2013 Surf to City Funrun Team Vegan INVSOC

After great success last year, the Invercargill Vegan Society once more rose to the Surf to City funrun challenge!  Jordan and Jen entered in Team Vegan shirts, and we were joined by newly moved to Invercargill vegan Steph.  Christina, an American vegan visiting Balclutha actually took a van down to stay with us a couple nights so she too could enter!

We had three entrants in the Invercargill Vegan Society "Team Vegan" last year, and FOUR this year!  Well done :-)




The night before, beautiful black lines visible in the sky....aliens about to attack?  Or something very special......like a funrun the next day! :-)

Waiting for the buses at Queens Park.  We drove to the finish line, where a $2 donation gave us a bus ride from the finish to the start, Oreti Beach.   The immature among us would think "DCK" was a bad choice for a license plate.  I mean, its said aloud "Dee Cee Kay", right?




In a bus, we passed by some kind of horse abusing event.  More on this soon, but notice the red "stock truck", which often take animals to the slaughterhouse.

If you click on this image to see it fullsize, you'll notice a shadowy horseman figure.....the apocalypse was near????




Oreti Beach is to be respected!

Scenes from "The Worlds Fastest Indian" were shot here, and some old guy used to drive his motorbike along the beach too.

Walking from our bus to the start line.

Our first sight of the start line, cyclists lined up!

Sound system pumping dance pop music.  

A couple exercise class leaders came out and did "Zumba" dance moves or something, trying to get us to warm up.  We made fools of ourselves kicking and stepping and clapping along.  And then these no doubt fit people jumped into a red BMW afterwards and drove past the running/cycling/walking crowds of thousands of people.....back to their gym no doubt, because they have to stay in shape you know!




Jen and Jordan at Oreti Beach.

Jen, Christina and Steph at Oreti Beach. 

We entered in the Walking section, knowing we would jog through the funrun :-)

Cyclists first, going carefully so they dont stumble and end up killing one another.  There was some kind of medical emergency before the start of the race, the radio DJ guy playing announcer asked "are there any doctors here?".



Here are the Runners section, just after the cyclists




Now our turn, the "walkers" :-)

And off we go!

Heading out from Oreti Beach....

Where we found a sign advertising the blinking Rodeo!  "Relax at the rodeo!"?!?!?!?  WHAT!  Among all the carnage?




The rodeo setup.  Animals tied to vehicles, some of which were stocktrucks used at slaughterhouses.  The Invercargill Vegan Society recently investigated a horse slaughterhouse which sells "horse meat".  Quite possibly some of the injured horses (and other animals!) would end up being slaughtered.

Some of the hot food advertised was "Bacon Butties".

Running past the ghastly rodeo, to the announcers yells of "YEAH, look at the technique there, next up the barrel.......".  Goodness only knows what was going on, animals being wrestled and roped and thrown against the hard ground.  And they were "judging" this, with madeup points?!?

We were glad to leave the Rodeo area.

Jen at an intersection, where we had stop/go paddles directing traffic.

Water station by Otatara school and Ziffs cafe.

Near New Zealand schools you'll find these solar powered gizmos.  They show your current speed, suggesting you drive carefully around schools.  I ran past at 17kph.  Gotta stay within the speed limit! :-)




Protest sign directed at centre right National government local figures Bill English and Eric Roy.  "English and Roy - IT IS TIME TO SAVE OUR SMELTER!  SHOW SOUTHLAND YOUR KIWI METTLE.  Next time I will vote Labour"

Our current government wont step in to "save the smelter".

Taking a photo opportunity at the same sign as last year!  Kereru, New Zealand Pigeons get drunk off rotting berries and sometimes fly low across New Zealand roads.  The sign warns drivers to be careful, not to hit these endangered birds.

A Fonterra dairy truck tried to squash the Invercargill Vegan Society's Team Vegan near the airport.  We defied their two trailer manoeuvre, and vowed anew to CRUSH any of their entrants in the Surf to City funrun 2013 walking section!  You'll have to try better than that Fon-Terror! :-)




Steph, Christina, Jen in action.

"Ain't nothin' gonna to break my stride
Nobody's gonna slow me down, oh-no
I got to keep on movin'"






Hey, we spotted entrant number 666!  A black fairy devil!

The Rakiura/Stewart Island plane coming in over the Invercargill estuary.

ZOOOOOOOOOM!

Steph, Christina, Jordan.

"Danger!  This structure is a hazard.  PLEASE KEEP OFF!" attached to a bridge over the estuary.

"Somebodies playing funny buggers!", Resene paint shop joking that there was another 25KM to go in the 12KM race :-P  In actuality, it was just under 2KM.

Just like last year, running past the prison, taking photos :-)

Trying to look athletic as we Vegans sprinted past McDonalds.  Big Macs being raised up and down by gawkers within.  More about McDonalds soon.

As Vegans, we are trying to STOPping Violence in Southland.

1KM to go!  We approach Queens Park.

The finish line!

Jen and Christina

Jen and Jordan

Finish Line!  Jen, Steph and Christina run across the Surf to City 2013 finishline, while Jordan and Russell laugh :-)  Go Vegan!



Mr Russell Masters met us at the finish line :-)

Enjoying the festivities at the finishline.  Live music, donuts, hotdogs........balloons shaped like hearts from the Heart Foundation....

...parents paying to seal their kids into plastic balls.....

Cupcakes.......

and Vegetarian kebabs advertised!

The Invercargill Vegan Society chose to support our friends at Pita Pit.  They are fantastic, really Vegan friendly!

Great to see the usual team in a new setting, it would make a great change of pace for them too :-)

Great shirts.  Christina's is by Mercy for Animals.  The chick inside the pictured stomach says "not cool".    On the back it says "go vegetarian".  Like SAFE, the group is starting to promote Veganism, like the bold green Team Vegan athletics shirt Jen is sporting :-)

Falafel pitas from Pita Pit :-)

This is to certify that the Invercargill Vegan Society completed the event, Surf to City 2013!  Well done everyone, Jen, Jordan, Christina and Steph :-)

Festivities at Queens Park.

Hello hello, whats all this about then?  McDonalds talking directly to children, being seen as their buddy, always looking out for them?

Honestly, its just like our friends at the "Beef + Lamb" council and their mascot for children "Iron Brion", trying to brainwash little children.  Here they literally have a "Fun & Magic Show".

The open package kinda looks like an old Happy Meal childrens order from McDonalds being opened.  "This is where fun and magic come from children!"

Ronald McDonald leading children off, no doubt for more fun and magic.  The pied piper of fastfood :-)

The original Ronald McDonald actor has gone Vegan, apologising for brainwashing children.  Perhaps we could invite him to speak to the kids at Surf to City 2014? :-)

Thanks to friend Mark Gailmor for reminding me!  I'd written down a note on my phone after the race, but its been a busy day and I originally forgot to add these photos.  Thanks Mark!


RIGHT, having had enough of Ronald McDonald and the absolute brainwashing of captive youth, we went somewhere where there were absolutely, positively, 100% NO other CLOWNS!

The Carnival!  Yes, like last year, the carnival was in town, coinciding with Surf to City :-)

Afraid of clowns?  What could be scary about metal men waggling their cold mechanical and GAPING mouths from side to side?  Why, they're LAUGHING!  We all float down here!

Stay away from red haired clowns! :-)

Step Four to running a successful business, remind your customers to pay you!

Rodeos, Fonterra's swerving cowsmilk tanker of death and Ronald McDonald leading children astray at the park, it was a lovely day for the Invercargill Vegan Society :-)

Heres to Surf to City 2014!  Well done Invercargill Vegan Society :-)