By Jack Goodeve, 16 May 2025
I was told I have a drinking problem. But then again – problems are just opportunities in disguise…"
-Bence Wieland
I'm writing this almost 5 months in advance.
This trip originated out of the beer addled mind of one of my best friends Bence Wieland, a German Hungarian international student. Who like me loves to drink.
He had been inspired by pub crawls and a movie called Worlds End (2013). We decided that we should make this a "tramp" and themed it on hut baggers. With that, the plan was created, a plan to bring back drinking to the club. Bence and I (Jack Goodeve) set out to scout the right pubs to crash - with the noble intentions of spending money and drinking excessively. We ended up with 10 pubs we wished to bag and the plan looked like this: Welsh Dragon at 8:00 and from there we will go to Minibar, Circus bar, Dakota, Four Kings, Jack Hacketts Irish, Residence, Hotel Bristol, Scotty and Mals', JJ Murphys (In order). We would set out like conquering heroes to achieve the goal of bagging all these pubs, and along the way we would engage in frivolity of immense magnitude.
To achieve that latter goal we created a bingo sheet which featured such intelligent ides as wheelbarrow from minibar to Dakota, ride the bull at Dakota, and swap clothes with a stranger.
The night started at 8pm I arrived late to the Welsh, and already the festivities had commenced, our little group of intrepid trampers (functional alcoholics) had begun the night. As I rocked up to the table in the corner of the Welsh Dragon, I spied 3 jugs and 6 pints between 7 people. The night is off to a good start already! If I am being totally honest, the events of that night are a blur, whether that can be attributed to the time between writing this trip report, or the alcohol I am not sure. But from the Welsh we went to Mini bar, which I made the regretful financial choice to buy a round for our little party. Then from Mini bar the wheelbarrow race commenced, we made Circus Bar, which I remember fondly for the little arcade machines, boardgames and morbid graffiti, then from Circus we continued our race to Dakota. Then from Dakota to the Residence which featured a round of pool and darts and a general shindig. Then form the Residence to Four Kings and Jack Hacketts featuring more pool and drinking. Then onto the hotel Bristol and scotty and mals, and at that point Trampers were dropping like flies either the alcohol or their lack of intrepidity got to them, either way Bence and myself pushed on leading a smaller cohort of trampers.
Finally, we ended up at what was during that semester of Uni me and Bences local watering hole. We knew JJ Murphys like the back of our hands. The sticky table tops, the loud live music and the gruff bouncers, made us feel content. At this final bastion, we drank our fill, talked shit and handed out the prize – a unicorn hat. Gifted to whomever completed their bingo card. Two groups won, but only one could hold the prize.
It was a night to remember and I look back fondly on that night. For one night, we brought drunken trampers onto the streets of Wellington.
