Happy Landings

Home again after a fairly exhausting trip - touched down at about 0650 on Monday morning and straight off to work and it has been full-on ever since.

The trip was a nice break from routine but more intense than I expected. After we left Akaroa we headed South to Oamaru a nice little seaside town and home to blue and yellow eyed penguins - we stayed in a brilliant B&B called The Gecko.

The next morning we mosied on down to Moeraki for lunch at Fluers - NZ best cafe 2007 - and it is too! It would be impossible to describe this place so I won't - suffice it to say if you are ever in the South go there.

From there it was of to Dunedin to commence work starting with a working dinner on the Sunday evening - then 2 days of conference. We stayed at the Southern Cross Hotel (without doubt NZ's WORST value for money hotel). The conference dinner was at Lonarch Castle and was a complete hoot - the floor show and the music matching the supurb surrounds.

Thursday and the study tour commenced ai, ai, ai, 3 visits in Dunedin then off to Invercargill where we were treated to a dinner hosted by Mayor Tim Shadbolt (NZ's answer to Sir Les Patterson) talk about un-PC - we loved it!

Visits to the Rio Tinto Aluminium Smelter (who provide employment for lots of folks with a disability), Stadium Southland and a colleague organisation followed the next day.

Late in the afternoon we headed by boat to Stewart Island - ha! Everyone we spoke to warned us about the trip but when we headed over it was like a millpond - I've had rougher crossings on the Manly Ferry - what a pack of softies these Kiwi's are...

Ugh - the trip back was like the prawn trawler scene from Forrest Gump! I have some video clips that I might put on Facebook later. Mrs 2P (a pretty hardened sailor) lost her breaky as did quite a few others and one poor lady on our tour also lost her false teeth as well. I was surprisingly fine and spent my time lurching from spot to spot trying to stay upwind from the vomit smells whilst handing out sickbags. I also played an amusing game of "chase the chompers" - easier said than done on a violently pitching and wet steel deck - however between me and the decky we finally returned the errant dentures to their rather green but grateful owner.

Had to laugh at the looks on the faces of the people booked for the return journey as they watched us disembark :-)

Full steam ahead to Queenstown on Saturday for our final night as a group and we had a nice dinner with spectacular views from our lofty perch at the Gondola Restaurant. Sunday morning we all gathered to watch the Boks spank the Poms and at 10AM we all headed our separate ways. Mrs 2P and I hitching a ride with my boss and his wife back to Christchurch - a long but scenic days travel via Lake Tekapo and the Lindiss Pass.

We were all pretty weary little vegemites and decided to eat in at the Sudima (Airport) Hotel at Christchurch where we were staying which completely exceeded expectations and gave us one final nice experience to conclude our trip.

Absolutely jam-packed but I could have probably squeezed in a run or two if I'd woken uber-early or taken advantage of the free time before dinner each day, but it was mostly cold, windy and rainy (3 to 11 degrees most days) and I was just too stuffed to bother.

Now to find some motivation to lose the 2kgs I found whilst over the ditch.

And hopefully find some time to catch up on some blog reading too :-)

Akaroa

Well after one of those flights/airport experiences where everything that can go wrong does and you finally get into a hire car 3 hours later than planned Mrs 2P and I made our way from Christchurch to Akaroa yesterday.

No running today but we spent about 3 hours walking and exploring so that accounts for something I suppose.

In terms of the blahs I seem to have some kind of breathing disorder - I dunno??? I've never been a smoker or asthmatic etc but I constantly find myself wheezing even after walking up a short hill - looks like a trip to the quacks when I get home.

I also boo booed big time terrifying Mrs 2P this arvo - switching to the car we drove up a hill to explore (a NZ hill you understand) the road was dirt and narrow and VERY steep with massive drop offs over the edge and a bit short of the summit Mrs 2P had had enough burst into tears and demanded I stop and let her out.

No manner of persuasion would get her back in the car so I slowly drove behind her as she walked the 4k back down - go figure!

Anyhoo I felt pretty bad that I had inadvertantly terrorised her in such a way - I certainly didn't mean to.

Heading South tomorrow.

Geez Somethin Aint Right

Today Total: 4k
Week Total: 8k
Month Total: 8k
Year Total: 922k

I don't think I whinge much but I'm whinging now - I dunno what's up. Went for a run tonight and all was going great guns through 2k then my breathing got out of shape and I felt crap all over - seems the blahs haven't quite left me yet!

Made my way home with my tail between my legs and a couple of walk breaks.

On the upside I'm crossing the ditch tomorrow for a 10 day work/pleasure trip to the deep South of the South Island - can't wait :-)

Oh yeah - does anyone have any cheese to go with my whine?

Back On Track

Today Total: 4k
Week Total: 4k
Month Total: 4k
Year Total: 918k

Just a shorty to ease back into it after a week and a bit off due to an attack of the blahs.

Also got to try out the new Merrel Overdrives - noice! So grippy they slowed me down ;-)

4k in 23.38 @ 5.55 average