I arrived in Wanaka sometime late morning, perfect time for a coffee as TJ would say, but then anytime is perfect time for a coffee for TJ. My pockets are empty I have to find a bank to get some cash, and I'm in desperate need of a coffee something that feels good going down my throat. Since it's banana season bananas are really cheap, and I just spent a week eating nothing but bananas. I need something real. And as I pass by the coffee shop in the center, my board catches TJ's attention.
TJ came to New Zealand a few years back for snowboarding and kinda got stuck here. A bit out of town he owns some land with a trailer on it and a few old cars without an engine.
They work as guest rooms for the occasional visitors. He does what ever comes along and if nothing comes then he's in the coffee shop. Chatting up passers drinking coffee or taking a dump on the women's toilet.
He took really good care of me, hooking me up with one of his guest rooms and even little work. Digging a pile of sand to another pile of sand gave me cash and a real meal since the boss was a chef.