MAY!

Wowzers been a while...sorry about that. No worries though, all is well in the land of the long white cloud. The month of May is the Southern Hemispheres' equivalent of November for all those on the upper half of the Earth. Thus, it was a very slow month for kayaking in NZ, much like a November in the PNW, not enough rain, no more snow melt, and with out Thanksgiving. Well that's all really, enjoy the update.

The lack of kayaking has enabled me to go exploring via NZ's trails which can be just as fun as the rivers.

Old hut in the middle of nowhere

Heading into the fog

Hmm, where is all the water...?

Here is a bit of what campus looks like

Lincoln!

This is the library that houses all the maps that I poor over while planing the next weekends adventure!


KEAAAAAAAA!! Alpine parrot = oxymoron

Maps and Mountains!

Pan-o-ram-o!

Barker Hut made for a fun weekend.

Amazing place to put a hut.

Honest to goodest this is the view you get while sitting on the toilet seat at Barker Hut, Sweet as!

Room with a view.

This is some of the best whitewater I have seen all month.

Taking a look around.

Rock careins lead the way.




More weekends, more huts. This one was awesome!

Looking down the valley one must hike up to get this little hut of happiness

Why ford a river when you can ride this sweet thing!

Days are getting very short so we had to hike from sun up to sun down most days.

Another weekend another hut!

What NZ might look like if wore gray contacts...

Very stoic shot.

Time to reflect.

Unfortunately some excuse for a human being decided to break into my car while out on the trail one weekend...They looted the car which, thankfully, didn't have much in it, but they did take my Pop-Tarts that came all the way from the states....baster's

Well that brings us up to date. Finals start in a few days here at Lincoln, my last one is on the 12th of June, then I have 21 days off...wooohooo! not really sure what I'm doing over break. But all of it will make it onto the blog in good time.

-Over and out

Whitewater Week

For the last few days of break I joined up with the UCCC once again for some boating and general good times. It was their annual whitewater week up in Murchison. A dozen some car loads of boaters with skill levels spread all across the board made a for a memorable week.

The ever infamous and repetitive pool session

We found a nice little goof around hole on one of the runs

Johno having fun in the Mystic

More Tom Foolery

loop-dee-doop

The week was really catered to working with beginners and building up their confidence. Each day would consist of some pool time or an easy run in the morning then lunch and then another run in the afternoon, fallowed by moderate to heavy drinking around the campfire at night.

For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Jonho tested the theory for us.

Campfire time

The ever friendly Weka having a look-see at my Burn

Dinner time is a busy time

Willey!

Willey was the story of the week. He is biking around the South Island and happened to run into us at the campground. I'm not really sure how it happened but before i knew it he was in a kayak and learning to roll in the pool and by the end up the week was rocking out the grade three runs like a champ. Not only had he never been kayaking before but he also had limited English skills. Willy was the definition of a trooper and always had a huge smile on his face.

One night we gave the local bar some business. Here is Shaun surrounded by beer.

Heaps of kayaks!

As you can guess a stop at Muria Falls was in the books for the week. We got a handful of beginners for take the plunge. Two swims, two broken paddles and some very stocked Germans made for a sweet huck-fest.

Shaun take one

Shaun take two

Johno went for the BIG free wheel

Wheeling it around

Free falling

Myself preparing for take off

Good times

-Another amazing UCCC event in the books. Thank Guys!

I'd Rather Go Bush

After nine days on holiday and seven of them spent paddling, four of which were aided by helicopters it was time for a break. The west coast has amazing kayaking opportunity as well as endless amounts of hiking too. So off i went into the bush.

The first hut was quite flash and I got to share it with three hunters from the North Island.

The friendly hunters came back with this dude.

Hut two, had this one to myself.

The hike was like most in NZ. I went up one river valley then did an alpine crossing over some given saddle and then down another river valley.

One of NZ many one-way bridges.

Hut Three. I bunked with a nice man who was checking the traps in the valley for the Department of Conservation.

Hut four and the last on my journey

- Next