A quick update for family to let you know how Aunty Margaret is getting on!  We picked her up from the airport in Auckland last Wednesday – took the opportunity to treat Aonghas to a Birthday trip up the Sky Tower and pizza in “Little Italy”.  Poor weather on Thursday and Friday confined us to relaxing at home, spending Aonghas’ birthday money that was burning a hole in his pocket – more Star Wars lego!, and going out for a drive to see the countryside from the dry and warmth of a car.  Friday was brighter so we headed to Hamilton Zoo.  A long day and more walking than Margaret was used to, but she seemed to have had a good time talking to the parrots and seeing the baby rhino.  We spent a long time watching the Lemurs and then the Samain monkeys – they were very noisy!  Aonghas and I rushed back to see them when we heard them screeching – they are really weird as their throats swell up when they shout and you can hear a sort of echo from it.  We went to see the African hunting dogs being fed – quite brutal but they have beautiful markings.  After that we headed over to see the giraffes being fed – quite a hike but just seeing their huge blue tongues snaking through the wire fence to grab the carrots and silver beet they were being offered.  (Did you know that that giraffes have blue tongues to protect them from the sun as they are often out of their mouths grazing?) We had to go and see the rhinos as they are Aonghas’ favourite – the babies from last year are now quite big but a new baby was out and about racing up and down the paddock before returning to Mum for some food!

On Sunday the day dawned bright and sunny – a clear blue sky beckoned and we set off to Taupo to Orakei Korako.  We think this is one of the best examples of a Geothermal park but it has certainly changed since we were last there.  The geothermal area itself is no different but the entry area has been bulldozed, the streams that feed the lake have been canalised underground and the camping area is no more – it looks like they are developing a more upmarket resort – and the price for the 2 minute crossing over the lake and entrance to the geothermal area has increased.  Nevertheless, the good weather made for a good walk around and it is definitely an amazing place.  We were fascinated by the ducks with hter ducklings paddling round in the hot water but apparently they hang around in the hot water to stay away from the Shags who can’t cope with the heat!

We ended the day with a quick look at Huka Falls and then tea in Taupo before heading home tired and ready for a rest!

Margaret had a quiet day on Monday until I dragged her off to Hamilton Gardens to look around the Paradise Collection.  They really are lovely and always look different depending on the time of year.

She is now gallivanting around Wellington and the Wairarapa with Nigel’s Aunty Chris and Uncle Brian.  She went off on the plane from Hamilton today and will be back on Thursday.  They have a full couple of days planned for her but we’ll tell you all about that when she gets back!

More photos on Facebook!

Another trip down Shangri La – can’t remember if we blogged the last one!  One of the students from Hillcrest mailed me a few weeks ago to see if I would like to go along on the caving trip she was organising as part of her Advanced PE course.  Nigel was due to be in Oz so I had to take the boys along but since they had already done the trip in December that wasn’t a problem.  We were supposed to go in a minibus but plans changed at the last minute and it was decided that we would go in two cars – mine and Hans’.  Arrived at Hillcrest High to find all the students there, but Uivel had done one of his usual vanishing acts, so we decided we had time for a quick dash to the big red warehouse for wellies.  Once underway it was an uneventful journey – van full of unnaturally quiet testosterone – six teenage boys (and Aonghas)  all wired for sound and typically uncommunicative.  We stopped in Waitomo for coffee and to pick up helmets and lights and then along the road to Shangri La.  Hans pulled in at a gateway and went to open it – I wasn’t convinced but he was sure that it was the right spot.  I had remembered a gateway to a short, steep rubble track which led to two gates at the top, one to the right which opened out into a field with a view down to the entrance doline.  We walked through the gate for a better look and walked up the hill.  It wasn’t what I remembered but he was adamant saying “I’ll drive down the road to have a look but I think you’ll find that I am right”.  As we came back down the hill a Ute pulled up – it was the landowner to say that we were in the wrong spot and that it was further down the hill!  No comment!  At the top of the right track there was really only one space for a vehicle without blocking the gateways and since Hans was in front he signalled for me to drive through the right hand gate to park in the field.  I was reluctant as the entrance looked very boggy.  “You’ll be fine,” he said,” just keep hard right and you’re on solid ground!”   As the van slewed round and took its own path through the gateway I felt a small knot of anxiety form in my breast!!!   Not much I could do now – might as well go caving and cross that bog when we came to it!  As we were getting changed Aonghas let out a scream and doubled up in quite some distress, it took a while before he could speak as he was sobbing so much but we finally worked out that he had put his hand onto the fence to balance and received a hefty jolt of electricity!  Bless him, he soon recovered, but I guess he will think twice before touching a fence again!

It was a good trip – a little more water than last time which made the lower streamway quite sporting (for beginners).  We had a little fossick around the side passages and the little ones enjoyed the mud slides.  Oh yes, forgot to mention that Hans had brought Briana his 8 yr old daughter along – good company for Aonghas once they both got over their shyness! I missed the left hand branch because I had remembered it as a right hand branch  (probably because we missed it last time and came back up the passage and found it on the right!) negotiated the climb down and then spent a little time checking for the way on.  Memory certainly plays tricks on you and the increase in water flow made me question whether we had been in the stream passage last time!  But we had and we soon found the way out to daylight and a mudslide to exit the cave!  The resurgence stream was flowing well unlike last December which meant we could wash most of the mud off our gear before walking back to the cars.

And now to that bridge to cross!  It took a while; a bit of manoeuvring, brute force and some old fencing but we managed to extricate the van almost intact. (we now have a nice dent in the back where someone pushed the soft part of the tailgate!)  Chips in Otorohanga and then home for a nice bath to ease those old and aching muscles!  Bring on the next caving trip! Must mail Lucy for copies of the photos.

Well I find myself alone at home in the peace and quiet – a rare moment!  It is the end of an endless week but the time seems to be flying by and there are now only 4 weeks until the next holiday!  Practice exams are over, seniors are back full of good intentions after getting their exam results, the juniors are restless and ready for the reality of longer, warmers days that we have had  but a glimpse of in the last week or so and we are all looking forward to the opportunity to get outside and shed some layers.  But the climate is fickle and capricious; do we dare to shed the layers and feel hopeful, or will tomorrow bring a change of wind and a drop in temperature?  Who knows, but I, at least, take every scrap of sun and warmth and milk it for all I can!

So why am I alone in unaccustomed peace, you might ask?  The answer is that Nigel left for Australia at 6am and the boys are at squash coaching.  The peace will be short-lived as I will go and pick them up in half an hour, but we are without Nigel for a whole two weeks.  He is attending a string of conferences in various places in Oz over the next 15 days and conveniently has 4 days with nothing to do in the middle!  Good planning!  He had trouble packing as he couldn’t work out how hot it was going to be, poor thing!

Meanwhile, the boys and I will cope I am sure, and we are starting off this weekend with Aonghas’ hockey match and then a caving trip in Shangri-La in Waitomo – I’ll try and remember the camera this time!  Looking forward to it, will let you know how we get on.  Right then, better go and pick them up ….. Oh forgot to say I have two new children ,,,, a little soldier and a little girl!

Ngarahoehoe

We have finally made it to the Snow! ( Should have posted this before Midwinter madness… but forgot it was here! )

After much discussion, trawling the internet for accommodation and perusing the weather forecast we finally booked three days at Whakapapa.

Snowplough King!

Two excited boys and probably equally excited parents set off, car packed with winter woollies for the three hour drive to Mount Ruapehu.

..and all because the lady loves...

We arrived in National Park Village too late to get skis and stuff so headed to the chalet and settled down for tea.  The mountain had been closed all day due to high winds but next day dawned clear and bright with stunning views of Ruapehu and Ngaruhoehoe.  Off to the ski shop where the boys and I were quickly sorted but half an hour later and on his 7 zillionth pair of boots later we were still waiting for Nige to fit his knobbly feet into rigid, unforgiving plastic!  Up to the slopes then and we were a trifle nervous about whether we would need chains or even if the van would get up the hill!

Ruapehu

However, no problem, though only four-wheel drives and chained vehicles were allowed right to the end of the road; the rest of us had to park lower down and then use the free shuttle buses to get to the resort.  Lachlan was itching to get on the slope and was keen, as only a 14 year old boy with little imagination can be, to just get to the top of the mountain and ski down! We had decided to book the boys into lessons so Aonghas went down to Happy Valley and Lachlan went up to the Rock Garden, and we had a couple of hours to ourselves to explore!  We spent the afternoon skiing the mountain taking turns with each of the boys and by the time we dragged them away from the slopes they were both skiing confidently.

Next day we put Aonghas into another lesson which gave him a real boost and then we hit him with the Rock Garden!  It’s amazing how resilient kids are; despite lots of wipeouts and a good amount of tears, frustration and temper Aonghas still wanted to go back up and ski down again!  Lachlan bulldozed his way inelegantly down the upper mountain in a neanderthal snowplough but loved every minute; he survived a mega wipeout on his first ride on a T-bar and was soon riding them like an expert!  Two happy but exhausted boys were out like lights the moment their heads hit the pillows!

ups-a-daisy!

We paid the price of not remembering how dehydrated you can get on the ski slopes – Aonghas suffered that evening and was quite sick but a good night’s sleep and plenty of water and he bounced out of bed the next day as children do!

Ready to go!

We were vindicated in our decision to take our hire stuff back the previous evening when we awoke to a mountain disguised as a fuzzy grey cloud!  Made our way home with a sense of achievement and a determination to come back for more!

Aonghas in Happy Valley

I note from comments on Facebook that the Glorious 12^th is upon us!

Life goes on and I read with envy the summer holiday exploits of friends in the UK as we don our winter clothes and wrap up against the cold. Can’t complain though, as the extreme low temperatures seem to be behind us and spring is in the air. It is true that we have had some very cold weather but it has also been clear and bright.  Of course we have seen rain and fog, and had some cold, damp days but the overall impression is of a bright, cold winter.  Over the last few weekends Nigel has been working hard in the garden digging, pruning, shredding and building, and we now have two raised beds for vegetables.  I have pottered about tidying up the straggly plants, weeding and pruning.  Everything seems to grow so fast here, especially the weeds which almost appear to come through as fast as you pull them out!   We will have to really work out a good composting and mulching system as we produce so much garden waste.  We have already drastically pruned some of the smaller trees, had a reasonable go at the lower branches of some of the bigger ones but probably need some advice on how to attack others.  We have plenty of ideas and plans for the garden and are quite excited about what we can do.  It has been interesting working out what sort of new plants we can grow outdoors here;  Tamarillos, oranges, lemons, peppers, chillis, feijoas, passion fruit.  Mmmm… can’t wait!

I had a setback in my learning how to say “No” campaign, (remember, part of the moving to New Zealand strategy of not getting too involved and over stretched).  A couple of weeks ago I found myself responsible for the Year 12 PE ski trip – my colleague who should have taken the group had to pull out at the last moment so I was asked if I would step in – sorry Sue, I said “yes”.  How could I not? Can’t resist the opportunity to go skiing and Zara needed help….. After complicated arrangements with Vicky, our Principal about where she would leave the minibus key for me to collect at 6am so that I wouldn’t disturb her and her husband (they were using the minibus the evening before), I arrived at school at 5.45 to find the school gates locked!  Zara had left me an incredibly detailed set of instructions for the 3 day trip but had omitted to mention that I would need a code to open the school gates!  I looked to see if the pedestrian gates were open but they too were locked.  I had a feeling that if I could get in the sensors would be activated once I drove the bus towards the gate and it would open.   After some agonising I decided I would have to phone Zara and see if she knew what the code was – she didn’t!  So, encouraged by the fact that the girls were starting to arrive I decided to jump the gate and hope that my intuition about the sensors was right.  Luckily it was and we managed to get the van out and loaded up, and then we were off.

The good weather on the down made it a quick trip and we arrived at Whakapapa in good time to have a full afternoon on the mountain.  Just as well as it was the best weather of the three days!  Nevertheless, it was bitterly cold riding the chairlifts as the wind blew the snow into our faces and soaked us to the bone.  Despite a heavy snowfall during the night the mountain was closed the next day, apart from the Nursery slopes, due to high winds – reminds me of Scotland!  The girls showed great ingenuity in skiing all day, still having fun and making it a challenge on one busy ski slope with one lift and a very long queue!  At 9pm the sky was crystal clear, the stars were out and competing with the lights of the piste-bashers which were moving around the mountain like huge extra-terrestrial robots.  At 5am there was no change – we started to think that the weather forecast was wrong and we would have a good morning’s skiing.  At 7am a cloud descended and shrouded the mountain – no wind so the lifts opened and off we went!  The snow was great under the skis but we couldn’t see it – a bit unnerving when you are the only ones on the mountain and can’t see the edges of it!  Luckily we had dug the minibus out of the snowdrift the day before and pointed it downhill so we had no problems getting away and back up to Hamilton.

The following weekend, Lachlan went to the same place for his Sports Development Snow trip …. he had two days of glorious blue skies and the benefit of the huge snowfall when we were away.  He was one of only three skiers in the group as all the rest were beginner snowboarders, so the three of them skied for two days with the instructor – a great experience!  He came home full of excitement as he had been asked to be a reserve in the school ski team!  He is off to the North Island School Ski Champs in a couple of weeks, and though it is unlikely that he will compete,  he will get to ski for five days with some top skiers and get extra coaching.

Don’t know if we will get away skiing again as a family – we’ll see what the weather is like in the Spring holidays.

Wow!  What a busy term! When we looked at the term planner at the beginning of last term we were pleased to note that there were at least 4 short weeks – that is weeks with one non-teaching day.  They were either Teacher Professional Development  Days or whole school events such as House Cross Country and House Singing. However if we were under any illusion then that that would mean a bit of a break, we certainly aren’t now!  It has been a frenetic and exhausting term coupled with cold weather and short days.  I am definitely ready for a bit of time to replenish my energy store.

Swine Flu has also added to the worries – with classes missing up to 12 girls at a time due to illness, teaching and learning has been affected.  I guess if you are reading this in the UK you may well be unaware of the hype surrounding Swine Flu – probably only heard about it in passing on International news.  Here however, it is a constant in the news.  We had our first 3 deaths over the weekend and have gone from “Containment” to “Management”.  To start off with everyone coming off a plane was carefully checked for flu-like symptoms and immediately tested and quarantined; those with no symptoms were asked to monitor their own health and report immediately to a doctor if they developed flu symptoms.  In schools, Senior Leadership Teams were manically preparing Pandemic Plans in case of school closures; indeed several schools around NZ did close for short periods. The aim was to try to contain the virus but once the magic number of over 100 reported/tested cases ranged around the country was reached we went into “Management” phase.  To the dismay of the students this means that there are unlikely to be any school closures unless so many staff and students are absent with the virus that it is impossible to operate effectively.  We have had one confirmed case in our school but it is likely that there have been others as the doctors are no longer routinely testing suspected cases.  It is generally perceived to be no more dangerous than normal seasonal flu; masses of deaths are not expected but it highly contagious.  The fear is that so many people will be ill and unable to work at once that the basic infrastructure of daily life will be threatened.  We are still in the middle of winter so still plenty of time for people to succumb to wintry illnesses which lower the immune system leaving it open to the HN1N1 virus.  Let’s hope that we emerge unscathed!

I have just recovered my voice after losing it somewhere for a few days to the great amusement of my boys. Standing out in the damp and cold watching Lachlan playing rugby in far flung destinations in the Waikato probably hasn’t helped, but then neither has playing hockey in the pouring rain 3 weekends on the trot!  How come it always seems to rain on Sundays?  Reading that, it sounds like we have had a wet winter but that is certainly not the case. For the most part we have been blessed with high pressure which has meant beautiful clear blue skies, very cold nights and early mornings (-5C) but warming up to around 15C in the sun in the afternoons.  Can’t really complain!  However, the school holidays have started and so has the rain – why am I not surprised?  At least that means that it will be snow over the mountains, which is all good as we plan to get to the ski fields next week. Well  that does depend on Number 1 Son who, true to form, has managed to injure himself playing rugby.  He came off worse in a tackle on Saturday and has sprained his shoulder (not sure what that means!) but apparently he should be okay after a couple of weeks rest.  It does mean that instead of playing tennis this week he will be at home and useful as a babysitter so that I can go out and catch up with some friends….

Lachlan is the proud winner of his first squash tournament despite not being able to play his final match.  He has already spent his winnings –a $30 Warehouse Voucher – on a DVD and a CD.  His rugby team are struggling to win after having managed to qualify for the “A” Grade competition. They certainly don’t lack talent but commitment to training is a problem and getting up early to get to Away matches is not popular (I can relate to that!).  So far they have lost all but one game which they drew but the results don’t tell the whole story; if we only played 2^nd halves we would have won most of the matches – it takes them 40 minutes to get going! Never mind, it is all a learning process and hopefully they will come out of it stronger, more well-rounded players!!!  (see http://www.hillcrestrugby.co.nz/ for match reports and pictures)

Aonghas and his hockey team have had more success so far.  After the first few rounds of short 25 minute games they have qualified for the Milne Cup competition as one of the top 8 teams.  From now on games will be more competitive as they will be playing the best teams and they will also last 45 minutes.  However, they have really come on as a team; there are a few players who have played before but also a few, like Aonghas, who have never even held a stick before!  Aonghas is really enjoying playing – he has scored a few goals which has helped his confidence and he now needs to work on hitting the ball.

Looking back at my posts I guess you might be forgiven for thinking that all we are doing here is relaxing and having fun!  “It’s all just one long holiday!” I hear you say. Well, it does seem like that but we have punctuated our leisure time with quite a lot of hard work!  I have just taken on the challenge of being our school’s “Teacher IT Coach”  (Yes, Sue, I know I said I would learn to say “no”, but the habits of a lifetime are hard to break!)  So, the pressure is on to live up to the title and make sure that I sound like I know what I am talking about!  Good job I thrive on challenges!!??

Talking of challenges, Lachlan had a great time at the Rotorua Moon Ride; he managed 7 circuits and averaged 25 minutes per lap which was apparently pretty good.  He definitely impressed some of the more experienced riders in the MTB club.  He came back absolutely exhausted but very happy and pleased with himself.

I had a great time on a fishing trip to the Coromandel with my former colleagues at Hillcrest High – another successful session with our full quota of 9 fish each – all Snapper – delicious!  I had been rather apprehensive the week leading up to it as there had been a severe weather warning for the Coromandel.  Visions of being uncomfortably nauseous both on the bus and the boat troubled my sleep, but luckily the day dawned calm if a little misty.  The ocean was like a mill pond, thankfully, and the misty day turned into a beautiful evening.

I have also started playing hockey again – mad, I know, but training for the Duathlon has given me a bit of fitness and confidence to have a go.  My shoulder is still a bit dodgy but I am taking things steadily (really!) and just playing it by ear.  Lachlan and I have also joined the local squash club – after a 20 year absence from playing it has been good to get back into it!  Just like hockey though – I know what I want to do but the body can’t quite get there!  In my mind I am still that fit 20-something who can outrun anyone – well a girl has to have a dream!

The first week of Term 2 I was lucky enough to spend 3 days at the Turangawaewae Marae with my Year 11 Form.  Home of the Tainui and the Maori King.  The former Maori Queen was once a “Dio Girl” so the school has a strong link with the Tainui. It was an amazing experience and a very special one, we spent a day doing cultural activities to find out more about the Maori culture – flax weaving, Poi-poi, rakau sticks, history of the Marae, and exploring the symbols used in the artwork and carvings. It was fascinating and the girls all surprsied themselves by really enjoying it.  The Marae can sleep about 500 people in large, communal sleeping areas,  and they are experts at feeding large numbers too!

That week was the final week of the 150th Anniversary of the founding of the King Movement so the place was very busy!  On the Saturday I took the boys and Nigel back to Ngaruawahia to see the Waka salute to the Maori King.  That was a very moving experience – the sound of the Haka as the waka come down the river is impressive.  You can well imagine the feeling of fear that the war cries would have caused when the Haka was performed in anger!  I feel very priveleged to have been able to spend time at the marae, meet some of the people who live there and find out just a little about the culture.  We were even more priveleged to be allowed to climb up Taupiri – a very sacred Maori burial ground. Joseph, one of the teachers at Dio, who’s family live on the pa, told us the story of how it became a tapu area.  I am always fascinated by legends and tales of how places get their names and the history surrounding them.

Well, back to work – Year 9 and 10 reports are due in a week’s time so I guess I should do something about it!

So we’re settled into our new house, started to get to grips with the garden – even bought some plants, a shredder to mulch the prunings and the falling autumn leaves.  We have plans to create a veggie plot and swap some of the decorative perennials for fruit trees.  Aonghas has already planted some carrots and marigolds ( or marlegods as he calls them!) in the boxes outside his window.  The early Camellias are starting to flower and we have a carpet of deep pink petals in our garden.  Roses are still blooming but the trees are wearing their autumnal colours and looking glorious in rich shades of yellow through orange to red.

Well, what have we been up to..?  Boys have finished summer sports and are training for their chosen winter sports.  Lachlan is continuing with rugby, but has taken up squash and, as he is in Year 10 he is allowed to use the weights room at school.  Aonghas has decided to try hockey this year and is enjoying that – he even scored a goal last week!  Lachlan is also running regularly and still cycling.  Next weekend he is heading to Rotorua to take part in the Moon Ride – a 12 hour mountain biking marathon.  He is riding as part of a team and they will take it in turns to do the 15km circuits from 10am to 10pm.  We were down there a couple of weekends ago and all had a go on the tracks. The Redwoods is a great forest with masses of mountain bike tracks of all levels.  Aonghas coped really well with them and ventured down the Dipper which even I braved, though Nigel decided that caution was the better part of valour and chickened out!  (we won’t hold it against him!)

We were down in Rotorua as I was taking part in a Duathlon, we decided to make a weekend of it as it was the last weekend of the Easter holidays, and our friends Liz and Chaz were also there with their boys, Jamie and Josh.  Liz was competing in the Duathlon too, as well as a couple more of our friends.  We stayed in the Thermal Holiday park – the same one we stayed in when we were here on holiday in 2005. We rented a self contained unit which, in estate agent speak, made good use of space – compact and bijou!  The advantage of the park are the hot pools, plenty of running around space for energetic boys, a games room as well as a television! After a couple of weeks of glorious weather we had a weekend of rain and wind, so the going was soft and muddy!  We set off with the wind and rain lashing our faces, but once on the way and into the forest, we soon warmed up.  The pressure was off as far as times go because of the weather conditions so we just relaxed and went with the flow.  Obviously a good move because I ended up with a time 5 minutes faster than the last duathlon I did and a top 10 finish!  We hung around in the cold and wet for the spot prizes because you never know ……. that $2000 bike might just have your name on it!  Sadly it wasn’t to be..maybe next time!  But, boy were those hot pools good when we got back to the holiday park!  A couple of hours later and nicely coddled we emerged to head back home!

We stopped off at what has become a bit of a regular, favourite spot for us – the Fat Dog cafe.  Huge portions of scrummy food and plenty of veggie options for Nigel.  Heaps of sald with home made burgers as well as BLATs, fries, wedges ….mmm,  my mouth is watering just thinking of it!

Third week in and I am starting to find my way around Dio, learnt a few names of both staff and students and almost feel like I’ve been there forever! Everyone is very friendly, and there is a calm atmosphere about the place.  It is strange only seeing girls around after a lifetime of teaching in mixed schools, but it is certainly a very different environment.

Spent 4 days at Year 9 Camp at Ngaruawahia which was great – fantastic weather – clear blue skies and glorious sunshine.  A couple of misty mornings in the valley but the cloud soon burned away.  I got a chance to have a go at Waka Ama – paddling a Maori canoe – we had a pretty stable Catamaran version with two boats strapped together with 6 people each side.  It was great fun and my team of girls was awesome.  We held the best time for the race from the second session right through to the last day but were narrowly beaten in the end!  Raft building was fun and racing our rafts in the slimy, eel infested lake led to lots of girlish shrieking and fierce competition!  Blindfold climbing was a first but we all rose to the challenge, and Team 12 (aka the best team)  won the Camp Concert – a real team effort!

Nigel and I were invited to the official opening of the Piki Mahuta Arts Centre at school last week – quite an honour it seems as not many staff were extended the courtesy.  However, I think I was invited as I teach in there.  Piki Mahuta is the name that the Maori Queen (Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu) was known by when she attended Dio as a girl.  She died about 3 years ago which was when the building was in its planning stages which is why it got its name.  It was a very grand affair and my first official Maori event.  I was humbled by the fact that I understood little of what was said and it has made me even more determined to learn more Maori.  The singing from both the Kapa Haka group from school and the Maori Whanau was wonderful.  They have an amazingly sonorous singing style which such depth and strength.  At the beginning of next term I will have the privelege of going to stay at the Tainui Marae with my Year 11 form for a few days and am really looking forward to it.  We are welcome there as a school because of the links we have with the Maori Royal Family through Piki Mahuta.  I’ll let you know how it goes.

Blog resumed 12/04/09

Holiday time again, so time to write and catch up!  I can’t believe a whole term has already slipped by!  As usual, I get to the penultimate week of the term and realise that I haven’t covered half the work I should have with my classes though we still seemed to have done lots in the lessons!   I suddenly panic that they are woefully under prepared for assessments….and they probably are!  Time just seems to run away from us, but another Easter is here and we’re ready for a break.

Nigel has Friday, Monday and Tuesday off so we’ll see what the weather does and try to get away somewhere.  There’s a place called Pureora just between Te Kuiti and Taupo that seemingly has some good mountain bike tracks suitable for beginners and old crocks!   Lachlan might need challenging but we could just make him do them as a time trial!  Not quite sure how we’re going to manage to get bikes and camping gear as well as children in the car – we’ll need more clothes too as summer has definitely drawn to a close.  The clocks went back last week and the evenings are dark and chilly.  Although it is nowhere near as cool as it would be in the Dales, the temperature seems to have dropped very quickly so I think we feel it more.

I am still trying to train for my second Duathlon, spurred on by success in a 5km run that I did with some friends from school. Much to my surprise – wasn’t sure I had heard correctly at the prize giving!  We only hung around because of the spot prizes – one of the good things about these mass events is that there is always the chance to win a bike or training shoes or sports kit just for being there!  It’s impossible to resist staying because just imagine if you went home and your name was picked for the BIG prize?!   Anyway, we were sitting there and my name was read out as the winner – yes, WINNER! Of ….. the 5km ……over 45s race!  Hey, don’t mock it!  I won a sports bra, pants and socks!!  And I’m pretty chuffed really – first time I’ve ever come first at anything!

Bought a new car today – we have put off the dreaded deed for several weeks now, but with the clocks going back and the promise of dark mornings and evenings, as well as wintry weather we decided we had to bite the bullet and hit the car sale yards.  We have all been trying to cycle as much as possible – partly because we enjoy it but also to keep petrol costs down, but after school activities, meetings and the onset of winter mean that we really do need two cars.  We looked at “little” cars and test drove a Toyota Vitz (Yaris in Europe) – not bad at all for an about town run around but very little leg room in the back for a growing 14 year old so we ended up with a Suzuki Aerio – a bit more space and a bigger engine without really compromising on efficiency (we hope!).

Also had a good clear out of the garage – emptied more boxes and sorted out rubbish to make space for the garden furniture and create a sort of indoor “rec” space for the boys.  The garden has blossomed (read “overgrown”!) – things seem to grow so fast here, but we have had a few days hard graft and got on top of the weeds.  We bought a shredder for all the prunings so Nigel has spent some happy hours feeding it twigs and branches and creating mulch for the garden.  We have been looking at what we can dig out, what needs to go and what needs to stay – whoever planted the garden had some great ideas but there are lots of large shrubs and trees very close to one another that need thinning and reorganising.  We also want to put in some vegetable beds so will need to create some space for them.  Aonghas was inspired and has planted the boxes outside his room with carrots and Marigolds as well as some Lavendar and ornamental grasses.  The carrots and Marigolds have already sprouted so he is quite excited! Lots to do but looking forward to the challenge.  The Camellias are coming into bloom and the roses just keep flowering so the garden is full of colour and we have been blessed with some beautiful early Autumn weather – quite crisp in the mornings but clear blue skies and a warm sun despite a nip in the air.

Easter Sunday today so the boys had their traditional egg hunt in the garden – Lachlan really thinks he is too old for that but he joined in all the same and enjoyed it despite himself! (certainly polished off the chocolate pretty quickly!) Talking of which – might just go and eat some of my Easter Egg …..

Oh, how could I forget?  Aonghas has finally got to the top of the list for Cubs and has been having a great time every Monday evening doing a whole range of fun activities.  He was invested a couple of weeks ago – a poor photo attached but the best I could get! He went on his first Cub camp last weekend and came back happy and exhausted! Mudslides, swimming, camp fires, exciting games and heaps of friends – a 9 year old’s dream!

Posted in NZ Tagged: Kapa Haka, Marae, Ngaruawahia, Piki Mahuta, Tainui, Waka Ama ]]> http://easegill.wordpress.com/2009/04/12/a-new-year-a-new-school/feed/ 0 robeanne click to translate Team 12 Waka Ama garden "indoor outdoor flow" teenage boy cub-investiture http://easegill.wordpress.com/2009/04/12/a-new-year-a-new-school/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/EasegillToday/~3/_TIbOsE3ebI/ http://easegill.wordpress.com/2009/03/18/sports-update/#comments Wed, 18 Mar 2009 10:02:41 +0000 robeanne http://easegill.wordpress.com/?p=346 ]]>

We have just come into Autumn here but you wouldn’t really know – weather still beautiful though there has been a bit of welcome (for the farmers) rain. Sunday morning here and I am up to take Lachlan to tennis – I am managing his tennis team this season.  Blithely ticked the “am happy to help out” when we joined the club and got a phone call before the ink was dry!  Well, it gets me up on a Sunday morning!  The boys have both trained as Ball Boys and did their first tournament last week – it was a whelelchair tennis competition and this weekend there is the ASB Pro circuit so they will do that, get a couple of days off school and meet some of the A list pros (about 200th in the world) who will be playing in it.  One perk of being a manager is that Lachlan and Aonghas will get to be in the group that has a special session with some of the pros – a bit of a knock about with them, autographs and goodies.  No idea if we will even have heard of any of them but they will have some fun.

Lachlan’s tennis has really improved with some regular, good and relatively cheap coaching at the club.  He trains in the U16 development squad and plays at the club three or four times a week.  He has even started to win some matches after a string of close matches which he lost with unflattering score lines!

The rugby season starts in a few weeks and Aonghas can’t decide whether to play soccer or rugby this year but he got a promotional letter from Richie McCaw last week (sent to all kids in junior rugby clubs!) and was quite impressed so he thought he might go for the rugby!  Since then he has decided to go for hockey!  However he is still a bit unsure as he would quite like to play football too.  Unfortunately they all happen on a Saturday morning which makes decisions difficult, especially for a 9 year old!

Lachlan has just started pre-season training for rugby – looks like there may be some competition this year as there are a few more players than last year.  I have “volunteered” to be team manager this year – I still can’t say “no”!  I quite enjoy being on the sidelines though, chatting to other parents and watching the matches.

Over the summer the boys have both done the Weetbix Tryathlon – there are a series of these events around the country specially for kids to introduce them to triathlons.  Last year Aonghas competed as part of a team but decided he wanted to do the whole thing this year.  Lachlan also competed in the Waikato Schools Triathlon last week – a bit tougher than the Weetbix!  Because of his Birthday he had to compete in the U16 race and also found that the majority of the other boys had road bikes rather than mountain bikes! Nevertheless he reckons he came in somewhere in the middle of the bunch so was quite proud of himself.  The 400m swim was in Lake Karapiro – quite chilly but fortunately the day of the race was fine after a blustery cold evening the night before.

A few weeks ago he competed in  the Black Stump Mountain Bike Race.  We had had weeks of hot weather and sunshine, but the Black Stump is not known as the “Drought Breaker” for nothing! A couple of days before the race the rain started – the course is renowned for being muddy – thick clay-ey mud – and on the Saturday morning we woke to a cold grey sky. The temperature had plummeted from somewhere in the mid 20s to about 12 degrees C!  I took photos and waited, shivering, for Lachlan to finish.  It is very scary as a parent waiting – worse than rugby I think because you see all the other accident prone people coming back muddy and bloody and wonder when yours will come back!  He finished  in under two hours (18km) which apparently was a pretty good time for his first big ride!  The Black Stump is supposed to be the toughest ride on the race circuit!  I think he pushed/carried more than he rode but then so did everyone else and he came over the finish line covered in mud!

Aonghas has done a lot of swimming this year – he loves the water and we joined the Fairfield Swim Club at the beginning of the summer.  Aonghas has been having two lessons a week and has also enjoyed competing in club swim nights each Wednesday. ( A lolly for every race you enter  and spot prizes at the end are a big incentive!)  Any way all the practice has paid off as last week he qualified to represent his school in the 25m back crawl.  The big day was today and he went off proudly this morning.  He came second in his heat but didn’t have a fast enough time to swim in the final.  He had fun though!

On Monday he was invested as a Cub – on the waiting list since we arrived here last year, he now has his uniform and is loving cub nights. He had a great time at the National Mudslide day a couple of weeks ago then last week he got his swimming badge.

As the weather is still good we are all still cycling to work and Aonghas is enjoying a little bit of freedom cycling to school with his friend Adam a couple of days a week.  We were a bit nervous at first about letting him cycle on his own but Nigel has been “training” him in road awareness and we eventually had to let him go!  So far no problems though he still cycles with Nigel most days.  Nearly everyone (kids anyway) cycles on the pavements here, there is much more of the ethos that cyclists and pedestrians “share and care” which makes us a bit happier about letting him go on his own though there are still plenty of roads to cross.  The main ones have crossings and motorists really do stop at zebras here!

I am trying to keep/get fit.  My shoulder is still crook – I have a torn fluid pocket in the Rotator cuff muscle which has kept me out of tennis and swimming ALL summer. Starting to improve now but daren’t play tennis – can’t do overarm stuff or any stretching behind me, so I have done a bit of one armed and very gentle two armed swimming. Can also cycle so have been cycling to work every day and doing the odd run with Lachlan.  I did a Duathlon a couple of weekends ago and enjoyed that. It was only a short one 3.5km run + 10km bike + 1.5km run but my legs felt like sludge when I got off the bike and started to run and that last 1500m was murder! However I managed to do it in less than an hour so was quite pleased with myself.  Since I had so much fun torturing myself I have registered to do another one in Rotorua in late April along with a couple of friends – better start some training as I would like to improve on my time.  This weekend I am doing a 5km run in Cambridge with some girlfriends from school and then having lunch afterwards.  (that’s the real incentive!)

I spent a day instructing Outdoor Ed at a Muslim women’s camp that a friend of mine organised  last week – an interesting day.  Some of the girls/women had never had the opportunity to walk in the bush, climb, abseil or even have a go on a flying fox.  They had a great time.  and I really enjoyed myself too.  The camp took place out at Pirongia – a beautiful setting and a well organised set-up. Another spot to add to the list of places to go with the family as it is only half an hour away.

Next week I am away on camp with the Year 9s – the programme looks good but I have to get down to planning work to leave for the rest of my classes!  Better get to it!