Xmas in Wellington

Have had a couple of very relaxing days catching up with the whanau in Wellington. Weather hasn't been so great but Xmas dinner was fantastic, as evidenced by the attached pic of my placemat. I hope the rest of you have had an equally satisfying festivity. One more day in Wellington, and then its back home to the new pad!

I have eaten so much I'm going to explode.

And Santa was very kind to me, I'm currently simultaneously drinking and eating, wearing, and listening to all my presents...I am a very lucky man!

Razor Review- The Feelers at home in ChCh on Xmas Eve

Right, I will keep this brief because its all it deserves.

For one hour on Xmas Eve night at The Civic James Reid and the boys (including the talented Andy Lynch from Atlas) played a solid if unspectacular set of Feelers classics.

For the next half hour (or was it longer- it sure seemed like it?) they descended into a pit of complete and utter stupidity. Ok the Bowie cover was cool, sampling Killing an Arab by The Cure was neat...but the 10 minute utter mindless masturbation that they put their increasingly frustrated fans through on the pointless "In The Air Tonight" Phill Collins cover was ugly.

If it hadn't have been for the fine company at the gig I would have for the first time in my life left a Feelers gig early. Very unhappy.

First hour- 6.5 out of 10
The rest- 0 out of 10

Competition: Name the drink

As per every game of cricket we play, the Merivale- Papanui 4B's meet at the pub for a jar before hitting the field on Saturday afternoons. While we won't mention the score in yesterdays game (not so good) we can show you the "Bar Cat" who quite happily curled up on the stool next to the bar.

Now, your challenge is to suggest what drink the cat might order if it were able...







Cheers (and Merry Xmas!)

Razor

Kepler Challenge Report

Well the training had gone well, in fact it was perfect. Race day arrived and it was a stunning day, hardly a cloud around but the usual cold crisp start you get at 4am in Te Anau- and straight into carb loading for the 6am start. In fact Glenn and I got so ensconced in stuffing our faces we nearly missed the bus to the start line...typical boys, always thinking of their stomachs

Anyway, never fear it was off to the Control Gates at the lakeside for us and 400 other lunatics for the 6am start. Ran into Janine at the start, and Richards bro Graham- although in the murk had trouble with recognition! And off we went, the first 6.8km round the lake flew by in just half an hour, before heading into the slog up the hill. Once I worked out the controls on Lisa's flash harry MP3 player I was off like a rocket, I have to say events like this are so much better with music- I'll revisit this.

I reached Luxmore Hut after 1hr45mins, a personal best. It was cold up there but was feeling good. Stunning views as the sun came up, very very cool I don't think there is anywhere prettier in NZ than Fiordland- my ashes are going there one day- but not for a long time I hope.

After the tops section reached Iris Burn Hut- and the half way point after 4 hours, coming down the last of the zig zags with "Don't Stop Till You Get Enough" in the earflaps- it seemed ironically appropriate and soon morphed into "beat it" as the17km drag race section down the Iris Burn got going. As always it was half way down here when the wall gets hit, and Lake Manapouri is a very very relieving sight at the 6 hour mark.

The last 17km for there back to the finish was a real grind this year due to the tendons on the front of my ankles swelling up. And it was hot, man it was hot- but the dude in full Army fatigues still got round, and only half an hour slower. I tip my hat to that man, apparently he had to apply to Wellington to get permission to race in the gear. As if a 60km mountain run isn't hard enough!

So I crossed the finish line after 8hrs and 42mins and beat my best time by 4 mins. Glenn turned up 45 mins later looking spritely and fresh, an inspirational effort for a bloke who practically had two broken legs for the most of November!

The Kepler continues to be the biggest challenge I've encountered, and the most rewarding finish line. Problem is now I've done 4 I have to go back again for the 5 year medal...dammit. Oh well, a few Xmas spirits will dull the pain and charge the motivation again I'm sure.

Huuuuuuge thanks to Lisa for being essential support crew for me and Glenn, and for putting up with our "Ministry of Stupid Walks" routine around Te Anau the next day

Sheep turn the tables

Who'd be a sheep farmer in the current economic climate? Dairy receiving gigantic payouts, the high dollar, declining wool prices, drought, high country politics, the list goes on.


And now a new breed of supersheep is emerging, deeming dogs inadequate for mustering purposes.

Kepler article on TV3

For those of you who missed it, TV 3 had some great coverage of the Kepler this year.

You can watch it here.

I'll have my write up here soon...had a great time, hurt like hell afterwards, but got my best time so all was worthwhile!

Movember results...Hats off to you guys!!!!

Yes I found a razor. Congrats and a huge and very appreciative round of applause to all participants and sponsors.

I also raised $205 for the charity cause thanks to all you superstars who sponsored. Such a great cause- last time I looked they had raised over a million bucks nationwide, and even Spain had a group going, which was surprising as the way I understood it all Spanish kids were born with Mo's? Who knew?!

Anyway, some of you wanted photographic evidence or some bang for your buck so here goes...have to admit that it was very tempting to keep it!!!

What a bloody poser...must have been all that time in Auckland ;-)

What Were The Odds?

A light plane flipped on the Wellington Airport runway yesterday, as pictured from Stuff.co.nz

Now the scarcely believable bit about this is that they claim a freak gust of wind caused it. In Wellington? No, surely not!

Actually the really cool thing is the passenger filmed the whole crash... it was on the news last night but I can't find a video link. No one badly hurt, by the way. Although the plane may need a panel beater

Kepler Update

Well, 13 sleeps to go and its getting into crunch time. Training has been a bit interrupted this week with a massively crazy week, and on top of all that theres a wee niggle in the calf muscle now which has necessitated a layoff over the weekend. Not so happy :(

However, overall I'm looking forward to the event this time and expecte a decent crack at beating 8 hours. I've managed to shave 14 mins of my best half marathon time, win the workplace 4 week pedometer challenge, nail a 30km race in the Port Hills in really ugly conditions, and last weekend did 30km on the Routeburn and didn't keel over at Chris and Stacey's wedding afterwards. So all is good really!

One more week of hard out training now, then tail off into the carb loading and the long drive down.

And then we all get to enjoy the Xmas party season- hard earned!

Movember

Yes folks, with the numerous facial hair references in this blog it was impossible not to down tools and procure the face fluff for the fine cause of raising loot for Prostate Cancer prevention, and mens health in general.

And you can even sponsor me- go on throw a $5-er in and if theres enough out there I may even accept Mr Smoothfluid's request for a photo! To sponsor my Mo please go to http://www.movember.com/nz/donate/?action=sponsorlink&rego=183272, enter my registration number which is 183272

And feel free to pick one off the list that you think would suit me.....

Razor Review- Crowded House

Well this was always going to be a good one. And in this particular case it was a great one shared with the best possible company :)

First time I saw the Crowdies was back in the early 1990's at a free gig in Hagley Park on my first ever visit to Christchurch. Of course since then I think I've seen every incarnation possible of the Finn family- brothers, solo, Betchadupa, Liam, Liam with dad, brothers junior, everything except Split Enz. And of course that little oversight is going to get fixed in March 2008 now!

We arrived near the end of Pluto's set, so I can;t really rate them. But the specially reformed Supergroove then proceeded to warm the crowd up very nicely thank you very much with a trip back down memory lane with the 1990's funk jazz fest, much like the Chilli Peppers on speed really. An energetic and enthusiastically received show.

The main even started off with a great version of Private Universe and then carried on for an hour or so with a mix of old and new tracks. Some of the new stuff has grown on me nicely- especially People Are Like Suns and the excellent Transit Lounge- there is a lot going on in that one when you give it a few listens.

For a few moments early on the band wandered off into freefall a bit often, but minor gripe really, this was more than made up for and soon forgotten with the stirring final encore of Don't Dream Its Over, the haunting Into Temptation, and Better Be Home Soon.

Everyone left happy, have to say not as good as 1992 but this was still great- 8 out of 10.

Ok I know

...its been quiet here lately. Never fear there are updates coming soon, I promise. Especially about weddings in Paradise.

See This Film

Genius!

Walking home accross a sundrenched Hagley Park after work today a dude went past the other way riding a mountainbike, which he'd hooked up to a lawnmower engine. Now thats outside the square- it wasn't fast or graceful and it wouldn't add to the Pedometer Challenge, but man I just tip my hat to that sort of outside the square thinking!

Labour Weekend Shennanigans

Ok, hold breath, it goes something like this:

Saturday morning- last ever breakfast at the Chocolate Fish in Wellington. Fly to ChCh do sweet FA all afternoon, then hit the Dux with the boys.

Sunday- Drive to Mt Cook via World Cup final at Tekapo pub, have a wander up the Hooker Valley until hypothermia and avalanches set in. Seriously windswept and challenging landscape today, not much to hang around for so it was back to ChCh as soon as I heard it was 22 degrees at home!

Avalanche Alley- some huge ones lately

Monday- Kepler training in the morning, I suspect the Dux again for the afternoon!

Never a dull moment.

In all seriousness though, the walk up the Hooker was tinged with great sadness for me, it was the first time I'd seen the memorial plate for John. I'm not sure if its the done thing to post it on the web here, but it feels right. Please let me know if you disagree and I'll take it down....

....but for John, Simon, Hamish, Steve, Cam, Liz.... our friends; and all the other souls that are up there in those mountains- we will always remember that if you must bow your head then it can be to a lofty mountain.

Make the most of what we have folks, while we have it. It may be gone tomorrow.

Conference in Wellington

Well I flew up at a hideous hour (ie 5.45am!) and its been a pretty ugly day here in Wellington. Thankfully the conference is at Te Papa so if the sessions are shithouse you have the option of sneaking upstairs for some real art to keep you awake.

Highlight of the day was Rob Sarkies...aka Scarfies, Out of the Blue.. Best hour of business yakka I've ever heard, Sarkies is a dead set Kiwi Hero!

Who says Christchurch is a conservative town?

Shagley Park upon Avon I presume?

Oh No.....

It would appear Christchurch is under seige ....

Every Rose Has It's Thorn

Spent a bit of time in Dunedin for work this week. Always good to get down there, and great to catch up with Chris etc.

However, it disturbs me a little bit that a certain Rodent from Papamoa may have been in town...

The All Blacks Make the Trip Home

They are taking the long way....I don't blame them. I understand thats Daniel Carter in the basket.

Its All Black

Oh dear. I told ya...if Hayman lost the beard the AB's lost their mojo. I even told the TV 3 camera crew at the pub where we squirmed our way through the loss this morning, god I hope that doesn't get on tele!

I wonder if the Pink jerseys might have helped.

Oh well, summers here, its the cricket season now

All Black Jersey

I've sorted out the Grey/ Silver vs Black debate with a jersey that clashes with no other nations. You may have noticed it before.

Failing that theres always this one:

Local Body Elections

Have you voted yet? I can't find this party on the Christchurch political landscape...




Grabs the attention though

Full story here.... its actually quite interesting, not as salacious as you might think

Big Day Out 2008

First announcement today...ARCADE FIRE are coming!!!!! Neon Bible is one of the best albums I've heard this year, stopped me dead in my tracks in a similar way to Hot Fuss by The Killers 4 years ago.

I know where I want to be on Jan 18th...

Global Warming

( www.hagenstoons.com)

I saw a naff report today that Sydney will be 5 degrees warmer by 2070.

Great, I can nip over there for my 98th birthday and enjoy the 45 degree heatwave, can't wait.

Zimbabwe Still Cries

Back in March I posted this link tragic state of Mugabe's Zimbabwe.

The latest is even worse, the bread basket of Africa continues to cry into its barren and starving navel. Someone find oil or nukes there soon, please, so the American Idiots can practice "regime change"?

Inflation in the the thousands per annum, interest rates running at 800%. Unreal.

A couple of weeks ago Zimbabwe beat the Aussies in the cricket. Ordinarily that might have been worth celebrating, but given Mugabe has made the cricket team his own political toy its just a crock of shit, such a sad sad state of affairs, when you can't even bring yourself to applauding a team for beating the Aussies!

Full Story here on Stuff.co.nz

Atiu Part Three- Coffee and Leaving

The Edge of the Deep Blue Sea

Well I only had a grand total of three days on Atiu and it wasn't enough. Reading the visitor book at Are Manuiri it was notable that even people who spend weeks and weeks there think they didn't give it enough time!

For the last day and a bit I did a lot of walking. Plenty of wildlife- local doves, kingfishers, even one of the worlds rarest parakeets, the Kura, which has just been reintroduced to Atiu. No humpback whales though, unlike the day before I arrive. Scariest thing was probably the crabs- big ones, little ones, fiesty ones, chicken ones. You do not want to accidentally step on a Coconut Crab while hopping round the Makatea- these things know how to husk and open coconuts with their bare claws!

Makatea at Oneroa Beach

For the last night Marc and I went down to Roger Malcoms bar and watched Canterbury win the Ranfurly Shield off Waikato- something I wasn't expecting to do on a tiny island 4000km from home! We won't mention the fact that the Shield is gone already...thats a whole other tragic story!

It was a bit of a sleepless night the final night, which meant the Coffee Tour with Juergen was fantastic timing. And Andrea's Art Studio was particularly inspiring, my wall hanging is in the post as we speak. Thanks guys for your hospitality!

Tony and Juergen

It was with great reluctance that I left Atiu....but looking back a month later it is still indelibly marked on my mind (and I still have some imported coffee left!)

I leave you with a couple of website links to look at if you want to know more about Atiu. I completely recommend it!

Juergen and Andrea's site

Roger and Kura's site

Be sure to read the fine print when leaving Atiu airport customs....(click pic for blow up)

One more post to come on the Cooks series...the return to Rarotonga. Walks, climbs and the mighty Tumunu restaurant...standby!

Summer is here

Daylight saving has arrived, the cricket season arrives on Saturday and I'm back on home pitches. Cannot wait!

And Kepler training is ramping up...at work we have a Pedometer Challenge going for the next month, each 10,000 steps = 8km. We have a team of six, called The Muffin Stuffers (I did not pick the name!) and "Studmuffin" is aiming for 16,000 steps per day. They measure our distance against other QV offices around the country up State Highway 1 from Invergiggle, and we are aiming to make it to Cape Reinga with our team- where of course we will begin walking on water and carry on to Rarotonga!

Christchurch Mayoral election wakes up

Now this is funny.... having worked under Mayor Parker at BPDC I know hes a good bloke, and for the record he has my vote as ChCh Mayor
Here

and Here

However....Sideshow Bob? Thanks to the Stuff website (and vandals) for pic and links

Atiu Part 2 - Birds, Caves and Bush Beer

Well back to Atiu... after coming to grips with the place I hooked up with the local tour guide Marshall Humphreys and had a stunning few hours getting into the two main reasons I went to Atiu- the Kopeka and the Tumunu.

The Kopeka is an extremely special little bird, a bit like a swift. It's claim to fame is that it lives deep in the Anatakitaki Cave system, and flies around completely blind using a sonar like clicking noise to make sure it doesn't faceplant into any walls, stalactites or lost humans. Just amazing to see it in action.

Anatakitaki Cave entrance

Marc, hostel mate, decends the ladder into the Anatakitaki Cave led by Marshall

Tree roots that grow through rocks- solid as! You could play a tune on em if you wanted

The walk in to the cave was impressive, about an hour in the jungle through the razor like rock of the Makatea, the old coral reef. A bit of plant interpretation along the way was informative- I now know what a Noni tree looks like. If you've ever had Noni juice you know what I'm on about... not the sweetest taste in the world but a wonderful kickstart for any ailing immune systems. I know also know what respective plants to eat to ward of the flu, stomach pains and a few other ailments. The final highlight of the Anatakitaki cave was of course a dip on an underground pool, most refreshing!

Walking though the Makatea

After walking out it was leg 2 of the tour, the Tumunu. Atiu is the only island left in the Cooks that does this, sort of a throwback to the Missionary days when alcohol was outlawed. The Atiuans responded by retreating into the jungle for secret drinking sessions with a hugely potent homebrew. A bit like the Fijian kava sessions if you like. The Tumunu itself is a hollowed out stump of a coconut tree which holds the beer, which is in turn dished out the the leader of the session shot by shot. And I can assure you after half an hour of swigging the stuff you are pretty damn relaxed, they reckon the stuff is about 30% alcohol, and of course they take great delight in getting the visitors hammered. The price of admission is a friendly wave and either $5 bucks donation or some ingredients for the next batch to be brewed. It tasted ok, kind of tangy, not beer like at all, more like a mulled wine if you like. Just with a kick!

Next day, fully recovered and thankfully no hangover it was off walkies around the island- I'll get to that in Atiu Part 3, so standby!

More about Marshall and his tours can be found at his website, which I have to give a plug to! (Clickety here) There's some very cool pics of the Kopeka there too, I recommend a look!The craziest thing was 4000 odd km from home I got to go for a walk with Marshall, who knew about me through Tenure Review- it is a very very small world!

Ramping up the Training

Well the Kepler is looming, just over two months to go. Made a spur of the moment decision late last week to enter the Sri Chinmoy Half Marathon around Hagley Park to see where things are at after some good baselining since Raro.

I'm still in shock...1 hour 41 mins, about 14 mins quicker that my previous best half marathon! Things are looking good. Perfect conditions for a run really, cloudy cool and refreshing.

Hayman Mania

Questions

1. Which one of the above pics is Carl Hayman?

2. Will he be shot be the French Anti Terrorist squad if he carries on this behaviour?

3. Isn't his scrummaging terrifying enough?

4. Why would he possibly want to hide The Beard?

Razor Review- Snow Patrol; The Sequel- Christchurch

Aren't we lucky this year with live music? We are even seeing major acts such as Muse and Snow Patrol playing twice on our shores in one year, brilliant stuff.

After seeing a gig as incredible as The Cure last time it was going to be hard for Snow Patrol to follow up. However, they played a great show- and as it turns out their last show for some time, they are taking a hiatus for 12 months from any touring, hopefully to hit the recording studio in the meantime.

Iain Archer (Snow Patrol and Reindeer Section collaborator with Gary Lightbody) and OpShop played solid and occasionally excellent warm ups before the Energizer Bunny himself Lightbody hit the stage with the main act. I'm not sure how long they played but it was a much better show that the Auckland one earlier this year- but then perhaps the headspace was better for going to a gig this time round as well.

These guys clearly love NZ, and the high praise of our country was genuine in intent, right down to the lime green NZ RSA t-shirt that Lightbody wore for the duration of the gig.

The played all the hits and the best songs from both Eyes Open and Final Straw, some real crowdpleasers. The band, especially the singer, play with such unbridled pleasure that the energy through the crowd was infectious. We were a handful of rows from the front, right where you can see the whites of the eyes of the band. If I can be that close for Muse in November its going to be one of the years highlights.

A great night in what can sometimes be an unreliable venue soundwise, we all left with grins. Back in February I gave them a 7 out of 10. This time they get an 8.5 out of ten.

Come back soon!

Atiu Part 1- A Slice of Forgotten Paradise

Nothing could have prepared me for Atiu. No amount of reading websites, books, talking with the old man, nothing at all could have given me a clue of what I was in for when I left the Pacific Resort and jumped on that Bandeirante Aircraft and headed a few hundred kilometres ENE from Rarotonga.

First look at Atiu

This is the stuff South Seas legends are borne from. A 27 sq.km island in the Pacific Ocean, population approximately 600, down from 1000 a decade or so back. Half the numbers are lively and boisterous kids, many of whom are raised by grandparents. I guess many of the working age folk gravitate to Raro or NZ, leaving a bit of a generation gap. I understand its actually Cook Island custom for the first born to be given to the grandparents. The people there are just so friendly and giving, after just a few hours on the place my initial shock of no longer being at a resort had worn off and people were saying hi to the highly conspicuous honkey boy from Christchurch as if I'd lived there all my life.

View from Are Manuiri- Home for 3 days

The island itself consists almost entirely of a raised coral reef, that at some point was shunted up out of the sea by tectonic activity. This exposed fossilised landscape is locally known as the makatea, and I tell you what you wouldn't want to walk on it barefoot, or fall over, you would easily do serious damage- and given Atiu is primarily a subsistence economy island with limited infrastructure I suspect you really don't want to bother the health system too much there!

Oneroa Beach, no not the Waikeke one!

The populace all live within 5 'villages' in the centre of the island that really feel like one, which in itself is unique. Each village seems to have its own rugby field, tennis court, and church. The churches are definitely the flashest buildings on the island, without a doubt.

Zion Tapu

No one seems quite sure why they abandoned the coast, but the history of the island is one of fierce warriors and proud folklore, and even cannibalism. No doubt all this was assisted by the impregnable nature of the makatea for any potential invaders. Today this means the 4WD track around the coast is a stunning remote experience walk, with crashing surf over the relatively young coral reef and lagoon, with bountiful fruit and food on display (yes I picked my own pawpaw, bananas and coconuts as is the Atiu way) and a diverse wildlife of pigs, poultry, birds, humpback whales and highly territorial crabs -yes I was chased by a few big ones, including the ubiquitous coconut crab- about the size of a dinner plate!

The Coral Garden

Talk about back to nature. Home on the island was in Areora Village nestled among the locals at a hostel named Are Manuiri. It was laid back and I had company in the form of an ex truckie from the US named Marc, who is on a mission to become a fully-fledged Cook Island resident. Good luck to you my friend and thanks so much for the impromptu Gun N Roses concert!

Anyway thats it for this installment, standby for Atiu Part 2- Cave Birds, Bush Beer and the Ranfurly Shield!

Razor on Tour- Rarotonga, Resort Style

Downtown colours in Avarua

A two week holiday in the tropics in the middle of winter? What a great idea! Massive thanks to Mark and Alex for giving us the excuse needed to abandon the frost, snow, wind and office for the sun, beaches, lagoons, fish and island time that is the Cook Islands. Inspirational idea.

Left ChCh and then Auckland on a frosty morning, and flew in comfort on the flash harry 777 Airbus. Own personal movie screens, free booze, good company. 4 hours later touchdown, 27 degrees and sunny. And we shared the flight with the new Cooks Governor General and the NZ G-G so there was a full royal island welcome upon arrival. Nice! Rarotonga customs? No worries. Bags took a while unless your name is Jo...then you get preferential treatment everywhere you go it seems...nice scam!

The Pacific Resort is nice. Real laid back. It's also for sale after our visit...I'm sure thats just coinicidence though! First thing you do when you get there is throw away your watch, you're on Island Time now after all. Go for a snorkel, swim with the fishes....the multitudes of fishes, every colour under the sun. Even found Nemo. Water temp in the mid 20-s, just like the air- only worry is sunburn, theres nothing in the lagoon that'll eat ya!

Muri Blue Lagoon

Then its cocktail o'clock, dinner on the beach and chill time. Perfect.


Day 2...go get your Cook Islands drivers licence...this will be a whole other post, a story in itself!
Then more swimming, more cocktails, more beach dining. Ride the scooter round the island in a leisurely hour or so, Raro is still a pretty laid back place, not crowded, nor too overdeveloped. Was hard to remember the last visit 24 years ago, but not too much seems to have changed. Life is hard in the Raro lane!

Day 3- wedding day. Keep Mark and Alex away from each other, don't want any bad luck after all. We shot off to Market Day at Avarua, fun exploring a true island-style market place. The weather didn't play ball, windy and wet, but man was the surf roaring its approval of Captain Thompson's nuptials. It all went off with a hitch, just as planned, wonderful ceremony and reception under the marquis on the beach. Congrats guys!

Days 4, 5 and 6...more swimming, exploring, lazing, drinks on the beach, crawling round the island. Whats an office again? One by one the Wedding Party filtered off, back to the Land of the Long White Cloud. Raro's weather was a mixed bag, some crackers and some slightly chilly ones, but the daytime temps are always over 20 degrees, even in mid winter, usually more like the mid 20's.

Dog gone fishin

Next installment... Atiu, a true remote experience.

Home again

Back in town after two totally amazing weeks in the Cook Islands. Stand by for the Razor on Tour series of pics and stories... I want to go back!

Winter Blues

Tommorrow I'll be here....see you all in a fortnight

Work and Play

Isn't it great when you have a job that takes you to the great outdoors? These are from the Kakanui Mountains in Central Otago.... a privilege. Graham Sydney country this stuff...