Species: Australasian Snapper (Pagrus auratus)
Location: Paihia, Bay of Islands, Northland, New Zealand
Date: February 14, 2014
Love was in the air. It was Valentine’s Day, and I was joined for the romantic holiday with the love of my life: fishing. To make the holiday even more romantic, I was living out a lifelong fantasy: I was in New Zealand.
One of my closest friends in college was David Clarke, a native Kiwi who came to the states to play basketball at Oregon Tech.
David is about as personable of a guy as you’ll meet, and his appreciation of sports, food, humor, and the outdoors made us fast friends.
After college, his parents, Jim and Jane, came to graduation where I met them for the first time. We got on well, and they offered to have me stay if I ever visited.
At the time, I didn’t think that was plausible, but I thanked them anyway.
***
A few months after graduation, I realized that I wanted to change careers. I’d been an insurance agent for the five years I’d spent in college, and though I liked the people I worked with and for, I didn’t love sales.
So I gave plenty of notice and started studying for the LSAT, deciding to pursue a career in law. Well, I bought the LSAT study materials and took a “cold test” to see where my score was at the time, so I’d know how much to realistically study.
December 13, 2013 was the last day of my job. I’d go back and help out part-time a few months later, but this is the day I cleared out my office and said my goodbyes.
On December 16, 2013, I took my LSAT cold test. I know this because of Twitter Advanced Search which has enabled me to pinpoint exact dates in my past using powerful keyword filters and my favorite social media site.
I scored a 158 on my first attempt, which, as you can see in the screenshot of the tweet above, is respectable. I knew my target score of 170 was very possible for my target school: Stanford.
David FaceTimed me that same night. We caught up and on December 18, I tweeted again.
Five minutes after I told David, he told me his mom had already begun planning our itinerary.
I put the studying on hold — okay, I stopped altogether — and prepared for the trip. And boy was it a trip.
***
My flight from SFO – AKL was booked with Hawaiian Airlines.
Klamath Falls (LMT) has had a love-hate relationship with air service over the years, allowing for limited flight availability.
It just so happened that the flight from Klamath Falls to San Francisco was available through our flavor of the month sole carrier, United, so I booked a separate flight to SFO. Unfortunately, as a rookie traveler who’d never left the country, I booked my flights separately, without linking the itinerary.
So, when the flight from LMT to SFO diverted to SJC because of heavy fog, I was worried. They bussed us up to SFO in nice charter buses, but by the time I got there, I’d missed my flight.
Further, it was a flight that only went out three times per week, and my flight happened to be the last Hawaiian departure of the day.
For nearly three hours, I scrambled on the phone to get help, but they refused. Their customer service was effectively useless, so by the time I finally agreed to pay hundreds of dollars in change fees, they informed me I could fly out of Oakland two days hence or wait for five days in San Francisco for the next flight.
What followed built from a comedy of errors into madness.
I had a lot of luggage for the month-long trip in which I planned to do a lot of fishing, and since I was only 23 at the time, renting a car wasn’t really an option. So, using the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system, I traveled from SFO to OAK.
It took half a dozen connections, walking more than half a mile fully encumbered in Oakland at night, but I made it without being assaulted, robbed, or raped.
The change fees, motels, and transportation costs totaled an additional $500 — money reserved for blackwater rafting in caves and an additional charter fishing trip — that was no longer available to me.
But eventually, I made the 14-hour trek from OAK – AKL.
***
This post is already running long for the usual fare on my blog, but stick with me. Just like that travel fiasco, it was long and convoluted but worth it in the end.
***
David and I met up, I got a good night’s sleep, then we stocked up on Red Bull from his fridge (his brother Johnny was the regional rep for New Zealand) and almost immediately headed north to the Bay of Islands. It was wonderful.
We checked into our hostel and found piles of South Americans and Europeans with a healthy appetite for Red Bull and traded cans for money and meals more than once.
The hostel had two crappy plastic kayaks the guest could use, and after the rude Australian owner shouted at us for not being gentle enough when un-burying the kayaks from a pile of garbage behind the hostel, we lined them up parallel to one another, loaded our gear, and grabbed on.
One of us grabbed the nose of each with one hand, the other grabbed the rear of each with one hand, and we made our way across the five blocks or so to the beach.
By the time we put in, our forearms were already sore, but we hit the water and caught the most common fish in the New Zealand nearshore biomass, the Australasian Snapper, using a variety of baits.
None were large, but we boated enough to keep us entertained before making the long trek back to the hostel where we got to know the primary German, French, and Argentinian guests staying nearby.
Apart from the excessive cigarette smoking, it was a great. And despite how different New Zealand was from my home, it quickly found its way into my heart.
#SpeciesQuest // #CaughtOvgard
Read the next entry in #SpeciesQuest here: Species #52 — Jack Mackerel.
Really appreciate this post. It’s always nice to discover another option for อ่านมังงะ.
Wow, incredible blog format! How lengthy have you ever been blogging for?
you made blogging look easy. The total glance of your site is excellent, let alone the content!
I’m not that much of a online reader to be honest but your blogs really nice, keep it up! I’ll go ahead and bookmark your website to come back down the road. All the best
Via my examination, shopping for gadgets online may be easily expensive, although there are some tricks and tips that you can use to obtain the best deals. There are often ways to come across discount discounts that could help to make one to hold the best consumer electronics products at the cheapest prices. Good blog post.
This site can be a walk-by means of for all of the data you wished about this and didn?t know who to ask. Glimpse right here, and also you?ll definitely uncover it.
Awesome blog you have here but I was wanting to know
if you knew of any forums that cover the same topics discussed in this article?
I’d really like to be a part of group where I can get suggestions from other
knowledgeable individuals that share the same interest.
If you have any suggestions, please let me know.
Appreciate it!
Usually I don’t read post on blogs, but I would like to say that this write-up very forced me to check out and do so! Your writing taste has been surprised me. Thank you, quite great article.
very nice submit, i definitely love this web site, keep on it
Would you be interested by exchanging hyperlinks?
Hello! Do you know if they make any plugins to help with SEO? I’m trying to get my blog to rank for some targeted keywords but I’m not seeing very good success. If you know of any please share. Appreciate it!
One thing I’d prefer to discuss is that weightloss program fast is possible by the suitable diet and exercise. A person’s size not simply affects appearance, but also the quality of life. Self-esteem, despression symptoms, health risks, in addition to physical skills are disturbed in extra weight. It is possible to do everything right whilst still having a gain. Should this happen, a problem may be the primary cause. While a lot of food and never enough body exercise are usually to blame, common medical conditions and key prescriptions can easily greatly add to size. Thx for your post in this article.
I’m not that much of a internet reader to be honest but your blogs really nice, keep it up! I’ll go ahead and bookmark your website to come back later. Many thanks
Throughout the great pattern of things you secure a B+ just for hard work. Exactly where you lost us was first on the facts. You know, it is said, the devil is in the details… And it couldn’t be more accurate at this point. Having said that, permit me tell you just what exactly did deliver the results. Your authoring can be incredibly persuasive and this is probably the reason why I am making the effort in order to opine. I do not really make it a regular habit of doing that. Second, while I can easily see a jumps in reason you make, I am not sure of just how you seem to unite the ideas which produce your final result. For now I shall subscribe to your issue however hope in the near future you connect the dots much better.
That is really interesting, You’re an excessively skilled blogger. I have joined your feed and sit up for seeking extra of your wonderful post. Additionally, I have shared your web site in my social networks!
Hello! This is kind of off topic but I need some advice from an established blog. Is it very difficult to set up your own blog? I’m not very techincal but I can figure things out pretty fast. I’m thinking about setting up my own but I’m not sure where to start. Do you have any tips or suggestions? Many thanks
Hmm it seems like your site ate my first comment (it was super long) so I guess I’ll just sum it up what I wrote and say, I’m thoroughly enjoying your blog. I as well am an aspiring blog writer but I’m still new to everything. Do you have any points for rookie blog writers? I’d definitely appreciate it.
I’m really impressed with your writing skills as well
as with the layout on your blog. Is this a paid theme
or did you customize it yourself? Anyway keep up the
nice quality writing, it’s rare to see a nice blog like this
one today.
Aw, this was a very nice post. In concept I would like to put in writing like this moreover ? taking time and precise effort to make an excellent article? but what can I say? I procrastinate alot and certainly not seem to get something done.
I was suggested this web site by my cousin. I’m not sure whether this post is written by
him as nobody else know such detailed about my difficulty.
You’re amazing! Thanks!
Thanks for the ideas you talk about through this blog. In addition, several young women exactly who become pregnant will not even attempt to get medical insurance because they have anxiety they won’t qualify. Although many states right now require that insurers produce coverage irrespective of the pre-existing conditions. Prices on these kind of guaranteed plans are usually larger, but when with the high cost of medical care bills it may be any safer strategy to use to protect one’s financial future.
Hello, I log on to your new stuff regularly. Your writing
style is awesome, keep up the good work!
I’ve been absent for some time, but now I remember why I used to love this blog. Thank you, I will try and check back more often. How frequently you update your site?
Wow! This could be one particular of the most beneficial blogs We’ve ever arrive across on this subject. Actually Great. I am also an expert in this topic therefore I can understand your hard work.
Whoa! This blog looks exactly like my old one! It’s on a completely different topic but it has pretty much the same page layout
and design. Outstanding choice of colors!
I?ll immediately grab your rss feed as I can not find your email subscription link or e-newsletter service. Do you have any? Please let me know so that I could subscribe. Thanks.
My brother suggested I would possibly like this blog. He was entirely right. This put up actually made my day. You cann’t believe just how a lot time I had spent for this info! Thanks!
Gosh This has been an extremely wonderful post. Thanks for providing this info.
Pretty! This has been an extremely wonderful post. Thanks for supplying this info.
Its like you read my mind! You appear to know a lot about this, like you wrote the book in it or something. I think that you can do with a few pics to drive the message home a bit, but instead of that, this is magnificent blog. A great read. I will certainly be back.
This website is known as a stroll-by means of for all of the info you wanted about this and didn?t know who to ask. Glimpse here, and you?ll definitely discover it.
Hi, Neat post. There’s a problem with your site in internet explorer, would check this? IE still is the market leader and a large portion of people will miss your great writing because of this problem.
A powerful share, I simply given this onto a colleague who was doing somewhat evaluation on this. And he in reality bought me breakfast as a result of I found it for him.. smile. So let me reword that: Thnx for the deal with! But yeah Thnkx for spending the time to debate this, I really feel strongly about it and love reading extra on this topic. If possible, as you change into experience, would you thoughts updating your blog with more details? It’s highly useful for me. Big thumb up for this weblog publish!
you will have an amazing weblog right here! would you wish to make some invite posts on my blog?
In accordance with my research, after a the foreclosure home is available at a sale, it is common for your borrower to be able to still have the remaining unpaid debt on the mortgage loan. There are many creditors who try and have all costs and liens paid off by the subsequent buyer. Nonetheless, depending on specific programs, legislation, and state regulations there may be a few loans which aren’t easily resolved through the transfer of lending options. Therefore, the duty still lies on the debtor that has had his or her property in foreclosure process. Thanks for sharing your opinions on this site.
If you wish for to take much from this article then you have to apply such strategies
to your won web site.
I?d have to verify with you here. Which is not one thing I often do! I enjoy reading a submit that will make people think. Also, thanks for allowing me to remark!
Hey would you mind letting me know which hosting company you’re working with? I’ve loaded your blog in 3 different internet browsers and I must say this blog loads a lot quicker then most. Can you suggest a good web hosting provider at a fair price? Kudos, I appreciate it!
It is my belief that mesothelioma is actually the most dangerous cancer. It’s got unusual qualities. The more I look at it the greater I am confident it does not work like a true solid flesh cancer. When mesothelioma is actually a rogue viral infection, then there is the potential for developing a vaccine along with offering vaccination to asbestos subjected people who are at high risk with developing future asbestos linked malignancies. Thanks for sharing your ideas on this important ailment.
Wow, superb blog format! How long have you been running a blog for? you make blogging glance easy. The whole look of your web site is great, let alone the content!
It?s truly a great and useful piece of information. I am glad that you shared this helpful info with us. Please keep us up to date like this. Thank you for sharing.
Have you ever considered creating an e-book or guest authoring on other websites?
I have a blog centered on the same topics you discuss and would really
like to have you share some stories/information. I know my audience would enjoy
your work. If you are even remotely interested, feel free to send me an e mail.
Write more, thats all I have to say. Literally, it seems as though you relied on the video to make your point. You obviously know what youre talking about, why throw away your intelligence on just posting videos to your site when you could be giving us something informative to read?
Excellent post. I was checking constantly this blog and I’m impressed! Very helpful info specially the last part 🙂 I care for such information a lot. I was looking for this certain information for a very long time. Thank you and good luck.
I enjoy looking through a post that will make men and women think.
Also, thank you for permitting me to comment!