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Spook's Blog

Spook's Blog

Here Spook will be keeping us all up to date with his latest goings-on from the other side of the world in NZ.

Sat 11/10/08 Arrived in Wanaka a week ago and have spent the week just coming to terms with living on the other side of the planet.We left Lochaber as the first snow was falling on Ben Nevis and arrived on the south island as the last snow of the winter was falling here.

I have been very well looked after by my new employers,hire car at the airport in Queenstown,2 nights at the Edgewater Resort,Wanaka and a very relaxed attitude to everything- things are looking good !!! I start work and the kids start school on Monday so the holiday is over.

To-day was spent snowboarding at the Cardona Mountain resort - Awesome- roll on next winter !!!

Relentless 24 this weekend the first No Fuss event without my presence.I hope the weather is kind to everybody -the No Fuss team,the racers and last but not least the marshals.

Good luck to everybody involved, I will try and tune in during the week-end

 Wednesday 22nd October 2008

Well done to everyone who took part in/slogged their guts out at Relentless.  I hear it went smoothly, but I know from experience that these things don't go smoothly without a huge amount of commitment from everyone - not least the Marshals who watch over you all night.

Spring has sprung in the Deep South.  We know this because we were at the Spring Festival last weekend.  We caught the end of the skateboard race down the High Street.  Anything goes and the guy being towed by his dog, wasn't actually cheating.

I did my bit for the Kiwi environment the other night, by running over my first Possum.  In the car, not on foot or bike!  If it wasn't for wailing children, I might have taken it home and fashioned it into a new sporran.

Glen and Marion McNeilly, who jointly owned the Achintee Inn, stayed a couple of days with us last week.  It was great to see them, and to see Glen looking so relaxed - quite different to the man who endlessly fed No Fuss at the Inn and poured beer into them....very stressful.

David and Nicky Brookland (1st Kiwi's to win the No Fuss prize to 10underthen ben), are talking about coming up to see us this bank holiday weekend.  Will be good to catch up. 

On Bank holiday Monday, I thought I might try out my first event of the season.  The Dusky Trail Mountain Bike Race www.twizel.com 44km over the McKenzie high country; and happily finishes at the same place it starts unlike many races over here which require much planning and long drives between start and finish.

Will keep you posted.

Monday 27th October 2008

Drove up 1st thing, with Dan to McKenzie country, to race at Twizel.  300+ people had the same idea.  The weather was fantastic.  Some folk had made a weekend of it and had run the Pyramid Trail race on Saturday. (18km off road race).

Arrived in time for a quick breakfast, which for Dan proved to be an error as he ate the same breakfast several times throughout the race.  My school-boy error was to try and keep up with the big boys at the start of the race, which lasted for 6km before  I blew up. Managed to hang on to the end, coming in about 52nd, I think, and 10th in my class. Not bad considering my recent lifestyle - lack of training and a few too many beers.

The course was very varied, with tarmac, canal-side, four WD track and some nice man-made single track back towards the finish.  There was a lovely section through the Oregan Pine forest.

It was very hot, especially during the two long climbs, and by all accounts the riders at the back of the race had a strong head wind to contend with.

Dan had a good ride and was pleased to be in the top 20 of the 'Classic Man' catergory, and in his 1st mountain bike race, on my wifes 'blue' bike.  A portly gentleman, who scoffed at Dans pre-race diet of vegetarian quiche, shot past Dan, long before the finish.  A bit galling.

This was a very well organised event, well marked and marshalled, with a host of excellent spot prizes and worth the $50 entry fee. ($10 extra for our late entry)

I topped the day off with a night out at the local cinema in Wanaka.  www.paradiso.net.nz Hard to beat!

 

Tuesday 11th November

The weather has been fantastic for the last couple of weeks, ice on car windscreens first thing in the morning blue skies and temperature rising to twenty two degrees by mid-day.

I have been out quite a bit on the MTB including a trip out to west Wanaka with fishing rod in tow.  I spotted a large creek flowing in to Lake Wanaka on the map and thought that was the perfect spot.  I cycled out about 20 KM on the tarmac then 10 KM on lovely single track high above the lake.  I was delighted as the track was deserted and not a cloud in the sky.  You can imagine my utter horror when walking down the creek to the lake side I discovered all the kiwis had sailed in on bloody great jet boats and were swimming in 'MY' creek - and without breaking into a sweat.

I have crossed over to the dark side with the purchase of a second-hand road bike.  The biggest problem with it, is that the wind seems to be constant and blows in all directions except in the direction I am going.  Could this be why the roadies out here are so fit?  And plenty of them.