Hold me closer, Tony Danza

I'm not a big metalhead. I wouldn't know Glenn Danzig from Tony Danza. Which, if not justifying the piss-awful mondegreen of this post's title, does go some way towards explaining it to the court, m'lud. It seems that over the years, metal has splintered and fragmented into yet more sub-genres - thrash/death/nu/hair/black/grey/Norwegian Blue (innit, lovely plumage) - proving that music, like the major schools which underpin crazy-straw design, is fractal in structure. Big fleas have little fleas upon their backs to bite them, and little fleas have lesser fleas, and so ad infinitum.

All of which is very interesting, but this is a blog about Queenstown.

I went to Queenstown this week. I tend to do this every year about this time, partly just to see if it's still there, and has as such not yet disappeared up its own glittery Aspen-meets-Surfers ringpiece. But mostly for SCIENTS and beers. The final week in August is the traditional home of what has now become Queenstown Research Week, encompassing QMB, MedSci, the AWBCR and enough satellites to recapture the entire of Google Maps. Being a semi-retired man of SCIENTS I went to precisely no talks and instead took the Monsters to see if we could freak out any Deathstar pilots on descent to Queenstown Airport with Monster v1.0's Ben 10 ray gun.

No, of course I'm kidding. There was cloud around. At least one. No way they'd fly in that.

Frankton Arm

Which kinda brings me to my point (yes I have one). Queenstown seemed to be crammed full of Strayans over here for a bit of powder action. As well as QRW it was also Gay Ski Week, which explained the hairdo on the bloke in the supermarket coldroom who asked me whether Tui was drinkable, as well as the accent. And why not come over - flights are cheap, the AUD is strong, and the locals are friendly. (I assume.)

Well here's a reason. There's no fucking snow.

Compare and contrast:

Remarkables, 2012

Remarkables, 2011

Remarkables, 2010 (from the Gondola)

And...

Walter Peak, 2012 (cloud-obscured, but clear of snow in upper Frankton image)

Walter Peak, 2011

Walter Peak, 2010

I don't ski - something to do with having the grace and balance of a concussed hippo on PCP - but this, to my inexpert eye, would appear to be a shit season. Still, cheers for coming over and wasting your money in Central, boarders and plankers of Straya. By the way, that's a great haircut, dude. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

Oh yeah, one more before and after shot.

September 1, 2003

September 1, 2012

The Doctor is OUT.