At last! After learning to roll a kayak, finally got out on the river on Saturday. Warick took 8 of us down the Hurunui – a grade 2 river. Learned the basics of moving around on a river – which are mainly ferry gliding which is where you point your nose looking upstream and then move horizontally across the river. The other major one was getting in and out of eddies – which are patches of static / slow water on the river. These allow for a rest!, and to scope out how to get through the next set of rapids!
The beginners – being Neil, my boss Andrew and I – all took at least one swim (I just had one ;) And I was really happy that when I did manage to capsize in the middle of one of the biggest rapids!, that I was able to roll up again really quickly! Excellent – really makes it so much more fun not having to pull the spreydeck and empty the boat etc…
Party on Sat evening, it’s barbeque season now – there’s at least one if not two barbecues a week to go to..
Then on Sunday had a game of squash with Thor – I’d not played in over a month so was really missing it.. And then went climbing with Jana and Mhairi at Britten crag (the sport climbing crag 20min drive away). I even led a route… but then wussily top-roped.
Here’s a pic of Mhairi on a – well.. supposed to be a 20 (I think) but I’d say nearer a 18 or 19. Nice climb though, and really a beautiful day to be outside climbing.
Wee development in work too.. I’m hopefully going to get to go to Wellington a couple of times a month to sit in on the planning meetings for rolling out a complete change in IT infrastructure for the Ministry. So that’s kinda cool. I also have the opportunity (if I want it) so spend some time – a month or two – working out of Wellington, Hamilton or Auckland. Of the 3 Wellington is definitely where I’d want to be… Also, getting a months unpaid holiday early next year sometime is also on the cards. I really have been quite disgustingly lucky with this job. But that’s ok ‘innit ;)
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