3 in a Van and an Aoraki Christmas

First stop with Mum and Dad was Kaikoura (where the missing bags caught us up), about 3.5 hours up the coast and renown for its wildlife, most notably whales. Amy's luck at on the whale watching trip was poor with a heavy swell causing half the participants (or victims) to revisit their breakfast and no wildlife spotted. As a result we were a bit apprehensive especially as we were told a seasickness warning had been issued already for our evening trip. As it turned out the sea was glassy and as we entered the water over the ocean trench responsible for attracting the whales, the captain pulled out his special whale-listening-tracking device and was soon speeding off to find a nearby Sperm whale. Soon enough we were stopped about 30 meters from the surfaced whale as it rested in preparation for another foraging dive. It stayed there quite happily for around 10 minutes, occasionally letting fly a plume of water from its blowhole, before diving and showing us the classic whale tail view. Each dive lasts around 45 minutes and so once it had descended we headed off to find something else to see. Soon enough we were in the middle of a huge pod of around 60 Dusky dolphins. These turned out to be real acrobats and were soon leaping and cartwheeling, real show offs! It was actually a shame to leave them to return to the whale as it surfaced again right on time.

Next stop was Picton and not wanting to indulge Mum and Dad too much we stopped at a basic DoC camp ground just out of town in a delightful bay. A little sit down and some bbj (bread butter jam) later it was time to head off on a ramble to the Queen Charlotte Viewpoint. It was good to start a little later as the heat dropped and the walk was very pleasant. The view was fantastic, looking up the whole length of the sound with a few secluded specks of buildings the only indication of the great walk which runs the whole length of this waterway. Turning back the weather looked to be coming in and sure enough by the time we were back I hurried to peg out my guys for fear of losing the tent completely. The rain was heavy overnight but the cloud was not too thick the following morning to completely obscure the view from the scenic route through to Havelock, the muscle capital of NZ apparently. We only stopped for a coffee and cake before arriving at Pelorus Bridge, a beautiful spot even in the rain. There was only 1 other van in the DoC campsite (this time with hot water!) and while Mum and Dad went on a short walk I wondered up the river spotting a couple of fish but failing to tempt either. Wednesday dawned wet again and so we took the opportunity for a look around Nelson before retreating to a fantastic restaurant that was a converted boat shed hovering over the water. It was then a short-ish drive further round the coast to Kaiteriteri, just south of Able Tasman National Park. Feeling a bit cold and like she had slummed it enough, Mum put her foot down and insisted on staying in an en suite motel unit for the two nights we were there rather than another night in Gordon. This did mean I got my van back for a good nights sleep!

Thankfully the sun then made an appearance and we enjoyed some good weather for our boat trip up the coastline before being dropped off and walking a couple of hours back along the much trodden coastal route. Being a great walk there were some great facilities for a "wilderness" with plenty of toilets, campsites and one huge hut in the process of being done up. We were picked up again and sped back to the campsite where I then went off to try and hire a bike to ride around the newly created mountain bike park. Track one down I did and then could only manage 2.5 hours of the allotted 4 hour hire time before my legs refused to cycle 1 more revolution. The park was fantastic and definitely made me look forward to some more biking back home with Amy and I having already decided to get bikes for Christmas. We were now ending our week away and it was time to turn south. First stop was St Arnaud in the Nelson Lakes. We had been warned about the ferocity of the sand flies here and unfortunately these rumours had not been exaggerated. I want for a fish in the afternoon managing to catch just one but not after seeing two of the largest black eels imaginable swim up to me while I was wading into position. I moved on very quickly! We hid from the blood suckers after I got back, eating out in the hotel, and the following morning headed over Lewis Pass to Hanmer Springs. the crossing from west to east was accompanied by a remarkable change in weather as the torrential rain stopped in the space of a km or so and was replaced by blue skies and bright sunshine. While Mum went shopping Dad and I found out that his golf lessons had not been going so well as I beat him at pitch and put! This was our last stop and on Sunday Gordon was upgraded to a plush camper complete with shower, toilet and microwave for their next leg of the holiday.

It was only a couple of weeks, and an enjoyable weekend spent up at Lake Heron, later that we then found Christmas upon us and straight after work finished we drove up to Glentanner just short of Mount Cook to join Mum and Dad for the festivities. Although our second hot Christmas in a row, it still feels very wrong, especially with all the songs going on about snow, warm fires and the cold. Still, Christmas day ended up being truly glorious with epic views of the high peaks that surrounded us. We walked up the Hooker valley before lunch which consisted of a spread fit for royalty as Amy had spent t
he week before making dishes for the ultimate picnic. Needless to say the rest of the day was spent in relaxation mode! Boxing day saw the weather turn though thankfully not quickly enough to ruin our boat trip on the lake created by the Tasman Glacier. It was fun to get up right next to the floating icebergs that have been carved off the terminal face of the glacier. Dinner was another treat, eating out at the Old Mountaineer restaurant in Mount Cook village. By the time we turned in we were rocked to sleep in our respective vans by the wind and come morning the ground was saturated. Packing up, we ended up back home as there was little sign of improvement on the journey back to Ashburton. It was then but a short time untill the folks were packing their bags for Hong Kong, the next leg of the trip.

Hallelujah Flat and The Grand Arrival

I don't think I have kept up with my photo club competition results, but the end of the year is time for the final meeting before everything stops for the summer. This consists of a summary of the years events and the handing out of various trophies. As I did not know a trophy was involved, receiving one each for my top PJ print and winning portrait was a big surprise. To top the night off, all of the accepted and honours images from the year are judged again to determine the top 10 prints and top 10 projected images. I was delighted to have a few images in these categories as there is a pretty high standard of entries. I was even more pleased when I was given first the top print of the year with my print of "Alone on the Horizon", and shortly after was announced as the winner of top projected image with "Fork Study". Not bad for my first year!

With Amy back from an enjoyable weekend up north, tramping was back on the agenda and we again headed to Arthurs Pass to complete the Hallelujah flat circuit. The path meandered pleasantly through beach forest and open grassland before arriving at our home for the night Casey hut. This was big and airy with some bug screens to ensure we could get some air while avoiding the sandflies which started to gather once the sun was obscured behind a developing bank of cloud. Rain that evening and overnight meant the sky was crystal clear the following day and the temperature quickly rose, the sun being reflected off the dry grassland and bare earth making it feel a bit like being trapped in an oven. I found the final push up and over Bisner Saddle a bit of an effort, Amy doing her usual trick of speeding up as the gradient increased! There were no flat batteries or other surprises on arriving back at the van and so the weekend was a resounding success in beautiful country.

4 days later and it was my turn to go and meet Mum and Dad as they arrived at Christchurch after a few days spent in Bangkok en route. It was great to see them after 18 months away, it's just a shame that their bags did not arrive with them, stranded somewhere in Sydney having not quite made the connection!

Another Month Flies By

Wow, what a month! The longer evenings have meant that after work there is plenty of time for a bit of tennis and the touch rugby season has started. After puffing through the first match, thankfully there were plenty of rolling subs, my fitness is slowly improving. Our weekends have also been action packed. First up was a visit from our Christchurch friends Lou and Rog, making the brave journey from the big smoke to little old Ashvegus. A BBQ was followed with Amy rediscovering her love of a Church Road desert wine that she had previously described as liquid honey! To clear the head on Sunday we all headed up to Lake Coleridge for a bit of a leg stretch which turned into a pretty relentless climb up Peak Hill. The views at the top weren't bad at all and after that exertion we felt justified in stopping at the Terrace Downs golf resort for a flat white and super large bowl of potato wedges.

Another week past and with a poor forecast we ended up deciding on a short jaunt up Bealey Spur in Arthurs Pass national park. Not setting off until Saturday lunchtime the weather got better and better and by the time we had had a brew at the hut and climbed the final hour to the top of the ridge the views over Mt Rolleston and Avalanche Peak were pretty special. We had arrived at an empty hut, hut being a generous term considering the palaces we have previously found in the middle of nowhere. Instead this was a very old musterers hut roughly cobbled together from bits of tin around a rather inefficient open fire. By the time we had filled our eyes with the view and turned to head back we could see a whisp of smoke on the horizon and once we got back the tiny hut was not only full, there was an Australian couple who had to pitch their tent next door. Although well into spring, that night the temperature dropped enough that there was a liberal coating of frost on the ground come morning though not enough to deter us from repeating out walk up the spur.

It was then time for Amy to meet up with her parents and so she headed Noth to Blenheim the following Thursday evening, it being a public holiday on the Friday. I took the opportunity to go fishing and had an invitation to join Rob and Sheree at the Tekapo river up in the high country. This river is fairly renown at having 250 fish/km though unfortunately has come down with a severe case of the invasive foreign algae Didymo. This was forst found in NZ a few years ago, presumably having been brought in by a visiting tourist, and has quickly taken hold in a number of important rivers. At present it does not appear to have significantly affected the fish or insect life but it is still early days. The mats that form however are slippy as hell and also rather effectively gum up any nymphs that you try and bounce along the river bed to intice the resident trout population. Still, the weather turned out to be superb, the top secret camping spot could not be bettered and a number of fish were caught by all 3 of us. I had my first take on a dry fly, a parachute adams, and also on a self tied nymph, a bead head pheasant tail! I was also left with the challenge of providing dinner for the brand new smoker Rob brought along and thankfully a well conditioned 4lb rainbow meant that I managed to deliver.

After such a success and eager to make the most of Amy being away for another weekend, I took myself off south for another weekend of fishing a week later. The weather was a little worse in that it rained non stop on Saturday and was grey and blustery on Sunday. Arriving just before dark on Friday night I was more than a little pleased to find a significant rise in progress. By the time I had my kit together I could just about see to get to the water and after about 15 minutes landed a lovely 5lber in the pitch black, very exciting! The following day I saw plenty of big fish, caught a few, scared a lot more and had a great time despite the weather. Sunday was slower with only 1 landed and another couple broke off but the location was superb and another day well spent.

A Tramp of Incidence

The ski season has come to an end, and while we did not spend as much time on the slopes as we had thought, it was bloody good fun! Mount Hutt may be small but the variety of runs is good and there is something to be said for getting to know the slopes well. Unfortunately the weather stopped us skiing more than we did with high winds and no visibility a relatively common weekend forecast. Being spring we also went down to a 1 in 4 rota with the large vets doubling up for calving season. Amy ended up winning the calving competition with 65 in the 12 week calving period. She is still going with a delightfully pungent full embriotomy last night bringing the yearly total to around 80! We both definitely improved and overall I clocked up 10 days, 128 runs and 52132 vertical meters at the Hutt with the extra days at Roundhill and Dobson providing a bit of variety.

The weekend focus now switches from skiing to tramping. Amy had had a week up around Abel Tasman with Janneke and so already had a 2 day tramp under her belt. We opted for a gentle intro up in Lake Sumner Forest Park, a jaunt to Jollie Brook hut. Driving up took a bit longer than expected, an extra hour spent driving deep into the park on a dirt gravel track, but the walk up to Gabriel Hut, a side trip to see the lake and the short slog over the saddle was great. It was nice to be back in the boots again. The hut was great, very roomy with a warm fire and all to ourselves. The route out on Sunday followed the river and we were forced to cross 33 times with the water varying from mid-calf to mid thigh in depth. We were looking forward to a change of clothes and a Burger King on the drive home by the time we reached the van. Unfortunately Gordon had had his lights left on and the battery was completely flat. Just as I was about to jog down the road to try and find someone to help a 4x4 drove by and sure enough had jump cables. The battery was that flat however that they did little more than get the dash lights going. No problem he said, we'll just put my battery in and switch again once the engine's running. You can do that? No as it turns out, as soon as the battery was disconnected the engine died again. No problem, I'll just tow you so you can jump it. Still no joy and so his trailer was reconnected and we had a lift to Kaiapoi 2.5 hours closer to Ashburton. He was an absolute lifesaver as we did not pass anyone else on the dirt road out and with no mobile signal would have been well and truly stranded. Arriving in Kaiapoi, he dropped us off to buy a new battery as we still had some thoughts of getting back that day. It was too late however and so we ended up simply lugging a battery on the bus into Christchurch to some friends who then dropped us off at the bus stop to Ashburton. The 4 hour walk had been somewhat overshadowed by the 7 hours it took to get home. The best bit was the fact that we then got to spend Monday night after work driving back up to the van, installing the battery before heading back home again. Another 6 hours! Lets hope our future tramps are not quite so eventful.

Its currently Labour weekend and we are on call for yet another bank holiday, though we do get the day in lieu. The rodeo came to Methven and we thought it was worth the risk to go and have a look. Unfortunately I got a call that absolutely could not wait (i.e. cat been off colour a bit for last few days and not improving) and so ended up missing everything except the kids riding the calves and sheep. The BBQ is getting good use at the moment and weather permitting I'm off fishing again Wednesday. I could get used to this good weather!

The Beasts

Opening Day and a Fish at Last!

October the first represents the opening of the fishing season and having booked the day off I was a little worried that a lone trip somewhere unknown may turn out to be a bit of a waste of time, especially with reports that opening day is often not blessed with the best of weather. My luck was in however as I was kindly invited to tag along with Rob, the partner of a girl from work, and his mate Bruce. Pick up time was 7:15am with clear skies, the only worry was the wind. Meeting up with Bruce we headed to the top secret location set among stunning country and started stalking the edge. From what I can tell, fly fishing in NZ is very different from most other countries for 2 reasons: the number of fish is relatively low but they grow to a larger than average size and the water is incredibly clear meaning that the primary fishing method is "sight fishing", you cast to fish that you have spotted rather than fishing blind. Bruce spotted the first fish and the boys insisted I should cast to it. Now this was a pretty nervous time as I did not want to look like the complete amateur I am (all the gear and no idea!) and I also did not want to waste the opportunity knowing there may not be that many others with 3 of us on the water. The first few casts made with shaking hands were OK, just trying to get the length right to one side. The gusting wind then made it a bit tricky to get the nymph over to the far bank where the fish was busy feeding. A few time I dropped the nymph a little too short, right on the head of the trout but thankfully it was not spooked, the benefits of it being the start of the season and the fish being a little naive! Soon enough the cast was good and the indicator disappeared under the surface. The strike was made and the hook set, at least for a brief second before it came flying out of the water. With nymphing you need to react immediately and my reaction was a little on the slow side, mark that one down to experience.

A little later a deep pool was reached and a trout spotted patrolling his beat. Robs double nymph setup ensured the juvenile male was soon landed. The sun was still shining though by the time we turned back to retrace our steps the wind had picked up a fair degree, a dreaded nor'wester. This made the spotting much harder, the ripples obscuring the view, though in all honesty the trout would have to be jumping clean out of the water for me to be sure of a spot. By the time we made it back to the pool, Rob spotted another fish had taken up station. Unfortunately for him however he had crossed to the opposite bank and the current prevented the telling cast being made. Bruce gave it a go, the hook was set but the line then broke. Either it was shocked enough or another took its place because spotting another dark shape my nymph was taken and a 2.25 pounder was soon landed after a brief aerobatic show. My first fish on a fly rod!

The experience of casting to a fish that you know for sure is there is exciting to say the least, waiting with baited breath for the twitch or sudden submersion of the wool indicator. It was not long before another fish was spied, again by Bruce, who insisted I was due another shot. I was worried the line would spook the fish as it landed right over its rippling form but the indicator dived to indicate a sure take and my reactions were quick enough to ensure the hook set. With Bruce manning the landing net a rather large hen was soon captured and the scales revealed it to be a little over 6.5lbs! Rob was then into another to end the day, again over 6lbs, before we reached the car and cracking open a few beers to round of a truly excellent day.

As I type this the skies are grey with drizzle but spring does appear to have arrived. The blossom is in bloom and flowers coming to life. Ashburton domain is looking fantastic and I have headed there a fair few times after work to try and capture it at its prime. Bruce has the fishing photos and will hopefully email me them soon. Until then you will have to just take my word that a fish or two was caught and just enjoy the spring photos!

Portraits

Another month has past and so it is time for another results session from the camera club. The topic this time was "portraits". The judge was a professional portrait photographer dealing primarily with children which was just as well as most of the entries were of smiling babies and grinning toddlers. The 2 big tips were to get the light on the eyes right (as well as making sure of sharp focus) and to apply a vignette selectively. These points were repeated ad nauseam and to be honest the whole critique became a bit tedious, especially when the best shot of the night (by a very long way) was only given an acceptance. Still, of the 4 shots I submitted only 1 fell by the wayside. The shot of the kebab seller was accepted, Amy in the desert was given honors and my self portrait was awarded best shot! Next fortnight is the results of the 3rd open so stay tuned...