Christmas Update!!!

Well hello all, happy Christmas and new Years with best wishes for the next season!

Things are wrapping up as we have spent the holidays with the Sinclair's including the elusive Kate and Rich who arrived for their holiday/ filming venture.

After tramping the Kepler track, Nick and I were ready for some serious eating and watering and were blown away by the generosity and feeling of home provided by Sheila and Martin at such a "homesick-oriented" time....

Not that this surprises us at all after all we have been coming back to their place in Christchurch and Church bay repeatedly for nourishment and good company!

I can only hope that everyone's holidays were as relaxed and enjoyable as our break at Church Bay with the whole family. Which included a slew of relatives and friends to add to the homey atmosphere.

Take a peek at the pictures of Church Bay...though you may dislike us for showcasing the warm weather and notable lack of sweaters and pants. It has been rather odd having warm weather during the holiday season.

New Years is planned for a tramp in Arthur's Pass to stay in a hut and this time I won't forget the camera charge so we'll update soon! Castle Hill should make up the remaining days...of which there are only 10.....

Happy New Year, we are thinking of everyone and look forward to seeing you in 2008!!!

Love Nick and Nicola

The View from Church Bay!!

New Zealand Wood Pidgeon!!

100 year old Jetty!

Christmas Morning, presents!!!

Nick and Rich in new Duds!

A toast to Canadian smoked salmon that arrived shortly before Christmas!!

Can you see the face?

Nick and Rich messing around at Castle Hill.

One of Castle Hill's many Party Tricks!!!

The Kepler Track

Well a short trip to Fiordland and the about 70km's of hiking (rest day acticity for climbers, Nicola assures me) finds us back on the east coast in the very beautiful city of Dunedin.

I would like to download all the incredible ridgeline views, peaks, flora and fauna, however..... we didn't notice until about 5km's in on our first day that the camera battery was toast!!! C'est la vie I suppose....

We did manage to meet a few people along the way who have promised to send some of their photo's to us and here is one that has already come from a couple who were doing a day hike to the first hut.





You get the Idea alpine setting, and incredible weather (the first three days of sun in December in Fiordland) made for some fantastic views!!!

Happy almost christmas to everybody out there......


cheers,
N&N

The final Leg.....

Good Day all.....just a short note;

Well after a wonderful couple of weeks kayaking, climbing and generally enjoying Golden Bay, we made it back to Christchurch to rest up and sleep in beds, eat like royalty and of coarse drink too much wine at the Sinclair's.  We also managed to fit in time to drop Ian off at the airport!

Nicola and I have since rented a car and headed back up to Wanaka to do a bit more climbing, visit Svenja and Bruce and do some hiking on the Keplar Track in Fiordland (4 nights and 60+ KM of pristine wilderness).   

This pic was near the end of our last stay in Wanaka and signified the end of our rope;-)

cheers,

N&N

Paynes Ford and Golden Bay

Hello all,

Another few weeks have come and gone and the reality of a warm weather Christmas is coming closer and closer. Nicola and I are planning for our last month, and also looking forward to coming home and seeing friends and family! Life here in Golden Bay(Northern Tip of the South island) is slow and relaxed and consists either of climbing until our fingers are spent and forearms aching, or lying on the beach and soaking in the rays. Hopefully our tans will last through the bitter winter we are heading back to!!!!




Nick doing the classic Skiing off a Convex Slope...


Nicola crushing the Very steep Responsible Lunges...




A "Rest Day" kayak excursion. The wind was so strong we had to take and extra couple of days off to give our shoulders a break. Ha ha, it was beautiful though.



Cool flower....



Ian preparing dinner....


Ian getting through the first crux of Dancing on a Skewer....




Nick on the uber classic African head charge.....look close to see the African Head!!
We are winding our time up in Paynes and looking forward to Christmas in Christchurch with the Sinclair's.

We hope you are all healthy and happy out their in the different parts of the world....

cheers,
N&N

On the Mend

Hello everybody out there in far off lands.....

We pick up the Nic's Saga as we leave Wanaka and say goodbye to Swenja and Bruce and their many dogs.....

Pancake Rocks.......along the way and up the west coast one of the remarkable sights.....

Cole Creek Beach.....just us sand and waves......oh yeah and a billion sand flys ;-) darn norwester....

We think these are Banana pasionfruit flowers.....but cool either way....

Nick.....always teaching.....showing ian the prairie boy how to build a sand castle!!!!

Nick on Why Not Pohara....

Zana from New YOOORK......

Ian cruising at Pohara....


The cool down after a long day climbing.....Nick on the classic DWS...Acid Test...

Hope you are all well and enjoy the pictures.....I am doing well and Nick is taking good care of me!!! Thanks for all the get well emails I really needed them, i'm working on it!

Cheers,

Nicola

Nicola's Leg

Blog update November 15th,
well hello to everyone around the globe, its been and exciting time travelling through the South Island mostly due to good climbing, scenery and my ever dramatic performance!

We left Queenstown area for the beauty of Wanaka and the scenery is stunning. Mountains, lakes but warmer and a lot like Penticton at home but with a much more outdoor oriented lifestyle (Though the rock isn't quite so solid!)

After climbing in the idyllic spots, NIck and Ian have bagged a respectable number of 26's and a 27.well Nick almost!! They are inching up the grades with the help of some great locals we are lucky enough to be staying with.

I managed to have a dramatic accident where loose rock and shin scraping came together in cosmic force and sliced my leg from above the ankle to below my knee...never one to be conventional with injuries this was no normal scrape but a gaping hole that has 31 neat stitches keeping it together. The healing is so fast, I marvel at the human body and thank the gods or something I didn't get into bone, tendon or ligament!

Life here is sweet, its the best way to describe it, beautiful mountains all around, amazing food and great company has reminded us that this is a holiday and provided some much needed downtime considering how serious climbing and camping can somehow become on this length of trip.

Many thanks once again to Bruce and Swenja who have put up with the trio of us so well, fed us too well and for keeping me together when the drama went down!
Until next time,
Nicola signs out

WARNING THE FOLLOWING PHOTOS ARE GRAPHIC!










Finally a week later.......


Some less intense pics....


Nick and Ian goofing around on the rail towards mount Aspiring.The glacier on the way to Mount Aspiring.

More South Island

Hello everyone, here is an update from the South Island...

We took a break from Castle Hill to enjoy some much needed parental type luxury in Christchurch with Kate's parent's Sheila and Marton. Much good cooking, eating and lounging followed until we thought we had better get back on the road or ruin our climbing bum physiques.

We travelled south to a steep limestone bouldering spot in the heart of farm country and busted powerful long moves whilst marveling over the massive climbing development potential of huge walls in local valleys.

Next and latest, we find ourselves outside of Queenstown camped on a hill admiring the lake and contemplating a bit of a Rockiesesq hike- to shist rock routes.

We have been enjoying a bit of all seasons so far but hope for sunshine and warmth (nothing new!) before we head to Wanaka.

Hope all is well at homes in all respective corners of the world,

Peace out, Nicola

Over looking ChurchBay......just another beautiful place near Christchurch.

Britten Crag high above Christchurch.

Nicola Crankin' at Hulk Hogan.

Nick shortley after eating a lemon.

Ian heel hooking to glory at Hulk Hogan.

Rest Day at Wye Creek.

The pride of Madeira (Wye Creek).

Dragon Snaps (Wye Creek).

View from our high camp at sunset in Wye Creek.

Two weeks in New Zealand and Castle Hill!

Well here is another short update.......

We have arrived in New Zealand and after a long drive to the Northern Tip of the South Island (where we found very wet conditions) and back to Christchurch we settled in to some amazing bouldering at Castle Hill. We spent two weeks falling off everything we could find at Castle Hill and have relocated to the fantastic hospitality of the Sinclair Household. Where too much food and wine coupled with daily trips to the near by cliffs have become the routine.

Enjoy the pics....

cheers,
N&N
and of course Ian













Castle Hill Rock Formations.

















Nick and Ian at Kaikora (the water is warm....really!?!)
















Ian the Pheonix V7


















Nicola Dominatrix V5

















Nick Pheonix V7

















Ian showing his spectacular mantling form on Small Balls V6











Nicola struggling to grasp Small Balls V6




















Nick doing battle with Duel V6














Ian cruising the Remedy V6














Nicola finding her own sequence on the
Remedy V6












Nick trying to figure out how to use his feet on
Think Tank V4


















Nick and Ian chilling out at the end of the day....