Today I rode my first chute!

And it was amazing. Jo and I visited Mount Ruapehu for some snow love. Saturday was a wash out in more ways than one (poor visibility and weather, Jo not feeling well). However, Sunday dawned bright but unfortunately we didn't! We finally made it to the top of the mountain and worked our way across to some of the out of the way black runs (NZ Black = European Red) on the edge of the resort.

Having made our way across, we were none the wiser about which run to take or even where the runs went! Fortunately a kindly kiwi realised we might be a bit stuck about where to go and offered to lead us down the Organ Chutes! It was without doubt the best piece of boarding riding I've experience and the reason why I took up boarding in the first place; remote runs, fantastic snow and no people, just a mountainside to yourself as you wind your way downwards, creating your own lines, before dropping down into a steep sided gorge, and snaking along. We tried again later in the day but the temperatures had risen turning the snow to slush plus too many people had discovered what we already knew!

All in all, it was a fantastic weekend, spent with another Jo and her boyfriend Lance, in the village of Ohakune, riding snow and watching sport (Canterbury beat Hawkes Bay in a thrilling rugby game whilst the silver ferns netball team were showing England how the game should be played). The accommodation was also very cool; a converted railway carriage.

Great moments in pop!

Last Friday, Jo & I and some friends went to what can only be described as a 'Great Moment in Pop!' (with thanks to Mark and Lard).

The opening AND closing night of the Amateur Transplants world tour! The who....... exactly. A quick search of Youtube will provide you with an answer but if you cast your memory back a year or so, they 'released' a song called the London Underground' which did the emails rounds. A catchy little number!

Anyway, they were in Wellington for a conference (they are both still doctors!) and it would appear that the NHS doesn't pay for flights around the world for its consultants to attend such conferences, so they packed out the medical school lecture theatre. The show itself was excellent, with many of the songs being short, medical related and of an adult theme. The songs are also by and large their own versions of more famous songs, e.g. James' Sit Down had been turned into OCD! Personally it just reinforces my view that doctors have twisted minds.

Incidentally, there are no plans repeat their world tour, ever...............

First Impressions

I've been in Wellington for just over two weeks now. Whilst I wouldn't say that I know the city inside out, despite its relatively small size, I do feel that I'm gaining a feel for it. The main 'feature' of Wellington, for me anyway, is its bohemian atmosphere. Whilst the appearance of many of its citizens isn't especially unique, the scale is. I've never seen as many people in one place dressed as 'alternatively' as Wellingtonians. The same for body art, i.e. tattoos and piercing. Maybe its the small size of Wellington and the compactness of the city centre which focuses the look but Wellington, or maybe New Zealand, definitely has a style to it.

Some of the buildings in Wellington help to amplify this bohemian appearance. A lot of the buildings in New Zealand are constructed from wood, and houses are commonly referred to as washboard villas. But some of the city centre buildings have a faded look, almost as if they belong to a town in the Australian outback or American Midwest. These contrast sharply with the gleaming skyscrapers of Lambton Quay and the financial district. But the two sit comfortably side by side.

Jo and I went to see a film about sharks last week (www.sharkwater.com) which was excellent as well as being emotive and informative and is definitely worth seeking out. Otherwise, been fairly quiet for us both as Jo had a week of night shifts although I have been to the climbing wall and found a local lacrosse team.

We did go away this weekend with four friends from the UK to River Valley Lodge on the Rangitikei River (www.rivervalley.co.nz). A fantastic location set deep in the heart of the valley. They also offer white water rafting trips on the adjacent river which was fantastic!