Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Going round the bays...again
February rolls around and it's time for the annual Round the Bays fun run. Last year, we both ran the 7km race and we decided to register early and use the opportunity to try and beat our previous times.
But Annalie changed her mind after her training runs crept into double figures (in kms) and decided to put her efforts into trying to run the half marathon. So Ian went for a time record. Annalie opted for a distance one.
Race day dawned with near perfect conditions. There was a break in the super-hot weather we've been having, even extending to a little drizzle. But there was no wind. We drove down early to park at Annalie's work, which is a 10-minute warm-up stroll from the start. We were greeted by a lovely sunrise over the harbour too.
We met up with a friend who was going to help hold Annalie back from running off too quickly - a fatal mistake in any distance. Then it was time for her to line up and off she went, not to see Ian for over 2 hours.
Ian's race started 1 hour 10 minutes later, just as the winner of the half marathon was crossing the finish line! He placed himself at the front of the pack and got off to a good start. With more training under his belt compared to last year, he managed to shave off nearly a minute per km from his previous result.
Annalie's strategy of running with her slower friend paid off as she had a great run. She stayed with him until the 14km mark and then decided to push on. Our friend Dave was waiting at the turn and gave her lots of encouragement as she entered the final third of the race. From this point she passed around 250 other runners, according to her results breakdown, and she beat her goal time of 2:15. The photos make it look like a painful experience, but she is adamant it wasn't as hard as they make it look ;)
For completing the half marathon, Annalie also got a medal, to prove that she's actually done it!
So we both achieved PBs this year. The only question now is, what next?...
But Annalie changed her mind after her training runs crept into double figures (in kms) and decided to put her efforts into trying to run the half marathon. So Ian went for a time record. Annalie opted for a distance one.
Race day dawned with near perfect conditions. There was a break in the super-hot weather we've been having, even extending to a little drizzle. But there was no wind. We drove down early to park at Annalie's work, which is a 10-minute warm-up stroll from the start. We were greeted by a lovely sunrise over the harbour too.
We met up with a friend who was going to help hold Annalie back from running off too quickly - a fatal mistake in any distance. Then it was time for her to line up and off she went, not to see Ian for over 2 hours.
Ian's race started 1 hour 10 minutes later, just as the winner of the half marathon was crossing the finish line! He placed himself at the front of the pack and got off to a good start. With more training under his belt compared to last year, he managed to shave off nearly a minute per km from his previous result.
Annalie's strategy of running with her slower friend paid off as she had a great run. She stayed with him until the 14km mark and then decided to push on. Our friend Dave was waiting at the turn and gave her lots of encouragement as she entered the final third of the race. From this point she passed around 250 other runners, according to her results breakdown, and she beat her goal time of 2:15. The photos make it look like a painful experience, but she is adamant it wasn't as hard as they make it look ;)
So we both achieved PBs this year. The only question now is, what next?...
Not a nice thing to wake up to
We had a fairly interrupted night's sleep last night as we could hear a helicopter buzzing around. This is very unusual, but we thought it might have been search and rescue trying to find someone. So imagine our surprise this morning when we opened the curtains to see this...
The helicopters that were buzzing us were carrying "monsoon buckets" to help the firefighters douse the flames. The story in the local paper provides more details, and we also sent some photos in under Ian's name. At the time of posting, his was photo 3 (but it may have moved, so scroll through). There's also a video.
Rest assured we are not in danger. The bush is incredibly dry at the moment as we've had a fantastic summer with lots of incredibly hot days, which is unusual for Wellington. While we've appreciated the beautiful weather, this reminds us of the added dangers it brings.
The helicopters that were buzzing us were carrying "monsoon buckets" to help the firefighters douse the flames. The story in the local paper provides more details, and we also sent some photos in under Ian's name. At the time of posting, his was photo 3 (but it may have moved, so scroll through). There's also a video.
Rest assured we are not in danger. The bush is incredibly dry at the moment as we've had a fantastic summer with lots of incredibly hot days, which is unusual for Wellington. While we've appreciated the beautiful weather, this reminds us of the added dangers it brings.
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Sampling a local brew
This weekend we took a short trip out of Wellington with The Bach to Paraparaumu Beach on the Kapiti Coast. It's only an hour away, but we had a little excursion booked, for which we didn't have to rely on a driver.
In NZ, there is a real "craft beer" movement. There are a number of "boutique" breweries that focus on quality rather than quantity. On our past travels, we've sampled Monteith's in Greymouth and Stoke in Nelson. Our local major player in this field is Tuatara.
In October they moved to new premises in "Pram" after outgrowing their garden shed! And with that, they launched brewery tours. Of course no tour is complete without the obligatory tasting, so taste we did.
But you'll be please to know that we had some food and water before bicycling back to the campsite for some more beers and some cards.
In NZ, there is a real "craft beer" movement. There are a number of "boutique" breweries that focus on quality rather than quantity. On our past travels, we've sampled Monteith's in Greymouth and Stoke in Nelson. Our local major player in this field is Tuatara.
In October they moved to new premises in "Pram" after outgrowing their garden shed! And with that, they launched brewery tours. Of course no tour is complete without the obligatory tasting, so taste we did.
But you'll be please to know that we had some food and water before bicycling back to the campsite for some more beers and some cards.
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Funky loos
In the list of top things to do and see in Northland, you wouldn't normally expect to find toilets! However, the lavs in Kawakawa are no ordinary loos. Designed by so-called "artistic royalty" the Frederick Hundertwasser toilets are actually signposted from the main road! They are rather special, it has to be said.
Beaches, Whangarei and free camping
Heading south from Paihia, we took in a scenic drive around the Tutukaka coastline. This is the gateway to Poor Knights Island, one of the world's top dive sites. Sadly, this was not on the cards for us but we were still greeted with stunning coastline and beaches as we made our way to Whangarei.
You can just see Poor Knights Island in the photo above!
The van has a rest during a beach walk for Maddy.
Then it was on to the largest town in Northland, Whangarei. Just before we reached the town, we passed Whangarei Falls, the "most photographed waterfall in NZ", so we thought we'd just add to the statistic! You can kind of see why they're so popular.
Then it was on to Whangarei. It's quite a sprawling metropolis really, but it presented an opportunity for a free spot of camping. Consulting our bible again, we saw that there was free overnight parking allowed down by the river. Wanting to be sure about these things, we stopped at the i-site to make sure we were parking in the right area. Armed with this information, we set off.
The parking was right by the river basin marina, presenting a lovely backdrop. A nice boardwalk took us along to a cute cafe where we dined by the river. We were slightly concerned that we would have to break out the portapotty as the local lavs were supposed to close at 5.30pm. However we were very pleased to find that they remained open all night, removing the need for us to use our on board loo!
Not bad for a freebie, we thought...
You can just see Poor Knights Island in the photo above!
The van has a rest during a beach walk for Maddy.
Then it was on to the largest town in Northland, Whangarei. Just before we reached the town, we passed Whangarei Falls, the "most photographed waterfall in NZ", so we thought we'd just add to the statistic! You can kind of see why they're so popular.
Then it was on to Whangarei. It's quite a sprawling metropolis really, but it presented an opportunity for a free spot of camping. Consulting our bible again, we saw that there was free overnight parking allowed down by the river. Wanting to be sure about these things, we stopped at the i-site to make sure we were parking in the right area. Armed with this information, we set off.
The parking was right by the river basin marina, presenting a lovely backdrop. A nice boardwalk took us along to a cute cafe where we dined by the river. We were slightly concerned that we would have to break out the portapotty as the local lavs were supposed to close at 5.30pm. However we were very pleased to find that they remained open all night, removing the need for us to use our on board loo!
Not bad for a freebie, we thought...
Hell hole of the Pacific?...Yeah right!
Just across the water from Paihia lies the quaint little village of Russell. Once known as the "hell hole of the Pacific" due to its status as a major trading post and subsequent rise in drinking holes and brothels, James Busby was tasked with cleaning up the town's act upon his appointment as Governor.
Today its trade is much more serene in nature, mostly based around the clear waters of the surrounding bays, where fishing and diving are the most raucous activities. Many of the town's traditional buildings are still standing, giving an eerie sense of having stepped back in time a little once you get there.
The claim to house the country's oldest petrol station - which looks like it was cut out of the corner of someone's house! - helps with this feel.
But as for being the "hell hole of the Pacific", to quote an iconic series of beer billboard adverts in NZ, Yeah Right!
Today its trade is much more serene in nature, mostly based around the clear waters of the surrounding bays, where fishing and diving are the most raucous activities. Many of the town's traditional buildings are still standing, giving an eerie sense of having stepped back in time a little once you get there.
The claim to house the country's oldest petrol station - which looks like it was cut out of the corner of someone's house! - helps with this feel.
But as for being the "hell hole of the Pacific", to quote an iconic series of beer billboard adverts in NZ, Yeah Right!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)