Mount Arthur

What a fantastic adventure!

I got up at 6am on Sunday morning to drive to the base of Mount Arthur; 1786m of mountain. I drove for an hour and a half into the rugged and untouched Kahurangi national park. My drive was made more enjoyable as around each corner I could see the pinks, purples, reds and blues of a spectacular sunrise bro help me start my adventure.

Off out of the car I went and with M people greatest hits in my headphones off I went on my snowy winter land walk. The first hour and a half was through snow clad trees, knitting together above me creating a Narnia environment. I got caught in the moment and tried to make friends with a snow duck (probably not its real name) and it bit my finger!

Then I got to the Hut before the real hike started and sat down for a nice sandwich.

Then off I went with two doctors from the hospital I had met at the hut. I felt more than a little underprepared, hiking through the knee deep snow in trainers with nothing but a bottle of fanta. They had ice axes, fancy boots, crampons the works! 

At one point I dropped hip deep in the snow like the vicar of dibbley. I also slipped on the ice a couple of times rather comically.

The views were out of this world. I can't begin to do them justice with descriptions. The pictures below are ace, but do not give anywhere near an accurate representation of how amazing it was. Snow capped peaks around me giving way to lush dense mountainous hillsides with the turquoise blue Tasman sea nestled in the arms of the golden bay. The distant city of Nelson just visible sitting between the farther, distant mountains and the calm sea.

As I looked up the vivid blue of the sky changes, it deapens. It's not a darkness you associate with bat weather but more like a denser blue. Like a small bit of midnight sky trying to breakthrough to the day.

The final 300 meters were pretty intense. Scrambling along steep hill sides, kicking into the deep snow making foot holds to stop me slipping 20-30 foot down the snow bank. Approaching the summit was a 20 meter sheer climb in the arctic conditions. Kicking and punching into the snow I lead the boys up the snowy cliff. Heaving myself up onto the ledge we had a short walk to the cloudy peak where we enjoyed a cup of hot chocolate for our efforts.

That evening I spent 3 hours in the hot tub trying to nurse my tired legs. The beers were important also...

Being an animal and seeing the animals

Last week I went out for my friend Mike's 30th birthday. 

It was a 'shit shirt' theme. So I went in my best 14 year old boys comic book pyjama shirt. We played a few drinking games and had a good old dance. I think we dominated the dance floor because of our awesome moves that no one else could compete with. Rather than being weird, shit and terrifying.

Nick, Liv and I went to the night club (little rock) and continued to do shots for about an hour before taking on their dance floor. We very soon had a very roomy section to move for some unknown reason. Then on kicking out time we decided to jump in a strangers car. Who had clearly come to pick up their daughter.

We hopped in and politely asked; "so, where are we off to?" There was a lot of screaming. Apparently two males in their late twenties getting in the back of your car and asking you to drive can be quite traumatic. Even if we were both dressed like Noel Edmonds.

Eventually we got out and the screaming subsided. They then shouted out their window that we were idiots and could have been driven off and raped and killed. I responded with the only natural answer to that theory. I pulled my top up, rubbed my nipple biting my other finger and said to the huge middle aged Maori woman "well maybe you should have done. I'm sure we would have both liked it..." Before we ran away laughing.

I then gate crashed my neighbours house keeping them up till 6 in the morning talking shit.

On Friday this week Dave and I went to nature land zoo. We wanted to see the oldest reptile species in the world. It also has three eyes. Unfortunatly it was hibernating.

We still had a good time. Whilst we were in the avery I got talking to a keeper who showed us round. We got to talk to a parrot, have another parrot on our shoulder and hold two of the Australian lizards. Pretty cool all in all.

Saturday night I went and watched an English folk band in a Mongolian Yurk with my French friend Coliene. 

I also got the job as under 19s Physio for the Tasman Mako's Physio this week