Kia Ora!

Hello All, from sunny Nelson!





We hope you're all well! We're entering autumn now, but we still have mostly sunny days with temperatures in the low 20's. We get to eat outside a lot at our new table and chairs...

We're still eating well too... venison pie tonight - a deer one of my student's shot!

And B bought this sweet dresser...

I went to cut my hair one weekend and thought I'd give Bernie a surprise...

I kept it on over the weekend, it made me much faster in a triathlon! Bernie made me shave it all off before going to school on Monday though!

The girls are still well:

I've been spending a lot of time with them recently... the triathlon season has finished and I've really got stuck into the garden.

I bought 2 barrels and plumbed them in to collect rainwater...

I have also extended the tiny veggie patch from about 2 square metres to about 20!

As well as building the world's first double-decker chicken coop! The 4 layers are still providing a constant stream of eggs but that ain't enough - we have 6 chicks on order to fatten up for the table and they will reside downstairs to avoid fighting...

We still have lots to do on the place, but 3 months in and we've really taken to our first house!

We've also planted a lot of plants, shrubs, grasses and trees in the front of the garden - hard to see a lot here, but most stuff is pretty small at the mo!

We're both fighting fit and looking forward to a 2-week break which begins in 5 days! Phil and Margaret will be whale watching and wine tasting with us and sleeping in rock shelters - what more could you ask for?!

Love to all,

C&B! x x

Conservation's Cool!

The school year has started well. Bernie is doing the same job as last year, but now has a permanent contract rather than an ad hoc arrangement, which gives her more stability to plan her week and obvious security (and regular money!) The work is not too stimulating, but she enjoys being part of the school community and works with senior management - who can be as trying as the kids by the sounds of it!

My classes are all good, my Conservation group are the most interesting for me. I have essentially invented a course (you have the freedom to do that here!) and the students will complete 5 projects through the year which earn them credits. Its not all credit farming though - we have already been to a sanctuary, 5 mins outside Nelson, which was never slashed and burnt. There is a project underway to put a fence around the 500 hectare virgin site before all pests are trapped within and then native species of animals are released. My group of students and I will keep visiting the sanctuary to help with making traps, weeding and planting native plants to help the project along.

This is the visitors building:



And these are some of the rare natives which will be released when the fence and trapping are complete (some time in 2012 hopefully). Native geckos:



The worlds largest parrot (flightless), the Kakapo. There are now just over 100 of these alive (in the world!), all on 2 islands in the south of the South Island - we'll be the first to have these on the mainland!

Kakariki (crowned parakeets) which are less rare, but I've never seen one:

And of course Kiwi. They will be allowed to populate the sanctuary and then over years, some will be released into the wider area outside the park:

Other rare birds such as the saddleback which are also only found on a few islands will be released:

Plus my favourite slouch - the Tuatara. These have been around, unchanged for 200 million years! We have seen one (on a pest-free island), they don't move all day - they simply wait for prey to walk right in front of their nose before snapping them up - very slow metabolisms... nobody knows how long they live for (well over 100 years!):

I teach normal classes too, plus horticulture to some Seniors (they are looking forward to the unit where we study and use hydroponics for some reason!), but its great to be able to get involved in some great conservation projects. Each student has to come up with their own project in Nelson, liaising with the council, local Maori people and businesses. We're also going to visit a pest-free island as part of a field trip where there are several other rare native species...

On top of school life, B is cooking many wonderful things, from chocolate brownies, to her increasingly infamous muesli, courgette flans and pesto! I excelled myself too, picking golden peaches from our two peach trees and making stewed peaches - the recipe is very tricky...!!

I'm... training heaps - been really getting into cycle races on Saturdays - racing over several stages through the wineries and valleys. More importantly, Phil and Margaret will be with us in just over a month!

Love and best wishes to all, we both hope you're happy and healthy!

C&B! x x

The final leg...

In between the Wanaka and Timaru triathlons I had 9 precious days to recover and prepare for the longer distance Timaru race. After a week of hard training and little else (the result of living with your coach 24/7!) we were able to check out and do the run and bike sections of the course, as well as eating huge quantities of my coach's Mother's great baking! We mostly trained as a pair and I learnt heaps from my very experienced friend. We also joined up with a swim team comprised of 16-18 year-old human eels! I did my best to keep up with them, but I'm not used to doing over 6km per session so made use of the spa pool at about that point as they all carried on windmilling!

The East coast is not the most inspiring part of the country, but it is reasonably similar to the Cotswold's with rolling hills and great surf beaches... the second part is sadly not true of the Cotswold's, but I didn't have the energy to make the most of them here.



The race went well for me. It was cool and cloudy for most of the week which is not normal summer weather here, but ideal for training and racing. I made a fast start, running into the water like a girl:

(Third from right) Sadly this picture made it into the main Christchurch paper the following day!

The swim was horrible - not only did I forget my handbag, but huge rafts of kelp impeded us frequently on the 1.5km swim. The 40km bike was hilly which I enjoy - flat roads become quite boring when you cycle 8-10 hours a week - including one monster zig-zag hill which made the legs explode! The run was the best part for me, I did the 10km in 41 mins and finished second in my age group again which scores me heaps more points in the national series.

Unfortunately I didn't win the huge BBQ or any other spot prizes, but I drove empty handed up to our friend's in Christchurch and drank red wine in their spa pool as the sun went down!

The following morning I wearily drove back to sunny Nelson and the real summer weather I had been missing. We're both back at school now which is really nice - we work with so many great people, and there are heaps of experiences to share and plan for the near future.

I'm still training like mad, there are heaps of separate running, cycling and swim races around Nelson so I use lots of these for my training sessions to get my speed up. I did a 2.8km sea swim around Hualashore island (below) this morning which is a rather nice way to spend a Sunday morning!

Bernie has taken her baking to new heights, making bread from scratch in the oven (not whilst physically in the oven herself of course!) and the usual quiches, cakes and salads... we eat well!

Bern's has also been the main force in making our new home even more comfortable and well organised. We have a posh new table and chair set (bought from people moving over seas) on our balcony which is nestled half way up a group of oak trees which plays home to monarch butterflies, birds and cicadas which sing all day.

We were so fortunate in having so many guests visiting this summer and wait in keen anticipation for our special friends Phil and Margaret who arrive in April - so much so that I've been asking around for inside knowledge on suitable hedge-diving hedges which are sadly a scarce entity in this country!

I'm sat sipping a lovely Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc to keep me cool on this fine evening. Its 6:30pm and finally its cooling towards the low 20's... what I'd do for a pint of Murphy's and pie 'n mash before going to Upton Park for a game then a curry on Brick lane before throwing down some shapes in a few clubs before going to sleep in my old bed... maybe this September....

Love to all,

C&B x x

The long and winding road...

Wanaka put on a great weekend. I had a few beers with several friends from Nelson, nobody was up for hedge-diving unfortunately...

I have been cooking a lot of my own food - stir fry's with rare rump steak for dinner, but the odd Subway thrown in at lunch - only a foot-long touches the sides - and its meatballs every time for me!

Wanaka is a great place to visit, nice and chilled out...

And the water is lovely... but cold!

The birds dont mind...


This is where I stayed for 3 nights with friends - a short walk from town and the lake:

And everything manages to fit into the car for the onward journey... destination unknown...

I drove East across the South Island, looking for somewhere nice to stay, where I could run, bike and swim in preparation for the next race... I drove and dorve, and the road turned to gravel...

And ended up driving across a pass which was very remote. I passed one car, and chased a hare (it ran up a 20 foot cliff to escape unfortunately so no hare stew for dinner!) and eventually returned to civilisation... but had to drive for a long time in the clouds:

I eneded up at Kakanui, just south of Oamaru on the East coast. Its a fantastic surf beach and I watched from my bike or as I ran as people braved bigger waves than these:

I've also watched 150 + pengiuns surf in and waddle up to their nests at dusk. I've also joined up with my coach and friend from Nelson and done heaps of training in preparation for Sundays race, and eaten heaps of food the both his mother and his mother-in-law have cooked us as we travel between their houses on the East coast!

Gotta dash, love to all,

Chris

Wicked Wanaka!

Yesterday was race day for me in the first of four national races I'll be competing in. Two of them are sprint races (including Wanaka) with a 750m swim, 20km bike and 5km run. Two are Olympic distance races - 1.5km swim, 40km bike and 10km run.

I woke up to a cloudy day which is perfect for me - nice and cool, but had the unusual prospect of wasting time until 5pm as the race was a rare evening event - after the shops had closed in central Wanaka. Wanaka is a beautiful town in the Southern Alps and is unspoilt in comparison with its big brother, Queenstown. See Wanaka below:


And we get spoilt to great sunsets like this:



The race went really well - the lake was 14 degrees which is rather fresh, but it was lovely and calm - a rare treat as we usually swim in the sea. The whole race went as well as I could have hoped although you always want to be faster. After the race we watched the elites race but had to wait until this morning for the results. I was really chuffed to find that I was second in my age group which gives me lots of points in the national series. I was then disappointed to see that the guy who overtook me during the run, pipped me for first place by 21 seconds... I simply couldn't have ran any faster so I'm happy enough.

I am currently enjoying the cool environment of an Internet cafe, as hundreds of sweaty people make their way around the half and full Ironman course outside. It is a hot day today, but I would like to give this monster event a go some day in the future. Several of my Nelson friends are here competing and we all got a nice mention in the Nelson rag here: http://www.stuff.co.nz/nelson-mail/sport/the-fitness-zone/3232892/Triathlon-weekend-draws-strong-field

I woke up wishing I was racing in the half Ironman race this morning - the swim and bike would be OK, but the run would cripple me... my body has been seizing up over the past hour though so I'd better take a walk!

I'm going to hang around here for a couple of days before heading to the East coast to join my coach and explore the area by foot, bike and wetsuit! My second race (Olympic distance) is 8 days away so hopefully I can collect some more valuable points and memories!

Love to you all from sunny Wanaka,

Chris

On the Road!

I left Nelson on Wednesday morning. These moody skies encouraged me to head south to warmer climes to race people who also love running around in Lycra!

I travelled through the mountains, braving trains and vans with one brake light!

And was soon treated to the kind of countryside I love:

Before getting to Gillespies beach, 499.9km down the road! This was to be my home for the night (along with a few dozen fur seals!)

As I cooked my fine steak with roasted vegetables (cheers Berns!) the clouds lifted over the Fox glacier inland:

And then a fantastic sunset before going to bed with Michael Phelps.... his book!

Not bad eh?!

The next morning I walked along the beach to find the seals, but got a bit distracted by the scenery:

And bush, so never made it to the seals... I've seen heaps of seals but its been a while since I hacked around in the bush!

With awesome plants like these!

I then got on the road again and made my way through even more gorgeous bush!

And had to keep stopping to take pictures of it!

As well as the odd bumblebee which was getting battered in the wind.... it took a few attempts to get this!

There are heaps of lakes in the Southern Alps. I kept reading Mum's book which details where scenes from Lord of the Rings was filmed - not hard to imagine the movie is it?!

This was taken just before I got to Wanaka... more pics to follow...

I race this evening which is unusual, hence me wasting time in an internet cafe. The elites race straight after us and the race is entirely in the town, which is good for spectating. I have a few mates in the Ironman and half Ironman races tomorrow... An Ironman involves a 3.8km swim, 180km bike and a marathon - 42.2km!! I am very tempted to do it, but respect my wife too much to sacrifice so much time training!!

I hope 2010 has started well for one and all, despite the immense cold most of you have experienced!