Lately I've been using my mobile phone to take pictures because of my lack of camera, so this months blog features pictures taken with mobiles so that explains the crap quality. We've also been exploring tonnes of drains, and something I want to explain to people, because the first thing people say is when I say is 'aren't they dirty?' Yeah ofcourse there dirty but its the sewage drains I'd stay clear of, waterways are fine, whats the most that could happen, you'll get wet feet, so if you can't handle that. Go home! haha.

We've got some sweet video footage where working on, and the stuff from Challenge House that I made with my mobile was just to prove we made it in, I don't know anyone (explorers) who have been into Challenge since its 2011 boarding up?

So Carlile was pretty extreme, people have been asking me about this, what are the Police doing, answer is NOTHING. Will you go back there, I'd like to but I'm not in any hurry I knew about Carlile for 2 years and it wasn't at the top of my list. Been trespassed doesn't really worry me,

I was inside a 'abandoned/vacant' 5 storey building in Auckland recently and as we where climbing in a light bulb smashed, (blame the newbie lol) anway we got in and went up a few floors and this guy comes running up and we turn around and hes goes your not suppose to be in here, he was puffed and freaking out. I just stared at him and thought to myself 'here we go again' its becoming a script. How did yous get in bla bla did you know its private property, I almost laughed, I turned to him and fired out some bulll shit name and said they let us in. And he mumbled you can't be here, I said you looked puffed mate been running up those stairs, I said we'd leave and just headed out while he asked us how we got in which I ignored. All in good fun!

Since been in Auckland I've meet and explored with some great people so if your keen to get out there and crawl through some drains and hang out on some roof tops too, holla at us :D

Thanks too Carrie for the photo contributions!!

Photos below from a drain, playing with long exposure. These where also featured on our Facebook last month!

So yesterday while leaving Carlile House in Auckland, I was approached by 2 people and the altercation went from verbal to physical, while I personally I never spoke to the people who assaulted me, until it got physical and they started to throw punches so there was no provocation on my behalf. This is just an example of how nasty this hobby can become.  After been confronted and asked to leave (we were on our way out so only to happy) in the ally way around the back of the building, the Tongan woman and man from the United Church of Tonga, who own the property and church next door began asking if we had taken pictures and why where we there, my friend explained we wouldn't return and we where sorry, he said you are making excuses. This became repetitive and they threatened the Police, and got a cell phone out, I could clearly see this was going no where and they weren't going to ring the Police but where trying to scare us, (in hindsight which they had of) so I walked past the gentlemen and he tried to stop me, I pushed my way through him and continued walking, my 3 friends followed, he grabbed the hair of my female mate so I intervened to stop him, as you would he had no right to touch her. Then all of a sudden I had the man and woman on me throwing punches at me and kicked me down into the bush, I had dropped my 2 bags, I could hear the male repeating to the female, 'no no this is not the way we deal with this''. Bit late I thought, my friends had gotten out of there,(later I found out they where chased by others- crazy!) don't blame them, I stood up she had grabbed my camera and runaway with it, she threw it three times on the concrete, by now I couldn't care,I just wanted to leave but as I made a get away they grabbed me and was saying something but I was in total shock from there irrational behaviour, they ripped my shirt right off my back. I stood there and words where exchanged god knows what but by then the male had realized they had gone to far, a younger male picked up the pieces to my camera and passed it over, I felt sorry for him he was probably only about 15, having to be subjected to watching these people he knew and trust attack another adult for no reason when I wasn't fighting back, I had a spear top in my bag so changed my top picked up my camera and just walked out infront of them, I wasn't going to show fear and let them intimidate me further. I got to the street and rang the Police, would you believe it was 15 minutes before they sent one Police officer and she couldn't careless about my situation, I told the 111 operator everything and I said to her as I looked back at my bag, the only reason I'm calling you is because they smashed my camera, I could let the assault go, when the police officer arrived at the scene I was in shock, I'll be honest I've never been in a fight. The cop was extremely unhelpful and we both clashed I felt unsafe on the street and shes standing there as if we'll c'mon whats your problem is it really what big of a deal, the big deal I thought bitch is that I live in South Auckland and the locals over there are far more friendly even when they ask me for $2 outside Southmall, so she left not long after as I just found her a bully. I went to the nearest Police station where they are now trying to do me for unlawfully being on a property, that cop went and took statements from the people at Carlile and there trying to say that they told me that I was to stay out which isn't true, it's not worth lieing in your statement because you just trip yourself up. It's ashame that the Police have decided to treat me like a criminal and a vandal, I understand where they are coming from with the trespassing but we left as soon as asked and caused no harm. At this stage no charges have been laid against the people who assaulted me, and I find out tomorrow if there will be an investigation, make my word I wont let this one go. I'll up date this shit!!!

This shell be good..

I've also discovered quickly that the criminals in this country have more justice then the victims, this is something that many people have always said to me, and after this incident it really does show through, I have little respect for the NZ Police not because I'm an Urban Explorer who trespasses on peoples properties but because I find them lazy and inefficient. I just feel let down, Rant over.. Nathan

Last Sunday I was invited along by a film student who was filming a music video and what better location then an abandoned building, right? But there was one condition to my company, I had to wear my gas mark. Arriving around noon this was a familiar location to myself but I hadn't taken many photos or explored it heavily, so I was a little excited, this was also the first time I'd been involved in helping carry film gear into a abandoned location with on lookers, wonder what they where thinking, its bad enough when you have a head lamp on your head and a camera over your back. As we made our way through the building deciding which floor and rooms would be used for each scene, the afternoon went on, finally I got my turn, kitted up and the creepy gas mask man appeared. The video will be out in the next few weeks and I can't wait to see it!!


Thanks to all those people who have emailed me over the last month or so. Keep the contact up,
Remember where on FB search Urbex NZ!

Photos below from the music video.

In the next blog I'll talk about the horror theme photos we get into and what where doing with them this year, mean while heres a preview  :D

Since it was a public holiday and we were both free, we took this opportunity to hit the road and spend the day doing what we do best. There had been a Halfway House in town we'd been eyeing up for 8+ months and by now it had become pretty derro. Large 2 storey concrete building, with no way in, boarded up and high fences with razor wire around. I love these places it just means its more of a challenge to get in. We came by before New Years to check on it, maybe someone might have smashed a window or pulled down a board, nope! So when we arrived we knew we where going to be doing the hard work. So we had to find our own way in, between nails on top of a gate and glass, I'd say I'm getting to good at this ;) Sadly once inside this halfway house shared a similar aroma to that of a piggery. So we made a sweet escape!

I've come to the conclusion with abandoned houses they will either be  an old family home or old Mans house who hoards, terribly hoards then we photograph it. We spotted a few houses and these are cool fun to explore, theres always neat junk to look through, especially old stuff perhaps some you might want to take home and some you'll appreciate from a distance, (like magazine collections and the kitchen cupboard contents) while they could be good to read all those National geographic mags owning that many is over the top.

We checked out this clubroom that had been caught on fire (reminded me of a freemasons) full of junk and timber and sorts. Looks like it's just used for storage now. Just when we thought we wouldn't be getting into this one I managed to climb in through one of the windows behind a tree at the front, I thought I was clever it was the second location I had got us into for the day usually I just stand there and look pretty. As we where leaving I got a telling off for being to loud from Bradd lol it just shows you do learn a skill or 2 from ole urbex.

And then theres the odd time when you find something, different and fun. And it was just towards the end of the day when I was becoming grumpy and was hungry, wanted to turn right, Bradd said go left and we find this old looking wrecking yard, photos below :D

 

Since our Auckland trip we have been doing a few revisits to local places, we took some photos in a abandoned spot here in Palmerston North of us all, in November and they should be on the site next month. The nifty Christmas photo (feedback welcome) was taken by the Xmas tree in the Square one sunny arvo, few stares and laughs along with the odd cellphone where pulled out, but it was all good fun, it was something different and we where really pleased with the finished image, hope you all like it too (more pictures that we didn't use soon).




We took a little trip down the Island and explored an old Catholic girls boarding school. It was one of these locations where people actually lived there, while no one was on site for most of our explore (we where still on high alert just incase we had to do a runner) we gapped it when one of our 5-minute-urbexer mates spotted a guy in a paddock headed for us. The buildings like most places we visit, smashed windows, missing taps and my favourite paint peeling off the walls, so not quite the Hilton, we did find the odd couch to have a seat on. In the Gym there was a intoxicating 30cm pile of pigeon crap foot on the floor.

The other small trip we made took us around the back of the Tui Brewery, theres an old disused swimming pool, looked like once upon a time the Tui girls used to have their work parties here.

Theres heaps more to talk about but where off to enjoy our holidays,
Feel free to contact us or if your in the Manawatu email us!
Have a wicked New Years and we'll see you in 2012.
Nathan!!

What a weekend, I headed up to Auckland for Labour weekend for abit of small Urbex and family bonding. It's the moment when you get into the car and you turn to each other and go, what Urbex locations are we actually visiting again? 'um I don't know! We left Palmy after 5.30pm, arriving in Hamilton near 11pm meeting Stacey who we had been in contact with for quite awhile, I don't think she knew what to expect, believe she was pleased there was no awkward silences. We all decided to make the most of our Friday night and headed into town, last thing I remember was a bartender telling me to finish my drink and get out at 3am so it must have been a good night haha. The next day we took off for Auckland on the way I took us to a burnt out building in the Waikato that looked like it used to be a rest home perhaps. (see photos) we spent about half hour exploring and clicking away, it's been in that current state he said for year plus. So it's not appearing asthough they have intentions to rebuild. Funny thing, the police where only 50 meters up the road at an residential address while we where going through the building. Reaching Auckland late arvo and our destinations for the day. Sunday, I took a train, when getting off the train at Slyvia park everyone couldn't wait to get on as they where heading to the rugby so I flew out to let 50+ people squeeze through. I jumped in the car and we where off to Southdown, which is the freezing works, which has had multiple fires since it's closure, and now plenty of rubble remains. (video link below) we only spent a little time there as we have previously been to Southdown.

Heres a video from an abandoned house in South Auckland. We'll let you make what you want of it , I pulled out my mobile and started recording because I thought a video would say more then a few images.