Canyoning!!

Blue Canyon on a beautiful Saturday the 22nd!

(Below is my favorite picture from the trip)





For those of you who don't know, Canyoning is (def): traveling in canyons using a variety of techniques that may include walking, scrambling, climbing, jumping, abseiling (repelling), and/or swimming.

I went with Saskia, Paul, Jan, and Julia to the Blue Canyon. Leaving from the Skytower the drive only took about 45 minutes.










We hiked for about 30min before we could finally put on our wetsuits.








The guides initiated us by making us jump into a small pool of freezing cold water! But after we adjusted to the cold (because our wetsuits warmed us up) we were willing to do all sorts of jumps!



All of us posing as I try to push Julia into the waterfall!

Mountain biking Woodhill and playing at Murawai Beach

On Saturday I joined a few members of the Canoe Club for a day of sporting. I was picked up around 11am and headed north to the Woodhill bike park where there were multiple trails for every skill rider. There we also some jumps and large ramps but I didn't try any of those!



































(Here are the jumps that I wouldn't dare to go on! But others seemed thrilled to leap across!)
















After my lunch (of a meat pie) the next stop was Murawai Beach. A beautiful black sand beach. It was so picturesque on that beautiful Saturday and even though it was only 15 degrees Celsius out (60 degrees Fahrenheit) at the warmest, I was still eager to be in a wetsuit and in the water. Although I have gotten more skittish about cold water these days. (I must be getting older!)






















(I am all dressed up in Polypro layers and a borrowed wetsuit ready to conquer the water with a kayak! The waves ended up rolling me several times and I had to swim instead of being able to roll myself back over! But it will take practice!!!!!)




















After watching the sunset, I went up the cliffs to see the birds that nest there. Apparently there are supposed to be thousands of them that perch on these ledges. Following that we went to Colm's parents home for some BBQ and spa time with the Canoe Club members. A great steak dinner, some plantains (some people kept calling them plantations) that I helped prepare, and then some good conversation before being brought back to my flat around 11pm. What an exhilarating and exhausting day.

And today, my butt is sore from riding bikes, and my muscles ache in a great way and I'm doing laundry and homework. And I couldn't be happier not moving from my computer chair!

Colleen's Birthday Celebration

Thursday was my flatmate, Colleen's 20th Birthday. Saskia and I got wine and a cake and a few other small things for her, and then we all decorated the night before so she would wake up to a decorated living room! That night we had a few friends over for some festivities.

Flatmates from left to right, Saskia, me, Eric, Colleen and Paul.


(A sideways picture--for the more artistic eye...?)

Rafting the Aniwhenua and Rangitaiki Rivers!

Last week I joined the AUCC, aka the Auckland University Canoe Club.




(Our group photo the first day--before I was freezing cold!)

I haven't seen a single canoe yet, but they do have rafts and kayaks. Friday night I was picked up by two group members in their packed car and headed south to go rafting grade 2,3, and 4 rapids on the Aniwhenua and Rangitaiki rivers.

(Here is the tree that fell and blocked the whole river right before we got there. They had to saw off a limb in order for us to get the rafts over!)

Never have I been so cold rafting before! I need much more gear (that I really can't afford) in order to be prepared for another journey with the club. I feel that they should also be called the drinking club--that may be the way to stay warm in the freezing night.


(We are in a small cave looking back at the other raft. You can't see me here cause I'm to the left of the camera.)





I finally returned around 9pm on Sunday, sore, exhausted, and quite content with my weekend away!