Pink Flying Saucers over the Southern Alps

Originally the name of a Flying Nun album, this phrase is evocative of those amazing Norwest sunsets we get over the Southern Alps. It is a phrase which I can utter to my children and they know exactly what I mean without glancing Westward.



The phrase resonated with me a couple of mornings ago, during that rainy Easterly spell when NW sunsets were furtherest from our minds. We were getting ready for school and I was playing Baxter, a collection of songs based on good old JK's poems, which once again resound with shared experiences for our family. There is a wonderful lilting version of "High Country Weather" which has in the past lifted my spirits and this week reminded me how far we have all come


Alone we are born
and die alone
Yet see the red-gold cirrus
over snow-mountain shine
upon the upland road
ride easy stranger
Surrender to the sky
your heart of anger.

Iceblock Feet

Today dawned fine and clear, one of those Spring mornings that you can only get in Canterbury, Hawkes Bay, Gissie and the Wairarapa - a towel left out hanging under the eaves bone dry, but underfoot a cool dew.

Time to give the board a go. Armed with the knowledge that you use supermarket bags to slip the wetsuit over the feet... I grabbed the board and walked through the cold town side of the sandhills and then paused at the top of the hill, basking in the sun and feeling the temperature much warmer than the valley below.

I felt that exquisite anticipation I first had as a 13 year-old with my 7' Quane board, what will it ride like? Will I be able to get up? The new suit was so toasty, but the feeling in my feet disappeared straight away in a calf-cramping spasm. There was still snow on the shady parts of the Port Hills and yesterday's norwester had sent a shot of glacial water from the Waimakariri right down Pegasus Bay. I paddled out and the board glided easily underneath me. After the first channel a nice wee wave bounced up and started to reform right behind me. I turned and paddled and managed to get straight up, riding a clean wee face. It felt as though I had been riding this board all my life, it responded beautifully. With a whoop I flicked off and paddled back out. With no legrope and a new board I decided to be prudent and stay between the first and second channels and I had a ball, the board will catch the little sloppy ones and goes like a cut cat in the clean stuff. I felt as big a thrill as I had all those years ago. A bucket of water over my head, hung the wetsuit up on the line and lay out in the sun with the steam rising from my skin... Bliss.

Memo to moi - get a leggie and some booties ASAP. I sent a text to Andy and Ric, who understand this thrill... As Andy replied - "Ah a new stick. Always a great day"

I blame the City Council

I have finally worked out why it is snowing more in town and why we never get snow in South Shore. Here is absolute proof that snow tussock attracts snow. Note - no snow anywhere except around the tussock, planted by the Council!

I used to be miffed that the council mainly beautify the leafy suburbs in the north west while we in the east missed out. However, we self sufficient denizens of the seaside suburb have been busy growing palm trees and banana plants and what do you know - we don't get snow on the spit - go figure.

So all you citizens of the northwest, who think that living in a frosty swamp near the airport is better than the beach - get planting tropical plants, boot out the council and you will get rid of the snow - pity you still won't have a beach, but you can't blame the council for everything.

Icecream Headache Anyone?

Ric took me on a mission today to gear up for the new surf season. My aging Body Glove 3n2 had worn so thin that I could feel the wind through the sleeves and while I dearly love the mal which I have ridden since the '70s, its lack of a leg rope was a definite inhibitor to meaningful sessions. As I get a bit older, the swim back to shore after wiping out on the first wave tends to be a feat which can be only repeated so many times before I feel the need to beat a tactical retreat to the shore.
We battled the road works to visit Exit in Ferrymead and I am glad we did. I picked up an Xcel 5n4 for under half price. After I worked out how to get my feet through the very tight legs, it fit perfectly and is very toasty, just the thing for early Spring.

We then went back to Outer Island in New Brighton, where they were having their final day's trading. It was a day to mark the passing of one of our local icons, having traded from the same site in New Brighton (firstly as Gracie's) for longer than I can remember. So it was great to buy a board from Alan Cockburn and talk to him about his retirement, hopefully I will see him out the back one day on his 10 footer. So what did I get? A 9'1" X 23" 6 oz glass Na Papa board for about half price. It has a double concave in the tail and a single concave in the nose. The tail is a bit wider, just the thing for our sometimes mushy waves here on the east coast, but with potential to perform on the bigger stuff. And take note Kayla, it has the flower on it that you requested.

Tonight it has pride of place on my lounge floor. It has been lovingly waxed with a base coat and topped with good old Mrs Palmer's (and her five daughters) cold water wax. It looked so shiny before the wax.

Alan could not even sell us a leg rope, being close to shutting his doors for the final time, so I will have to wait to get one. Mind you, have not had one for 20 years, so would I really need one... I have this insane desire to go out now (at 10pm, freezing southerly howling in, snow to 300 metres) - barking.

To cap off the excitement of getting my first ever new board, I had two new experiences on the Bonnie today. The first was that lovely feeling when you are sailing along under full noise when you get the running out of gas sputter. No problems I thought, just reach down and flick her over to reserve... uh oh! She had already been on reserve when I drove her out of the shop. Good old Ric drove down and topped up the tank for me. Then fun times number two - I drove back through a southerly storm, got smashed by the rain. I had the choice to cut for home or just go straight to the Bach where I was meeting Re and Ric for dinner. When I got the bike I decided that I should experience whatever the elements threw at me, so the pub won. It was a blast going home in the rain and then drying off, I just felt so alive and glad I did it.

Although there is such a thing as too much life - memo to self, buy some leggings.

Happy Birthday MummaNanaBel

We all gathered at Ma and Pa's to celebrate Mum's 67th birthday. 67 years ago today she was born in storm on the West Coast, just after midnight. If she had been born before midnight, she would have shared birthdays with her dad, who would have been 105 yesterday if he was still alive. Even though Granddad was christened Lawrence, he was known to one and all on the West Coast as Pat - a very good choice of name.

As usual Mum started the day off with her jog down the beach and the morning ritual of watching the sunrise. We had a great party with all the family around, it was great to see the older kids making the effort to get there, that is what it is all about.

By the way, Mum nailed both cakes with one breath - and we got exhausted clapping her age!

I sat on her!

We are inching closer to that bike, I visited Just Motorcycles this evening and Ian started the bike. She has modified pipes, so the exhaust had a gorgeous, throaty note. I took these pictures with my phone, the quality isn't that good - but at least they provide some proof that it exists! All that chrome...

It felt great to sit astride the bike, feathering the brakes, testing the weight to guage at which point you would drop it...

It's bloody cold down here tonight and expected to pour tomorrow. But hopefully on Sunday I will be able to take her for a spin.

Is this where you live?

Remember the song by The Church? They didn't have Google Maps back then did they, so I guess they had to keep asking the question? I purchased Of Skins and Heart from Marbecks in 1982 when I was living in Auckland and played it in the dark on my Akai mini system; it blew me away. I was flatting in half a villa in Epsom with my good friend Christine Hailes. The villa had been used in the filming of Constance. It was set on the side of One Tree Hill. Anyhow, this is where I live now


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Wax up the Board?

Magic over them there sandhills this morning. The sun rose out of a sea which was so smooth and the tide so full it looked like a giant bowl of mercury brimming to the horizon. The glow of the sun on the Kaikouras and the snow-capped Southern Alps receded into the distance all along the backbone of our land, it looked as though you could see all the way to Southland.

Won't be long until the spring surf sessions start.

The Long Awaited Bike

My poor workmates, first there was my desktop picture featuring a green and silver Triumph Bonneville. "You're dreaming!" my boss said. House wouldn't sell, lots of reasons why I shouldn't buy it, and that is exactly why I have. I could have had one by now, exactly the one I want at a bike shop in town, but the guy just did not want to sell it to me, even though I was literally waving 11 grand under his nose.

"I haven't ridden a bike for years, how do I take it for a test ride?"
"Oh, you'll be OK"

What year is this one?
"Dunno, think it is a 2005"

"T100, that's the 865cc one isn't it?"
"Nah, they're all 790cc"...

So went back to my local bike shop here at New Brighton. They don't usually stock Bonnies. They couldn't have been better, we got on the internet, picked one out.

"We'll get you out in the car park, then one of the boys can follow you around the block until you are confident with it"

Since then nature has conspired against me. Last week, "I get my bike tomorrow" I confidently tell my workmates. Then I get a call, with all the floods, the truck bringing it from Dunedin is turned back by a slip around Palmerston. Will have to go back...

Then yesterday - "I get my bike tomorrow, I say at our morning meeting" Get another call, it had been sent around the West Coast, there are delays of five days but it can be here at 11.30 tonight, we are going in especially to take delivery. The one sitting in the window at the town shop is still there, mocking me...

I called today, it is actually in the shop! But they have put a non-compliant tail light on it and there is a dent on the headlight rim, they will fit a new one and try to get a replacement tail light... we agree to wait till Saturday. My workmates are no longer amused, just bored by the continual saga.

Then tonight when I am taking the kids back to mine, we decide to check out the shop, even though the bike is likely to be in the workshop. And there she was, tucked behind the sad Harleys, silver and green tank, chrome bumpers shining... Kids were laughing at how excited I was, jumping up and down. Two more sleeps, tail light permitting...