, leaving books in likely spots, taking pictures of said books, chatting, making journal entries, nipping in to buy a quick Lemon and Paeroa...

Eventually we all found ourselves in New Regent Street, a charming little pedestrian arcade.

Journal Entry 24 by Skyring from Reid, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Saturday, April 2, 2005
A pedestrian arcade with a tram running through it!

I think it was lytteltonwitch who released a book on the rear platform of the tram, a rear platform which began to sag under an increasing weight of books as we encountered it again and again throughout the day.

Journal Entry 25 by Skyring from Reid, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Saturday, April 2, 2005
OK. You'll never guess what this thing is!

Journal Entry 26 by Skyring from Reid, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Saturday, April 2, 2005
A phone box! Only in Christchurch!

Meganh walks away - she reckons a cell phone is more convenient.

Journal Entry 27 by futurecat from Christchurch, Canterbury New Zealand on Saturday, April 2, 2005
Arggghhhh!!!!!!!! Who let Skyring loose with a camera and a convention journal???

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v

FutureCat actually enjoying the journal entries, though her inbox is getting a bit repetitive.

Journal Entry 28 by catsalive from Rooty Hill, New South Wales Australia on Saturday, April 2, 2005
He does go on, doesn't he?!

Meganh & I left a book each here.

Journal Entry 29 by Skyring from Reid, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Saturday, April 2, 2005
Feel free to dive in with journal entries and pix. I don't have anything from the flash mob, for instance. I think I was pretending to feign sleep.

And you wait till you see what I've done with the actual journal when it gets back to Christchurch. Heh!

Journal Entry 30 by Skyring from Reid, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Saturday, April 2, 2005
Next step along the way was this thing. I think it might be a drinking fountain.

Journal Entry 31 by Skyring from Reid, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Saturday, April 2, 2005
Next we entered a pleasant little area between the city fire station and the Avon River, set aside for firefighters. This was about as close as I could come to a themed release.

Journal Entry 32 by Skyring from Reid, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Saturday, April 2, 2005
The Bookcrossers gathered around a rusty old girder.

Journal Entry 33 by Skyring from Reid, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Saturday, April 2, 2005
Look, they are leaving books around the base of the girder.

Journal Entry 34 by Skyring from Reid, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Saturday, April 2, 2005
And there's more across the river.

Journal Entry 35 by Skyring from Reid, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Saturday, April 2, 2005
Let's take a closer look at that plaque. Those rusty old girders have power to stir. This is the only place outside the USA where girders from the World Trade Centre are displayed. I've seen some in the Smithsonian, but never expected to find more in a quiet corner of New Zealand. There's a global bond that links firefighters and other emergency services workers, and this peaceful little corner is an appropriate place to contemplate the sacrifices made.

Journal Entry 36 by Skyring from Reid, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Saturday, April 2, 2005
We wandered further on down the riverbank. Books were everywhere!

Journal Entry 37 by Skyring from Reid, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Saturday, April 2, 2005
FutureCat was turning out to be an excellent guide. She knew EVERYTHING!

Except why the monument marking the sister-city relationship between Christchurch and Seattle was made of big hunks of stone. I stepped in and explained: "Boulders rock!"

Journal Entry 38 by Skyring from Reid, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Saturday, April 2, 2005
A memorial to Captain Cook, who mapped New Zealand and the east coast of Australia. An extraordinary navigator.

Journal Entry 39 by Skyring from Reid, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Saturday, April 2, 2005
Here's a bridge with a whopping great hole fair in the middle. Trams used to cross the river on this bridge and the rails have since been taken up. The end result is a very odd-looking bridge.

Journal Entry 40 by Skyring from Reid, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Saturday, April 2, 2005
The shallow and picturesque Avon River is popular with tourists taking punt rides. So there we were, standing around a bridge with a hole in the middle as a punt came slowly along the river.

Lytteltonwitch leapt into action. Whipping out a book, she held it over the side. "Catch!" she said, and dropped the book. A very surprised tourist caught it, smiled back at her "Thank you" and the punt floated away, leaving behind a group of Bookcrossers hugging themselves with glee. http://bookcrossing.com/journal/1151651

Journal Entry 41 by Skyring from Reid, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Saturday, April 2, 2005
FutureCat led us away from the river banks and up into a complex of some delightful old wood and stone buildings set amongst cool green grass. These, she announced, were the Old Provincial Government Buildings, a relic of the days when New Zealand was a collection of self-governing provinces.

These buildings, freely open to the public, are one of Christchurch's best-kept secrets.

Journal Entry 42 by Skyring from Reid, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Saturday, April 2, 2005
I love "perving on old buildings" and I was in heaven here. These gorgeous old halls were linked by long and romantic stone corridors, home to narrow staircases, alcoves with low ceilings, intricate steam vents - a million details to fascinate the architecture buff.

Just standing in the courtyard surrounded by these glorious old buildings was a treat for the eyes.

Another reason to thank FutureCat for bringing us here. This entire complex is entirely uncommercialised. Just walk in off the street. No fees, no guides, no souvenir shops.

Journal Entry 43 by Skyring from Reid, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Saturday, April 2, 2005
Here's a picture of the whole compound, taken from above. The grand old buildings were built when Christchurch was the most important city in the nation, developed by wealth of gold and agriculture flooding out of the interior.

Journal Entry 44 by Skyring from Reid, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Saturday, April 2, 2005
There were various grand chambers, but the grandest of all was the Stone Chamber, where we released books in all the grand locations...

Journal Entry 45 by Skyring from Reid, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Saturday, April 2, 2005
...and sank gratefully into the comfortable red leather chairs. It may have only taken you a few minutes to read of our walking tour, but by this stage we'd been on our feet for a couple of hours and several kilometres.

Here are Puppymummy and Rarsberry listening to the debates. The question was "Shall we rise?"

Journal Entry 46 by Skyring from Reid, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Saturday, April 2, 2005
Eventually the House rose and we adjourned for further progress. At this stage it might be pointed out that New Zealand's Prime Minister is a woman, as was the previous, the convention's organising committee was entirely female and New Zealand was the first nation to give women the right to vote, a fact of which Kiwis are rightly proud. Not too far away was a monument to female suffrage, at which we paid our appropriate respects.

Journal Entry 47 by Skyring from Reid, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Saturday, April 2, 2005
As well as having some stunning architecture - and believe me, the pictures in this journal do little more than scrape the surface of the treasures to be found - Christchurch is very much a garden city. The Botanic Gardens precint is one of my personal favorite spots in all the world, mainly because it makes my wife so happy to wander through the vast acres of flower beds, lawns and grand avenues of trees, all enclosed by the winding Avon. All around the city are green lawns, flowers, great old elms and oaks and pocket-handkerchief sized oases of peaceful vegetation. This is one delightful city.

Journal Entry 48 by Skyring from Reid, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Saturday, April 2, 2005
And that was pretty much the end of our walking tour. We began at ten, it was now one, and FutureCat gathered us all together to point out the meeting location for the flashmob at two.

So we had an hour free time. Close at hand was the Arts Centre, a solid block of Victorian Gothic, with many charming little courtyards, cloisters, halls and so on. Outside was the weekly market, where all manner of souvenirs and yummy foods could be bought, and inside were more permanent craft shops and galleries. For the next hour the place was full of Bookcrossers weaving intricate paths, admiring the wares, eating savoury offerings and frolicking in the fudge shop.

And setting books free. The tram line ran just outside and our happy red tram collected another book or two, but inside, well, it was just full of likely spots to release books, books and more books!

Journal Entry 49 by Skyring from Reid, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Saturday, April 2, 2005
Two o'clock and Bookcrossers headed for the museum assembly point. It was easy - just follow the tram with the books on the rear bumper.

Journal Entry 50 by Skyring from Reid, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Saturday, April 2, 2005
The museum is another one of those gorgeous buildings. I almost felt like taking a dessert fork to this grand confection of stone. Outside gathered the Bookcrossers.

Journal Entry 51 by Skyring from Reid, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Saturday, April 2, 2005
I'm surprised there weren't books released all over the front of the museum. Perhaps we were saving them for the flashmob. We had to have books with an animal theme. I had "All Creatures Great and Small" with a - get this - a mob of sheep on the cover.

We huddled around, waiting for Rarsberry to lead us.

Journal Entry 52 by Skyring from Reid, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Saturday, April 2, 2005
Right, listen in you lot!

Rarsberry had organised a fairly low key (as befits Bookcrossers) flashmob in the North Quad of the Arts Centre. She handed out maps and explained exactly what we were to do. Go in from different directions at different times, sit down, read a book, wait for a nominated person (littlemave) to leave and then leave in different directions at different times, leaving behind the book we were reading.

What about a wet wether plan, I asked, one eye cocked at the low clouds. If it's raining, sit in the cloisters, Rarsberry explained. This was good thinking. At the Sydney flashmob on the steps of the Opera House, the wind had nearly blown us into the harbour. At one point I thought Neesy might actually lift off, like the Flying Nun.

Journal Entry 53 by Skyring from Reid, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Saturday, April 2, 2005
We weren't supposed to talk to each other, and I didn't want to take pictures - Rarsberry was the official photographer - so I have no pictorial record of the flashmob. I'm hoping someone will send me the relevant pix or make their own entries.

I was delighted to see that the North Quad included an ornamental pool, so I wrapped up a copy of "In the Pond" in a ziploc bag and released it - hehehehe - in the pond.

Journal Entry 54 by Skyring from Reid, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Saturday, April 2, 2005
I'd given a great deal of thought as to what to do to make myself different from all the other Bookcrossers sitting down and reading animal books. Three Little Pigs, for goodness sake! That's just giving the game away.

So I found a bit of a ramp and lay down on it to read. At one point I pretended to sleep, but it was a poor pretence because my shoulders were shaking from the silent laughter as I watched Rarsberry taking photographs of my little book floating in the pond.

http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/2595119

Journal Entry 55 by Skyring from Reid, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Saturday, April 2, 2005
And that was the end of the day's activities. Littlemave and Mundoo and I had some urgent business to attend to, and several of the Bookcrossers expressed an interest in browsing through a bookshop near our motel, so we all wandered through the gardens to get there. This involved a bit more wandering on my part than intended, but littlemave staunchly bore my meanderings through the water features in the middle with good grace and we caught up with the rest eventually.

As they snaffled up all the best books.

Journal Entry 56 by Skyring from Reid, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Sunday, April 3, 2005
I bought one or two myself. And then we Aussies retreated for a quick cuppa and a strategy session on how to win the celebrity debate. The question was "Kiwis are the greatest Bookcrossers in the world", and in a twist, the New Zealand team was to argue the negative.

Mundoo was the only one to have actually done any work on this, and she had a vast number of facts and figures at her command. It was instantly agreed that she should be our main speaker, as I had maybe ten seconds worth of material, and team captain Littlemave had even less. We were bothered by persistent "messing with our minds" by the Kiwis, who claimed that ORNOT was a master debater and might find the informality of the event hard to handle, that FutureCat had anticipated every argument we could make and prepared a counter-argument, and that Rarsberry had salted the audience with tubs of ripe fruit.

In the end, I decided that if in doubt, plain hard lying would get me out of trouble, Mundoo would stick to an avalanche of numbers and Littlemave would brilliantly tie it all together.

"Look", I said "These Kiwis are all great fans of British radio comedy, and if things look difficult, then all we need do is shout 'Mornington Crescent!' and we win automatically - they'll be too busy rolling around the floor laughing their heads off to come up with any rebuttal."

So that was that. I went into taxi service mode with my rental car, and began ferrying people to the venue, which was a short walk away in blinding rain.

When I went to pick up Littlemave, she was worried. "They had props. Flags and things."

Cripes. We didn't have props. When I pulled up outside and saw that the venue included an overhead projector I was getting worried. We hadn't prepared any graphs or dot points. "Look," I said. If all else fails, we can pull the plug. We're *expected* to use underhanded tactics. They'd be disappointed if we played fair."

Worse was to come. The "international arbitration committee" consisting of thebiblioholic (who had sat in on our strategy session alternately stifling yawns and disabling fits of laughter) didn't eventuate and the moderator was Lytteltonwitch, who had stated that no matter what, the Kiwis would be declared the winners.

Drink seemed the only way out, and I began sampling the New Zealand wines that people had brought along to wash down the tucker. I can't remember much of the evening after that.

Journal Entry 57 by Skyring from Reid, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Sunday, April 3, 2005
It all comes back to me now. The highlight of the evening was seeing awhina with the famous Cheat Book. It was her book to begin with, but those wacky New Zealanders had held a meetup in a room with internet access, and they made one journal entry after another, none of them actually reading it, establishing a tradition. Every week or so awhina gets a fresh email of a journal entry from someone who has merely touched the book, but not read more than a sentence or two, usually "the rules" stuck inside the front cover.

I think she's reconciled to the fact that nobody is ever going to take this book home and read it, and that claims (like mine) of actually having done so are purest gammon.

Journal Entry 58 by Skyring from Reid, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Sunday, April 3, 2005
The venue was a meeting room in the Christchurch Girls' Grammar School, which might explain the overhead projector, but anyway, we all sat down and began chatting. Books made an appearance (as they do) and there was a great deal of swapping.

Lytteltonwitch and FutureCat announced that they were going off to get the food, and my spirits sank. I had made a careful inspection of the room and detected no piles of rotten raspberries. Of course these krafty Kiwis they had a truckload stashed outside. They announced that while they were away we should "go around the room" introducing ourselves to each other, and they gave an example each of how to do it and left.

We all sat silent and stunned. How could we possibly hope to compete with these awesome people who had registered and released whole vast libraries of books between them?

One brave soul spoke up. "I released my hundredth book yesterday..." she quavered, before breaking down and running sobbing into the Ladies.

Oh it was awful. We Bookcrossers don't like talking about ourselves and we only spoke a few grudging words each. We finished quickly, just in time for the return of the two food-gatherers with loads of steaming Chinese takeaway.

Journal Entry 59 by Skyring from Reid, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Sunday, April 3, 2005
Eventually we all finished our tucker and sat around nervously waiting for the show to begin.

Lytteltonwitch called us up, introduced us, explained the rules (such as they were) and called on the first speaker from the Aussie team.

Me.

Yikes!

I got up and did the haka as a gesture of respect for the New Zealanders.

Kiwis cannot fly
Soar to top of ranking lists
Aussies poke out tongues

Or maybe that was the haiku. Whatever. I enjoyed poking my tongue out at the audience. It went downhill from there. I can't remember what I said, but somehow my ten seconds was padded out to six minutes. By the moderator's clock.

ORNOT got up and spoke brilliantly for the Kiwis. Jaws were falling to the flaw all around in a sort of hailstorm of thunka sounds. It was amazing. Totally unexpected. Funny as anything. Mind you, it was way off target, something to the effect that Kiwis were the greatest Bach-croissants in the world.

"Ha! rebut THAT!" came from the New Zealand table.

Gulp. Mundoo stood up. She accidentally dropped her notes and it took several minutes before all the papers, filled with notes in five point type, both sides of the sheet, were picked up, but she was devastating. Fact after fact, numbers out the wazoo. The New Zealanders were the greatest Bookcrossers in the world. No argument.

FutureCat stood up and tore it all to shreds. As promised, she had anticipated every argument and prepared a counter. Ulk. It all came down to Littlemave, team captain for the Aussies.

She stood up, faced the room, poured a cup of water, drank it, poured another cup, drained that. An attendant came out with another jug. "Ha! Rebut that!" I said.

With a steely gleam in her eye, she played our trump card. "Mornington Crescent!" she said firmly, and sat down.

Dead silence. A nervous chuckle from Mr Ploppy, who was apparently the only other person in the room who got the reference. Everybody else looked around blankly, their eyebrows saying "I'm sorry, I haven't a clue".

Rarsberry concluded for the Kiwis, demonstrating, with the aid of Bilbo Kiwiberry, a small toy kiwi, that Kiwis were lousy Bookcrossers because they couldn't read, couldn't type, had limited internet access and so on.

We hadn't thought of this.

Time for the team captains to sum up. I looked at Littlemave, who had an empty glass in front of her, and stood up. I tried a little logic, a little rhetoric. FutureCat promptly demolished me with an interjection. Curse her cotton socks.

I resorted to hand-waving. "Kiwis, errr, New Zealanders are the Greatest Bookcrossers in the world. So there!"

And plain hard lying. "And lousy debaters!"

I sat down to wan smiles from my side as ORNOT summed up for the negative with a series of totally unrebuttable, witty and entertaining statements of honest truth.

I fanned myself with a leaf torn from a nearby book. Would this evening never end?

The audience took pity on us and in response to frenzied gesturing from me, applauded politely. Lyttelton stood up before anyone could clap the New Zealanders into victory and declared the contest over, the Australian team had won and that therefore New Zealanders were the Greatest Bookcrossers in the world. The Kiwis all got up and danced a jig.

Ahhh, what can I say? They ARE the greatest Bookcrossers in the world!

Journal Entry 60 by Skyring from Reid, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Sunday, April 3, 2005
There was something on the convention schedule about a magical mystery bus trip to A Secret Destination. Despite all manner of pleadings and hints that I already knew, nothing was divulged outside the committee. "You'll see sheep on the way." smiled FutureCat helpfully.

Humph. Step outside the central business district and you'll see sheep. New Zealand is crammed full of them. Clouds in the sky and sheep on the hills. Find me a place in New Zealand that is without sheep.

As it turned out, my wife had already guessed the destination, but she had developed a migraine and wasn't up to a bus trip. I drove thebiblioholic into town and we hunted around for a car park. We discovered that Cathedral Square turns into a parking lot on Easter Sunday, but I figured that my car might be a bit conspicuous by evening, so I parked a few blocks away and we walked around fifteen sides of a square to get to the rendezvous.

As ever, the Bookcrossing signs and tote bags were a dead giveaway that we had reached the right spot.

Journal Entry 61 by Mundoo from Hindmarsh Island, South Australia Australia on Sunday, April 3, 2005
Just before the famous debate by 'celebratories' began Mundoo hijacked the proceedings to make a special thank you to the organisers - Futurecat, Lytteltonwitch, Rarsberry and Cathietay.

Mundoo thanked all concerned for the work and effort that had gone into making the NZ Convention so much fun and presented each organiser with a 'magic' mug.

These cups/mugs on presentation were all black but when hot fluid was poured into them they changed colour to white and revealed the NZ Bookcrossing 2005 Convention logo and each organiser's Bookcrossing name and real name.

Journal Entry 62 by Skyring from Reid, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Sunday, April 3, 2005
Ah yes! How could I forget?

Mundoo had prepared very well for this convention. Facts, figures, stickers and souvenirs. And a personalised mug for each of the committee members. Cathietay had family business that night, but the others proudly lined up with their mugs, and as an Australian I was very proud of Mundoo at that moment!

Journal Entry 63 by Skyring from Reid, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Sunday, April 3, 2005
Sure enough, we saw sheep. We headed south and west and soon entered a land of rolling hills and narrow winding roads. Lucky me wife staid home - she wouldn't have coped well with this.

The signposts said "Akaroa", but this wasn't a real lot of help to me. It is my strong belief that all New Zealand names are the same - Unpronounceable - and you don't know what any random one of them will be like. A milk bar, a school and a servo, mostly. And some sheep.

We pulled up outside a place that said "Little River Craft Station". Bookcrossers piled out for a quick release, books under their arms and gleams in their eyes.

Journal Entry 64 by Skyring from Reid, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Sunday, April 3, 2005
And cameras in their hands. Nowadays nothing seems to happen without a dozen Bookcrossers spring out of nowhere and take a photograph of it and race each other to upload it to the site.

Journal Entry 65 by Skyring from Reid, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Sunday, April 3, 2005
I mean nothing. Catsalive makes a phone call back home and the event is recorded.

Journal Entry 66 by Skyring from Reid, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Sunday, April 3, 2005
Hey, wait! You've left a book behind!

Journal Entry 67 by Skyring from Reid, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Sunday, April 3, 2005
But there were plenty of people to catch the books.

Journal Entry 68 by Skyring from Reid, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Sunday, April 3, 2005
Ahead of us the road wound upward. FutureCat noted that it was just a hill we were going over, not, as we Aussies might imagine, a mountain. That was OK with me. I've seen New Zealand's mountains and they are the real deal.

Cathietay passed around brochures describing the history and geography of Akaroa. Briefly, it is located in the middle of an extinct volcano that forms a large circular blob in the sea south and east of Christchurch. A long fissure runs all the way into the middle and forms a splendid harbour. Akaroa is located on this inlet.

At more or less the same time that the British were colonising new Zealand, the French were snapping up bits and pieces in the South Pacific. A colony was landed at Akaroa but subsequently discovered that they were too late by six days, British sovereignty having been declared over the whole land.

But they remained in their little patch of paradise, and nowadays theire quiet little town is a popular tourist destination.

That served to distract me for a while, but I couldn't help but notice that we were in a big bus on a narrow road that wound its way in tight curves up to a hill that stretched the very limits of the term, being the peak of the old volcano. We were literally teetering on precipices without any sign of a guard rail, and if the driver so much as sneezed at the wrong moment, we were all done for.

I was on the edge of my seat, slowly turning grey and keeping an ear out for the first hint of indrawn breath from the direction of the driver's seat.

I'm not good with heights. Or sudden and violent death. Puts a damper on the day, it does.

But somehow we made it to the top and pulled up at an appropriately named restaurant.

Journal Entry 69 by Skyring from Reid, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Sunday, April 3, 2005
Naturally, again we all piled out and left books where we could.

Journal Entry 70 by Skyring from Reid, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Sunday, April 3, 2005
The view was superb. Even with low clouds it was grand.

Journal Entry 71 by Skyring from Reid, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Sunday, April 3, 2005
Soon the flimsy wire fence protecting tourists from falling into the scenery was decorated with books. Those ziploc bags have a multitude of uses!

Journal Entry 72 by Skyring from Reid, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Sunday, April 3, 2005
And then we were off again, down, down, down. Very scenic, but I was glad when we reached the bottom and we were winding along the side of the harbour.

With not even a guard rail to stop us falling in. I kept an eye on the driver. If he reached for a handkerchief I was prepared to grab the wheel.

Eventually we pulled into Akaroa and the bus stopped beside the town green. Half an hour before the picnic is ready!

And just down the street the local bowls club was having a booksale!

Journal Entry 73 by Skyring from Reid, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Sunday, April 3, 2005
Inside it was standard booksale stuff. Trestle tables full of boxes of cheap books. But there were bargains to be had by those with an eye to spot them.

Journal Entry 74 by Skyring from Reid, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Sunday, April 3, 2005
Everywhere there were Bookcrossers stocking and stacking up.

Journal Entry 75 by Skyring from Reid, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Sunday, April 3, 2005
I found a few. I picked some for release, some for resale - one turned out to be worth about $US100 - and some for me.

I was particularly pleased to see a copy of "Between Silk and Cyanide" by Leo Marks (of Marks and Co fame). A great read and thebiblioholic groaned when he saw my "catch".

Journal Entry 76 by Skyring from Reid, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Sunday, April 3, 2005
The bus settled deeper on its suspension as we stowed our purchases. And there was a picnic lunch to consume. A very pleasant day already.

Journal Entry 77 by Skyring from Reid, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Sunday, April 3, 2005
We even had a rescue chopper swoop down to provide a bit of lunchtime excitement.

Journal Entry 78 by Skyring from Reid, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Sunday, April 3, 2005
After lunch we all grabbed bundles of books and set off, eyes gleaming. I found a little Internet cafe and made a few quick notes - leaving a book inside, of course, and then set off to the pier.

Journal Entry 79 by Skyring from Reid, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Sunday, April 3, 2005
I paused for an icecream cone - the sun was beginning to break through the clouds - and found outside that I was following in the footsteps of other Bookcrossers. Here is The French Lieutenant.

Journal Entry 80 by Skyring from Reid, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Sunday, April 3, 2005
There were books everywhere! Too many to photograph them all. Here's an old whaling kettle blubber for the boiling of.

Journal Entry 81 by Skyring from Reid, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Sunday, April 3, 2005
I moved further out around the bay, heading for the lighthouse. Here's a memorial to the first settlers. Nearby was a fish and chip shop pumping out a stream of golden offerings, with a queue about a mile long. Mmmmm. I sniffed and sighed.

Journal Entry 82 by Skyring from Reid, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Sunday, April 3, 2005
I caught up wth the leading Bookcrosser elements near the lighthouse, where FutureCat and Lytteltonwitch released a book at the top, paying a couple of bucks apiece for the privilege. We three cheapskates, Altherea, non-fiction and I, remained below. Reading.

Journal Entry 83 by Skyring from Reid, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Sunday, April 3, 2005
And admiring the view. The day was turning incleasingly sunny, and the colours were coming out. It really is a most pleasant place.

Journal Entry 84 by Skyring from Reid, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Sunday, April 3, 2005
The harbour was alive with boats of all sorts - yachts, jetskis, tourist craft, dinghies, fishing boats, and an idea snuck into my head.

Journal Entry 85 by Skyring from Reid, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Sunday, April 3, 2005
I sealed up a book in a double wrapping of ziploc bags and tossed it into the harbour. I was pretty sure that it would float safely and be caught by one of the boaters.

However, I hadn't reckoned with the local wildlife, who thought that this might be a package of sandwiches and began pecking at it. My heart sank, but there was a happy ending. http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/2595097

Journal Entry 86 by Skyring from Reid, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Sunday, April 3, 2005
We made our way back to the bus. I encountered thebiblioholic, who asked if I'd released "Between Silk and Cyanide". "No", I replied, then thought again. "Yes", yes I had.

We got back aboard, where thebiblioholic discovered that I'd released it alright. Straight onto his seat. http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/2595120

Heheheheh.

And away we went, climbing up the hill with a brief stop at Hilltop, where the "Book Fence" was renewed.

Journal Entry 87 by Skyring from Reid, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Sunday, April 3, 2005
We hit town pretty much on sundown, and I think we were all too exhausted to contemplate much in the way of festivities. Besides, we all had a lot of journal entries to make. And packing for some of us.

Easter Monday was the final day of the Convention and we finished up with a Farewell Brunch at a nearby cafe. A perfect sunny day.

The Convention awards were handed out. I received one for "Best Catch" - my harbour release had been caught and journalled!

Journal Entry 88 by Skyring from Reid, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Sunday, April 3, 2005
And Lytteltonwitch's "drop book into punt" technique justly received an award for "Best Release".

Journal Entry 89 by Skyring from Reid, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Sunday, April 3, 2005
Littlemave got an award for best photograph - she released a copy of "Damaged Gods" on a flower-encircled statue of...

...a damaged god in the botanic gardens.

Journal Entry 90 by Skyring from Reid, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Sunday, April 3, 2005
And then it was time to say goodbye, and to take one last photograph showcasing as much Bookcrossing merchandise as possible.

Journal Entry 91 by Skyring from Reid, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Sunday, April 3, 2005
OK, that's me done for the time being! Over to everyone else, with their own different takes and photographs!

Pete, off to lunch with peggysmum and felicia-fairy.

Journal Entry 92 by thebiblioholic from Riverdale, New York USA on Sunday, April 3, 2005
Phew! My phone was going to buzz its way off the desk from all the journal alerts.

Great job, wonderful writeup Pete! :-)

Journal Entry 93 by Alithia from Christchurch, Canterbury New Zealand on Sunday, April 3, 2005
I just had to add this photo of pete and his debate haka...

Journal Entry 94 by catsalive from Rooty Hill, New South Wales Australia on Sunday, April 3, 2005
Good one, Alithia. That's a great look Pete.

Journal Entry 95 by thebiblioholic from Riverdale, New York USA on Sunday, April 3, 2005
Agreed. That's a profile pic/LiveJournal avatar if I ever saw one.

Journal Entry 96 by rarsberry from Christchurch, Canterbury New Zealand on Monday, April 4, 2005
Right, now its my turn to go nuts with the photos.......
I know that you all want to see the photos that I took at the flashmob so I will put them here as journal entries as I am too lazy and not sure enough of where else to put them for you all to view.
Sorry that you will get many emails.
But if Skyring can do it, so can I!!!! :o)

So in no particular order, except the order I took them in using the camera, we have..........

Journal Entry 97 by rarsberry from Christchurch, Canterbury New Zealand on Monday, April 4, 2005
This is a close up of Skyring's pond release, called "In The Pond".

Journal Entry 98 by rarsberry from Christchurch, Canterbury New Zealand on Monday, April 4, 2005
And this is the book floating in the lovely shallow blue/green pond.

Journal Entry 99 by rarsberry from Christchurch, Canterbury New Zealand on Monday, April 4, 2005
This is the culprit of the book you have just seen, after that release he needed to lie down to read his book........
Luckily for him he has his yellow bag with him, very multi use bag!!

Journal Entry 100 by rarsberry from Christchurch, Canterbury New Zealand on Monday, April 4, 2005
Just along from him we have catsalive, reading a very interesting animal book!!

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