Great weekend, though the weather could have been a little (lot) kinder. Went away on a snowcraft course. So we learned how to do ice-axe arrests (no, not apprehending thieves with an ice-axe ;) – learning how to stop your fall with an ice-axe. Also how to move with crampons, how the snow packs work (and therefore where to expect avalanches etc) How Bergschrunds form, cornices, wind loading etc. etc. Really interesting stuff.

And crazily cheap. For $50, we got transport, accommodation, food, gear use (helmet, crampons and ice-axe) and instruction. Doubt you’d get better than that anywhere really.

Saturday we went off and practiced the skills, went up to a ski-field and practiced off to the side of one of the slopes. (yes, we had permission). The slope we were to use had too much avalanche danger. That was the real problem with the weekend, there was WAY too much powder, so we couldn’t really practice too well, crampons are useless in thick powder..

Did have a nice sunset though :) Infact the place we were staying was great, it’s a field station for Canterbury University where they do research into biology, zoology, botany, geology etc. And it’s a very comfortable place to stay in too! Huge log fire. Great.

Then on Sunday we went on a hike to put the skills to use. Unfortunately, while the views were great (and there’s a movie here)..

..again, the snow was just too deep to really practice anything. Would have been better off getting boarding or something.. We did make an igloo though. Which was great fun. Very strong structure really, I stood on the roof and it supported my weight with no problem at all.

Finally, for those of you who’ve seen the film Vertical Limit, you might find this funny. I did :)

WooHoo.. an absolutely great day. Headed to immigration, and they granted me my Work Permit. It was an incredibly painless process, took just 15 mins before my passport was stamped. Reckoned it was going to go well, when after less than a minutes conversation with the officer we were chatting about her trip last year to Ireland :) hehehe. So yes, now I can stay until July, but if I want to get it extended it’s not a biggie. Though I’m kinda tempted by residency too.. will have to look into that one. Takes just 2 years (well 180 days for 2 consecutive years) before you get permanent residency..

Finally, the culmination of months of hard work here in the Ministry of Economic Development.

Today, I cleared the table at pool, while my friend David hadn’t managed to pot a single ball.

Then on Friday, headed to the Blue Mountains, a short (hour and a half) train ride from Sydney. Did get some tramping done on the Saturday and Sunday. I would really like to get back for some climbing though. Looks like a great place.

Here’s a pic of Aoife, half way along the Prince Henry Cliff Walk

Still, there was a nice view of the 3 sisters (used to be 7 of them, but a few just needed to break away (ba boom))

And all too soon it was back to ChCh. Now I just have to sort out my visa extension and all will be cruisey from here on!

From Tuesday->Friday I stayed with my friend from ChCh, Yvonne. Which was great – over in a place called Manly. A really chilled out place about a 30 min boat ride from Circular Quay. Great feel to the place, where more smoothies were consumed!

The flat itself was very nice. Though I was slightly unnerved by the sign



I mean just how many calls do these companies get that they think the phone might already be engaged?! (it was a pretty rickety lift!)

Cockatiels fly all around the place (and come to your 7th floor balcony to disturb ones reading of ‘A Short History of Nearly Everything’.

But what can you do! Well, for one, you can try to scare them away. But this doesn’t work. I’m obviously not scary enough.

Also managed to meet my a friend from Openet, who is over doing contract work in Oz for the next few months (rolling out for the national service provider). Working crazy hours, but thriving. So thanks Graham for buying me a pink cocktail ;) Might meet up again in NZ if he comes to tour, which would be great fun!

And on Thursday, met up with Aoife again, and headed to the observatory, for their evening tour. That I would highly recommend. We lucked out a little bit with the weather – it was still a bit cloudy, but not too bad. Got to see some really nice constellations the Jewel Box was beautiful, and got to see that the brightest star of the southern cross – Alpha Crucis, which is actually a binary star system. Our Guide, Ian, was excellent. Really fun.. there was a wee 3D film presentation where they whizz you round the solar system. Ian happily told us, that if we were thinking of heading to Venus for a summer holiday it would be a pretty bad idea. He explained (gleefully) that if we went there, as soon as we stepped out we’d be crushed by the atmosphere, squished completely. But he then went on to say, that before that happened, the extreme temperature of Venus would probably have boiled our blood away, and he finished by saying that there’d not be much left of us as we’d be utterly dissolved by the Sulphuric Acid that would have rained down on us.

A cheery fellow :). So all in all an excellent tour, would really recommend it. Also has a good exhibition on the Transit of Venus (which Captain Cooks was ordered to record, before heading on to discover the Great South Land – what is now Australia).