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