Well Friday night was fun as we all headed out to a live music gig – which is part of the Buskers Festival that they have at the moment. It was pretty fun heading out on my lunch-break as I saw this guy just doing headstands etc. on his bicycle (as you do). Though I think the coolest thing he did was when he started cycling backwards and gave his front wheel a huge flick and set it spinning. And then he was moving backwards with his front wheel rotating pretty damn quickly. Very impressive, I was sorta surprised he could still make neat circles.

So yeah – out to that gig, will get to some of the comedy club things (all free) that they have going next week (hopefully)

——-

Sat morning The Group (being Rachel, Nate, Me, Anton, Sue, Mike, Jenny – and Mikes sister Christina) headed off to Arthur’s pass for the weekend. Maeve had decided to have a chilled weekend on the beech (summer here… ;)

So off to Arthur’s Pass – which is past Castle Hill – really must get a map going sometime. There are loads of ski-fields up that way in the winter.

Here’s a pic looking on down the pass (I think)

We headed up this pretty steep hill – roughly an 800m hike in 2 hours – will get the OS map and put it up, very steep! And hot… generally cooled off by dipping in the really cold streams.

Off up to the Hut – the DOC – Department of Conservation has a network of huts all over the country – all in scenic places. You can get an annual pass (I bought one on Friday!) for $65, and then you can stay in Any of the huts for free. Which is kinda nice. Ok that’s not strictly true – some of the special walks – the Milford Track etc.. are not covered, but almost everything is. It’s great.

Basic hut – just 4 walls, a counter top, a table and some basic mattresses (should have taken a picture). The ‘Toilet’ had no door.. but an awesome view!

Ok, now you decide for yourself, but it really struck me when I walked round the corner that this (will need to be blown up though)

looked really like a Mexican in a poncho just hunched over with a hat on his head…

However.. it’s not (not completely unsurprisingly I guess, I’ve not heard of many Mexicans heading up remote valleys in NZ with their ponchos and then sitting down)

Well I thought it was funny anyway.

Here’s a nice pic of Rachel and Nathan.

They are great for eachother, but I think the best thing about them – is that they have their own pretty secret – language.. swahili .. from the year they spent in Tanzania. That is pretty cool, and quite unnerving when they start talking!

Finally, we came across a Weta

Which is a pretty impressive looking insect. According to some websites the Giant Weta is the biggest in the world… though who knows.

Chilled out evening, then this morning we headed out early as the weather was due to change. And it did change, bucketed down on us all the way down to the cars. What can you do…

Did see an accident on the way back – a lady was on a motorbike heading down the pass, (was raining hard) and just slid off…. so we stopped and brought her down to the DOC office, she was fine, bit shaken but fine. Bike wasn’t so happy though.

And back to Christchurch, fun weekend – I’m *still* limping from squash back last Tuesday, which is annoying, though it’s almost fine again. Really thought I’d done all the right stretches

And then last night – just a couple of pics.. there was a big party ish (well big for Christchurch anyway)

My cousin Rachel – who I have so far met up with in Ireland, France, England, the US and Canada (Dublin, Cassis, London, Seattle, Connecticut and Vancouver) and now New Zealand, and her fiancee Nathan – who have just arrived after spending a year doing aid work in Tanzania, and have just come back through India and Thailand…

So there was Rachel and Nathan and Sam and Maeve and I for dinner.. and then Anton and Sue (Anton friend of my cousin Thomas – for those of you who have met him!) And then Mike and Jenny – friends of Antons that we are going camping with in Arthurs pass this weekend. So a good dinner, followed by a few bottles of wine – some real Costa Rican coffee – sent from Costa Rica by Sue’s mother (who is from… yes – you guessed it) Which was yum.. and Jameson and Baileys (not mixed) a fun evening.,,

Here a pic of Maeve and Sam getting on very well! :)

And a picture of the table – minus Maeve and Sam who were washing up very kindly (for once I did the cooking ;)

Left to Right – Nathan&Rachel;, Mike&Jenny;, Anton

So, a few pics to put up at last – most of these were taken by Sam, and one of them (the close up waterfall rushing water one) was taken by Dave Hume our leader for the canyoning trip.

So this first one is just a shot of some of the group – and the amount of gear and stuff that is brought.

These next two are of the drop into the canyon.

me absailing in.

and this one of another time of the same waterfall, but with more water in it.

and this one of the canyon in general!

and this one of Maeve… it really did get cold!! we all felt like this picture! (for a bit)

and finally one of Sam jumping in, the drop was about 3ish meters, it doesn’t look it from this picture.

Well, work is getting interesting… in that Head Office is wondering about rising budgets. And rising Budgets = me. Still.. will all work out I’m sure.

My cousin Rachel arrives with her financee Nathan today – can’t wait – very soon – in the next hour or so – and Sam is coming for dinner – also 4 others will be arriving to organise the tramp for the weekend. So it’s going to be quite the party this evening.

Oh – you’ll need real player for this.. but it’s classic – go to :

this link

and click on the link about Bilbo and Spock. It’s a complete classic

So today – well – first a few characters… There’s Jonathan, who is the brother in law of my first cousin Hannah ;) . Now I met Jonathan at a bar-b-q that Hannah’s cousins (in law) had in ChCh last week. Following so far? Good. So – Jonathan is an awesome mountaineer, and knows other good ones too. So – his friend Dave was organising this sorta Canyoning trip today.

And Maeve and I went along – Glynn left at 5am on his way to Adelaide for a conference… ahh well. Thems the breaks of the working life. So – off we went towards the hills… And accompanied by Mike (Hannah’s cousin in law) and Sam – a Rhodes scholar from North Carolina – who is definitely tall, and definitely fun. Over here for a year – all paid – very nice. With his mountain bike in tow.

The others on the trip were – Dave – our leader – Sarah,Tim, Alan (from the Northern Ireland – complete with accent), Glynn and Lara. So a nice little bunch.

Started out with a 1.5 hour walk in, hot sun, (last time to be hot for a while!) So yeah, I started thinking that it was going to be ‘interesting’ when they said we had to absail down straight into the river / waterfall pool. No nice and easy break in – no – straight into the river for us. Also – when Dave was explaining that if you tried to absail on the wrong rope that you would fall to your -well – probable death. However, it was common sense as there was a huge chain and knot in the rope.. so if you tried to absail on the side that was the same as the knot then obviously it wouldn’t be running through the chain and you’d have nothing to stop you on your way down. And deservedly so if you make a mistake like that ;) joking joking.

And the two absail ropes where black (for bad – don’t absail on me) and white (for good). Again confirming that all things in life that are bad for you are coloured black – like the Black Riders, and those that are good are white – like Gandalf. Though I guess Saruman was an exception to that rule.

So yeah – straight down into the river, and worked our way along – hopefully will have a few pics to put up later on this week – am having Sam over for dinner (with his digital camera ;) so hopefully get a few pics then…

There was lots of jumping down waterfalls (though I must admit – I hate it – and generally traversed round rather than jump in – i had a fairly painful experience jumping – oh – 4.5m ish into glacial water while rafting in France, so it’s not like I’ve not jumped before :)

So yeah – waterfalls – and *cold*. It was cold, without wetsuits it was defiantly cold, so added incentives to keep out of the water, all good though. And then jumping down a sorta boulder field in the river for the last couple of k’s. Which I really enjoy – hopping around rivers, definitely fun. Right up to the point at which you twist your ankle.

So it was fun, as I didn’t twist it :) But I was glad I was wearing my hike boots and not runners.

Back to the cars, few pints – well glasses of beer (no I wasn’t driving) chips – most needed, and then home.

So yeah, hopefully will put up a few pics sometime, in the meantime, it really is the little differences sometimes….