Editorial: Hey JD, ya wanna hang out?

Dear Johnny.

I hear you've discovered Northland. Paihia, to be specific.

I did ask the person who told me excitedly "Johnny Depp's been hanging out in Paihia!", "are you sure this isn't another one of those 'Tom Cruise has fallen off a Kauri Cliff cliff' stories"?

As you probably know, Tom Cruise is alive and well, but regularly falls off Kauri Cliffs and "dies". He lives on though, the benefits of being a Scientologist, I guess.

Anyhow, I was assured that you'd been cruising around the Bay Of Islands, and you liked it because no one gave you any hassle.

So, I thought I'd write to say that you're welcome here anytime, and if you come back, I promise we won't paparazzi you or anything.

I reckon a Northern Advocate photographer poking a camera in your face might be annoying, if you've come here to be left alone. I can't guarantee we won't take your photo, but we'll probably ask first, not something that happens a lot in LA, I suspect.

We have paparazzi-ed stars who have been here before.

Billy Connolly told one of our reporters where to go, and the reporter hadn't even asked for directions. For a comedian, he wasn't very funny, but given we interrupted his lunch it was nice of him to stop for a quick chat.

Anyway, I hear you've had a few relationship hassles lately, so if you want to stop in for a beer and a chat, give me a yell, as we say in Northland. My cellphone number is 021 892 399.

We might even go fishing?

Let me know.

Craig Cooper, editor