Well that must have been a busy 18 months or so to result in no blog updates whatsoever!
Yeah, actually it has been. Too much time working, that's for sure!
So what have been the big news items over that time.....
13,000 aftershocks! We're kinda getting used to them now. Still demolishing the city centre - apparently around 100 more buildings to knock down and then they can start proper on the rebuild.
Lots of people still frustrated by Insurance and EQC - still living in broken homes - though others have been fortunate and have either been bought out (by the Govt) and moved on (ie. bought new) or have had repairs done.
We have moved since the last blog. In fact we have moved 3 times - and that was in the space of 6 months - which was quite exhausting. We're currently in what we affectionately call 'the greenhouse' - due to the extent of glass in the walls. Great in Summer - not so good in Winter due to it being single glazed. Yes, it was Summer when we chose it! Winter has been a bit of a challenge but we are heading towards warmer weather again so things are not so bad. It's a little on the small side however methinks that move number 4 may be on the cards again soon!
Chris moved out of house No 1 to set up with his girl, Kylie, who he had met whilst working at Burger King. One of his first decisions upon leaving home was to acquire the puppy he had always wanted and so Tiny the Bull Mastiff became his new pal. He decided on a change of career during 2012 - firstly with a stint in Telephone Sales which was quickly followed by a job as a Farm Hand on a Canterbury dairy farm. After a year in that job he and Kylie headed down to Central Otago and onto another dairy farm - which lasted around 2 months before he returned to Chch in search of other employment.
Sarah has been busy working hard at NCEA's - achieving some great results at Stage 1 and looking to repeat the feat at Stage 2 if all goes to plan. She also acquired a part time job in Riccarton Mall - she's a 'Wendy's Girl' - serving ice creams, shakes and smoothies to the throngs of shoppers. She started driving earlier in the year but that came to a halt recently when - after no fault of her own - the car was shunted by a red-light-jumper - and it's been sat in the panel-beaters for the best part of 3 months (that's another story altogether!). Maybe we'll get the L-plates back on again this weekend?
Talking of weekend, Maria's back from the UK on Sunday. She's been back to celebrate the wedding of James and Jodie Kennerley.
Maria has a new job, by the way. She no longer works for Safe and Sound - but instead is Business Health Nurse Manager at Moorhouse Medical Centre. Business is booming and she is enjoying the challenge of having responsibility for the performance of the dept.
Maria, Sarah and I visited Melbourne, Noosa and Brisbane for a week last April - catching up with Eibhlin Fletcher and the Guyomar's in Melbourne and Brisbane respectively.
And whilst Maria has been in the UK, Sarah and I have enjoyed a short break with Steve Frodsham and his daughters down in Queenstown.
I've been busy working all over the country - mainly teaching Lean Thinking. I currently have clients in Tauranga, Hastings, Christchurch and Dunedin - so I spend quite a bit of time sitting in airport waiting rooms - which can be a bit tedious. However, I enjoy the work so that makes up for the hanging around and nights away from home.
I've also been doing a regular radio slot with Plains FM, which has been fun. I've met some really interesting people as a result of doing the show and hopefully intend to do more. I've also just finished my first season as a football coach with one of the teams from the local Boy's High School - which again has been very satisfying and great fun (at least when we won!).
A combination of football commitments and busy work schedule has impacted my own sporting activities - I've not been getting out on the bike as much as I would have liked - but hopefully that will change now that Saturday mornings are footy-free! Trouble is that the extra 5kg will be a bugger to pull up and over the Port Hills for the first few weeks!
And hopefully Maria will be bringing me back some new Asics running shoes so no longer will I have an excuse for not getting out for a run around the park or along the Harry Ell track!
Tuesday, 10 September 2013
Monday, 2 January 2012
Happy New Year
I've had difficulty posting blogs since June last year, so this is a test to see if it's working again. If it does work, then I'd like to wish you a Happy New Year and I'd better get a plan together to update you all!
Sunday, 5 June 2011
Friday, 3 June 2011
We're still here!
Wow, I hadn't realised that 3 months had passed since my last blog....I bet you have all been on tenter hooks!
Not much to report really.
Christchurch CBD remains locked down whilst the demolition teams go about their task of flattening all the broken buildings. The Eastern suburbs are still a mess. Summit Road and Sumner Road remain closed so there have been no Short or Long Bays cycle rides for quite some time. I did go for my first swim at Jellie Park since the EQ at the start of this week. I'm sure they have increased the viscosity of the water. Still, it was great to be swimming outdoors in the sunshine on a remarkably warm late autumn day.
I have had one other swim since the EQ - but that was whilst over in Oz during our Easter trip. We had a great time.
Five days with the Guyomars at their lovely place in Ormiston to the south-east of Brisbane during which we took in a trip to North Stradbroke Island, a mooch around the Tamborine Mountains and a visit to the Gold Coast.
Cocktail hour was a regular theme. Would you expect anything less?!
We also got together with some relatives of mine down at Paradise Point - Madeline and Nicola hosted a BBQ for us - though the trditional old Coast sunshine did desert us that day. Fab get-together though.
We then had 3 nights in Sydney - staying close to Darling Harbour. What a great city Sydney is. The weather did its best to put us off, but it failed. The ferry trip out to Manly was a little choppier than expected, but the sunset views of the city on the return were worth it.
We met up with Vicky, Kevin and Olivia - one of Maria's nurse-training pals - and spent the evening in a bar on Circular Quay watching the (NZ) Breakers win the Australian basketball championship - oh, and the girls got to watch a wedding that they were beaming over from the UK.
We also managed to catch up with more of the 'McCormack clan' - the New South Wales chapter - with Mary and Jimmy hosting another BBQ for us - and Jane doing a fantastic job of taxiing us all around the place - apart from driving down the one-way street in the wrong direction!
So what else has been happening here....? Best check the diary to remember.
Ah yes, early March, Maria, Sarah and I headed off to Tekapo for a night away from the shaking. We stopped at the Chalet - 3rd time we have stayed there now - I think they are going to rename the romm as the Burns Suite. Had some fun in the hot-pools and also visited Mount Cook village - which was very scenic with the mountain backdrop.
Also in March, there was an Earthquake Memorial Service held in Hagley Park - just across the road from where we live - which we attended before heading off to Hanmer for another shake free evening - compliments of Solid Energy where Maria works. More lazing in hot tubs. Glorious! Plus a bit of mountain biking in the forest.
I had a couple of trips up to Auckland with my Simply Lean colleagues in April. First one was for a few days work with a client in Warkworth - about an hours drive north of Auckland. Interesting little place. It was noticeably warmer than Christchurch in the evenings! The following week saw me at a Lean Accounting Conference in Mount Wellington (Auckland) for a couple of days.
I've continued to do some part time work with Business Mentors - there has been a big increase in demand for the services since the EQ's - so there's plenty for me to do. I've also got involved in a project to help organise and run the Tour of New Zealand - a 9 day cycle event happening next April here in NZ. The event was formally launched at NZ Parliament in Wellington mid-May - so that involved a trip up to the capital with one of the race directors - and my new next door neighbour - Ghene Snellen. Having earlier said that the Manly ferry ride was choppy, well it was like a mill pond in comparison to the crossing we had from Picton to Wellington on our way to the launch! I was glad when we finally made it into the shelter of Wellington Harbour.
The launch event made it onto the evening TV news - and so did the back of my head! Actually, so did the front side - but blink and you'd miss it.
The event promises to be a fantastic showcase of NZ, particularly the opportunities for cycling over here - the Government have launched a programme to create a series of Great Rides throughout the country - some of which are going to be incorporated into the Tour. Anyway, Desmond Street in leafy Fendalton is now 'Tour Central'!
I have been doing quite a bit of running recently - I had planned to do the Christchurch marathon - which is tomorrow - but over the past few weeks my enthusiasm for entering the event waned to the point that I haven't actually registered. It's being held out at Lincoln township due to the usual course being 'out-of-bounds' due to EQ damage. I may actually just get my bike out in the morning and have a cycle over there to watch some of the event and then spin a few more miles - sorry, kilometres - afterwards. I've done a few cross-country events with the Port Hill Runners over the past month or so - the Hagley Park Relays and the Lionel Fox Relays - the latter being held up at Woodend Beach. It was a great course - through the sand-dunes and forest. And my did it rain - which surprisingly added to the event!
Chris has managed to secure a new job as a trainee shift manager at Burger King. Wendy's laid all their staff off due to the premises being badly damaged in the Feb EQ - and it's in the part of town that is likley to remain off-bounds until at least 2012. So he's got some direction again after a month or so kicking his heels.
Sarah finally got back to school a month after the EQ - and that was almost delayed further by a 5.1 magnitude aftershock hitting the place the night before it was due to re-open. The school has sustained quite a bit of damage - certain parts are due to be pulled down and repaired - eventually. Like lots of other schools, portakabins have been installed in playgrounds or on sportfields to accommodate the lessons in the meantime. In a couple of cases, schools have closed completely due to damage and they are having to use the facilities of other schools - the host school runs their timetable from 8am to 12pm, the visiting school starts at 1pm until 5pm!
Talking of damage and repairs, we have been told that we cannot use the 'south wing' of our house due to the damage that it suffered in the Feb EQ. So that's 2 bedrooms, a bathroom and the double garage that we no longer have the use of. Chris has relocated into the TV room and Sarah is now in my office. I've been relegated to the dining room table - for work that is, not sleeping! Not sure what Nicky's plans are to get the placed fixed up so it remains unclear whether we will have to relocate in the short term.
We also received the news this week that there is a 23% chance of there being another magnitude 6 to 7 earthquake happening in Canterbury within the next 12 months! Just what you need when you are trying to get things back to normal - not!
Anyway....it's Sarah's 15th birthday on Monday and we have a bank holiday on which to celebrate it, so hopefully we'll have a pleasant family day which I can report on at a later date. We are also hosting our new neighbour Ghene and his family for dinner on Sunday - and we were out partying yesterday (a bit too hard to be honest!) at one of Maria's (soon to be ex-) work pals place. So the social scene is definitely going strong...and after a few wines you tend to not notice the aftershocks!
Sunday, 27 February 2011
EQ Update...
It's now Monday 28th Feb - 6 days since the jolt.
We have power and water back on at Desmend St - though still having to boil drinking water. Maria was back in work last Friday and has gone in to Solid Energy this afternoon.
Friday was a rainy day and not much was attempted at Kingsford with the clear up. Instead I had a cycle across town to check up on Di and Geoff in Hillsborough. They had sustained a bit of damage to their property but their kitchen had 'exploded' - or at least the contents of their cupvoards and shelves and they were still in clean up mode. I took meander back through Sydenham and clocked a bit more of the devastation.
We went across to Kinsford again on Saturday and along with some friends and colleagues of Elaine we more or let de-silted Matt and Lou's garden. The access drive still has about a 6 inch layer in places but I think they are leaving that for the men with the excavators!
Despite it being back breaking and stinky, filthy work, there was a real team spirit as we dug and barrowed the s(h)ilt away. Strangers at the start of the exercise - pals at the end. And other strangers - from as far away as Methven and Mt Sommers - pulling up in cars with bags of biscuits and bottles of fresh water. One bloke turned up with a wheel barrow and spade and just got stuck in. No-one knew who he was - he didn't talk much - just kept pushing the barrow back and forth. When he finally left and said his farewells, it was clear he was an East European - helping a west European - over here, that's simply the Cantabrian spirit! Everyone is red and black!
We hosted couple of pals for supper on Saturday evening once we had returned from Matt and Lou's - curry and champagne - what a mix! Every now and then, though, I kept getting a whiff of the silt - must have been impregnated in my skin, or nostril hairs!!
Sunday we decided to have a change around in the house. Sarah had been sleeping on the floor in our room and Chris had moved into the TV room downstairs - as the 'south wing' that contained their bedrooms had become too 'shakey'! We decided to reconvert the downstairs study back into a bedroom for Sarah - and therefore my office would reside upstairs in the wobbly section! She seemed much happier about the new arrangements - wouldn't be kept awake all night by the snoring - nevermind the aftershocks!
Sunday was actually a lovely sunny day, so Maria and I had a wander around Hagley Park in the afternoon. Although not as catastrophic as the damage wreaked in the CBD and in the Eastern suburbs, the Park has its fair share of scars from the quake. There are several trees down.
Some of the ornamental lakes are either drinaed or draining.
There is cracking on most of the paths and plenty of liquifaction. The golf course is a mess - all of the fairways are full of silt patches - it looks like more bunkers than grass. And boy does it stink!
The greens have developed 'growths' - one reminded me of a a mini-Hobitton!
The practice green outside the club-house has a gaping crack running along it. The greenkeeper is going to be busy for a while...
The Botanical Gardens are normally packed on a Sunday afternoon at this time of year. There is usually a free live music event held on the main lawn. Today it was deserted.
The only sound that disturbed the silence was the the thumping-whirl of the army helicopters that circle periodically overhead.
It not only looks like a war zone - it's starting to sound like one!
Friday, 25 February 2011
The Clear Up Begins.
It wasn't a great night's sleep, Tuesday night that is. The aftershocks kept rolling on through. There was a particularly large one at around 3.30am which woke me and I spent the next hour or so unsuccessfully counting sheep. I did get a bit more sleep before it was time to get up and set about getting on with life in the Earthquake zone!
I think we actually spent the morning on Skype letting worried relatives we were all 'safe and sound'. The TV was on in the kitchen and we had a steady stream of information regarding the situation downtown and the ongoing efforts to rescue people from a couple of buildings that had collapsed with significant people within.
We still had no water and the swimming pool - our prefered source of toilet flushing water - was emptying fast. Time to fill a dustbin with whatever water was left!
Ironically, next door had had the demolition gang in over the past few days knocking down their Sept-EQ-damaged house (the small one that they had been living in rather than the huge one they were having built). They were literally finishing off that morning and Nicky managed to pursuade them to remove the fallen wall from our driveway. Job done in no time at all - it would have taken hours by hand! Another bonus was that one of the guys informed us of an artesian well in next-door's garden - so my concerns over a lack of water supply we lessened. At least I would be able to have a wash down on the river bank in clean water - even if it would be in view of those across the river in Hagley Park!
We got a visit from Maria's boss, Charles (Chops) and his wife Kelly. They were making sure we were alright and offered water as they already had their mains supply back on, plus had had plenty of emergency supply stored. How organised!
Maria and I decided to head on over to Matt and Lou's in the car - to see if we could help them with their clear up. We only got as far as Edgeware Road along Hills Road before we had to turn back - the road was unpassable - with vast amounts of water and silt deposited from the liquifaction during the shake. Driving back along Edgeware Road was like driving along a beach - with cars stranded in silt and sink holes littering the roads.
A cordon had been established around the 'Four Avenues' - preventing people from entering the centre of town - the police and army on patrol with their armoured vehicles. A very strange sight for Christchurch indeed.
We decided to take Chops and Kelly up on their offer of a coffee so headed to their place in Fendalton, via the New World supermarket. There was a small queue of people waiting patiently to be allowed their turn inside, which we joined, and patiently waited! There was a remarkable calm in the store. No real evidence of panic buying - apart from Maria grabbing a few bars of Whittakers Chocolate! So at least we would be able to feed ourselves for the next few days.
Maria had received a phone call from a colleague at Solid Energy and she headed into work for an hour or so to help with a bit of clearing up.
Wednesday evening was pretty event-less. A few shakes but nothing too serious.
Thursday morning arrived - it was a late start as we had slept in - must have been catching up on some missed sleep.
Sarah headed off to one of her friends for something to do. Post earthquakes were pretty boring as the Mall's were all shut!
Maria and I made another attempt at getting over to Matt and Lou's - this time by bike however. It was quite a slow ride across to their place. There was a lot to take in as we passed through Merivale and St Albans. Many of the areas and roads had been badly affected by silting and people were barrowing their personal deposits into piles on the roads at the front of their properties. Where the water from the liquifaction had dried, it was very dusty, with a sharp easterly whipping up dust clouds into our faces. As well as being dry and irritating to our eyes, there was also a distinct whiff of sewerage in the air. Not very nice cycling conditions at all!
Matt and Lou's street - Kingsford St - had been very badly affected back in Sept. They had fared no better this time around. Actually, it was a real disaster zone. The road was all over the place - layers of silt everywhere, huge puddles of......well let's just assume it was water..... sink holes.
At least there were some contractors there with their Bobcats starting the job of clearing the silt piles that the residents were piling up. It was a real hive of activity to be honest - at least at the first part of the road. TV cameras capturing the efforts of the locals plus a few student volunteers who had been organised via Facebook.
It's quite a way down Kingsford before you arrive at Matt and Lou's. Far enough that the helpers hadn't arrived there yet. In fact it appeared deserted - an eerie atmosphere - I think a lot of the residents had simply packed their bags and left.
Matt and Lou were busy de-silting their plot - helped by Eioghan and Elaine. I got stuck in too and we soon had a fair bit transferred out onto the street ready for pick-up.
Actually, it was pretty exhausting work. Digging hard, damp, compacted silt is back-breaking work. Thank goodness for tea-breaks.
Their place had taken another bashing from the shake - further damaging the structure and sinking a few more inches into the soft ground on which it currently resides. It's habitable - just. No power or water yet - probably won't have either for a few days based upon the state of the rest of the road and the surrounding environs. No doubt the portaloo will be arriving soon. No fun at all.
Maria headed back early for another trip into Solid Energy and I followed on later once we had shifted as much silt as our aching limbs could cope with for one day. I'm out of shape! Another dusty ride home, spotting and photographing a few images on the way.
Safe and Sound had hot running water and showering facilities - so Maria, Sarah and I headed round to use it. Clean at last!
So it was a relatively sweet smelling dinner-time on Thursday as we tucked into a double helping of Cray Fish that Matt had offered me earlier in the afternoon. They were ones he had brought back from Kaikoura last November and had been frozen in his freezer - but no power was slowly thawing everything out.
Discovered that the water supply was back on in Desmond St - apart from us - again. The mains pipe had ruptured again, in the same place as last time. Call in the plumber and I may not need to use the artesian well for a body-wash afterall!
I think we actually spent the morning on Skype letting worried relatives we were all 'safe and sound'. The TV was on in the kitchen and we had a steady stream of information regarding the situation downtown and the ongoing efforts to rescue people from a couple of buildings that had collapsed with significant people within.
We still had no water and the swimming pool - our prefered source of toilet flushing water - was emptying fast. Time to fill a dustbin with whatever water was left!
Ironically, next door had had the demolition gang in over the past few days knocking down their Sept-EQ-damaged house (the small one that they had been living in rather than the huge one they were having built). They were literally finishing off that morning and Nicky managed to pursuade them to remove the fallen wall from our driveway. Job done in no time at all - it would have taken hours by hand! Another bonus was that one of the guys informed us of an artesian well in next-door's garden - so my concerns over a lack of water supply we lessened. At least I would be able to have a wash down on the river bank in clean water - even if it would be in view of those across the river in Hagley Park!
We got a visit from Maria's boss, Charles (Chops) and his wife Kelly. They were making sure we were alright and offered water as they already had their mains supply back on, plus had had plenty of emergency supply stored. How organised!
Maria and I decided to head on over to Matt and Lou's in the car - to see if we could help them with their clear up. We only got as far as Edgeware Road along Hills Road before we had to turn back - the road was unpassable - with vast amounts of water and silt deposited from the liquifaction during the shake. Driving back along Edgeware Road was like driving along a beach - with cars stranded in silt and sink holes littering the roads.
A cordon had been established around the 'Four Avenues' - preventing people from entering the centre of town - the police and army on patrol with their armoured vehicles. A very strange sight for Christchurch indeed.
We decided to take Chops and Kelly up on their offer of a coffee so headed to their place in Fendalton, via the New World supermarket. There was a small queue of people waiting patiently to be allowed their turn inside, which we joined, and patiently waited! There was a remarkable calm in the store. No real evidence of panic buying - apart from Maria grabbing a few bars of Whittakers Chocolate! So at least we would be able to feed ourselves for the next few days.
Maria had received a phone call from a colleague at Solid Energy and she headed into work for an hour or so to help with a bit of clearing up.
Wednesday evening was pretty event-less. A few shakes but nothing too serious.
Thursday morning arrived - it was a late start as we had slept in - must have been catching up on some missed sleep.
Sarah headed off to one of her friends for something to do. Post earthquakes were pretty boring as the Mall's were all shut!
Maria and I made another attempt at getting over to Matt and Lou's - this time by bike however. It was quite a slow ride across to their place. There was a lot to take in as we passed through Merivale and St Albans. Many of the areas and roads had been badly affected by silting and people were barrowing their personal deposits into piles on the roads at the front of their properties. Where the water from the liquifaction had dried, it was very dusty, with a sharp easterly whipping up dust clouds into our faces. As well as being dry and irritating to our eyes, there was also a distinct whiff of sewerage in the air. Not very nice cycling conditions at all!
Matt and Lou's street - Kingsford St - had been very badly affected back in Sept. They had fared no better this time around. Actually, it was a real disaster zone. The road was all over the place - layers of silt everywhere, huge puddles of......well let's just assume it was water..... sink holes.
At least there were some contractors there with their Bobcats starting the job of clearing the silt piles that the residents were piling up. It was a real hive of activity to be honest - at least at the first part of the road. TV cameras capturing the efforts of the locals plus a few student volunteers who had been organised via Facebook.
It's quite a way down Kingsford before you arrive at Matt and Lou's. Far enough that the helpers hadn't arrived there yet. In fact it appeared deserted - an eerie atmosphere - I think a lot of the residents had simply packed their bags and left.
Matt and Lou were busy de-silting their plot - helped by Eioghan and Elaine. I got stuck in too and we soon had a fair bit transferred out onto the street ready for pick-up.
Actually, it was pretty exhausting work. Digging hard, damp, compacted silt is back-breaking work. Thank goodness for tea-breaks.
Their place had taken another bashing from the shake - further damaging the structure and sinking a few more inches into the soft ground on which it currently resides. It's habitable - just. No power or water yet - probably won't have either for a few days based upon the state of the rest of the road and the surrounding environs. No doubt the portaloo will be arriving soon. No fun at all.
Maria headed back early for another trip into Solid Energy and I followed on later once we had shifted as much silt as our aching limbs could cope with for one day. I'm out of shape! Another dusty ride home, spotting and photographing a few images on the way.
Safe and Sound had hot running water and showering facilities - so Maria, Sarah and I headed round to use it. Clean at last!
So it was a relatively sweet smelling dinner-time on Thursday as we tucked into a double helping of Cray Fish that Matt had offered me earlier in the afternoon. They were ones he had brought back from Kaikoura last November and had been frozen in his freezer - but no power was slowly thawing everything out.
Discovered that the water supply was back on in Desmond St - apart from us - again. The mains pipe had ruptured again, in the same place as last time. Call in the plumber and I may not need to use the artesian well for a body-wash afterall!
Thursday, 24 February 2011
6.3 Aftershock - 22nd February 2011
How bizarre - our Christmas present from Jack and Evelyn belated arrived on Sunday - Matt and Lou brought it around - Noel Leemings' had finally delivered the wind-up emergency radio (featuring spotlight and soft glow light) that had been ordered at the end of November. We joked that it had gone quiet recently - on the aftershock front - and that we normally only sat drinking tea and eating cake on our patio as a post-quake ritual. Then 48 hours later - BANG!
The day had started differently to that planned. I had arranged for an early bike ride over the Port Hills with Randall - a pal from the Source to Sea event. But it was raining so we cancelled at 7am. Actually, he had texted to say that the Gondola had reported their ride had ground to a halt and they needed him to go and fix it (he installed it). But the rain prevented me from taking to the hills that morning.
Instead I booked some flights for an Easter break in Australia - taking in Brisbane and Sydney on a whistle stop tour. I also made a few phone calls about possible jobs and then headed off into town to the CDC on Cashel Street to do some work for Business Mentors.
Chris was on a 'day off' from Wendy's - they are located just off Cathedral Square on Hereford Street. I left him logged on to the lap-top as I left for town. he talked about going to the gym later in the day - but then he does a lot of talking about going to the gym rather than actually going!!
Maria and Sarah had left at the same time - it was still raining at 8am and Sarah had asked for a lift in the car as Maria passed by her school on the way to 'Safe and Sound' (What a great place to be when an earthquake strikes - kind of reassuring don't you think?!)
Sarah was on a half day - I think that the teachers were on strike in the afternoon (I might be wrong about that, but there were definitely no lessons on the agenda). As the Boys High School were also off for a half day, the obvious thing to do was to head to Westfiled Mall to do some Girls High/Boys High 'opposite-sex spotting'!
So a pretty normal day...until about 10 to 1...and then all hell broke loose.
Sarah was sat in the Food Hall as the Mall started to shake around her. She grabbed her friend Molly and dived under a table. There was debris falling from the ceiling and a stampede for the door. But everyone got out OK. No major damage observed. A little shaken, Sarah and her friends headed back towards Boys High (there must have been some Boys with them!) - idea being they had a large sports field and it would be safe stading in the middle of that!!
Chris had still been on the lap-top when the house started shaking. Having spent the morning sitting around in his underwear, he decided he should now get dressed as he clearly would have to get out of the house! Apparently he was mid-dress when a large aftershock hit and he says he nearly jumped out of the bedroom window as his room was shaking so much!
By all accounts, Maria's place was safe and sound!
I had just eaten my lunch and had gone back to the desk where I was working on the 2nd floor of the CDC building on the corner of Cashel Street and Liverpool Street. I had experienced a few aftershooks back in January at the CDC and everyone was conscious of the windows imploding as they had done so during the Sept 4th Quake. We had also had a few conversations regarding the strongest part of the building - supposedly being the stairwell - and how you should head for that in the event of a Quake.
There was no warning. No rumble. Just a bang and everything started to shake. It was obvious within about half a second that this was not a 'normal aftershock'. Instinctively I turned my back on the windows and headed for the stairwell. I was conscious that others were heading off in other directions - where to I didn't know. But I was on a mission.
The shaking probably lasted around 10 seconds - maybe a bit longer - I can't really recall. Everything seemed to be happening in slow motion - or maybe it was the fact that you couldn't move in a straight line as you were tossed from side to side, against walls and cupboards as you headed for wherever you wanted to be.
Anyway, I made it to the stairwell. I stood there on my own as the shaking subsided and then wondered where everyone else was! "Everyone get out" was shouted by someone in the main office. Good idea, I thought. And then I broke the golden rule. I headed back into the office and to my desk to grab my phone, ruck-sack (containing wallet), bike helmet and jacket. And an apple that I had brought for my lunch but not yet eaten - not sure why I grabbed that, but I did!
There was a cabinet tipped over and blocking the exit for a few of the office staff so I did my bit to help clear a way out for them and then we all headed down the stairs - quite calmly - and out onto Cashel Street. As we exited the building I noticed the building opposite with gaping cracks running down the walls and I then started to realise that maybe it wasn't just a minor tremor. Also, the air was full of dust - which I was later to realise was as a result of the CTV building that had collapsed just 200 yards away.
We gathered on the street outside the building - the road was split open and brown water was spewing all around us. I looked up at the surrounding buildings - all at least 4 stories high - the CDC cloacked in scaffolding from the Sept shake - and thought to myself that this was not a good place to be if another more powerful shake struck. I then noticed the top of the Grand Chancellor Hotel a little further down Cashel Street and noticed that one side had appeared to have sunk. Only the tallest building in town, a quarter or a mile away, looking like it was about to come down. I did not feel comfortable there at all!
It's a bit of a dilema for most. You find yourself in a bad situation. You want to get away. Your normal mode of transport is your car - but in this case it's in a car park which you can't get to - or are frightened to go to - so what do you do? Only option is to walk.....
Unless your bike is parked across the road from the CDC!
So I officially declared I was leaving and I was off.
I actually headed towards the Grand Chancellor for about 100 metres and then turned north up Manchester Street. I then realised just what a disaster we were facing!
All the shop fronts were down. Rubble was littering the streets and piled on top of cars. There were gangs of people tearing at the piles obviously trying to help free people. People were stood around looking helpless. Others were taking pictures or filming with their phones. I got to around Gloucester Street and stopped - partly because the road was blocked by rubble, but also because I wondered whether I should stop to help.
And then I started to worry about Maria and the kids. I rang Maria as I cycled. No reply. I rang home. No reply.
A text came through. I stopped cycling and checked the phone. It was from Sarah asking if I was OK - which meant she was OK. Thank God. Then one from Chris asking the same. Relief. Just Maria now and we were all OK, though I just couldn't get a message to send to her.
I could smell gas. So could others. There were calls to get out of the area quickly. I was at Armagh St and decided to take a left to head across town. As I approached New Regent St I had to negotiate a large hole in the road plus a rather large gap that had opened up between the tram tracks and the tarmac. There were compression breaks too that I had to 'hop over' and puddles of orange water that I had to steer around.
Victoria Park was full of people who had emptied from the likes of Farmers and the Copthorne. I headed over the Avon and over Durham St. The road was particularly bad around here - pretty flooded. Then there was another strong aftershock.
I still couldn't get a message to Maria - neither had I received one from her.
I got to Hagley Park - Armagh Bridge entrance. The Ellerslie Flower Show crowd were beating a hasty exit. As I cycled past, I could see that the area was awash with liquifaction. I headed across the Park, between Victoria and Albert Lakes - except there was no between - they had been joined by about 12 inches of flooding across the dividing cycle path - so I got a a bit wet, or at least my shoes did!
There were piles of silt all over the track and over the golf course - and by the time I had arrived home I had a fair covering over myself and the bike!
Chris greeted me at the bottom of the path with 'the house is f###ed'! I had visions of it being flattened but fortunately he was a little bit over the top with his summary of the situation. Yes, stuff was all over the place; glasses smashed, TV, chairs, bed-side cabinets toppled over, etc... but the fabric of the building was still OK.
Still no news from Maria though.
I sent Chris off to get Sarah from school - forgetting she wasn't there - and set to tidying up the mess in the house. Then my phone beeped and I receved a message from Maria asking if I was OK. 'I am now' I said to myself!
Chris returned home - sans Sarah. Molly's parents turned up, worrying where she was - hoping she was here with Sarah. She was, and when they turned up it was rather emotional for a minute of 2! And they were closely followed by Maria who had left her 'Safe and Sound' workplace to check out that we were all OK!
We were still experiencing quite strong aftershocks and we had a bit of a fright when our garden wall was brought down during one of them.
We set to cleaning up the mess in the house - particularly the kitchen - a nice mix of glass, pasta, bulgar wheat, olive oil and tomato passata all over the floor! No power. No water. But at least we were all OK.
Thank goodness we had an emergency radio....and a landlady with a good supply of champagne! Nicky arrived back at the Studio late afternoon - she had been just around the corner from me Downtown and had experienced death and destruction at close quarters - tending to a guy who had fallen from a 3rd floor apartment onto the road below.
Some friends from around the corner had called in - mainly to get away from their place which was teetering on the brink of destruction - and the bubbly was duely offered to all. So there we were, sitting drinking champagne on one side of the river Avon whilst on the other side, in Hagley Park, hundreds of homeless people were queuing up for a bed for the night in the previously mentioned Ellerslie Flower Show Marquee! I did feel slightly ill at ease, but I think that was mainly due to the bottle of fizz that I supplied not really being up to the standard of those served earlier!
Chris had appeared with four of his pals whose house had 'taken a beating' with plans to sleep on our floor. They had turned up with some food - pizzas - but unfortunately we had no means of cooking them. But then, just as we were about to hatch a cunning plan, the power came back on, around 9pm. So it was pizzas all round! Plus we could catch up on the news of the Quake on the TV - see what the rest of the world was being told. Decided then to let my bro' John know we were OK - no point in letting everyone back home worry unnecessarily!
So that is more or less my story of the Feb Quake - or at least the first 10 hours or so. I guess this one will run a bit. May be a pivotal point in our Antipodean adventure? Watch this space!
The day had started differently to that planned. I had arranged for an early bike ride over the Port Hills with Randall - a pal from the Source to Sea event. But it was raining so we cancelled at 7am. Actually, he had texted to say that the Gondola had reported their ride had ground to a halt and they needed him to go and fix it (he installed it). But the rain prevented me from taking to the hills that morning.
Instead I booked some flights for an Easter break in Australia - taking in Brisbane and Sydney on a whistle stop tour. I also made a few phone calls about possible jobs and then headed off into town to the CDC on Cashel Street to do some work for Business Mentors.
Chris was on a 'day off' from Wendy's - they are located just off Cathedral Square on Hereford Street. I left him logged on to the lap-top as I left for town. he talked about going to the gym later in the day - but then he does a lot of talking about going to the gym rather than actually going!!
Maria and Sarah had left at the same time - it was still raining at 8am and Sarah had asked for a lift in the car as Maria passed by her school on the way to 'Safe and Sound' (What a great place to be when an earthquake strikes - kind of reassuring don't you think?!)
Sarah was on a half day - I think that the teachers were on strike in the afternoon (I might be wrong about that, but there were definitely no lessons on the agenda). As the Boys High School were also off for a half day, the obvious thing to do was to head to Westfiled Mall to do some Girls High/Boys High 'opposite-sex spotting'!
So a pretty normal day...until about 10 to 1...and then all hell broke loose.
Sarah was sat in the Food Hall as the Mall started to shake around her. She grabbed her friend Molly and dived under a table. There was debris falling from the ceiling and a stampede for the door. But everyone got out OK. No major damage observed. A little shaken, Sarah and her friends headed back towards Boys High (there must have been some Boys with them!) - idea being they had a large sports field and it would be safe stading in the middle of that!!
Chris had still been on the lap-top when the house started shaking. Having spent the morning sitting around in his underwear, he decided he should now get dressed as he clearly would have to get out of the house! Apparently he was mid-dress when a large aftershock hit and he says he nearly jumped out of the bedroom window as his room was shaking so much!
By all accounts, Maria's place was safe and sound!
I had just eaten my lunch and had gone back to the desk where I was working on the 2nd floor of the CDC building on the corner of Cashel Street and Liverpool Street. I had experienced a few aftershooks back in January at the CDC and everyone was conscious of the windows imploding as they had done so during the Sept 4th Quake. We had also had a few conversations regarding the strongest part of the building - supposedly being the stairwell - and how you should head for that in the event of a Quake.
There was no warning. No rumble. Just a bang and everything started to shake. It was obvious within about half a second that this was not a 'normal aftershock'. Instinctively I turned my back on the windows and headed for the stairwell. I was conscious that others were heading off in other directions - where to I didn't know. But I was on a mission.
The shaking probably lasted around 10 seconds - maybe a bit longer - I can't really recall. Everything seemed to be happening in slow motion - or maybe it was the fact that you couldn't move in a straight line as you were tossed from side to side, against walls and cupboards as you headed for wherever you wanted to be.
Anyway, I made it to the stairwell. I stood there on my own as the shaking subsided and then wondered where everyone else was! "Everyone get out" was shouted by someone in the main office. Good idea, I thought. And then I broke the golden rule. I headed back into the office and to my desk to grab my phone, ruck-sack (containing wallet), bike helmet and jacket. And an apple that I had brought for my lunch but not yet eaten - not sure why I grabbed that, but I did!
There was a cabinet tipped over and blocking the exit for a few of the office staff so I did my bit to help clear a way out for them and then we all headed down the stairs - quite calmly - and out onto Cashel Street. As we exited the building I noticed the building opposite with gaping cracks running down the walls and I then started to realise that maybe it wasn't just a minor tremor. Also, the air was full of dust - which I was later to realise was as a result of the CTV building that had collapsed just 200 yards away.
We gathered on the street outside the building - the road was split open and brown water was spewing all around us. I looked up at the surrounding buildings - all at least 4 stories high - the CDC cloacked in scaffolding from the Sept shake - and thought to myself that this was not a good place to be if another more powerful shake struck. I then noticed the top of the Grand Chancellor Hotel a little further down Cashel Street and noticed that one side had appeared to have sunk. Only the tallest building in town, a quarter or a mile away, looking like it was about to come down. I did not feel comfortable there at all!
It's a bit of a dilema for most. You find yourself in a bad situation. You want to get away. Your normal mode of transport is your car - but in this case it's in a car park which you can't get to - or are frightened to go to - so what do you do? Only option is to walk.....
Unless your bike is parked across the road from the CDC!
So I officially declared I was leaving and I was off.
I actually headed towards the Grand Chancellor for about 100 metres and then turned north up Manchester Street. I then realised just what a disaster we were facing!
All the shop fronts were down. Rubble was littering the streets and piled on top of cars. There were gangs of people tearing at the piles obviously trying to help free people. People were stood around looking helpless. Others were taking pictures or filming with their phones. I got to around Gloucester Street and stopped - partly because the road was blocked by rubble, but also because I wondered whether I should stop to help.
And then I started to worry about Maria and the kids. I rang Maria as I cycled. No reply. I rang home. No reply.
A text came through. I stopped cycling and checked the phone. It was from Sarah asking if I was OK - which meant she was OK. Thank God. Then one from Chris asking the same. Relief. Just Maria now and we were all OK, though I just couldn't get a message to send to her.
I could smell gas. So could others. There were calls to get out of the area quickly. I was at Armagh St and decided to take a left to head across town. As I approached New Regent St I had to negotiate a large hole in the road plus a rather large gap that had opened up between the tram tracks and the tarmac. There were compression breaks too that I had to 'hop over' and puddles of orange water that I had to steer around.
Victoria Park was full of people who had emptied from the likes of Farmers and the Copthorne. I headed over the Avon and over Durham St. The road was particularly bad around here - pretty flooded. Then there was another strong aftershock.
I still couldn't get a message to Maria - neither had I received one from her.
I got to Hagley Park - Armagh Bridge entrance. The Ellerslie Flower Show crowd were beating a hasty exit. As I cycled past, I could see that the area was awash with liquifaction. I headed across the Park, between Victoria and Albert Lakes - except there was no between - they had been joined by about 12 inches of flooding across the dividing cycle path - so I got a a bit wet, or at least my shoes did!
There were piles of silt all over the track and over the golf course - and by the time I had arrived home I had a fair covering over myself and the bike!
Chris greeted me at the bottom of the path with 'the house is f###ed'! I had visions of it being flattened but fortunately he was a little bit over the top with his summary of the situation. Yes, stuff was all over the place; glasses smashed, TV, chairs, bed-side cabinets toppled over, etc... but the fabric of the building was still OK.
Still no news from Maria though.
I sent Chris off to get Sarah from school - forgetting she wasn't there - and set to tidying up the mess in the house. Then my phone beeped and I receved a message from Maria asking if I was OK. 'I am now' I said to myself!
Chris returned home - sans Sarah. Molly's parents turned up, worrying where she was - hoping she was here with Sarah. She was, and when they turned up it was rather emotional for a minute of 2! And they were closely followed by Maria who had left her 'Safe and Sound' workplace to check out that we were all OK!
We were still experiencing quite strong aftershocks and we had a bit of a fright when our garden wall was brought down during one of them.
We set to cleaning up the mess in the house - particularly the kitchen - a nice mix of glass, pasta, bulgar wheat, olive oil and tomato passata all over the floor! No power. No water. But at least we were all OK.
Thank goodness we had an emergency radio....and a landlady with a good supply of champagne! Nicky arrived back at the Studio late afternoon - she had been just around the corner from me Downtown and had experienced death and destruction at close quarters - tending to a guy who had fallen from a 3rd floor apartment onto the road below.
Some friends from around the corner had called in - mainly to get away from their place which was teetering on the brink of destruction - and the bubbly was duely offered to all. So there we were, sitting drinking champagne on one side of the river Avon whilst on the other side, in Hagley Park, hundreds of homeless people were queuing up for a bed for the night in the previously mentioned Ellerslie Flower Show Marquee! I did feel slightly ill at ease, but I think that was mainly due to the bottle of fizz that I supplied not really being up to the standard of those served earlier!
Chris had appeared with four of his pals whose house had 'taken a beating' with plans to sleep on our floor. They had turned up with some food - pizzas - but unfortunately we had no means of cooking them. But then, just as we were about to hatch a cunning plan, the power came back on, around 9pm. So it was pizzas all round! Plus we could catch up on the news of the Quake on the TV - see what the rest of the world was being told. Decided then to let my bro' John know we were OK - no point in letting everyone back home worry unnecessarily!
So that is more or less my story of the Feb Quake - or at least the first 10 hours or so. I guess this one will run a bit. May be a pivotal point in our Antipodean adventure? Watch this space!
Saturday, 5 February 2011
Must have been a rubbish Christmas to not get a blog?!
So the regularity of my postings is gradually diminishing. So am I so busy doing stuff and having a great time that I just can't find the time to blog - or is life so dull and boring that I have nothing to tell you about? Two extremes, neither of which is true. Probably somewhere in the middle is the truth. So what has been going on since the last blog? Crikey, December the 4th, that was a long time ago! So the training regime kicked in for forthcoming LA challenge just as the end of year BBQ and party schedule ramped up here in Chch. I did my best to be good, but reconciled myself to the fact that I did need some carbs at least to fuel the exercising. The events seemed to keep coming - PTA Xmas do, Simply Lean Xmas do, Fulton Hogan SQTE Dept party, Fulton Hogan Admin Division do, Maria's Works do, Chamber of Commerce, Business Mentors.....it was great! Chris also started his new job as Shift Supervisor in training at Wendys (Old Fashioned Hamburger) - and there was a friends and family opening night there too! Anything off the menu...gratis! Probably was the most calorific of all the pre-Xmas troughs if the truth be known. Their thick chocolate milk shakes (with extra whipped cream on top) are enough to clog anyone's arteries. Nice though! We also attended Sarah's School's Prizegiving Ceremony at the Town Hall. This was a really grand occassion - full of pomp and ceremony. It was on a different level to anything I had ever experienced back in Stockport or Derby. There was a great sense of tradition and occassion. Unfortunately, the week before Christmas saw me finish my contract with Fulton Hogan. A bit disappointed to tell you the truth. I think that there are still plenty of things that I could help them with given a bit more time. There were a few comments made before I actually finished that maybe we haven't seen the last of each other - so fingers crossed for the new year. So as of 18th December, I became a professional triathlete! The prize money now took on added significance...LOL! The Sunday before Christmas saw Maria and I head up to the Mud House Winery at Waiapra to see Blondie and The Pretenders in concert.
A great evening of entertainment indeed! A beautiful warm sunny evening and a blast down memory lane - I had forgotten just how many Pretenders' song I knew. We had been auctioning Brendan's campervan on Trade Me - at his request - and had been hoping that no-one would buy before Christmas - as it had featured as a key component of our Summer holiday plans! Bad move really - as it was sold on Christmas Eve! We spent a sunny Christmas Day on the beach at Taylor's Mistake with my 'training partner' - Rob Sherman - and his family before returning back to Desmond St for a evening of champagne, cray-fish and chocolate strawberries. Delicious.
And late night swimming!
Once the girls had had their Boxing Day Sale's fix - which actually included a 5.1 earthquake at 10am in the morning - we headed over to Akaroa for a few nights under canvas - taking Sarah's pal Molly with us for company.
Despite a rather claustrophobic pitch, noisey neighbours and some inclement weather on the second day (we spent most of it in a restaurant having a very long lunch with Matt & Lou) we did have a pleasant time of it! Maria's boss - Chops - has a bach over there and invited us around for a drink or two one evening (the wet one!) and then out on his motor boat for the afternoon the following day.
We also got to crew for his pal Rob in the evening Yacht Race around the harbour - a great experience. We didn't win, but didn't come last.
We definitely had the best post race buffet - cray-fish, salmon blinnies and fizz - consumed in a reasonalbe quantity aboard the boat as the sun gently set over the Bank's mountains. And once it did set, the temperature suddenly dropped by about 10 degrees - almost immediately. So off to Rob's bach overlooking the harbour with fab views of the environs. What a life these guys lead! We headed back to Christchurch for New Year festivities. Maria and I headed into town for a few drinks with Steve and Viv Frodsham whilst Sarah hosted a gang of her school pals at our place - for a pool party! We actually headed back home to see the new year in - plus to check that all was OK back at the ranch - and witnessed a mass pool-bombing by the girls at midnight! (Poor old Chris - he was at work serving burgers to late night revellers until 4 in the morning!). Maria had the week after New Year off work - most of Christchurch is on holiday for at least a week too - so there's barely no work to do unless you are in retail or hospitality! We spent the week chilling in and around Christchurch - no campervan, you see!
A few bike rides to Tai Tapu, a run up the Harry Ell track, a trip to the pictures with Sarah to watch the Young Fockers....and all sober....no booze for a week...how very 'un-kiwi' I hear you say! And then the holidays were over. Maria headed back to work and I started to look for work. I did find some quite quickly, TBH. Helping out at Business Mentors again. It's not the long term solution but will keep me out of the shops and pubs until I get something more finacially rewarding! So just as my swim times and run splits were starting to look impressive, LA pulled out of the event! All that training I had done - in vain?! He had a sore knee apparently. So I pulled out to. Anything you can do.....! Mid-January saw Mike Moran and his wife Dawn visit us, along with son Jack. We spent a pleasant afternoon touring the sights of Chch and hosted them chez-nous for a BBQ and a few cheeky ones (yes, back off the wagon by then!). They actually got to experience a big aftershock the following morning - a 5.0 shook the city from their beds at just after 6am. A few more during the day resulted in one of the shakiest days for a while. The BBQ is actually a recent purchase - we decided to host a few pals around here early in the new year and invested in a gas-powered model - so my days of charcoal-dirty fingers and waiting for the coals to glow before cooking are possibly behind me (just like a final-salary pension scheme!). So now I have the new toy, most food over the past few weeks has been BBQ'd!
Last week was a busy one in Chch. It was World Buskers Week plus the City hosted the World International-Para Championships.
Though we didn't make it to any of the athletics, we did go to see a few of the Buskers events - notably 'The Boy with Tape on his Face' at the Art Gallery. A great show. Despite not competing in the Roturua triathlon, I am continuing the train quite hard. Further more, I foolishly let the beer talk at one of my Saturday BBQ's - in the presence of witnesses - that I secretly wanted to do the Wanaka Ironman next January. I think Rob was a bit bevvied too and we now find ourselves 'committed' to the Christchurch Marathon in June, the Ashburton Half-Ironman in November and the previously mentioned Wanaka Challenge this time next year. One of these days I'll learn to keep my ideas to myself! Hope that's got you back up to speed. Just off to do a couple of laps of Hagley Park......not really....I'm actually going to fire up the BBQ....honest. It's been 35 degrees here today - absolutely sweltering. And today of all days I decided to take Maria on the 80km Long Bays cycle ride. Probably not the greatest of ideas. We did get round - eventually. It took a few coffee stops and a few walks up a few of the hills (not me, of course!). But hey, it was done. And now it's time to cook the meat to go with the Salad Nicoise that I have prepared and I guess we will swill it down with the fizz that I put in the fridge to chill about 3 hours ago. What a life these guys lead!
A great evening of entertainment indeed! A beautiful warm sunny evening and a blast down memory lane - I had forgotten just how many Pretenders' song I knew. We had been auctioning Brendan's campervan on Trade Me - at his request - and had been hoping that no-one would buy before Christmas - as it had featured as a key component of our Summer holiday plans! Bad move really - as it was sold on Christmas Eve! We spent a sunny Christmas Day on the beach at Taylor's Mistake with my 'training partner' - Rob Sherman - and his family before returning back to Desmond St for a evening of champagne, cray-fish and chocolate strawberries. Delicious.
And late night swimming!
Once the girls had had their Boxing Day Sale's fix - which actually included a 5.1 earthquake at 10am in the morning - we headed over to Akaroa for a few nights under canvas - taking Sarah's pal Molly with us for company.
Despite a rather claustrophobic pitch, noisey neighbours and some inclement weather on the second day (we spent most of it in a restaurant having a very long lunch with Matt & Lou) we did have a pleasant time of it! Maria's boss - Chops - has a bach over there and invited us around for a drink or two one evening (the wet one!) and then out on his motor boat for the afternoon the following day.
We also got to crew for his pal Rob in the evening Yacht Race around the harbour - a great experience. We didn't win, but didn't come last.
We definitely had the best post race buffet - cray-fish, salmon blinnies and fizz - consumed in a reasonalbe quantity aboard the boat as the sun gently set over the Bank's mountains. And once it did set, the temperature suddenly dropped by about 10 degrees - almost immediately. So off to Rob's bach overlooking the harbour with fab views of the environs. What a life these guys lead! We headed back to Christchurch for New Year festivities. Maria and I headed into town for a few drinks with Steve and Viv Frodsham whilst Sarah hosted a gang of her school pals at our place - for a pool party! We actually headed back home to see the new year in - plus to check that all was OK back at the ranch - and witnessed a mass pool-bombing by the girls at midnight! (Poor old Chris - he was at work serving burgers to late night revellers until 4 in the morning!). Maria had the week after New Year off work - most of Christchurch is on holiday for at least a week too - so there's barely no work to do unless you are in retail or hospitality! We spent the week chilling in and around Christchurch - no campervan, you see!
A few bike rides to Tai Tapu, a run up the Harry Ell track, a trip to the pictures with Sarah to watch the Young Fockers....and all sober....no booze for a week...how very 'un-kiwi' I hear you say! And then the holidays were over. Maria headed back to work and I started to look for work. I did find some quite quickly, TBH. Helping out at Business Mentors again. It's not the long term solution but will keep me out of the shops and pubs until I get something more finacially rewarding! So just as my swim times and run splits were starting to look impressive, LA pulled out of the event! All that training I had done - in vain?! He had a sore knee apparently. So I pulled out to. Anything you can do.....! Mid-January saw Mike Moran and his wife Dawn visit us, along with son Jack. We spent a pleasant afternoon touring the sights of Chch and hosted them chez-nous for a BBQ and a few cheeky ones (yes, back off the wagon by then!). They actually got to experience a big aftershock the following morning - a 5.0 shook the city from their beds at just after 6am. A few more during the day resulted in one of the shakiest days for a while. The BBQ is actually a recent purchase - we decided to host a few pals around here early in the new year and invested in a gas-powered model - so my days of charcoal-dirty fingers and waiting for the coals to glow before cooking are possibly behind me (just like a final-salary pension scheme!). So now I have the new toy, most food over the past few weeks has been BBQ'd!
Last week was a busy one in Chch. It was World Buskers Week plus the City hosted the World International-Para Championships.
Though we didn't make it to any of the athletics, we did go to see a few of the Buskers events - notably 'The Boy with Tape on his Face' at the Art Gallery. A great show. Despite not competing in the Roturua triathlon, I am continuing the train quite hard. Further more, I foolishly let the beer talk at one of my Saturday BBQ's - in the presence of witnesses - that I secretly wanted to do the Wanaka Ironman next January. I think Rob was a bit bevvied too and we now find ourselves 'committed' to the Christchurch Marathon in June, the Ashburton Half-Ironman in November and the previously mentioned Wanaka Challenge this time next year. One of these days I'll learn to keep my ideas to myself! Hope that's got you back up to speed. Just off to do a couple of laps of Hagley Park......not really....I'm actually going to fire up the BBQ....honest. It's been 35 degrees here today - absolutely sweltering. And today of all days I decided to take Maria on the 80km Long Bays cycle ride. Probably not the greatest of ideas. We did get round - eventually. It took a few coffee stops and a few walks up a few of the hills (not me, of course!). But hey, it was done. And now it's time to cook the meat to go with the Salad Nicoise that I have prepared and I guess we will swill it down with the fizz that I put in the fridge to chill about 3 hours ago. What a life these guys lead!
Saturday, 4 December 2010
What, no November postings?!!
Sorry for the delay - was too busy growing my Movember 'tash to do any blogging during my birthday month. Actually, I was so busy pruning it every day that it just never took hold!
Anyway, glad to be back on Blogger - even if Maria thinks it's a waste of time!
It's actually been a busy few weeks, as you will no doubt see if you bother to read the rest of this post....
End of October saw me build up the mileage again on the bike in preparation for the Sourse to sea event. I had a couple of 100+ km rides - one with Maria for the first 70km before heading over the Summit Road for a punishing 40km back-end and then a 125km Rangiora/Oxford loop with the 'S-2-S team'.
I also squeezed a 1-Day i2i course in on 30th October. My proposed venue fell through at the last minute but landlady Nicky came to the rescue and we held the event in 'The Studio' - the other house on this section, with an atrium-style, full glass fronted place on the banks of the Avon. It was a perfect setting and the course went well.
Early November saw Maria organising a couple of teams from Solid Energy to run in the Corporate Challenge 5km event at Hagley Park.
The men's team won the team event, and one of the guys - Rowan - actually won the race.
We also hosted Chris and Veronica Ashworth for dinner - Maria's uncle and aunt - who are over visiting Matt and Lou for a month or so. We introduced them to Hell's Pizzas - not quite the same as Jack's homemade efforts - but tasty and convenient in the circumstances.
I took a day's leave on my birthday and headed out to complete the real Long Bays ride for the first time - just before the Southerly blew in and turned it very autumnal for 24 hours or so. I headed out to Darfield - epicentre of the recent Earthquake - for a lunchtime rendezvous with Maria. Lovely bakery-com-cafe there - I'd recommend it. Maria and I headed to the Twisted Hop in Litchfield Lanes for a few bevvies and fish and chips. Perfect. Added bonus was watching Canterbury Rugby win the ITM cup on the TV - bonus being the fact that we hadn't bought tickets and had to sit in the freezing cold and rain!
The following week was 'Cup Week' here in Christchurch. I suppose it's the Canterbury equivalent of Ascot week. Last year, I had been invited to the races by Ashley Cooper and had met quite a few people who I have remained in contact with since and who have proved useful work contacts. As a result of one of those contacts, this year I was working - so didn't get to see any racing!
Friday 12th was Canterbury Anniversary Day - another Bank Holiday here in Christchurch - as well as Chris' 19th birthday. After an early morning bike ride with some of the 'S-2-S' boys, Maria, Chris, Sarah and I headed north to Kaikoura for a couple of nights with the Ashworths.
We had hire a bach just north of the town centre, not far from the beach and had made plans to go on a fishing trip on the Saturday morning.
The fishing trip was fantastic - although there were a few of the party that might not describe it quite so positively. Maybe it was their regurgitated and vomitted breakfast that attracted the fish towards our boat and helped us catch plenty?!
After the nautical experience, I took the 2 Chrises and Vron up to Ohau to see if the seal cubs were still in their 'training pool'. Unfortunately there was only 1 pup that had not ventured out to sea yet - but he was doing his best to entertain the crowd that had assembled.
Dinner, of course, was a BBQ with our freshly caught blue cod and perch on the menu, plus a couple of cray fish that we had also pulled out of the sea.
After dinner, we headed down to the beach and lit a bonfire - a week late, but great, nonetheless. A truely fantastic day. And even then there was more, as we watch NZ beat the Aussies in Rugby League (on TV), literally with the last attack of the match!
During the weekend, Chris also heard that he had been offered a new job as Shift Supervisor in training at the new Wendy's 'Old Fashioned Burgers' Restaurant opening soon in Christchurch. A pleasant birthday 'gift' for him.
The following week saw Saz getting her head down for a few exams at school - which she did very well in - plus she was putting a few more hours in at the dance school she attends in preparation for an end of term show plus a 'Tour of the West Coast' with the troupe! She also had an end of term piano recital on the 20th Nov - but unfortunately I missed it - because it was finnaly Source to Sea weekend!
8 of us - 6 competitors and 2 drivers - headed up to St Arnaud on Friday 19th ready for the 160km ride on the Saturday. 'Captain Carlos' was quite alarmed that I was prepared to have a couple of beers in the bar the night before the event. It was only then that it became clear that the other 5 of us were intended to be his domestiques so that he could get a sub-5 hour time for the event.
As it happened, he didn't need our support as he latched on to a much faster bunch than us and achieved a 4 and a half hour time for his efforts. Much to my surprise - and elation - I wasn't that far behind him at the end - coming in at 4 hours 37 mins. Even more suprising was how strong I felt at the end - managing to hold off my bunch of 14 or so for the final sprint in to the line at Westport and then feeling that I could pull on the trainers and head off on the final leg of a triathlon (OK, I missed the swim leg, but I think you get the idea?).
That weekend had been when the Pike River Mine tragedy occured - just down the road neat Greymouth. The following Monday I was booked in for a couple of days of work at the Fulton Hogan depot there. It was a very strange and sad experience indeed. Due to the small size of the town, 'everybody knows everybody' and it was clear that everyone had been affected one way or another. It was obviously on everyone's mind all the time. There was still hope of a recovery whilst I was there - it was only after I had left that there was a 2nd explosion in the mine. It must have been dreadful for them all.
It was whilst I was in Greymouth that I heard the news that Lance Armstrong was planning to come to NZ to compete in a sprint triathlon in Rotorua on 30th Jan. Only one thing to do, for sure. Be on the start line with him! So once Maria had confirmed an entry for me, my training regime kicked up a step! Damn - I'd need to go swimming again - after 3 years out of the pool! More swimming in treacle!
For the 4th week running, I failed to complete 5 full days of work as I took the Friday off to head up to Auckland with Maria to see U2 on their 360' Tour. We stayed at the Stamford Plaza Hotel downtown and enjoyed a great 24 hours in the City of Sails. The concert - out at Mount Smart Stadium - was stupendous! Fantastic light show and great sound. We had to put up with a bit of Jay-Z and his Auckland fan club - but it was worth it.
It seems that party season is now upon us in full earnest. Saturday after the U2 show we were back in Christchurch and at a BBQ with my immediate work mates. We then were out for dinner the following night with the Ashworths - at the Poseidon Restaurant on the beach in Sumner. Tuesday was then the PTA end-of-year bash at Winnie-Bagoes Pizzeria in Ferrymead.
Tuesday was not a great day on the work front, unfortunately, as I was informed that Fulton Hogan were not planning to make the role (that I have been working) permanent going forward. So as of 17th December, I'm back on the market. But as one door shuts, another door will surely open. So maybe not that bad?
Maria was out with the local branch of the NZ Occupational Health Group on Wednesday - whilst I was cycling up over Summit Road trying to burn off some of the previous evenings Pizza - and then a 'farewell BBQ' at the Ashworths on Thursday to say cherrio to Chris and Vron who headed back to the sub-zero temperatures of the UK on Friday!
And so to last Friday. I woke up and headed straight for the lap-top to see if England had been awarded the 2018 World Cup. It was Russia....and Qatar for 2022?? Not quite a tragedy on the same scale as the one in Greymouth the fortnight before, but a tragedy nonetheless! I was banking on a ticket for the Final from Andy Anson!
No-one at work seemed to understand my malaise. I think they all thought it was due to my impending 'redundancy'! Besides, they were probably still reflecting upon the memorial service that had been held the day before for the Greymouth miners. Besides, no-one had died at Zurich - just the dream. Fortunately it was the department's Christmas Night out that evening so Maria and I got our glad rags on and headed out to an evening of Mousakka, lamb kebabs and Ouzo at Santorini's Greek restaurant!
The rest of the weekend has been quite relaxed. I headed down to McCormack's Bay to watch the finish of the Festival of Cycling Harbour Ride on Saturday morning. Paul Odlin - a guy I have been mentoring for a year or so - was competing - I think he came in around 10th, or so he reckoned yesterday. Sarah has been tied up most of the weekend with final rehearsals for the end-of term dance recital - which we have just attended. Very good it was too.
So Christmas is looming - actually it's accelerating towards us fast. A couple more parties planned next weekend. You need some serious amounts of stamina to keep going - I'll let you know how we get on soon!
Anyway, glad to be back on Blogger - even if Maria thinks it's a waste of time!
It's actually been a busy few weeks, as you will no doubt see if you bother to read the rest of this post....
End of October saw me build up the mileage again on the bike in preparation for the Sourse to sea event. I had a couple of 100+ km rides - one with Maria for the first 70km before heading over the Summit Road for a punishing 40km back-end and then a 125km Rangiora/Oxford loop with the 'S-2-S team'.
I also squeezed a 1-Day i2i course in on 30th October. My proposed venue fell through at the last minute but landlady Nicky came to the rescue and we held the event in 'The Studio' - the other house on this section, with an atrium-style, full glass fronted place on the banks of the Avon. It was a perfect setting and the course went well.
Early November saw Maria organising a couple of teams from Solid Energy to run in the Corporate Challenge 5km event at Hagley Park.
The men's team won the team event, and one of the guys - Rowan - actually won the race.
We also hosted Chris and Veronica Ashworth for dinner - Maria's uncle and aunt - who are over visiting Matt and Lou for a month or so. We introduced them to Hell's Pizzas - not quite the same as Jack's homemade efforts - but tasty and convenient in the circumstances.
I took a day's leave on my birthday and headed out to complete the real Long Bays ride for the first time - just before the Southerly blew in and turned it very autumnal for 24 hours or so. I headed out to Darfield - epicentre of the recent Earthquake - for a lunchtime rendezvous with Maria. Lovely bakery-com-cafe there - I'd recommend it. Maria and I headed to the Twisted Hop in Litchfield Lanes for a few bevvies and fish and chips. Perfect. Added bonus was watching Canterbury Rugby win the ITM cup on the TV - bonus being the fact that we hadn't bought tickets and had to sit in the freezing cold and rain!
The following week was 'Cup Week' here in Christchurch. I suppose it's the Canterbury equivalent of Ascot week. Last year, I had been invited to the races by Ashley Cooper and had met quite a few people who I have remained in contact with since and who have proved useful work contacts. As a result of one of those contacts, this year I was working - so didn't get to see any racing!
Friday 12th was Canterbury Anniversary Day - another Bank Holiday here in Christchurch - as well as Chris' 19th birthday. After an early morning bike ride with some of the 'S-2-S' boys, Maria, Chris, Sarah and I headed north to Kaikoura for a couple of nights with the Ashworths.
We had hire a bach just north of the town centre, not far from the beach and had made plans to go on a fishing trip on the Saturday morning.
The fishing trip was fantastic - although there were a few of the party that might not describe it quite so positively. Maybe it was their regurgitated and vomitted breakfast that attracted the fish towards our boat and helped us catch plenty?!
After the nautical experience, I took the 2 Chrises and Vron up to Ohau to see if the seal cubs were still in their 'training pool'. Unfortunately there was only 1 pup that had not ventured out to sea yet - but he was doing his best to entertain the crowd that had assembled.
Dinner, of course, was a BBQ with our freshly caught blue cod and perch on the menu, plus a couple of cray fish that we had also pulled out of the sea.
After dinner, we headed down to the beach and lit a bonfire - a week late, but great, nonetheless. A truely fantastic day. And even then there was more, as we watch NZ beat the Aussies in Rugby League (on TV), literally with the last attack of the match!
During the weekend, Chris also heard that he had been offered a new job as Shift Supervisor in training at the new Wendy's 'Old Fashioned Burgers' Restaurant opening soon in Christchurch. A pleasant birthday 'gift' for him.
The following week saw Saz getting her head down for a few exams at school - which she did very well in - plus she was putting a few more hours in at the dance school she attends in preparation for an end of term show plus a 'Tour of the West Coast' with the troupe! She also had an end of term piano recital on the 20th Nov - but unfortunately I missed it - because it was finnaly Source to Sea weekend!
8 of us - 6 competitors and 2 drivers - headed up to St Arnaud on Friday 19th ready for the 160km ride on the Saturday. 'Captain Carlos' was quite alarmed that I was prepared to have a couple of beers in the bar the night before the event. It was only then that it became clear that the other 5 of us were intended to be his domestiques so that he could get a sub-5 hour time for the event.
As it happened, he didn't need our support as he latched on to a much faster bunch than us and achieved a 4 and a half hour time for his efforts. Much to my surprise - and elation - I wasn't that far behind him at the end - coming in at 4 hours 37 mins. Even more suprising was how strong I felt at the end - managing to hold off my bunch of 14 or so for the final sprint in to the line at Westport and then feeling that I could pull on the trainers and head off on the final leg of a triathlon (OK, I missed the swim leg, but I think you get the idea?).
That weekend had been when the Pike River Mine tragedy occured - just down the road neat Greymouth. The following Monday I was booked in for a couple of days of work at the Fulton Hogan depot there. It was a very strange and sad experience indeed. Due to the small size of the town, 'everybody knows everybody' and it was clear that everyone had been affected one way or another. It was obviously on everyone's mind all the time. There was still hope of a recovery whilst I was there - it was only after I had left that there was a 2nd explosion in the mine. It must have been dreadful for them all.
It was whilst I was in Greymouth that I heard the news that Lance Armstrong was planning to come to NZ to compete in a sprint triathlon in Rotorua on 30th Jan. Only one thing to do, for sure. Be on the start line with him! So once Maria had confirmed an entry for me, my training regime kicked up a step! Damn - I'd need to go swimming again - after 3 years out of the pool! More swimming in treacle!
For the 4th week running, I failed to complete 5 full days of work as I took the Friday off to head up to Auckland with Maria to see U2 on their 360' Tour. We stayed at the Stamford Plaza Hotel downtown and enjoyed a great 24 hours in the City of Sails. The concert - out at Mount Smart Stadium - was stupendous! Fantastic light show and great sound. We had to put up with a bit of Jay-Z and his Auckland fan club - but it was worth it.
It seems that party season is now upon us in full earnest. Saturday after the U2 show we were back in Christchurch and at a BBQ with my immediate work mates. We then were out for dinner the following night with the Ashworths - at the Poseidon Restaurant on the beach in Sumner. Tuesday was then the PTA end-of-year bash at Winnie-Bagoes Pizzeria in Ferrymead.
Tuesday was not a great day on the work front, unfortunately, as I was informed that Fulton Hogan were not planning to make the role (that I have been working) permanent going forward. So as of 17th December, I'm back on the market. But as one door shuts, another door will surely open. So maybe not that bad?
Maria was out with the local branch of the NZ Occupational Health Group on Wednesday - whilst I was cycling up over Summit Road trying to burn off some of the previous evenings Pizza - and then a 'farewell BBQ' at the Ashworths on Thursday to say cherrio to Chris and Vron who headed back to the sub-zero temperatures of the UK on Friday!
And so to last Friday. I woke up and headed straight for the lap-top to see if England had been awarded the 2018 World Cup. It was Russia....and Qatar for 2022?? Not quite a tragedy on the same scale as the one in Greymouth the fortnight before, but a tragedy nonetheless! I was banking on a ticket for the Final from Andy Anson!
No-one at work seemed to understand my malaise. I think they all thought it was due to my impending 'redundancy'! Besides, they were probably still reflecting upon the memorial service that had been held the day before for the Greymouth miners. Besides, no-one had died at Zurich - just the dream. Fortunately it was the department's Christmas Night out that evening so Maria and I got our glad rags on and headed out to an evening of Mousakka, lamb kebabs and Ouzo at Santorini's Greek restaurant!
The rest of the weekend has been quite relaxed. I headed down to McCormack's Bay to watch the finish of the Festival of Cycling Harbour Ride on Saturday morning. Paul Odlin - a guy I have been mentoring for a year or so - was competing - I think he came in around 10th, or so he reckoned yesterday. Sarah has been tied up most of the weekend with final rehearsals for the end-of term dance recital - which we have just attended. Very good it was too.
So Christmas is looming - actually it's accelerating towards us fast. A couple more parties planned next weekend. You need some serious amounts of stamina to keep going - I'll let you know how we get on soon!
Saturday, 23 October 2010
Christchurch Bands Together!
It's Labour weekend here in New Zealand - the first 'Bank Holiday' weekend of Spring. The weather is very nice - which is certainly not the norm for a UK Bank Holiday!
The weekend started well with a cycle over the Port Hills with Maria and a few friends and wives. Maria was on the new bike and managed all of the ascents without stopping - with the exception of one where she dismounted to take a photo of a dead possum for her mother (don't ask!!). The ride down Evans Pass was as exciting as usual, though the target of 75 kmph was failed by a couple of 'clicks'!
Yesterday also saw the hosting of a free concert in Hagley Park - called 'Band Together' - a celebration of surviving the Quake and looking forward to the future. It was a gloriously sunny afternoon and over 100,000 people turned up for the event - with quite a few of them turning Desmond Street into a car park.
Maria and I wandered through mid-afternoon to take it in. We decided that a late lunch and a glass of wine at the Arts Centre was in order before sauntering back home. Sarah spent the afternoon at the gig with friends.
We had originally planned for a bit of a getaway today and tomorrow - Tekapo has featured high on the list of possible destinations - but our plans were scuppered by Sarah waking up with a severe attack of tonsillitis. So instead the morning was spent by Maria and Sarah at the 24/7 docs with the afternoon spent lazing around the house. There's now talk of another bike ride tomorrow for Maria and I, which should be fun.
Talking of which, let's see if I can recall any exciting experiences from over the past 4 weeks or so......!
Of course, the main topic of news has been the continued post-earthquake rumblings. We have had aftershocks up to 5.0 on the richter scale which have opened up more cracks around the house plus caused wider damage around the city. Whilst nowhere near as scary as the Shake on the 4th Sept, the aftershocks can be a little disconcerting at times. Most Cantabrians have now become quite adept at guessing the size of each tremor - and then heading straight to GeoNet.com to check out the accuracy of their guestimate!
Elsewhere...Sarah recently took part in a dance competition hosted by the Garden City Tappers here in Christchurch.
The dance school she attends on a Saturday morning entered 'a team' in one of the categories - they performed a dance to a track from the Lion King - and they won their category! Well done them. She is now busy rehearsing a piece for the end of term show.
I took part in a 6 hour mountain bike relay event at McLean's Island last weekend - with fellow Fulton Hugan colleagues. (I had been out to the course a couple of weeks beforehand with a group of colleagues to practice and took a nasty fall off my bike - cutting my arm and leg plus getting a whack fom the pedal behind my knee, which basically put me out of action until the event!)
There were over a thousand competitors in the 6hr and a 12 hr event. I was in a team of 3 so we ended up riding 2 hours each - which was pretty exhausting - in 5 bursts of 25mins around a 10km loop. There was a fair bit of inter-Company rivalry going on between some of the better teams - but my team didn't really feature in that event! We probably managed to eat the most sausages!
My preparation for the Source to Sea ride next month has not been as good as I had hoped with me missing out on a few recent rides with the 'gang' due to my MTB accident. We did do a couple of rides over the Summit Rd - which I think featured in the previous blog - which were quite fantastic - once the Bas#$@d Hill had been conquered! I have 3 more weekends to get some mileage in - though one includes a trip to Kaikoura with the Ashworths for a fishing trip and having fun! Maybe I should cycle there?!
I have had a few pleasant trips out with work over the past few weeks. I headed off to Alexandra for a couple of days doing a Quality Audit and ended up in and around Queenstown on a beautiful, sunny and warm day at a part-built hotel complex called the Essence of Queenstown. The flight back from Queenstown was fantastic - the pilot had his elderly father in the jump seat and must have decided to take the scenic route home to Christchurch as we ended up buzzing the top of Mount Cook. People pay good money for flights like that!
I also had a drive over to Greymouth for a days work at the Fulton Hogan depot over there. We had gone across on the TanzAlpine earlier in the year, but this was the first time that I had driven over through Arthur's Pass. It truely is a fantastic journey.
A few weeks ago, Maria, Sarah and I headed up for a Saturday night supper on the Port Hills in Brendan's Campervan. I cooked some chicken in white wine and once again we sat and watched the sun slowly fall over the distant Southern Alps - supping the wine that didn't make it into the pot! Priceless.
Maria clicked another birthday over this month. We actually went out as a family - all 4 of us - to Budda Stix on Riccarton Rd. It was very pleasant indeed. Maria asked for a new camera as a birthday gift so since the 13th she been out snapping pitures of the flaura and fauna in Hagley Park plus a few of the new post-aftershock cracks in walls and ceilings!
The weekend started well with a cycle over the Port Hills with Maria and a few friends and wives. Maria was on the new bike and managed all of the ascents without stopping - with the exception of one where she dismounted to take a photo of a dead possum for her mother (don't ask!!). The ride down Evans Pass was as exciting as usual, though the target of 75 kmph was failed by a couple of 'clicks'!
Yesterday also saw the hosting of a free concert in Hagley Park - called 'Band Together' - a celebration of surviving the Quake and looking forward to the future. It was a gloriously sunny afternoon and over 100,000 people turned up for the event - with quite a few of them turning Desmond Street into a car park.
Maria and I wandered through mid-afternoon to take it in. We decided that a late lunch and a glass of wine at the Arts Centre was in order before sauntering back home. Sarah spent the afternoon at the gig with friends.
We had originally planned for a bit of a getaway today and tomorrow - Tekapo has featured high on the list of possible destinations - but our plans were scuppered by Sarah waking up with a severe attack of tonsillitis. So instead the morning was spent by Maria and Sarah at the 24/7 docs with the afternoon spent lazing around the house. There's now talk of another bike ride tomorrow for Maria and I, which should be fun.
Talking of which, let's see if I can recall any exciting experiences from over the past 4 weeks or so......!
Of course, the main topic of news has been the continued post-earthquake rumblings. We have had aftershocks up to 5.0 on the richter scale which have opened up more cracks around the house plus caused wider damage around the city. Whilst nowhere near as scary as the Shake on the 4th Sept, the aftershocks can be a little disconcerting at times. Most Cantabrians have now become quite adept at guessing the size of each tremor - and then heading straight to GeoNet.com to check out the accuracy of their guestimate!
Elsewhere...Sarah recently took part in a dance competition hosted by the Garden City Tappers here in Christchurch.
The dance school she attends on a Saturday morning entered 'a team' in one of the categories - they performed a dance to a track from the Lion King - and they won their category! Well done them. She is now busy rehearsing a piece for the end of term show.
I took part in a 6 hour mountain bike relay event at McLean's Island last weekend - with fellow Fulton Hugan colleagues. (I had been out to the course a couple of weeks beforehand with a group of colleagues to practice and took a nasty fall off my bike - cutting my arm and leg plus getting a whack fom the pedal behind my knee, which basically put me out of action until the event!)
There were over a thousand competitors in the 6hr and a 12 hr event. I was in a team of 3 so we ended up riding 2 hours each - which was pretty exhausting - in 5 bursts of 25mins around a 10km loop. There was a fair bit of inter-Company rivalry going on between some of the better teams - but my team didn't really feature in that event! We probably managed to eat the most sausages!
My preparation for the Source to Sea ride next month has not been as good as I had hoped with me missing out on a few recent rides with the 'gang' due to my MTB accident. We did do a couple of rides over the Summit Rd - which I think featured in the previous blog - which were quite fantastic - once the Bas#$@d Hill had been conquered! I have 3 more weekends to get some mileage in - though one includes a trip to Kaikoura with the Ashworths for a fishing trip and having fun! Maybe I should cycle there?!
I have had a few pleasant trips out with work over the past few weeks. I headed off to Alexandra for a couple of days doing a Quality Audit and ended up in and around Queenstown on a beautiful, sunny and warm day at a part-built hotel complex called the Essence of Queenstown. The flight back from Queenstown was fantastic - the pilot had his elderly father in the jump seat and must have decided to take the scenic route home to Christchurch as we ended up buzzing the top of Mount Cook. People pay good money for flights like that!
I also had a drive over to Greymouth for a days work at the Fulton Hogan depot over there. We had gone across on the TanzAlpine earlier in the year, but this was the first time that I had driven over through Arthur's Pass. It truely is a fantastic journey.
A few weeks ago, Maria, Sarah and I headed up for a Saturday night supper on the Port Hills in Brendan's Campervan. I cooked some chicken in white wine and once again we sat and watched the sun slowly fall over the distant Southern Alps - supping the wine that didn't make it into the pot! Priceless.
Maria clicked another birthday over this month. We actually went out as a family - all 4 of us - to Budda Stix on Riccarton Rd. It was very pleasant indeed. Maria asked for a new camera as a birthday gift so since the 13th she been out snapping pitures of the flaura and fauna in Hagley Park plus a few of the new post-aftershock cracks in walls and ceilings!
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