Partly because I spent an unhealthy amount of time playing, cursing at and then repairing my ancient computer collection, but equally because Orewa is one whole giant Smooochest omninbus of the old, the used, the redundant and the just plain embrarassing. For sale.
But on the eve of my departure, I did take my camera out for just a wee glimpse of this quaint little cove of disappointment.
Ike's Emporium has been the home of smooch goods since forever ago. Even in the 80's it felt dated and brown and like a member of the family you'd hate a friend to encounter.
Just some of the things available for purchase at Ike's included....
Small vials of petroleum jelly found on a high shelf in a container you can't properly see into.
A basket of knobs, wooden.
The last container of a deodorant called "Be Yourself" even though the initials are truncated to "BU" for no readily explainable reason.
A plentiful amount of tiny racial soaps.
After Ike's I took a visit to the Orewa Hospice shop. Now, there are actually many fine second-hand stores in the general Hibiscus Coast region, but the worst stuff seems to end up in the Orewa establishments. The Hospice shop is staffed by many wonderful people, bright rays of sunshine on a slate-grey, chilly Coast day. However, I only wish they can find a few items of worth to stock their store with, so that people might want to buy them and then they can afford a new sign:
But it's not just the sign that's seen better days, take a look at some of the 'bargains'...
VHS tapes (mouldy).
Horrifying vinyl records.
A... a... er... whatever the hell that even is.
And a desk, which someone did buy, but apparently on the proviso that the store can find all of it.
And not to make myself appear to be anything other than my town's spawn, I took these photos with a camera purchased in 2002, and all the while holding a meat pie and a caramel slice (obtained from the ever-reliable Saigon Bakery).
