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So, quite a lot has happened really in the last wee while, I suppose should start with the weekend. Easter Weekend, which is looong over here (you get Friday and Monday off) which is nice. Went off to Paynes ford. Which is up near Nelson. The weather report for the weekend was pretty awful really, but we decided to go anyway. So early on Saturday morning (ok, 11am ;) we headed off. A pretty excellent drive up through Lewis Pass my new favourite way to the West Coast. You do pass the odd sight or two along the way…

We were a little lucky – snow has arrived early, and if we had tried to get across this way on the Thursday, the road would have been blocked. So a little lucky there. Drove past Hamner and Muroa springs – hot pool places. Places I definitely want to get to in the winter.

So on off up to Takaka – and after having a quick look at the crag (too dark to climb) we headed off to what has been one of the nicest hostels I have stayed in. Kiwi-Anna I think it was called – again – the BBH card coming in useful with some more nice discounts. The hostel itself had free Pool, free table tennis, babyfoot, and a hot spa. So we were quite content. It’s quite nice to be outside in the freezing air, mostly submerged in a hot pool drinking a nice cool beer. Yes, quite nice. Clear skies, good stars, even if Orion does shoot the opposite way (it’s the little differences)

–Sat– Up early (10am!) and off to the crag, I guess any new climbing place you go to takes you time to get used to the rock – but I think we all enjoyed our second days climbing a little more. The rock is limestone, lots of huge handholds and on the harder routes, lots of pinches and slopers. The grading was quite interesting… I mean I know I’ve been off climbing for a month and a half now, but still.. some of those 16s felt a lot harder than 6a… (and 16 is around about 5b ish I think). Glynn and Andy were climbing very well, though I think they found the grades (at least on the first day) a little steeper than expected. Mind you, one of the 18s was really chossy so that didn’t help the confidence.

Here is a pic of Glynn on an 18 that he led towards the end of the day

That night, and the next, I stayed on the campground with friends from the CUTC (Canterbury Uni Tramping Club). Very sound people, and very good climbers. The campsite itself was set up by a local climber who really promoted the crag (recently died in a very unfortunate climbing accident… as far as I can gather absailed off the end of the rope – didn’t fall far, but far enough). However, the campsite – hangdog, is set up for climbers. It’s a very eccentric place, the guy must have been totally pro-British – the sign to the front door is Victoria Street. There are some quite excellent signs, and maps up.

Though I think my favourite (while totally unPC) was the following – I also enlarged the key to the map

it’s the Tory map of the world..

In the evenings, people collect firewood from around and about, and make a big old fire for everyone to sit around, a guitar is produced and it’s all just good fun. Mind you, it was pretty damn cold, though the sleeping bag that my kind Aunt Mary lent me (when I visited at Christmas) has actually been really good. I do kinda wish I’d brought my sleeping bag from home, I know I won’t want it when I travel on, but I guess I could have posted it home.

–Sunday–

Up and climbing at the crack-o-dawn (well 8) and down to the crag, led just a couple of 16s (though they were interesting enough) Top roped a 20 and had a go at a 22 – which here you can see Sylvain leading. Andy later on-site flashed it too. Most impressive. Sylvain also did a 25 (really quite hard), though I was not there to get pics of it, but quite savage I am sure!!

And here is a pic of another of the climbers, Jana, trying “Elvis lives in Takaka” perhaps?

–Monday–

All too soon time to head home, picked up at 9:30 by Maeve, Glynn and Andy, and off to Kaiteriteri (in the Able Tasman area) to do a little canoeing. It was fun, though I would have liked my own kayak really. Been ages since I did that, and I’ve never, ever, had one with a rudder and foot pedals before. Not sure if this is a sea-kayaking thing, or if it is just so that tourists find it harder to kill themselves.

Then a long old drive back along the coast. And back to 429 Memorial Avenue. Just in time for me to move out, which I did. So my new address is

So all the thousands of postcards and letters that I’m sure people have been saving up until I move, well, that’s the address to send them too. Glynn et al will be staying in Memorial for the next 3 weeks at least, so I don’t think post is going to be too much of an issue really.

The new place is quite homey really. Has a fire, which is nice and warm, a big old garden, a hot shower, washing machine, computer (with internet access ;) A quite large tele (which I do not intend watching much!) and all in all, ’tis grand. It’s quite a bit closer to work too, which is just great in the mornings, but a little further from the squash courts, but reasonably close to the climbing gym! – well probably fairly equidistant from Memorial really. So yes, all in all, it’s a grand old place. Hopefully will settle in easily here and get to stay until November… it’s actually pretty incredible the amount of rubbish I seem to have accumulated already – and I meant to travel light ;).

Finally, headed out to see Secret Window – Johnny Depp, Stephen King adaptation. Quite a scary movie really, and not a happy ending, but still, an excellent film.