YIPPEE

Today I got 2 new stickers in my passport. One saying ‘Residence Permit‘ and the other saying ‘Returning Resident’s Visa.

Which is kinda exciting.. so now I can come and go in NZ, work where I want, etc. etc. However, the visa is just for 2 years (though the residence rights are permanent) In order to get permanent returning rights I will have to be here for 6 months of each of the next 2 years (at least that’s my understanding).. who knows if I will, but at least I have the option.

It’s also a good day, as Mhairi on the N.Island (who I’m hoping to travel around a good bit of Asia with) found that even if NZ does decide to kick her out (visa expiring) she should get 42 days to leave the country.. (though hopefully the work permit will come through)… so that’s a wee bit of a relief I’m sure..

The day was tempered however, by loosing 6:0 to David at pool. Otherwise it really would have been a fairly perfect day.

Excellent hike this weekend. Back for a second attempt on Mt Fyffe. First time was back in September with Mhairi and Marcel Totally different conditions this time – no snow to speak of, and my knee wasn’t in total pieces.

Headed up on Friday night (to avoid the 6am start) with Dave, and we had a pretty nice camping spot – at least the sunrise was something pretty special!

Then we met up with Anthony, Thor, Gabriella, Peter, Steven, Fernando, and Sven (but spelt differently) – 3 Kiwis, 1 Swedish, 1 Icelander, 1 Dutchman and 1 Chilean. Pretty typical bunch ;) Really fun bunch to hike with.

So we headed off up to the summit of Mt Fyffe, making pretty short work of the hike up (though I was pretty tired by the top.. must be getting old..) 1602m. Then a really fun walk along the ridge. Last time totally covered in snow, and with no crampons or ice-axes I was really really glad we turned around before we went too far along the track.

There was quite a lot of running / sliding down scree slopes.

We were making quite good time really, but as there was a little bit of faffing about at the start, we started down the river – boulder hopping (read fun) section, as it was beginning to get dark. We got about 1/2 way down the river, before we really had to put on head torches, and it became a lot more difficult to find the path. I must admit, I thoroughly enjoyed it, was still happy to get to the hut in the end, but I really love hopping down rivers, takes quite a bit of concentration and balance.. excellent.

Then a windy night – thankfully in the shelter of Kowhai hut. 8 of us in a 6 bunk hut (and 1 camping outside)… I elected for a thermarest and the floor…

And this morning – a 3 hour walk out along the river. All in all a really varied and fun trip – excellent scenery and fun ppl to hike with.. will miss the ability to (easily) get away hiking for the weekend – in places where you’re really unlikely to see anyone else (the last ppl in the hut were there 2 weeks ago..)

Thursday afternoon Florian and Fabian arrived back from their travels around the S.Island. Looks like they had a lot of fun.

They fly off on Saturday morning back to Germany.. Florian to look for a job, and Fabian for another couple of weeks holiday in Greece. Well for some! It was fun going climbing with Florian in the Roxx on Friday – and to see some of the friends he’s made here.. I’ve got to get round to organising a leaving party.. hopefully a few bods will turn up … :) Probably have it coincide with when my friends Domhnall and Lorcan arrive.. one way to get over jetlag (getting .. merry… on mulled wine :)

Handed in all my bits and pieces of paper for residency today – Passport, birthcert, police record (none!), cv, references, job offer, previous contracts, medical & xray cert… and cash..

If all goes well (it’s all quiet at the moment) I should hopefully have residency within a couple of weeks.

So that’d be nice ;)

So at 00:03 we saw the new Star Wars… and I must say I really enjoyed it. Though I am going to go back and watch it again.. only this time in the front row in the middle.. only place to watch! :)

Rest of the week was quite lazy – a friend Rachel Buckland (here enjoying the warmth of the house.. no insulation or central heating.. fantastic)

arrived – Glynn Mick and I had met her back on the Kepler Track back in March. She was living in Auckland, and now on her way to Queenstown to work the ski season. So out to a party on Friday night – a kayakers party – where we watched crazy people doing crazy things on insane amounts of white water. (videos)

Saturday headed to the Antarctic Centre with Dave and Rachel

I actually wasn’t super impressed with it, though it was fun reading the rules of golf (just slightly modified)

The evening was really excellent though. The best of the Banff Film festival was being shown in town. It was utterly excellent – outdoor films from around the world – it’s not all just sick strong people doing insane things (though there is a lot of that).. there were some silly films – like the really amazing kayakers who went to Russia to scout out new rivers to paddle (they were invited) and the whole trip was basically just chilled out – going fishing and running grade 1 rapids.. it was funny.

My favourite film by FAR was the peoples choice one.. It was about this guy Jon Muir who walks solo across Australia. It was absolutely amazing, if you ever get the chance to see / rent the film Alone Across Australia do it. It’s hard to describe really the just sheer aloneness (not loneliness) that he goes through, the effort, the willpower.. The final quote was something like ‘After completing the crossing, Jon had lost 25Kg and was suffering from malnutrition.. 4 months later he was at the North Pole’… now that’s a Really Hard Man! That should be on unReality TV…

Sunday off up to Castle Hill… Was good to catch up with Steve again (this a pic of him on Phoenix – a V7 I think it is)