So off to the coast last weekend for my friend Steve’s 30th. It was a really fun affair and we managed to get some caving in too. I’d done the cave before but forgotten just how squeezy it could get.. There was a part where you almost had to put your head under (cold) water.. Still.. what doesn’t kill you I suppose!

I’ve spent a little time getting snowpool migrated across to our sponsors site.. and it’s all looking like it works – which is great! Just hoping we’re going to get some snows as it has been really warm weather lately – which while very nice isn’t too good from the point of view of getting a good base of snow!

Glynn & Jayne return to ChCh for a few weeks this weekend – and I’m really really looking forward to having my good friend back in ChCh – have definitely missed him being up in Wellington. Off to Mt. Somers this weekend to get some climbing in.. should be fun (though I am so out of climbing fitness it’s ridiculous!)

Been a while since the last update.. Not tooo much to report really – had a nice Sunday tramp with my flatmate Mark in the fog up Mt. Bradley which is a hill close to ChCh.

Then last weekend I went off to Anakiwa (which is the home of Outward Bound NZ) with my good friend Michelle. Lovely to get away from ChCh and to spend time with such a great person! It was Michelles (and mine a bit) friends’ daughters first birthday. Michelle is the (fairy) godmother.

Other than that – well, this weekend of on TWALK which is a 24 hour orienteering event run by the tramping club. Should hopefully be fun! not quite sure whether I’m fit enough to be on the team which invited me to go with them. Will see.

I’m finding work a bit hard at the moment. Partly (mostly?!) ‘cos I’m still not back to myself since going crazy back in January.. hopefully things will improve soon.. otherwise I’ll just have to quit and be a bum for the upcoming ski season. In fact I think I’ve really hit it on the head.. I prefer being on holiday to working.. that’s my issue ;)

Had a good tramp last weekend with a couple of people from the tramping club. Just up in Arthurs Pass – a couple of hours drive from ChCh. I have Fridays off at the moment as I wasn’t really feeling myself before going away on holiday and asked to go to four days a week.

I have been finding it really hard being back in work. I think (I hope!) it’s all just part and parcel of getting over what happened to me back in the New Year. It all felt quite wonderful at the time – but I suppose it’s a brain oscillation and sometimes you’re up – and sometimes you’re down – and just at the moment it’s a down bit. Which isn’t something I am remotely used to – or really know how to deal with. It’s all very well saying to always look on the bright side of life (and I do try), but hard when you’re not feeling that capable of doing so!

Ra ra ra. Poor me ;) hehehehe, no, I’m sure things will get better – I just hope that it starts soon.

And now we go backwards in time (how cool is that?!) to trips in Uganda. I’m completely awful and I’m going to guess at most of the names. However, I don’t think there’s anyone who can gainsay me anyway!

Right – so in no particular order.. Dad and I went to Kibale national park where there are chimpanzees just waiting to be oogled at. It was kinda scary in a way as these boyos climb quite a way up the trees to eat fruit. Hard fruit. Fruit which, when dropped from 30m above would really hurt if it hit. Which it didn’t.. but still.. quite offputting really.

Then another weekend it was off to Queen Elizabeth National Park, beautiful. Stayed at a place called Mweya Lodge. The Queen herself has stayed there before and will be staying again when she’s next in Uganda for the Combined Heads of Government (CHOGM – much building going on for it). It was a ridiculously nice place – incredible service – for example, you’d come back from dinner to find your bedside light on and a corner of the sheet folded back so you could get in with ease. Crazy. Still, a lovely place to go so big thanks to mum and dad. Had to drive past the equator + obligatory photo op..

We also looked in at the site for the Mountains of the Moon University (dad’s project). Currently they rent buildings in town – but will be moving out to the new campus once the road is in and the buildings up…

Another day we went off to see a friend of theirs (Steve) place – who is making a new up market lodge kinda place. He has learned how to make log cabins out of a book! It’s really pretty damn impressive… He has hired local people and really made an impressive go of things – and he’s only my age too!

Another day it was off to one of the local schools that mum and dad have been helping. They’d bought them (with donations – esp thanks to Mhairi’s parents) a water tank, and also mosquito nets from my brother’s (Matt) parents in law.. so we went out to see the place. I 1/2 wonder if it wasn’t to show us that the wonderful new water tank didn’t actually have the piping in place to make it really usable. All fixed now though.

Finally – we went to a place called the ndali lodge. This place was really quite special. I suppose it is like what Steve’s place will be when it’s finished. I didn’t take a pic – but the guy who runs it – Aubrey – has the most incredible bachelor pad. Huge high ceilings, a bathroom which is raised and looks down over the lake – simply incredible

Finally just a few random pictures.. one of mum and dad in trad dress. It really was so special to be out there and see what they have managed to achieve in such a relatively short amount of time.

This comes from Sydney Airport. A free internet terminal. I had a lovely time in Uganda, and pictures will come when I get back to ChCh. Unfortunately only my pictures and not all the lovely ones that Dad took (of which I forgot to give him credit in the last lot). The reason for that is that the end of my trip to Uganda wasn’t the best.

Mum was having a going away party for her 3 years of work and there were lots of people about having a fun time, telling stories and generally giving her a good send off. This was Easter Sunday. Some Scottish folk arrived by taxi at the guest house we were using to host the party. The taxi had come from miles away. Which is why, we think, they decided to see what opportunities they could grasp. Unfortunately they did quite well, breaking into the car and stealing 2 laptops and 2 passports (not mine) and 2 sets of travel tickets. I, fortunately, had kept most of my important things with me – not trusting tooooo much, but mum lost the lot. I stupidly thought that my tickets weren’t too important – that they could always get reprinted. Wrong. Dad stumped up quite a lot of cash to get me back to NZ and I am just hoping that my insurance covers theft from cars. One wonders…

Mum should be on her way to the US (via UK) to be with my sister as baby #3 arrives.. but that will be delayed at best by a few days.

So, not the most amazing end to the holiday. Incredible airport security too. Quite insane. If you buy duty free they take it off you again!!! I’m quite glad I didn’t buy the bottle of bombay sapphire I had been eyeing up.

Anyways, me be quite ready to be home – or NZ – still trying to work out where home is sometimes! It was a thoroughly excellent time with mum & dad – good chats and just great to spend some quality time with them and see the really incredible work they have performed over the last 3 1/2 years.