NZ Day 1: Bored While Drying Hands?

If you've been as disappointed as me with the lack of growth in advertising space since the birth of mini above-urinal billboards and elevator screens, you'll be very pleased to know that we have entered a new era: video ads built into hand dryers. I have seen them with my own eyes and even have photographic proof:

Marketing brilliance! A captivated audience of one for a solid eight seconds, shaking off excess water before rubbing hands vigoroursly. If you've bought my pitch, contact the supplier nearest you!

What does this have to do with our trip to New Zealand? It was in the airport bathroom! In Sydney, though. Every other photo from this trip was taken across the Tasman Sea, I promise.

At night in Timaru we walked along Caroline Bay near a fairly active shipping port. The sand on the beach was so fine it was like clay. On our first night in New Zealand we were blown away by the roses (as mentioned in the last entry) at the Trevor Griffiths Rose Garden. This public garden had hundres of rose bushes, some dating back over a hundred years. The entrance from the street is through a large piazza with a large fountain/waterfall. It's a massive piece of public works for the size of the city. I did appreciate the stairs. If it were in Sydney they would all be escalators.

Dana and I ended the night with a few handles of beer at the Speight's Ale House. The pub had great character - it was rediscovered after a wrecking crew demolished a not-so-attractive building that had obscured it. Thankfully the bulldozer stopped short when he saw the old stone building. And yes I did say night, but it was light out until 10PM. Day one photos here.