Saturday Night in Thames, New Zealand

OR You Can't Make Stuff Like This Up!

As a bit of background, I've been traveling in New Zealand for about five weeks now, and I have to say that this is one of the most beautiful countries in the world. The landscapes are incredible, especially in the south island, although the volcanic areas of the north island are also amazing.

But, to be honest, the towns are... well... a bit dull. Usually.

Except this past Saturday night in Thames, New Zealand.

Now, I arrived in Thames after a day of driving around. I had been to the Lord of the Rings Hobbiton movie set earlier, and was heading up toward the coast of the Coromandel Peninsula. I was just looking for a cheap place to stay, and Thames seemed to fit the bill.

The Backpacker (hostel) was situated over a bar, and I made the mistake of asking if they served food, since I was absolutely starving. They did, and the proprietor promised to introduce me to some of the locals, after telling me they were holding a Rocky Horror Picture Show contest. Having just recently seen the movie again in New York, I thought, naively, that this would be an innocent, fun way to spend my night.

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