theflyingtortoise.blogspot.com

My name is Simon. I live in the UK in a 7.5 tonne MAN lorry, converted to live in. I live on Traveller sites in the south west of England, and travel doing festival shows in the summer. In the winter I study Gypsy & Traveller law in the UK. I’m interested in finding out what the law is on Travelling in NZ, and a little more about the culture. If anyone could help me out with the following questions that would be great;

- What are the different types of Travller in NZ?

- Is the Gypsy fair run by Romany Gypsies?

- How does the law define a Traveller or Gypsy?

- Is there much conflict between the settled population and the nomadic?

- How much does the state respond to nomadism?

If anyone could help I would be very grateful.

Thanks,

Simon Ruston.

Taking your home with you must be exponentially more comfortable than finding accommodation as you go and more economical for a given comfort zone too. This blog will discuss various options for traveling homes, on both land and water, as well as general lifestyle and income options.

• To provide a living for people who want to travel and support themselves in house trucks or house buses.
• To bring fun and entertainment to towns around New Zealand.
• To encourage the supportive and social side of living within a mobile village, so that our lifestyle is both fun and profitable.
• The Gypsy Fair should provide the public with an exiting and entertaining environment, so enjoyable that they will be waiting for us to return again next year.

Exasperated gypsies said Invercargill’s youths continued to be among the worst in the country when it came to hurling abuse and bottles their way.

About 60 gypsies and their families in 30 mobile homes were in the city over the Easter weekend for the annual Gypsy Fair.

They travel to towns and cities throughout the country for eight months each year, entertaining punters and selling their wares on weekends.

Gypsies spoken to by The Southland Times yesterday said Invercargill hoons had been driving past their camp beside Queens Park hurling abuse, throwing eggs and bottles at their mobile homes and tooting their car horns throughout each night of their stay.

They had also wandered into their camp and banged against their mobile homes in the early hours. A bike had also been stolen, the gipsies said.

The abuse was an annual occurrence for gypsies visiting the city, with only Palmerston North comparing, while Gore had also been bad in the past, they said.

“This is the worst town in New Zealand. We dread coming here, it’s that bad,” fortune teller Helena Beissel said.

Gypsy Fair field manager Gavin Mackenzie said he believed there were about “10 to 20 bloody idiots … but everyone else is awesome down here”.

“If they are not throwing eggs it’s beer bottles. If you go to Gore it’s dead rabbits they throw at you.”

The actions of the perpetrators were condemned by people visiting the Gypsy Fair yesterday, with Vanessa Sandford saying everyone had different beliefs and lifestyles but they should still be respected.

Gypsy Fair merry-go-round owner Cam Taylor said Invercargill residents were marvellous and some abuse was to be expected when you were a gypsy.

“The reality is we aren’t all drug-smoking idiots.”

The gypsies said they had not contacted police.

Senior Sergeant Olaf Jensen, of Invercargill, said police could not apprehend offenders if they were not told what was happening.

He would contact the gypsies and see if police could help them, he said.

The story above is from the Southland Times. I’m sure they’ve got proof readers down there, but they must all be off sick or on extended leave…

Pedantics aside, most of the yobbos doing the crime will be screaming black and blue at the “yoof” of today in thirty years time. It just comes down to no respect for anything or anyone. No boundaries, no consequences. End of story. I’d suggest some of the same medicine in return. Foll0w the feckers home and then bottle their houses and egg their dads cars. See how quckly they cry about it then. I’m guessing the idiots causing the havoc have no idea what work is and would still have trouble comprehending a hard days yakka even if it hit them upside the head…

And all the comments on the article about why the fortune tellers couldnt see it coming or if they don’t like it, don’t go there? Well, thats just lame. I’d suggest to those commenters to tell their bosses tomorrow not to worry about paying them next week because they can’t get to work because someone let the air out of their tyres.

It is Invercargill, and it is cold, but there are still members of the community who enjoy going to the fairs and seeing an alternative lifestyle. Most people that visit probably wish they could chuck it all in and hit the road too.

Its a shame there are those in todays society that just don’t give a stuff. But like I said, I bet most of them will be crying in 30 years time about how society has gone to the pot.

They were heading down South the following day, so the troupe possibly thinned out a little then…

Anyway, I asked a few people for an itenerary, but I guess you already iknow the outcome to that. No one would divulge any details.

All that fluffery about itineraries aside, I like to spend some money at the fairs, you know, distribute the wealth. I ended up buying a helicopter made from bourbon cans this time around. A wonderful piece of engineering it was too. Highly detailed. Now, the question I have is this…

Are these things imported from China as well as the other (seemingly) 89% of goods on sale there? Or are they hand made. I got the impression from the seller that they are hand made by them as it was being packed into a custom shaped plastic bubble. I’m just a little suspicious that I might have been misled about their origin?