The New Decade Is Here

Do we call it The Tens? The Teens?

Whatever the case I rang in the new years gong at Okarito Beach on NZ's wonderful West Coast en route to an excellent few days up in my beloved mountains. Pure bliss. 2 fine days- and 2 wet ones, 400mm of rain actually!

Anyway, back to work today and its a battle to remember where things were at just 10 days ago with the workflow. We'll get there.

To underline matters, yesterday I was here (yes, thats a hot pool):

Christchurch- Number One

Stuff.co.nz has confirmed that Christchurch is the safest place in NZ to live. Having lived in a few other places in NZ I have to agree. Full article here.


We have had a glorious summer to boot...as I speak its sitting on 25 degrees and its meant to be the middle of autumn, got to love that.


Posting here has been quiet lately, kids have been sick, so we've had a massive amount on at home. On top of that I think I've just got through the busiest working week of my life, with two major tenure review submissions going in. But when you are dealing with iconic landsacpes that inspire you, its really not that hard to stay motivated.


Heres one of those landscapes I've had the pleasure of working on lately- the Kirkliston Range in the Hakataramea Valley, South Canterbury.

The New Job

Well, believe it or not its almost a month into it. The job is everything I expected and more, its really quite a politically charged time to be working on Tenure Review but thats just another thing that makes the job fun.

Already I'm working on places dear to my tramping and mountain biking heart. Really the job is a combination of all the different careers paths I've taken merged into one very interesting role. Still very much in the induction phase, but we're getting quite a bit achieved already.

Now all I need to do is find a new home!

Welcome Home

Where is winter? Its been 22 degrees the past two days and its a balmy shorts and tee shirt with doors and windows flung open type of evening here in the South Island tonight, not bad for late May. Light norwest breeze wafting around, stunning sunset, just the ticket really.

I know one or two very important people who aren't at all upset at this sort of weather...and I must admit I'm starting to come around to their way of thinking.

Had first day at the new job today, its going to be brilliant. We'll be working on High Country farm reviews from Southland to Marlborough and everywhere in the Southern Alps in between and yes, there will be helicopter trips into the mountains. Its going to be fun, challenging and rewarding, everything you could want in a job really. And my negotiation skills will be made or broken!

Heres a pic of what a cracker ChCh sunset looks like to go out on for today...

I Quit My Job Today

A sad day and a happy one all at once....I think they call that bittersweet?

And I start the new one in Christchurch on Monday. Beat that for speed of transition.

Life is very very kind at the moment....praise be.

I'll be Riding Six White Horses....

Mainly coz my poor old car is dying...

However, for those of you who know about my High Country 'project' that I've been working on the last few weeks, today has nailed it- its all go! Time for a celebratory or two folks.

Fan- bloody- tastic, I'm going home, and I get to cruise 'Around the Mountains' for work, and for play.

Drought Breaker

Well I think today was quite possibly one of the shittiest most crappiest days I've ever had in a workspace. Everyone is busy trying to tell the boss he is a pile of steaming donkey excrement, in the nicest possible way while he attempts to disestablish 20% of the firm in one intensely foul swoop. If anyone wants to know how to completely decimate a government organisation, drop me a line and I'll put you in touch....

Anyway the call for the night was to have a few quiets and go watch rugby with the boys. It was after that when Razor had a religious experience or two. It has been a pretty 'Summery' sort of time in the Jaffabowl lately, so everyone has got complacent.

It was with considerable trepidation as a storm rolled in that I decided to test out the late night train system from the swanky Britomart (see Atlas video for detail) to the not-so-swanky Westie landmark of the Glen Eden train station. It was an enlightening journey....punctuated by anyone under 18 thinking to their error that they could ride for free (aka steal a ride) and hence forth having a long walk home from (ironically) the Mt Eden Station.

Anyway, after the dude asleep with the Megadeth Tshirt got ejected at New Lynn, I headed off into the elements from the Glen Eden Station. It was 5 mins run down the road in the Big Wet where I hit the Jaffabowl equivalent of winning lotto- yes, I found an abandoned umbrella. Consequently I now get to sit here dry as a bone, listening to the monsoon thumping down on the roof, complete with Thunder and Lightning.

Hopefully it has struck the office as I type...