Paulk Posted September 2, 2009 Report Share Posted September 2, 2009 Late August, and I was thinking I was on a plane headed to Chile...but I get diverted. Wouldn't be so bad, but in the air I lose an entire day. A saturday no less, to the international date line. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paulk Posted September 2, 2009 Author Report Share Posted September 2, 2009 When I get off the plane, I find that everything is upside down....including my body clock. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paulk Posted September 2, 2009 Author Report Share Posted September 2, 2009 After getting on a plane friday night, then stepping off on a sunday afternoon... we decide to head out monday for some adventure..Who is that girl on the Donek??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paulk Posted September 2, 2009 Author Report Share Posted September 2, 2009 around here the car all have tiny engines....it's a good thing because you don't want to drive more than 50kph on these roads even in good weather...oh and one other thing, they all drive on the wrong side of the road. Why are they honking their horns at me??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paulk Posted September 2, 2009 Author Report Share Posted September 2, 2009 So we survive a day at Cardorna, and decide that Treble Cone wouldn't be too bad for tuesday..but it snows overnight. We drive to the mountains anyways, bald tires and chains. By the top, the condition are, well.....Hey there is that girl from Calgary again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeoffV Posted September 2, 2009 Report Share Posted September 2, 2009 Have fun Paul, I"m sure you wish you had your RC51 on some of those roads Make some turns for me will ya:mad I'll see you on a month hopefully up in VT, oh I'll have gift for you:rolleyes: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paulk Posted September 2, 2009 Author Report Share Posted September 2, 2009 We head in for a little breakfast, and wait for a clear sky....but by 3pm. Snow again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paulk Posted September 2, 2009 Author Report Share Posted September 2, 2009 Today is a day off....walking around Queenstown taking in the sights. More snow overnight closed most of the ski areas today. I have to visit an internet cafe to download pictures, so don't wait for daily updates...Some bungee jumping this afternoon, more riding tomorrow, skydiving on saturday...busy busy...I'm not in Kansas anymore! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
www.oldsnowboards.com Posted September 2, 2009 Report Share Posted September 2, 2009 Good on ya Paul!! Brilliant photos mate!! Keen on more updates Yank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
www.oldsnowboards.com Posted September 2, 2009 Report Share Posted September 2, 2009 List of things to do on your day off: Black water rafting Jetboating _ do several different locations, they are very different. Para-sailing Sheep ranch (take the steamer out of Queenstown) Real "Fish and Chips" on newspaper. Local bars sometimes off video of the day (couple crazies ride around doing video during the day then show it at a bar in town) "Lost World" Heli Bungy/ Skippers Canyon/ Pipeline ??? Heli Snowboarding, try to get to Harris Mt Heli in Wanaka if possible. Go to some of the pubs in the small towns. They are so friendly and the pig farmers will enjoy drinking you under the table in their gum boots. Have fun, so jealous, I love New Zealand and Kiwis. I am sure you will too. Thanks for the updates!! PS (my recommendations may be slightly out of date , say 20 yrs or so?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allee Posted September 2, 2009 Report Share Posted September 2, 2009 It's Gay Ski Week in Queenstown. Paul's really enjoying himself. Paul met the Prime Minister of New Zealand on the plane to Queenstown. He, his PA, the Secret Service gorilla were sitting in the row in front of us. He popped his head over the seat and we had a conversation. Paul still thinks I'm pulling his leg - I told him he should have kicked his seat for the whole trip. We almost crashed coming in Queenstown Airport, the pilot pulled a touch and go landing and had to go to Invercargill to change his underwear. There is a TON of snow here. For the first week of Sept, we should be drinking on the patio in the sunshine. It's +3C in town today and there's snow down to the foothills. The Crown Range road is very scary when it snows. It's really good to be able to kick the guy (Paul) out of the car and make him put the chains on. Sometimes it's good to be a girl!! The pinot noir is freaking excellent. I counted eight dead soldiers in the unit this morning, wine and cheese at 6pm tonight on Unit 9 ... Time to catch the big steam boat and go for a cruise on the lake. Weather is clearing and warming up, 15-20 of new snow on the hills, tomorrow should be stellar... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riceball Posted September 2, 2009 Report Share Posted September 2, 2009 I hate you... It's 30c in the house here in Calgary and you just have to put those photos up!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
www.oldsnowboards.com Posted September 2, 2009 Report Share Posted September 2, 2009 AND a Kiwi Alpine Hotty for a tour guide, you do live a charmed life dude!! Have fun and keep the photos/ updates coming!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SunSurfer Posted September 2, 2009 Report Share Posted September 2, 2009 Sounds like Paul's having a typical Kiwi experience. NZers are forever having to sit by politicians on planes, after a while it almost spoils the trip! August was the warmest it has ever been since records began, so while normally August is the best month for a snow trip, this year the snow was all slushy and soft when I was in Queenstown 10 days ago. Glad the Furious Fifties are turning on a good southerly blast for you to dump more snow. NZ is not the good old US of A. It is a place of very different values. Our gun laws, amongst other things, make it a relatively safe place to be a politician, hence you get to sit beside them on planes (a mixed blessing). Apropos the healthcare debate in the States at present, in NZ "socialised" health care and a healthy private healthcare sector exist side by side. Public hospitals are our best hospitals, where our sickest and most complex patients are treated. The private hospitals have better "hotel" services, and if you can afford it, non urgent surgical treatment can be bought more quickly, but the quality is not significantly better, or worse. NZers can't sue for personal injury compensation. A government administered system (not perfect) provides medical care and is aimed at rehabilitation and return to participation in society. There is no incentive to maximise the extent of your injury to maximise your payout. The lawyers hated it when it first came in!! If Paul was injured on a ski field while he was here, no matter how seriously, the scheme would automatically cover his medical care in NZ's "public" hospital system. To quote from the Accident Compensation Corporation website - Why does ACC help tourists? ACC’s legislation covers the medical treatment of overseas visitors who are injured while in New Zealand. However, they cannot get compensation for lost overseas income and their cover does not continue once they leave New Zealand. In the case of serious injuries, ACC will assist them only to the point where they are able to safely return home. There are other exclusions as well. It is important to note that tourists often pay some form of ACC levy. For example, those who hire rental vehicles pay an ACC levy when they buy petrol, so they do pay towards any road-accident related treatment. Those who legally worked while in New Zealand paid levies through their wages. It is important to appreciate that in return for this cover, overseas visitors – like New Zealanders – forgo the right to sue if they are injured here. If they were allowed to sue, the cost to New Zealand would be significantly more than what ACC pay to cover their treatment. Individual New Zealanders could also have been sued; something that with ACC cover, cannot happen. Finally, it is most likely that recovering the cost of tourists’ medical treatment from the visitors themselves, or their insurance companies, would be expensive. Have a great time while you're here, pinot noir is Central Otago's best grape, and a midwinter river dunk bungy jump from the Kawarau Gorge site is probably the best way to clear your head! SunSurfer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helmut Karvlow Posted September 2, 2009 Report Share Posted September 2, 2009 so now Paul know's the prime minister......and the mayor of Whitefish:ices_ange:ices_ange go easy on Paul Baby, you know he's not a big drinker:barf:.........oh wait.......that was me who coughed-my-cookies.....cary on:p:p sitting here jelous as allways:( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mellow Yellow Posted September 4, 2009 Report Share Posted September 4, 2009 damn you Paul.... keep the pictures coming! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paulk Posted September 5, 2009 Author Report Share Posted September 5, 2009 It's been a bit of an interesting week here....Where oh where should I continue? hmmm...lets try pictures from adrenalin free wednesday. Wait a minute...maybe a picture response to Allee's earlier post is in order... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paulk Posted September 5, 2009 Author Report Share Posted September 5, 2009 OK...now i feel better... how about some pics of the day now? Breakfast at Joe's Garage...Yum! A view from the Steam Ship Earnslaw.. More views from the lake outside of Queenstown.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paulk Posted September 5, 2009 Author Report Share Posted September 5, 2009 Ok... back to the snow with you! Welcome back to Treble Cone...with blue skies and new snow!!! The lovely Allee, aboard a Donek Axis.. Enjoying the views from the top... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paulk Posted September 5, 2009 Author Report Share Posted September 5, 2009 Believe everything you read.... Back seat driving.. Apres Ski, at the local Vineyard.. Yes the Pinot is amazing!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paulk Posted September 5, 2009 Author Report Share Posted September 5, 2009 We head to the "local" resort after a morning of Canyon Swinging....OMG on the swing by the way....I fell off the platform in a move called a "pin" drop, And Allee took it with a move called "Gimp boy goes to Hollywood"!!! INSANE!!!!!!! Pics and vid to follow later... anyways...to the snow again at Coronet Peak, note the smiling Allee in the last picture..Ask me about the rest of the day, some other time over a drink! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paulk Posted September 5, 2009 Author Report Share Posted September 5, 2009 So the day is short, but I manage some pictures of the weather and the snow.... And yes, even at 2pm on a friday, I find the hidden stash of groom!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allee Posted September 5, 2009 Report Share Posted September 5, 2009 Dear diary ... Thursday went to Treble Cone. 45cm of new, cool temperatures, wind still strong but starting to die out, conditions were EPIC. Paul shredded the hill with style, while Shayne (skier friend) and I settled for bashing through the powder. Easily the scariest first run I have ever taken in my life - this sucker is STEEP. Awesome day, done by just after 1pm after a morning of deep stuff, stopped at Chard Farm for apres tastings - mmmmm. Friday - Canyon Swing, baby! Paul is much, much braver than me, I couldn't just step off a platform into a 360ft drop to save myself, so I had to be strapped to the "chair of death" and topple off backwards - then followed that up with the "gimp boy" - the most amazing ground rush, completely insane!! Then off to Coronet Peak for an afternoon on the slopes - hated it, like the freeway in rush hour, steep, gnarly, narrow, I lasted until around 3pm before I had a meltdown and tantrum, took my ball and went home... Saturday - O.M.G. 15000ft tandem parachute jump over the lake, with a 15 min scenic flight over rows and rows of soaring snow capped peaks, before they piled us out the door of the plane and into a 12000ft freefall. You can cover 9000 ft awful fast on the way down. Insaen views, crazy spins, just AMAZING. Adrenaline buzz to last the whole day. Killer lunch at Winnies on the mall, watching the beautiful people going by, and then up to the luge track where Paul proceeded to whip my ass while driving on three wheels - I only got revenge when he spun out on the snow covered sweeper. It's good to be 14 years old.:) Tonight - is our last night in QT, off for a long drive up to Christchurch tomorrow en route to Auckland on Monday. So off to the pub to teach the American boy the finer points of the game of rugby league, drink beer and abuse the big screen. Stellar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paulk Posted September 5, 2009 Author Report Share Posted September 5, 2009 So today was another great day...slept in, great weather, Skydive from 15000 ft., Lunch downtown...and an afternoon on the Skyline Luge...Now i sit on a saturday night downloading photos, and waiting for the 7:30 Pub meeting, where we will cheer on the rugby league.. Next week... Into the land of hobbits! Hope the photo's inspire a few of you to check this place out...So far this trip has been fantastic!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allee Posted September 5, 2009 Report Share Posted September 5, 2009 Canyon Swing - here we go ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKpbTTm8m8M and some pictures ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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