New Zealand - a general outdoor paradise.

The 4x4 van of terror loaded up and ready to roll... anywhere!

I like spending money and so far in New Zealand I have acheived this with flying colours. Not only have I bought a van and a kayak, but also a mountain bike. I think that maybe I should extend my stay and working options a little further...

Anyway, within one day of being in the country I hooked up with the local bike shop here in Queenstown and headed off on a biking mission. A really nice blend of steep downhill single-track greeted me in Skipper's Canyon, followed be an hours slog back up the mountain road. I was certainly not flying back uphill - 2 months either sat in a boat in the water, sat in a harness in the air, or sat on my backside drinking tea has ensured the wasting of my legs! Anyway, it was brilliant getting back in the saddle again.

My first river in New Zealand has been the Nevis river nearby to Queenstown. A fantastic and out-the-way run that requires a drive over some stunning hills remeniscent of the Dartmoor tors (except sunny and surrounded by snow capped mountains). I hooked up with Doctor Robin and Ben Hawthorne (previously of Desperate Measures) and it took us 9 hours to complete the run. It wasn't without drama, as at one point myself and Robin waited round a corner for Ben to appear after running an inconsequential corner he had got out to scout. Just as we were getting out to walk back up, Ben appeared on the riverbank, without boat. It took us an hour and a half of exciting rope-work and muscle wrenching to get the boat from out under the boulders and river Ben had managed to sink it under. I was just pleased Ben wasn't still in the boat. Still a glorious run, with a great big water finish running the Citroen rapid on the Kawarau river at over 300 Cumecs (cubic meters of water per second).

Since my inaugeration to Kiwi paddling I've managed to tick off the Waikia and two day Perth off my big list. Both incredible rivers with their own merits. The Waikia for it's first rapid, a 20 foot tunnel formed by a boulder off a 15-20 waterfall, which you cannot inspect. The Perth for being a 2 day helicoptor drop run (provisions being dropped at the hut roughly halfway down) with it's own dreamlike 15ft boof in the centre of the flow.

Colin so fast he's a blur on this staunch rapid on the Waikia

Colin actually pulled this off on the Perth. Nice one Col!

A pic of me doing the Perth boof.

Unfortunately the Perth also proved a little much for my unstable shoulders - pinned on a rock above a nastly choked grade 5 section, after getting a beating on the section above, I shifted to grab a line thrown to me and... washed upside-down off the pin to run the entire following section on my head, one hand on paddle. In trying to get hold of my paddle, whilst being thumped off rock, I subluxed my right shoulder (a partial dislocation) and bruised the ligaments. Luckily I could still paddle the half day out, but it was sore and I've not pushed the kayaking since - giving the shoulder a chance to stabalise again. Everybody else had a storming day, Danny, Colin, Si and Sean all hitting their lines and styling it down the river.

A spot of bouldering near Queenstown

Since then I've been enjoying the myriad of activities that New Zealand has to offer. Within spitting distance of Queenstown, where I have set up residence with Ben, Si and Sean, there's a whole host of outdoor classics. From climbing to frisbe golf, I'm hitting it all as hard as I can. I currently sport hands with all kinds of ridiculous holes and blisters on them - raw fingertips from bouldering on the sharp schist to a strange blisters on the sides of my fingers from frisbe golf. Nights out with the guys from Queenstown rafting is adding to the difficulty in training for the cross country marathon I have, for some unknown reason, entered. The Mototapu Icebreaker marathon runs through Shania Twain's estate out here and is supposedly the 'most beautiful marathon in the world.' I just hope I can appreciate this as I drag my sorry arse through it. We shall see - if you're not too busy on the 14th March, spare a thought for my little legs.

A 20 km practice run up the Routeburn Valley

I'm pretty sure that I should get my updates a little more detailed - but I'm currently spread so thin on many activities that nothing significant sticks out, it's all great! Hopefully I'll get some proper missions underway soon, otherwise I'll try and keep everyone updated with my general activities.