Going South

by Colin Hogg

A road trip about memory, mateship and mortality.It was late afternoon and a few of us were sitting about in the sun having a drink on my birthday when the friend I've known the longest sat down opposite and looked at me like he was going to say something serious. He was, and he got straight to it. He had health issues, he said, in a tone that put the issues word in ironic quotes. He'd been to see his doctor the previous day. He had maybe a year, he said. Maybe a bit more. I was so shocked by what he told me that, after an initial gasp, I said the only thing that seemed to make any sense to me in the circumstances. We should go away for a road trip, I blurted out. He nodded as if he knew I was going to say that. Back south, he said. Yeah, I said back to him. South meant Southland, where our story started, 46 years earlier. And that was the end of that conversation. Within weeks the trip was all booked and ready to roll. I felt nervous. A road trip about memory, mateship and mortality, into the heartland of a New Zealand that still exists and still surprises.  

272 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 1, 2015

About the author

After many years as a journalist in newspapers (Southland Times, NZ Herald, Auckland Star), Colin Hogg moved into television, where he has mainly worked as a writer and producer on documentary and arts programmes. He was also a regular panelist for two seasons on TV ONE’s nightly advice show, How’s Life?.

Away from television, Hogg is a long-term magazine columnist and has written seven books on topics as various as adultery, cinema and himself.

Reviews

[Danny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it. Colin Hogg's writing is so accessible, this book mixing up personal anecdotes from past and present, and national history of the many small town South Island towns passed through during the book's road trip. Makes me want to explore my own country more.

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Hogg’s long-standing friend developed cancer, the first thing that sprung to mind was… “Road trip!” So it was off for a trip down memory lane for Hogg and his friend Gordon McBride. Back to good old Southland, where they first met as baby-faced, fresh-out-of-school, junior employees of The Southland Times. Starting in Queenstown, the pair spend a week touring the Deep South, checking out their old haunts, looking up old friends and remembering times past. In Invercargill they visit their old work place, The Southland Times, to find a familiar building – but older and somehow emptier. Down to Bluff, and across to Stewart Island – a good opportunity to sample some oysters. And so they go, round the heartland of Southland, up through Dunedin and across country back to Queenstown again, reminiscing about old girlfriends and former workmates along the way. A bittersweet read, but thoroughly entertaining with many amusing memories peppered throughout.

[Luna Lyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Took me a while to get through this book as something came up and I had to read some other literature in between. I found this book is much less about the journey of two friends reconnecting than about history. Colin describes all the places they went to in great detail, bringing up some childhood and youth / young adult stories, usually in a humorous way which I found enjoyable, but the depth of history covered, going back to the nineteen hundreds, was just a bit too dry for me. Sometimes I struggled reading on. There was one part I found too disturbing as someone who cares deeply about animals - 350 pigs on a fence? Of course Colin is just telling us about what he saw but I wished I could un-read that bit. I guess it just depends on what you’re looking for in a book - it might be right down your alley. I absolutely loved the humour, favourite paragraph was the ‘Jesus on wheels’ bit, I laughed out loud on the train.

[Cartier · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was a really hard read for me to be honest, I just couldn’t get into it. It had so much promise, an exciting road trip with a friend during his last days, a travel adventure. Instead it was kinda boring and slow going, written by a baby boomer that doesn’t seem to appreciate much and was too caught up in the past. Honestly, the last 30 pages were the only good part of this book in my opinion.

[Ewen Stapley · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting read of rediscovery and recollection on a road trip round Southland and Otago with observations about aging the old days and the way things were. A bit sad at times but interspersed with interesting information.

[Klaas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rings true about Southland for those of us who have connections there

[Graham · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a South Islander of the same era as Colin and his good mate Gordon I really enjoyed this easy read about their nostalgic road trip. But this book is more than just describing towns and places; it's an insight into how we change over the years and the value of friendships and shared memories. Devoured this in one sitting.

[Kelvin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A soon to be old man having a wee ramble about his soon to be dead friend whilst exploring the geographies and emotions of their southern New Zealand histories. An excellent little read about very little and yet quite a lot.