Well, its been ages since I've caught up! so sorry, not had a computer and been having lots of fun, so not really had the time or facilities....
So since my last adventure in the matukituki I have discovered a talent I never knew I had... mountain biking. Well, maybe not a talent as such, as my scars and bruises would testify, but a love for it. Where I live has some of the best biking in NZ, natural trails in the hills with plenty of fun rocks and steep sections to negotiate. Going further afield to Queenstown and Wanaka there is yet more biking on offer, including some gnarly trails down queenstown hill, that you can ride the gondola up to and have a day of pure adrenalin, downhill riding :-)
There is a large mountain range called the Old Man range just 15 mins drive from my house, you can get up to the top by 4WD (or freddie can do it under good conditions), and its then an hour of fun, fast downhill with a vertical kilometer of descent. Our fave thing is doing this in the dark under torchlight, adds a certain excitement!
Sooo lucky having all of this at my back door.
Big excitement of the year..... Mum and Dad came out to NZ to visit! It had been a stressfull week as I raced up to Christchurch after the fatal February earthquake to help out, doing 3 nightshifts in A&E, being woken from my sleep on a regular basis to the sound and feeling of the house being rocked and shaken! Although I slept suprisingly well through these aftershocks, and was great seeing all my old buddies up in ChCh. After these shifts I drove to Dunedin for a day of surfing to rest and recover before heading back up north to pic up ma and pa in Picton. Great seeing them after nearly 2 years, and excited about showing them my new home. We drove down the west coast and on to Clyde over the next couple of days, then sent them off on some adventures while I worked a few shifts. We all then headed down to Te Anau and had a fun three days walking the routeburn, kayaking Milford Sound, and drinking wine :-)
They went off to explore the Catlins, and I joined them later for a visit to Stewart Island, where I completed my 3rd great walk run....The Rakiura Track. 30KM of forest and mud!!!! Really very dull, except for the first bit which was lovely beaches. Not a track I recommend, unless you like forest, or want to see a Kiwi, as they do linger around these parts.
We drove up to Chch via the stunning Mt Cook Village, and soon it was time to say goodbye again. Really sad, wanted them to stay! But was so good showing them NZ and them meeting all of my friends, and at least now they can understand why I am here....I think they can be convinced to come back.
I feel at this point I should touch on the fact that I have taken up surfing. I wont stress the point as I'm rubbish, but it is fun, in the summer months. But really I am crap.
So summer and autumn were taken up biking, surfing, climbing and waiting for snow.... which was a long time coming, but now its WINTER! And I have some good, fat, stiff, off piste touring skis, so The back country has opened up to me for winter adventures..... I'll write more about that next time, but be assured, I'm having lots of them and since I've turned 30 i've suddenly got really gutsy! Heading for the steepest and deepest :-) (sorry mum) on bike or skis.
Oh yeah, I turned 30. Forgot that one didn't I! Had a great time, biking and a night out in Queenstown, and a big group of us got a batch in Ohau, an alpine village near Mt Cook, for some biking, lake kayaking, eating and drinking and fun. Thanks to all my lovely mates who came or sent wishes. And I'll have another 30th next year, as I'll be back in the UK for my birthday! So no one will have missed out, and I'll be 30 for another year, which I really dont mind as its been great the first time round. Life begins at 30........
So hope this has put those fears to rest that I've settled down and calmed down and stopped having adventures. Like that would ever happen, I just didn't have access to a computer to tell you about them.
Much love xxxxx
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