Gigging chch style

This old man is being pushed to the limits!
On Friday night Christchurch was funked up by Nathan Haynes and Roy the Roach (from Jamiroquai) with their jazzy laid back vibes. Who could have anticipated so many people would pay to see a man play a flute? Mind you, not many (if any) realised that in the right hands –or mouth– it could be auditory creme fraiche.
A search for surf the following morning was a little disappointing; resulting in a short dip at New Brighton; more windsurfing than surfing. 90kph offshore winds picking up the nose of your board and flinging it into the sky, which being attached to you leg had the potential to be a little risky.
Our evenings entertainment was provided by Shapeshifter - the band that ripped bigger than anyone else at Rippon last month. As Kirstin, sam and Jase had all gone home just as they started in Wanaka it was a their chance to see what I have been gibbering on about. If that is D n B then I think I have made the cross over. Nice.
The only down-side was baring witness to the most barbaric act of street violence I have ever seen. There are basic rules to life that everyone is aware of. You never stamp on anyone's head. Ever. It is a fundamental rule of life. Any bastard who does should, in my opinion, be locked up. Oh, happy Christchurch.
With that fresh in my mind (with only 3 ours sleep most things are quite fresh in one's mind) some of the guys and I revisited the infamous Warfdale Track. We had been promised pretty dreary weather (which I was half expecting baring in mind our last trip) but everything fell into place. I also fell, only my place was over the handle bars and off the side of the track into a few trees (again, something that felt remarkably familiar...) but apart from few scratches and the odd bruise came off quite well this time.
Hopefully I can catch up on some sleep very soon, before another reality shift.

Looking up

I have penetrated the city. The effort put my back out (hopefully not to seriously as the Warfdale beckons on the weekend). I am now to be found at the bottom end of Colombo Street; the 'Lombo Laps beckoning me as the nights draw near, the dull thump of a muffled base line like a siren of the streets.
Did I mention that it is a fantastic house-flattie combo? Very luck I know. Thank you.

A wedding

So, I guess you'd like to hear what I have been doing these last few weeks. Well, Heyrick and Anna go married in Martinborough, in the rain, but as there were a bus load of Brits over, escaping the winter, it wasn't that unexpected really. I hope you are having/had a fantastic time in SA.
I got the chance to explore part of NZ that I hadn't been to, which is always a treat. The south east corner is certainly unlike any other part. They say Chch is the English city, but I'd suggest that there were parts of the Wairapa that were more so: oak trees, hedges, soft rolling hills. Cape Palliser was very peculiar with diggers lined on the shingle beach quietly waiting to welcome the boats home; the stubby lighthouse looking so like a stick of rock that if we could go inside I would've expected to see "CAPE PALLISER" in red letters; the Pinnicles (although I think the recent storms re-shaped them because where we stopped looked nothing like a photograph I say last night in a guide book...)
I took the Whanau to Lochmara Sounds to stay in Lochmara Lodge; one of my favorite places: chickens, hammocks, glow worms... and also the arthurs Pass and Castle Hill. Anyone who has been through Cave Stream would be impressed to hear that despite a few marginal moments Mum braved the cool (although I am sure she will tell you it was freezing!) waters and went on in.

...Holidays are always too short, and the weather always seems better on the other side of them too... but I guess that is just how it is.

Holidays are over.

The Brits have gone home after the wedding, taking the rain with them. Would you believe it that it has been 30 degrees for 2 days now? I will probably fill in some gaps shortly, once I have caught up at work.

Heli Bike challange

Just off to test my bottle on the Benmore Heli Bike challange. 1300 vertical metres descent in the fastest time possible. Whose idea was this? Wish me luck...

Record storm

The great thing about "the worst storm in New Zealand's history" hitting the top of South Island and North Island is the quality of surf we are getting in Christchurch. Last night I had my best surf ever under the setting sun. Two days in a row now. Totally spoilt :)

About the weather

Anyone planning a trip over here, one word of warning: Bring a jacket. A weekend of attention grabbing weather guaranteed to impress. More than our monthly rain quota in one night. Lightning striking homes in New Brighton. 11 metre swells on the Cook Straite. Gales. Flooding. Has anyone seen my summer?
But, then again, last weekend down in Wanaka more than made up for it. Rippon open air festival. 13 hours of live music by some of my favorite Kiwi bands on the edge of the lake, views of the snow capped mountains in the distance. The laid-back horns of Fat Freddies Drop; Break beats of Minuit, and thumping baselines of Shapeshifter into the night, thicker and darker than crude oil. In the darkness of the night no one cared how madly we danced... And all that on top of a night out in Queenstown. So, let rain for a few more days if it must, because I just don't care !

Green

You may have noticed everything is a bit green. Major redesign going on... the search for the holy grail... Blame it on the rainy weekend if you like.

This morning I fell down the stairs.

No more wisdom

Hopefully that is the last of it. For those of you who have has your precious pearly whites ripped from your jaw by an over-enthusiastic dentist hiding behind a mask, the sound of tearing flesh echoing through your head you know how I have been feeling these last couple of days. For those who haven't, it doesn't hurt a bit...
It did give me a chance to catch up with Keith and Kath who are swanning about South Island, just like old times; and hang out in my studio for the first time in ages. Perhaps you will see something produced there one day.