ARRGH! 

Bravenet admin if you are reading! PLEASE PLEASE!!! do something about the damned page refreshing issue when posting a new post!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok the fix is that I type my post into another doc and then paste when done )so that when the dam f--king thing refreshes out of the blue on me I dont lose everything I just typed) - but goddammit I am used to all those other sites where the bloody page doesnt refresh for no reason mid post - and keep forgetting Bravenet does this!!!!

(In plain english I typed out a great big post then the website lost it all on me without warning)

(*&$%%$#&^$&^*!!!

Ok

The abridged version:

I was able to ski this last weekend - rib injury was finally ok (or ok enough to try skiing).  There was a great forecast for Mt Dobson On sat, and on top of that the had $20 lift passes for their 30th birthday.  Sunday looked to be w write-off, skiing wise as gale force winds were forecast (for you non skiiers/boarders they normally close the field or the access road... and if they dont - skiing/boarding in them is shit anyway).

So I decided rather than hope for a decent sunday and end up with a shitty one, Id just do something else on Sunday and get up a little earlier on Sat.

So I booked a place at Mt Cook/Aoraki - which despite being a kiwi & Mt Cook being our largest hill, i havent been to before (guess that whole size thing really is for guys...)

So I headed up to Dobson on Sat - fan-f-ing tastic weather!  I cannot for the life of me understand why so many ppl who I know who ski or board dont want to go there - they seem to think its a long long long way awa - but its a 2 hr drive from chch to the access road - which is a little more than chch - mt hutt, but the road is shorter - and when you get there you save the rest of the time in NOT queueing for the lifts!

Its like the best of club fields (not crowded and cheap)

combined with the best of commercial (not having to stand all day on rope tows - they have a triple chair)
and groomed slopes (many club fields dont groom or its minimal if they do - for beginners or intermediates (or even advanced skiers/boarders who want to enjoy themselves) ungroomed snow can be horrible to ski.

For intermediates like moi, its great - huge wide open expanses of intermediate level and beginner slope, with some more challenging terrain - but there is a nice step between advanced beginner/intermediate, and  the steeper slopes.  There is also a natural half pipe that I intend to try out next winter - or maybe next weekend if the entry into it is groomed (it wasnt last weekend and my skis are narrow waisted carvers -(great to turn in - no good off piste unless its rock hard - and when its rock hard its like skiing concrete and not fun anyway)

At fields like Mt Hutt you spend most of your day queuing and then looking over your shoulder and side to side for other skiers.    When you are like me, in the intermediate 'plateau' I believe they call it - where it feels as though you are not improving at all - or not very fast - its really good to be able to just focus on your technique, and turns with a lot of space to traverse over, and without having to constantly worry about other skiers slamming into you

I've posted some video clips and pics of Mt Dobson (though I am wondering - WHY am I telling people about the place?  Last thing I want is crowds there!

Im hoping to head back up this next weekend - though the snow seems to be disappearing fast (please snow!)
I cant believe after spending most of my life hading cold weather Im now depressed at the end of winter...(come baaaack cold, and southerlies and biting winds and weather thats bringing snow...)

Anyway after skiing sat, I headed off to Mt Cook.  Stopping for photos on the way.  Weather was perfect for photos, and the lakes (Tekapo and Pukaki) were sporting glass-like still water which reflected the mountains.  I stopped in Tekapo and took a few shots (then the car wouldnt start and I thought I was stuck there - if your car ever floods - take air filter cover off and then try and start it)

Anyway the AA sorted me out and showed me how to fix it next time, and off I went

Stopped a couple of times on the way and took pics

Then got there in the evening, - went for dinner in the resturant (name escapes me).  The food was mediocre unfortunately (though with one small change (the chief) it could have been great, im sure).

Then went and took some pics on the deck of the place I stayed at, edited them for a while and ended up down the road at 2am taking long exposure shots of the stars and the milky way (my shots dont come close to doing it justice - fantastic - really stunning!)

Then went back to hotel, edited those and was knackered around 4.30 - 5 and was going to crash - looked out the window and noticed that the sky had lightened ever so subtly - so figured I might not be in Mt Cook Village (and more importantly - conscious) at sunrise again for a long long time - so had to stay up to get the sunrise as well... (thank god for a late checkout!)

On Sunday ) checked out the planeterium and the 3D movie at the Sir Edmond Hillary exhibit at the Hermatige.  Well worth seeing I must say, the 3d movie in particular was mind blowing - takes you to the top of the alps, skiing off piste up the mountains, crazy-people ice climbing to the peak - falling throu unstable snow - it really was amazing.

The planetarium is a digital experience and takes you through the solarsystem, and outside and is also pretty cool.  For me it was interesting taking the info about our star constellations along with the pictures Id taken the night before.

I also watched a commerative video on a vintage car rally around the McKenzie country - mainly to see if any of my aunts/uncles - were on the film, as I have family members who are right into vintage cars and have some lovely restored vehicles they often take on the rallys...

Then headed home, took some more pics at the lake, and then got stopped by a farmer and sheep and sheep dogs between tekapo and I think Fairlie.  In a snap-happy mood I whipped out the nikon and took a load of shots - many over or under exposed as I didnt have time to keep edging forward and adjust shutter and apeture etc.
Took one of the farmer at the end with his dogs all lined up by him (he was looking at me like wtf are you doing - farmer - if happen to see this and you want copies email me)

Then I decided to take pics of some lambs as well

So heres all the pics and vid...

'

Ski Cam (thats me - skiing holding the phone cam) - 1

Ski Cam 2

Crowds.....

Mt Dobson

Me

Me

Tumbleweed, anyone?

From McKenzie Country, New Zealand

Bet none of you have arms as big as mine!!!!

Cattrack

nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn

Working Dogs - Waiting to get to it...

Sunrise over Mt Tasman (I think)  - to clarify  - it WAS sunrise - but I cannot guarantee you it was Mt Tasman (pretty sure though)

Baaaaa!  (80 mill n counting...)

Lamba's!!!

But wait - there's more!

........and wait you will... as my laptop/picassa/something else has shat itself and I cant upload therest of the pics just now.

I promise Ill try to get em up sometime soon

Otherwise just check out my picassa photos (which I am also in the process of tidying up)

- that link may not work - still trying to find a link in google picassa that I can give people for the whole album.

In the meantime 'friends' (anyone Ive ever emailed...) will be sent links to updated folders

Update:

Lake Pukaki

Lake Pukaki

From McKenzie Country, New Zealand

Lake Pukaki

Dobson

Lake Pukaki