Student survival guide: Through a glass blearily: a bar guide

GREG DIXON finds no shortage of places to go when the academic grind becomes a bit much.

Listen up. There are two things to remember as a student: one is to go to lectures, the other is to go to the pub.

No degree, diploma or certificate can be obtained without both - no matter what it says in the pamphlets handed out at enrolment.

Besides, after a long day of droning lecturers, tedious tutorials and moaning flatmates, you owe it to yourself to find a dimly lit bar and imbibe a choice cocktail or a cool ale. The big question, of course, is: where?

The best answer is ask around campus about the premo place to go, but here's an idiot's guide for those who can't be bothered.

At the cheap end of the spectrum is the on-campus bar, run and (usually) subsidised by your students' association. Not every campus has one. Unitec has one on the drawing board - it should be opening this year- and the University of Waikato has two.

At Auckland University, the low-ceilinged Shadows, above the main cafeteria, is the infamous home of cheap beer, bad carpet and good times.

While not exactly for those seeking style and elegance when drinking, its low-key nature means you're never likely to feel underdressed. It's open at all times of the day and night, but make it your first port of call on Fridays, especially if there's a band or DJ.

Across Wellesley St, at the Auckland University of Technology, the Vesbar is open at all hours from 11am. It, too, features bands, DJs and a quiz night on Tuesdays.

Off campus, the Ponsonby Rd-Downtown-K Rd axis beckons. If you can't be bothered staggering too far from Shadows or Vesbar, there's Papa Jacks Voodoo Lounge (home of nu metal and spiky hair) in Vulcan Lane or - if you fancy Irish music and beers - Murphy's on the corner of Wellesley and Queen Sts. For a good cocktail in town, try Deschlers on High St. For New Zealand singer-songwriters and folk music, go for The Temple close to the top of Queen St.

A little further down from the main drag, the Viaduct's big bars, Leftfield and The Loaded Hog, offer loud, packed drinking spaces. Both have reputations for, er, talent spotting for those over 18 and under 30. Both have chairs and tables outfront for escaping the noise. Leftfield has a dance floor, and the Hog tends towards R&B, hard house and decent food if you're feeling like a feed.

If it's past midnight and you're still in town, find a nightclub. Fu Bar on Queen St is too cool to live. Featuring two bar areas and a dance floor, it's drum and bass heaven %and often plays home to visiting international %DJs (Goldie played there last year). The Box/Cause Celebre, which must rank as the clubbing definition of "an oldie but a goodie", is Auckland's best-known and best-loved subterranean home of dance/trance music.

Wanna spot Mikey Havoc? Try the Wyndham Bowling Club (no, it's not a bowling club), but make sure you're extremely hip before attempting to enter. If you're tired of town, spend $1.20 and catch the Link bus up to K Rd or Ponsonby Rd - both have a wide range of watering holes.

Verona, on K Rd, is a damned fine mix of cafe (during the day), restaurant and bar (at night) for those of a more bohemian bent. Certainly, it's a good place to meet if you're going on to K Rd's clubs such as bEd, another favourite for those who like trance dance and DJs. It has no dress code, but it does have a cover charge. If it ain't your place, take a walk: K Rd is club road.

Around the corner and up a bit, on Ponsonby Rd, Safari Lounge is a must-see for the jungle decor alone. If bFM music is what you like, this is the place to find it.

So too is the Kings Arms Tavern in Newton. Probably the most lively live venue in town, it features mainly New Zealand and alternative rock in surroundings that must qualify as retro 70s.

And don't forget your uni or polytech's Orientation, the annual feast of live music which visits almost every tertiary town. This year's highlights are Chris Knox (Hamilton, tonight; Auckland, Friday), goodshirt (Auckland, tomorrow), Fur Patrol (Hamilton, Wednesday), Che Fu (Hamilton, Thursday), hard house DJ fergie (Auckland, Friday), and Salmonella Dub (Hamilton, Friday; Auckland, Saturday).