The Devil's Punchbowl Waterfall, Arthur's Pass.
Sunday, June 26, 2005
Thursday, June 16, 2005
Little Luxuries
We've just finished a 5 week stint house-sitting; it's something we could have got quite accustomed to as the property featured in the May edition of NZ House & Garden! Peter and Juliet had gone to South America, primarily to visit their daughter and son-in-law, who are YWAM missionaries in Brazil, and their new granddaughter. We felt at home almost immediately, probably because we'd stayed there before (in February) so we knew where everything was but this time the biggest blessing was not the swimming pool but the wood-burning stoves! The garden was still producing delicious vegetables (leeks, spinach, cauliflowers & broccoli and still new potatoes!) and having a bath was just heaven - I don't think I've ever been so clean (or wrinkled!).
The weather had been pretty good until the third week in May when it rained for seven days non-stop. Once again everybody was telling us they couldn't remember ever having this much rain in Canterbury. We didn't really mind because we were cosy & dry and had a tumble dryer but when water started dripping through the ceiling on the seventh morning of rain we did get slightly concerned. Fortunately the downpour ceased soon after and the roof could cope again. We bonded more with the cats this time too as we fed them (we didn't let them starve before but just filled an automatic feeder!) and they seemed to be in more sheltering from the dreadful weather. Having called them Mitsy & Motsy for the duration of our last stay, we discovered their names were Jack & Frieda. I had forgotten how nice it was to have pets around though vomitting up their last meal including traces of the mouse they just caught is slightly off-putting.
It was nice to have more space to entertain friends and on the Queen's Birthday weekend (how bizarre for Kiwis to have the Queen's birthday as a public holiday...) our small group came for lunch and stayed & played tennis & games until the evening.
This term has been good for us to really get into the swing of the youth & children's stuff we've started (if you ring & get our answer phone message you will have the opportunity to share the week's investigation codeword with us as well as any information you've discovered about Jesus through the week...!). I'm still focussed with the church in Rangiora but Neil is working more with the smaller churches in the parish, helping them work with children and families.
The weather is now cold. And not just a one off day! Our oil column heater seems to heat our little flat well enough; that is one advantage of having a small home - you can heat the whole flat as opposed to just the main living area where the temperature then plummets when you go to the bathroom or to bed.
The Lions rugby team have also arrived and played their first four matches which has made us rather nervous as they haven't been incredibally convincing. A couple of people have asked us if we'll have difficulty deciding who to support; uh, no. Really not been here long enough for that to be an issue! Though you can buy a half Lions & half All Black shirt for those whose loyalties are torn. There are so many English immigrants here in Rangiora that one sweet shop has tapped into the market by ordering boxes of Walkers crisps, Jaffa cakes, Double Deckers, Galaxy chocolate, Wine Gums etc. from the UK. The shop keeper told us people can't get enough of them and one English child in my Bible in Schools class reminds me weekly of items I can now purcahse in 'Just Lollies' (lolly is the Kiwi word for sweet). I hadn't even missed Jaffa cakes until they were mentioned...
The weather had been pretty good until the third week in May when it rained for seven days non-stop. Once again everybody was telling us they couldn't remember ever having this much rain in Canterbury. We didn't really mind because we were cosy & dry and had a tumble dryer but when water started dripping through the ceiling on the seventh morning of rain we did get slightly concerned. Fortunately the downpour ceased soon after and the roof could cope again. We bonded more with the cats this time too as we fed them (we didn't let them starve before but just filled an automatic feeder!) and they seemed to be in more sheltering from the dreadful weather. Having called them Mitsy & Motsy for the duration of our last stay, we discovered their names were Jack & Frieda. I had forgotten how nice it was to have pets around though vomitting up their last meal including traces of the mouse they just caught is slightly off-putting.
It was nice to have more space to entertain friends and on the Queen's Birthday weekend (how bizarre for Kiwis to have the Queen's birthday as a public holiday...) our small group came for lunch and stayed & played tennis & games until the evening.
This term has been good for us to really get into the swing of the youth & children's stuff we've started (if you ring & get our answer phone message you will have the opportunity to share the week's investigation codeword with us as well as any information you've discovered about Jesus through the week...!). I'm still focussed with the church in Rangiora but Neil is working more with the smaller churches in the parish, helping them work with children and families.
The weather is now cold. And not just a one off day! Our oil column heater seems to heat our little flat well enough; that is one advantage of having a small home - you can heat the whole flat as opposed to just the main living area where the temperature then plummets when you go to the bathroom or to bed.
The Lions rugby team have also arrived and played their first four matches which has made us rather nervous as they haven't been incredibally convincing. A couple of people have asked us if we'll have difficulty deciding who to support; uh, no. Really not been here long enough for that to be an issue! Though you can buy a half Lions & half All Black shirt for those whose loyalties are torn. There are so many English immigrants here in Rangiora that one sweet shop has tapped into the market by ordering boxes of Walkers crisps, Jaffa cakes, Double Deckers, Galaxy chocolate, Wine Gums etc. from the UK. The shop keeper told us people can't get enough of them and one English child in my Bible in Schools class reminds me weekly of items I can now purcahse in 'Just Lollies' (lolly is the Kiwi word for sweet). I hadn't even missed Jaffa cakes until they were mentioned...
Final Installment
On the final morning of our trip we took the Skyline Gondola to see the spectacular views over Queenstown, The Remarkables (mountain range) and Lake Wakatipu. It was a beautiful day so the panoramic views were very clear. We had a short walk around and I was quite excited as for the first time in real life I saw those large, red toadstools with white spots that fairies live under in stories! I was going to take a photo to put on the blog but that would just be like you seeing them in a story book so I didn't bother. Neil is looking forward to a return visit because we didn't ride the luge on this occasion and the small, toboggan like vehicles look great fun! We'd both definitely return to Queenstown, not least to see the surrounding mountains covered in snow which must look awesome.
Leaving Sarah in town as she was catching a coach further south, we began our 500km journey home. We had an amazing day as we drove through incredibally diverse landscapes including valleys of vineyards and orchards in Otago to barren, moor-like peaks in Lindis Pass and then gentle rolling hills and fields of cattle & sheep through South Canterbury. The weather remained glorious but we were aware of a front moving up from the south which was bringing with it a severe weather warning for snow! The highlight of the journey has to have been the view across Lake Pukaki. I had been navigating and making an attempt at pointing out key mountain peaks and ranges but Neil was losing confidence as I repeatedly said "No, that can't be Mount X it must be Mount Y" or "Now, maybe that's Mount X, not the previous three peaks I've pointed out"! Well, the ultimate clanger came as we were driving north towards Lake Pukaki. I had read that, on a clear day, the views of Mount Cook (the highest mountain in NZ) were supposed to be stunning so as more of the mountain range came into view I was trying to determine which was Mount Cook. I'd start by saying "That looks like it must be it, it's taller than the others", then we'd drive further, more of the range would come into view and there'd be another higher peak which then became 'Mount Cook'. This happened enough times for me to conclude we weren't going to be able to ascertain which mountain was Cook when we suddenly came around the last bend and viewed the whole of the range across the lake. "Oh, that's Mount Cook!"- it was massive and SO much taller than the surrounding peaks in the range. It really did look stunning. And on returning home we spoke to several Kiwis who have never seen the mountain because the weather has never allowed - we felt very blessed.
The final place we stopped at was Lake Tekapo, the waters of which can apparantly look almost electric blue though not on this occasion. But there is a tiny church, the Church of the Good Shepherd, that is built on the shores of the lake; it can seat about 30 people but is a popular tourist attraction because the view across the lake from the window behind the altar is amazing. I'm not sure I'd concentrate if I regularly worshipped there!
The final stage of the 7 hour journey took us through familiar countryside (well, we'd driven it once before on the way back from Summer Wine!) and as the sun set all we could think about was getting home before the fish and chip shop closed - it was nearly 8pm which could have been pushing it!
Leaving Sarah in town as she was catching a coach further south, we began our 500km journey home. We had an amazing day as we drove through incredibally diverse landscapes including valleys of vineyards and orchards in Otago to barren, moor-like peaks in Lindis Pass and then gentle rolling hills and fields of cattle & sheep through South Canterbury. The weather remained glorious but we were aware of a front moving up from the south which was bringing with it a severe weather warning for snow! The highlight of the journey has to have been the view across Lake Pukaki. I had been navigating and making an attempt at pointing out key mountain peaks and ranges but Neil was losing confidence as I repeatedly said "No, that can't be Mount X it must be Mount Y" or "Now, maybe that's Mount X, not the previous three peaks I've pointed out"! Well, the ultimate clanger came as we were driving north towards Lake Pukaki. I had read that, on a clear day, the views of Mount Cook (the highest mountain in NZ) were supposed to be stunning so as more of the mountain range came into view I was trying to determine which was Mount Cook. I'd start by saying "That looks like it must be it, it's taller than the others", then we'd drive further, more of the range would come into view and there'd be another higher peak which then became 'Mount Cook'. This happened enough times for me to conclude we weren't going to be able to ascertain which mountain was Cook when we suddenly came around the last bend and viewed the whole of the range across the lake. "Oh, that's Mount Cook!"- it was massive and SO much taller than the surrounding peaks in the range. It really did look stunning. And on returning home we spoke to several Kiwis who have never seen the mountain because the weather has never allowed - we felt very blessed.
The final place we stopped at was Lake Tekapo, the waters of which can apparantly look almost electric blue though not on this occasion. But there is a tiny church, the Church of the Good Shepherd, that is built on the shores of the lake; it can seat about 30 people but is a popular tourist attraction because the view across the lake from the window behind the altar is amazing. I'm not sure I'd concentrate if I regularly worshipped there!
The final stage of the 7 hour journey took us through familiar countryside (well, we'd driven it once before on the way back from Summer Wine!) and as the sun set all we could think about was getting home before the fish and chip shop closed - it was nearly 8pm which could have been pushing it!
Wednesday, June 01, 2005
Tramping
The journey South continued...As we came out of the Haast Pass (and the torrential rain) we caught our first glimpses of the Southern Alps. The three of us thought it looked alot like the Lake District though slightly more dramatic. The town of Wanaka lies on the edge of a lake bearing the same name with the mountains (snow-capped) as a stunning back drop. We stayed in 'The Purple Cow' youth hostel two streets up from the water front. This was the most up-market of the hostels we stayed in; we were sharing with one other girl, Birgit, the four person room had a kitchenette, sofa, TV and it's own bathroom. [Little aside: Birgit was from Germany and had been travelling in NZ for a couple of months but her journey was hampered when she twisted her ankle on a road whilst trying to hitch a lift. She said she lay in agony trying to wave at cars to stop & help her but lots drove past! Eventually a lady did stop & took her to the doctor; she then took Birgit home to stay with her for a week until she was more mobile! Isn't that kind! When we shared a room with her she was hobbling on crutches but hoping to make it to Queenstown in the next few days.]
We frequented an Irish pub in the evening and a couple of gift shops the following morning but then headed further south towards Arrowtown. This is the most like a quaint village we've come across and the highlight was definitely the tree-lined avenues and the hillside ablaze in the most gorgeous autumn colours I've ever seen. It used to be a gold-mining town and is infamous for its exploitation of Chinese settlers in the mid 19th. century. There is a reconstruction of some of the settlement buildings but I think we've been spoiled by English Heritage & the National Trust - some of the reconstruction was laughable!
It was only another 45 minute drive before we reached Queenstown and then the joy of negotiating the roadworks (it seemed the whole town's road system had been dug up!). Now, I must mention the roadworks. Sometimes they have cones, sometimes not. Sometimes they close the lane they're working on and re-direct the traffic, sometimes they just let the cars carry on driving over the surface - it seems to help them level it! Sometimes they warn you on the approach to the roadworks, sometimes not. On the way over the Haast Pass we drove for about 5km on road that had been dug up. We then approached 2 large machines digging up our side of the road and absolutely no way for us to know whether it was safe to overtake them on a bend where we couldn't see any oncoming traffic. Having negotiated this hurdle we arrived at traffic lights (though at this point there seemed to be no need for them as no work was taking place) where we sat for nearly ten minutes with no traffic coming the other way wondering if we would sit there all night. So, as you can imagine, Queenstown was nearly carnage.
The backpackers hostel was the most budget accomodation but we selected it because it had a spa. When we got to the spa there were alreday two American guys there who were settled in for the remainder of the afternoon with their bottles of beer. They had not drunk for a month (they decided they needed to detox after a particularly heavy spell in Auckland) and had decided to break their fast. They told us their surfing & fishing tales and about the bag fulls of mushrooms they'd picked from a forest that then turned out to be completely the wrong type! They had a bungee jump booked for the following day but the last thing we heard the next morning was that they'd missed their pick up and when the hostel owner had gone to get them up they were still out cold and their room stank of booze - it possibly had not been the best night to end the detox.
Anyway, the three of us headed for Glenorchy to do a days walk along the Dart-Rees track - a semi-circular, four day route with huts along the way. The drive out to Glenorchy was spectacular & we kept stopping to take photos. When we arrived we could see where they shot some of the footage for Lord of the Rings (one of the few places it's easy to identify & you don't need a guide book and alot of imagination!). There was another 15km to drive on unsealed road to Paradise before the track started. On a couple of occasions we stopped and thought we'd just better start walking because we didn't think the car would cross the ford but then a guy slowed down & reassured us that our car would definitely make it through & it was still quite a way to the start of the track. Well, we did make it there and the tramp was amazing. We saw about 12 people near the start of our walk who had started at the other end of the route and were just completing the track after their last night in one fo the huts. But after that we saw nobody and really did feel in the middle of nowhere. Part of the track wound along side the Dart river but the majority was through forest. We kept glimpsing snow covered mountains through the trees & wondered if we would actually make it to a clearing before it was time for us to turn back. Well, we did. And it was awesome. We just wished we had the time to carry on & complete the track because we know there are more treasures further in that will have to be seen to be believed.
The evening we could have really used a spa it was closed for cleaning but we compensated with a large meal out (absolutely no point in trying to cook with about 30 people in a kitchen that's not big enough to swing a cat - though it did have a cat which climbed all over food benches...) and Neil and Sarah continued on their hunt for a decent pint. We then returned to the hostel and, as you can imagine, slept very well. The final part of our adventure will have to wait for another day...
We frequented an Irish pub in the evening and a couple of gift shops the following morning but then headed further south towards Arrowtown. This is the most like a quaint village we've come across and the highlight was definitely the tree-lined avenues and the hillside ablaze in the most gorgeous autumn colours I've ever seen. It used to be a gold-mining town and is infamous for its exploitation of Chinese settlers in the mid 19th. century. There is a reconstruction of some of the settlement buildings but I think we've been spoiled by English Heritage & the National Trust - some of the reconstruction was laughable!
It was only another 45 minute drive before we reached Queenstown and then the joy of negotiating the roadworks (it seemed the whole town's road system had been dug up!). Now, I must mention the roadworks. Sometimes they have cones, sometimes not. Sometimes they close the lane they're working on and re-direct the traffic, sometimes they just let the cars carry on driving over the surface - it seems to help them level it! Sometimes they warn you on the approach to the roadworks, sometimes not. On the way over the Haast Pass we drove for about 5km on road that had been dug up. We then approached 2 large machines digging up our side of the road and absolutely no way for us to know whether it was safe to overtake them on a bend where we couldn't see any oncoming traffic. Having negotiated this hurdle we arrived at traffic lights (though at this point there seemed to be no need for them as no work was taking place) where we sat for nearly ten minutes with no traffic coming the other way wondering if we would sit there all night. So, as you can imagine, Queenstown was nearly carnage.
The backpackers hostel was the most budget accomodation but we selected it because it had a spa. When we got to the spa there were alreday two American guys there who were settled in for the remainder of the afternoon with their bottles of beer. They had not drunk for a month (they decided they needed to detox after a particularly heavy spell in Auckland) and had decided to break their fast. They told us their surfing & fishing tales and about the bag fulls of mushrooms they'd picked from a forest that then turned out to be completely the wrong type! They had a bungee jump booked for the following day but the last thing we heard the next morning was that they'd missed their pick up and when the hostel owner had gone to get them up they were still out cold and their room stank of booze - it possibly had not been the best night to end the detox.
Anyway, the three of us headed for Glenorchy to do a days walk along the Dart-Rees track - a semi-circular, four day route with huts along the way. The drive out to Glenorchy was spectacular & we kept stopping to take photos. When we arrived we could see where they shot some of the footage for Lord of the Rings (one of the few places it's easy to identify & you don't need a guide book and alot of imagination!). There was another 15km to drive on unsealed road to Paradise before the track started. On a couple of occasions we stopped and thought we'd just better start walking because we didn't think the car would cross the ford but then a guy slowed down & reassured us that our car would definitely make it through & it was still quite a way to the start of the track. Well, we did make it there and the tramp was amazing. We saw about 12 people near the start of our walk who had started at the other end of the route and were just completing the track after their last night in one fo the huts. But after that we saw nobody and really did feel in the middle of nowhere. Part of the track wound along side the Dart river but the majority was through forest. We kept glimpsing snow covered mountains through the trees & wondered if we would actually make it to a clearing before it was time for us to turn back. Well, we did. And it was awesome. We just wished we had the time to carry on & complete the track because we know there are more treasures further in that will have to be seen to be believed.
The evening we could have really used a spa it was closed for cleaning but we compensated with a large meal out (absolutely no point in trying to cook with about 30 people in a kitchen that's not big enough to swing a cat - though it did have a cat which climbed all over food benches...) and Neil and Sarah continued on their hunt for a decent pint. We then returned to the hostel and, as you can imagine, slept very well. The final part of our adventure will have to wait for another day...
Friday, May 27, 2005
Glaciers
I hope you're all sitting comfortably 'cos this could be a long post!
In the middle of April we took a few days holiday and extended the southerly limit of our travels, making it as far as Queenstown. The main purpose of our trip was to use one of our Christmas presents, a voucher for a heli-hike on Fox Glacier. A family friend was visiting New Zealand and a visit to the glaciers was part of her itinery so we decided we'd go together. We set off for the West coast on the Monday morning to clear skies & sunshine. This is not unusual here at this time of year but whenever we've reached the top of Arthur's Pass the cloud has come down and it's been pouring with rain so weren't that hopeful. However, on this occasion, the weather was glorious all the way to the West coast allowing Sarah stunning views of the mountains and the sea. We also mananged to reach the Devil's Punchbowl waterfall. Access to this had been closed until recently as they were improving the path due to a number of accidents & at least one fatality. As we walked along the newly constructed walkway above the old path we wondered how anybody had made it safely. It was stunning and we took pictures but they don't really capture it - you'll have to come & see them for yourself!.
On the coast, we briefly stopped in Hokitika before driving on to the hostel for the night. The scenery is much different on the west of the island, more like rainforest, which is quite stunning but we all agreed that the whole place just seemed increbibly remote and not a place we'd want to stay long (we do seem to have offended a few people with this opinion but maybe, as Kiwis, they are more used to be isolated...).
As the sun set the cloud rolled in from the South and we weren't sure what that would mean for our 9am heli-hike the following day. They can cancel the flights up to 10 minutes before you leave so you really have to wait & see. I was concerned that we'd be stuck there waiting for the weather to clear - it isn't as though we could just pop to the next ytown & come back the following day - the next town on our trip (being brutally honest, the next town worth stopping in for more than a toilet break) is 5 hours drive away!
Anyway, we spent the night in the Chateau Franz youth hostel in Franz Josef which was very comfortable and, although fully booked didn't seem too crowded. We went for a drink in a local pub and it's one of the only places we've been in that has character - though Neil & I realised we really haven't been out all that much but then realised that's because there really isn't anywhere to go! [This is a little aside but, after one particular busy evening, we decided to grab a take-away in Rangiora (which is a large town in New Zealand). At 9.45 pm there was not one place we could get food of any description - have we just been used to inner city Sheffield for too long? I don't think so!]
Back to the story...We woke up on Tuesday morning to see that the cloud had lifted and we could actually see the mountains around the glacier, hallelujah! We drove the 20 minutes to Fox Glacier (there are also guides on Franz Josef Glacier - tour guides say to do both, maybe next time!). and then The Alpine Glacier Tour company took us by bus to the helicopter. The three of us were like giddy kids! None of us had been in a helicopter and we couldn't discern whether we were excited or nervous. Well, we all agreed it was one of the best experiences we've ever had. Sarah & I sat in the front next to the pilot (it's encouraging to know that you're the lightest in the group!) and had awesome views as we flew over the 'nose' of the glacier (there is probably a better technical expression). It's really quite indescribable - all I can say is, if you ever get the chance you must take it. We landed on teh glacier itslef and tentatively scuffed our way to a gathering point about 10 metres from where the helicopter landed. When everyone had arrived we were given instructions on how to use cramp-ons effectively and the warnings of how not to stray from the path the guide hacks out with his ice-pick or you're likely to end up down a crevasse. Sobering thought. Most people in our group were pretty confident as we walked across the glacier, a 10 year old boy particularly so as he decided he wanted to pursue another path across the ice and nearly led us all down a crevasse (he actually reminded me a lot of my brother when he was younger...). Anyway, we thoroughly enjoyed over 2 hours of hiking across the ice, crawling through ice tunnels (absolutely freezing, you're shaking so much you can't control your limbs but the most spectacular colours) and caves and every now and again looking up and marvelling at the fact you are walking on a glacier. I remembered many of my geography lessons but it looked so different to the diagrams & pictures we'd studied - now the glaciers are long gone in North Wales the field trips don't really give the same experience.
By the time the helicopters came to pick us up we were beginning to feel the cold as the cloud had returned and the sun had disappeared - we were really blessed with the weather because the next trip was probably going to have to be cut short or they may not have been able to get back off the mountain. By the time we got back to our car it was pouring with rain and it did so the whole way to Wanaka - about 5 hours! At least we were driving through rainforest so we saw it at it's best!
In the middle of April we took a few days holiday and extended the southerly limit of our travels, making it as far as Queenstown. The main purpose of our trip was to use one of our Christmas presents, a voucher for a heli-hike on Fox Glacier. A family friend was visiting New Zealand and a visit to the glaciers was part of her itinery so we decided we'd go together. We set off for the West coast on the Monday morning to clear skies & sunshine. This is not unusual here at this time of year but whenever we've reached the top of Arthur's Pass the cloud has come down and it's been pouring with rain so weren't that hopeful. However, on this occasion, the weather was glorious all the way to the West coast allowing Sarah stunning views of the mountains and the sea. We also mananged to reach the Devil's Punchbowl waterfall. Access to this had been closed until recently as they were improving the path due to a number of accidents & at least one fatality. As we walked along the newly constructed walkway above the old path we wondered how anybody had made it safely. It was stunning and we took pictures but they don't really capture it - you'll have to come & see them for yourself!.
On the coast, we briefly stopped in Hokitika before driving on to the hostel for the night. The scenery is much different on the west of the island, more like rainforest, which is quite stunning but we all agreed that the whole place just seemed increbibly remote and not a place we'd want to stay long (we do seem to have offended a few people with this opinion but maybe, as Kiwis, they are more used to be isolated...).
As the sun set the cloud rolled in from the South and we weren't sure what that would mean for our 9am heli-hike the following day. They can cancel the flights up to 10 minutes before you leave so you really have to wait & see. I was concerned that we'd be stuck there waiting for the weather to clear - it isn't as though we could just pop to the next ytown & come back the following day - the next town on our trip (being brutally honest, the next town worth stopping in for more than a toilet break) is 5 hours drive away!
Anyway, we spent the night in the Chateau Franz youth hostel in Franz Josef which was very comfortable and, although fully booked didn't seem too crowded. We went for a drink in a local pub and it's one of the only places we've been in that has character - though Neil & I realised we really haven't been out all that much but then realised that's because there really isn't anywhere to go! [This is a little aside but, after one particular busy evening, we decided to grab a take-away in Rangiora (which is a large town in New Zealand). At 9.45 pm there was not one place we could get food of any description - have we just been used to inner city Sheffield for too long? I don't think so!]
Back to the story...We woke up on Tuesday morning to see that the cloud had lifted and we could actually see the mountains around the glacier, hallelujah! We drove the 20 minutes to Fox Glacier (there are also guides on Franz Josef Glacier - tour guides say to do both, maybe next time!). and then The Alpine Glacier Tour company took us by bus to the helicopter. The three of us were like giddy kids! None of us had been in a helicopter and we couldn't discern whether we were excited or nervous. Well, we all agreed it was one of the best experiences we've ever had. Sarah & I sat in the front next to the pilot (it's encouraging to know that you're the lightest in the group!) and had awesome views as we flew over the 'nose' of the glacier (there is probably a better technical expression). It's really quite indescribable - all I can say is, if you ever get the chance you must take it. We landed on teh glacier itslef and tentatively scuffed our way to a gathering point about 10 metres from where the helicopter landed. When everyone had arrived we were given instructions on how to use cramp-ons effectively and the warnings of how not to stray from the path the guide hacks out with his ice-pick or you're likely to end up down a crevasse. Sobering thought. Most people in our group were pretty confident as we walked across the glacier, a 10 year old boy particularly so as he decided he wanted to pursue another path across the ice and nearly led us all down a crevasse (he actually reminded me a lot of my brother when he was younger...). Anyway, we thoroughly enjoyed over 2 hours of hiking across the ice, crawling through ice tunnels (absolutely freezing, you're shaking so much you can't control your limbs but the most spectacular colours) and caves and every now and again looking up and marvelling at the fact you are walking on a glacier. I remembered many of my geography lessons but it looked so different to the diagrams & pictures we'd studied - now the glaciers are long gone in North Wales the field trips don't really give the same experience.
By the time the helicopters came to pick us up we were beginning to feel the cold as the cloud had returned and the sun had disappeared - we were really blessed with the weather because the next trip was probably going to have to be cut short or they may not have been able to get back off the mountain. By the time we got back to our car it was pouring with rain and it did so the whole way to Wanaka - about 5 hours! At least we were driving through rainforest so we saw it at it's best!
Monday, May 09, 2005
Still Here!
We're sorry we've not been very communicative but we are still here! It's one of those "so much to write I don't know where to start so will leave it yet another day/week/month until I can face it!" Well, here is the start.
March was quite a busy month; church stuff in full swing and deepening friendships. We've realised over the last couple of weeks that we talk about seeing 'friends' now as opposed to merely people who we don't have an emotional attachment to. That seems a development in terms of settling in though still do feel horribly homesick from time to time.
The major event of March was 'Easter Camp' - a Christian camp over the Easter weekend that we took 8 of our youth to so they could join with the other 2,500 teenagers in having lots of fun & not very much sleep! The weather, which had been gorgeous for the majority of the month, changed on the Thursday but the rain was a blessing in that it softened the ground enough for tent pegs but didn't turn the whole site into a swamp (unlike the previous year when they had to send people home!). It did rain on & off for the rest of the weekend but not enough to spoil the fun. Our kids were pretty well behaved and their wildly differing personalities meant they got very different things out of the whole experience. We managed to sleep well once the campsite was quiet (about 1am which I didn't think was actually that bad) and it wasn't too cold but 4 nights camping in the middle of autumn did take its toll on the group with nearly everyone having to have time off school/work in the following week to recover from colds etc.
March was quite a busy month; church stuff in full swing and deepening friendships. We've realised over the last couple of weeks that we talk about seeing 'friends' now as opposed to merely people who we don't have an emotional attachment to. That seems a development in terms of settling in though still do feel horribly homesick from time to time.
The major event of March was 'Easter Camp' - a Christian camp over the Easter weekend that we took 8 of our youth to so they could join with the other 2,500 teenagers in having lots of fun & not very much sleep! The weather, which had been gorgeous for the majority of the month, changed on the Thursday but the rain was a blessing in that it softened the ground enough for tent pegs but didn't turn the whole site into a swamp (unlike the previous year when they had to send people home!). It did rain on & off for the rest of the weekend but not enough to spoil the fun. Our kids were pretty well behaved and their wildly differing personalities meant they got very different things out of the whole experience. We managed to sleep well once the campsite was quiet (about 1am which I didn't think was actually that bad) and it wasn't too cold but 4 nights camping in the middle of autumn did take its toll on the group with nearly everyone having to have time off school/work in the following week to recover from colds etc.
Monday, March 07, 2005
February's Frolics
Thought it was about time we updated the blog seen as people have begun to comment! We hit the ground running in February with the start of the new academic year; special children's events (The Love Night), a parish camp (which ended up only being one day) and the church started the '40 Days of Purpose' campaign. We've started meeting with a small group of people from church during the week and it's good to be making deeper friendships. Also spending quite a lot of time in coffee shops with our youth as they're so busy that getting them all together at the same time is nearly impossible.
We made the very most we could of the summer when we were very blessed to house sit for friends while they were on holiday. They live further out in the countryside with a very nice, large house (recently extended & renovated with plush new bathrooms), a vegetable garden with an abundance of food just ripe for picking, a swimming pool and a tennis court! Our very taxing job for two weeks was to water the plants (though only those in the pots & in the vegetable garden) and feed two cats. Nothing died - which you'll realise is nearly miraculous giving Natalie's track record with house plants - and the cats were fine. But it wasn't until the end of the fortnight when we realised that the cats weren't as greedy as we thought and we'd actually been supplying a local hedgehog with his/her nightly feed too! Very cheeky considering we'd rescued him/her or one of it's fellow hedgehog kind from drowning in the pool earlier on in our stay. We checked the pool one morning to find an exhausted hedgehog stuggling to stay above water having gone for a swim and then been unable to get out. It began to sink just as we fished it out, a task made all the more difficult as it rolled into a ball to protect itself. Anyway, we moved it to a flower bed and left it to recover which it clearly did considering the cat food it managed to consume!
The youth also enjoyed our stay at the Worsp's house as it meant they could come & use the pool as well. Surprisingly enough they nearly all managed to make it to Pancake Night (something they don't usually mark here in NZ - why not?!). They were very creative with the pancake toppings they brought, though it took a while to get round to eating as Jenni decided to jump into the pool fully clothed;of course, the others had to follow and those who didn't want to were soon 'persuaded'!
The weather has been fantastic for weeks now, to the point where we were beginning to take it for granted! For those of you hampered by the snow & cold in the UK at this time, we would like to say that the hardships of summer do include a prevalance of flies which drive you to distraction (as fly spray gives you an intense headache) if that is any consolation. And we think autumn is on its way as the leaves have begun to change colour and the nights did begin to be slightly cooler. Last Monday we decided to walk to the top of Mount Gray which is about half an hour from Rangiora and apparantly has amazing views over the North Canterbury region. We did attempt this a few months back but couldn't quite find the path. Our attempt was thwarted again but this time by a hailstorm, the line of which we watched move steadily towards us, unprepared for quite how wet it would make us. Drenched does not describe it! We decided to head back to the car (by his time there were rivers flowing down the mountain side!) and we were literally wringing our clothes out as we walked! However, the story does not end there because the weekend brought sunshine and high temperatures with it so we set off again and finally reached the top - the views (and obviously the exhilaration of the climb) were well worth the wait.
We made the very most we could of the summer when we were very blessed to house sit for friends while they were on holiday. They live further out in the countryside with a very nice, large house (recently extended & renovated with plush new bathrooms), a vegetable garden with an abundance of food just ripe for picking, a swimming pool and a tennis court! Our very taxing job for two weeks was to water the plants (though only those in the pots & in the vegetable garden) and feed two cats. Nothing died - which you'll realise is nearly miraculous giving Natalie's track record with house plants - and the cats were fine. But it wasn't until the end of the fortnight when we realised that the cats weren't as greedy as we thought and we'd actually been supplying a local hedgehog with his/her nightly feed too! Very cheeky considering we'd rescued him/her or one of it's fellow hedgehog kind from drowning in the pool earlier on in our stay. We checked the pool one morning to find an exhausted hedgehog stuggling to stay above water having gone for a swim and then been unable to get out. It began to sink just as we fished it out, a task made all the more difficult as it rolled into a ball to protect itself. Anyway, we moved it to a flower bed and left it to recover which it clearly did considering the cat food it managed to consume!
The youth also enjoyed our stay at the Worsp's house as it meant they could come & use the pool as well. Surprisingly enough they nearly all managed to make it to Pancake Night (something they don't usually mark here in NZ - why not?!). They were very creative with the pancake toppings they brought, though it took a while to get round to eating as Jenni decided to jump into the pool fully clothed;of course, the others had to follow and those who didn't want to were soon 'persuaded'!
The weather has been fantastic for weeks now, to the point where we were beginning to take it for granted! For those of you hampered by the snow & cold in the UK at this time, we would like to say that the hardships of summer do include a prevalance of flies which drive you to distraction (as fly spray gives you an intense headache) if that is any consolation. And we think autumn is on its way as the leaves have begun to change colour and the nights did begin to be slightly cooler. Last Monday we decided to walk to the top of Mount Gray which is about half an hour from Rangiora and apparantly has amazing views over the North Canterbury region. We did attempt this a few months back but couldn't quite find the path. Our attempt was thwarted again but this time by a hailstorm, the line of which we watched move steadily towards us, unprepared for quite how wet it would make us. Drenched does not describe it! We decided to head back to the car (by his time there were rivers flowing down the mountain side!) and we were literally wringing our clothes out as we walked! However, the story does not end there because the weekend brought sunshine and high temperatures with it so we set off again and finally reached the top - the views (and obviously the exhilaration of the climb) were well worth the wait.
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