the powder room

26th July 2006, 17.30
Alpine Resort

Much needed day off today – sorted a few bits and bobs then had lunch and went for a nice walk with Claire, Pete and Ryan.

We were supposed to go for a gentle stroll round Glendhu Bay, but ended up hiking up to Diamond Lake – not that far, but more than I was dressed for! Well worth it though, as we were treated to a frozen over lake in the shape of a heart.

After tentatively stepping onto the ice and chucking a few rocks, we decided it was actually strong enough to walk on.

Anyways, was a lovely day and topped off with some glorious afternoon sun as we strolled back!.

22nd July 2006, 1800
Alpine resort (surprise!)

Up the mountain again today – total bluebird day! Pete, Ros and I were going to have a gentle day, but ended up hitting it quite hard in the morning – couldn’t resist really!

Another top day, blasting around – visibility was much better and meant we could actually see what we were riding!

Found some great wind-loaded chutes and had a peek over at Matukituki basin. I’m so pleased with my riding at the moment, it’s really come on since I arrived – was flying down off-piste today in control and without bricking myself! Topped the day off with a hike up the ridge and dropping back into the main basin along Sundance (trail map is at http://www.treblecone.co.nz/Info/high-res-trail-map.asp) Just insane powder down there and could see our lines from the bottom! Would never have even thought of doing that 3 weeks ago!

The only thing that’s bothering me is my fitness, my calf muscles were killing me by mid morning! It’s the 7th day in a row that we’ve ridden, so I’m hoping it’s that and a day’s rest will do me wonders.

Still, lots of work to do for Stage 1 – my riding needs to step up a gear if I stand any chance of passing – but we’ll worry about that on Monday!

26th June 2006, 09:37
Bits and Bytes Internet Cafe, Wanaka!

Well, the weather cleared – but only on Sat – when we were leaving for Wanaka!!! Sod’s bloody law! But the drive from Christchurch made up for it, just totally blew me away. I really feel like I’ve arrived now!!

Drove out from Christchurch (with Matt and Saul in tow) and down State Highway 1, with the Southern Alps and Arthur’s Pass to the right. Stopped in Geraldine to regroup and eat, before heading off up route 8 through the heart of Mackenzie County and our home for the winter.

We climbed up through the mountains, with Doris struggling valiantly, but making it. Over Burke’s pass it was all a bit murky, but then suddenly Lake Tekapo popped up and I nearly sent Doris off a cliff with surprise. Was stunning, so we stopped for a few photos and to soak up the views (although in the excitement I dropped my camera and smashed the polariser!), will post some later.

Matt and Saul cracked us up with a bit of HackJam, their hackysack video – they’re like Bert and Ernie, thoroughly entertaining!

Having had our fill and swelling with excitement, we clambered back into Doris and headed off, only to be hit by the next sight, Lake Pukaki, which was even bigger and more spectacular.

Onwards to Twizel and a quick fuel stop before heading off up route 8 on our last stretch to Wanaka

We arrived in Wanaka at around 6ish and after driving around hopefully, we gave in and asked for directions to the hostel – Mountain View backpackers – nice little place (even if the showers are a bit ropey!!), full of Rookies!

So there you have it. We’ve arrived at the place we shall come home for the next 3 months. And it’s everything I hoped it would be and more!

20th June 2006, 11.04 pm
City Central YHA, Christchurch

Just woken up from one of my numerous spontaneous naps today, terribly confused about what time and day it is, I fear someone has kidnapped Monday.

So it’s apparently Tuesday 20th and I’ve now spent a day in NZ having travelled an unknown amount of miles, surviving LAX where I was scanned, fingerprinted, photographed and screened (all for a fecking transfer!!!), navigating the terrors of Biosecurity in Auckland airport (apparently muddy boots constitute as great a threat to Kiwis as bearded gentlemen wearing bulky jackets do to Americans), then running across said airport to catch my connecting flight due to the incompetence of Qantas making us an hour late.

But I’m in Christchurch now, happily encamped in the City Central YHA. It’s bloody freezing here – a fact that had somehow slipped my attention and taken me totally by surprise as I stepped off the plane. You’d think I’d know better.

Spent most of today wandering around trying to find a car and generally getting lost in ChCh. Nice place, but jetlag is preventing me from appreciating it fully!

Claire’s coming down tomorrow, so we’re going to meet up – nice to have a familiar face around. She’s even been so kind as to offer me a lift to Wanaka – but I’m not convinced I’ll either fit in her car or that it’ll be able to take the weight of all my stuff!!

So there we have it – day one of the adventure. Most of which has been spent in and out of consciousness with my head lolling to one side. Excellent.

30th January 2006. 10:41.

A desk on a floor in Ashdown House, Victoria that closely resembles a call centre.

So, here we are then. I’ve decided to start a blog. Why am I starting a blog when I should be working and trying to crack the impenetrable issues around the inclusion of aviation into the EU Emissions Trading Scheme? Well, I’ve been feeling a certain malaise that I believe afflicts all twenty-somethings of my generation. A feeling that despite the affluence, stability and material possessions, something is not quite right.

I work in a job that people would die for, tackling one of the biggest challenges to mankind. I’m paid well and live in a nice flat in the heart of Balham. I have a beautiful girlfriend who understands me and doesn’t nag. I have a wonderful family who support and inspire me. I drive a nice car, have at least one week’s holiday a year, usually in an exotic destination. I’m fit and healthy, despite my regular socialising. But something’s not quite right in my soul.

I’m bored of the routine and the feeling that I’m somehow trapped in a giant maze, running around scrabbling towards some ill-defined goal. Maybe it’s just what happens when you hit the stage of life between formal education, with all its goals and pathways, and parenthood with its responsibility and selflessness, but I feel that life should be about more than the day-to-day grind, the relentless pursuit of a career (I’ve never understood why we call it that, is it because we spend most of it careering around?).

So, anyway, I guess this is all a long-winded way (years of civil service training is hard to overcome) of saying that I’ve decided to take control of my life and do something different.

Ever since I first strapped on a piece of wood to my feet and slid in a most ungainly manner down the slightest of… actually that’s a lie. I didn’t really enjoy snowboarding when I first tried it. Sure it was good fun, something a bit different, but I lived in fear of another face-plant or coxyx shattering impact. It wasn’t really until my second week of boarding, when it suddenly came together and I felt in flow that I caught the bug. The combination of mountains, snow and a basic form of transport powered only be natural forces was quite hypnotic. I love the almost meditative qualities of a focussed run, the feel of crisp snow beneath your feet, the rush of air past your freezing ears and the rosy glow that the biting wind leaves on your cheeks. So for one week a year (sometimes more), I’ve found my way out and a way to escape the drudgery of city life.

But one week has never seemed enough, just as I begin to feel in tune with it, it’s whipped away and replaced with an early morning, hungover crawl to the airport, sweating alcohol in a tin can that lands in the inevitably grey London skies. So I’ve decided to do a season, not just any old season mind you. I need a bit of structure and a way to improve, so I’ve opted to train as a snowboard instructor, an ideal way to combine my love of snowboarding with my love of sharing skills with other people. Oh, and it’s in New Zealand (Wanaka to be precise), for 3 months.

What am I hoping to get out of it? Space. Time. Freedom to think about what actually matters to me, about how I’d like to be remembered and about what the hell to do with myself and the precious gift of life. Challenge, a change, a sense of liberation and a feeling that I can take control of my life, that it’s not just about stepping over others in a desperate bid for recognition and promotion.

It’s not been an easy decision and it won’t be an easy 3 months. I’m moving to the total opposite side of the world from the love of my life, away from my friends, family and social circle. I’m leaving a great job. And I’m terrified, that I’m not good enough, that I’m not enough of an extreme thrill seeker, that I’ll hurt myself, that I won’t enjoy it. But it’s something I feel like I need to do. If it goes wrong, I’ll handle it somehow – that’s partly why I want to do it, it feels like a risk, a leap of faith (OK, it’s only 3 months in another country, but it’s a psychological thing). I keep thinking about looking back on this and how I want to view this point in my life. And one thing keeps running through my head, the last stanza in my favourite poem:

“I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I –
I took the one less travelled by.
And that has made all the difference.”

Thanks Bob, that’ll keep me going.