tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72319104990236613722024-03-14T09:33:11.782+13:00RobinThis blog is a record of my learning from Glenbrae School through to Tamaki College and beyond!Robin Plessiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10525162978819276361noreply@blogger.comBlogger240125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7231910499023661372.post-63101893893577992472023-01-22T22:28:00.002+13:002023-01-22T23:40:31.464+13:00ignite23 Days 10-11<p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;">Falling back asleep after you turn your alarm off is never a good idea- but that's exactly what I did this morning, only re-waking just before 8am, leaving me to rush to get breakfast and run over to the muster point in order to check in to my activity by 8:15am.</span></span></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs7gaOKQl6b0UV4-j3x_BlbhAjxxQFCo-9sb99vhXAbBX5_Bub8spC3-JwoG3KydwN8jR3wKxNEIkn6x4AUPzu0efGfJmF0VLlCW4gOcz5x-muJf31tx-NaZJAMuLfBZCJ3wBgW2dscoZhjC4yAOdpl9GVbCI6TJ8-ZpR2JoF59zo7SX9-GIbRr1Yg/s4128/20230121_230257.jpg" style="background-color: white; clear: right; float: right; font-family: monospace; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2322" data-original-width="4128" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs7gaOKQl6b0UV4-j3x_BlbhAjxxQFCo-9sb99vhXAbBX5_Bub8spC3-JwoG3KydwN8jR3wKxNEIkn6x4AUPzu0efGfJmF0VLlCW4gOcz5x-muJf31tx-NaZJAMuLfBZCJ3wBgW2dscoZhjC4yAOdpl9GVbCI6TJ8-ZpR2JoF59zo7SX9-GIbRr1Yg/s320/20230121_230257.jpg" width="320" /></a></p><pre class="aLF-aPX-K0-aPE" style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; user-select: text; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Bad weather on the other hand, meant that all 3 walks that morning would combine to simplify things, so I had 45 minutes to wait for the final walk group to show up. All in all, of the 3 walks, only 4 leaders and 7 venturers showed up, so we loaded into one van and headed off for our walk to Rakaia Gorge.
Wet weather persisting meant that not only was it still spitting, but the grass and bush surrounding the track was also soaking wet - so damp clothes for all of us. An hours walking later, and we reached the coal mine (not very interesting, just a fenced off entrance though we think we saw a piece of coal), before carrying on to reach the top of a hill (through a paddock of knee high wet grass sadly) and the lookouts </span></pre><pre class="aLF-aPX-K0-aPE" style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; user-select: text; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;">over the gorge.</span></pre><pre class="aLF-aPX-K0-aPE" style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; user-select: text; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></pre><pre class="aLF-aPX-K0-aPE" style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; user-select: text; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrCJiy-11lgOfWMfwWMZzhfBpA9yjpGeW8RTsZg_yVgM6mTpuZtUhNkDt0_aA8ydLB7QJEXVjUEulXLdf2_nmjufNQ4iv7s6QCkAbtz3c9kBFIGRyLd7qOydheprvKDbiBUZv9IOkvaXVq2WWXOekNEqmF6RqY1JDPcGkuU4LB4qUWHDeuk9v2-OBY/s4128/20230121_230203.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2322" data-original-width="4128" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrCJiy-11lgOfWMfwWMZzhfBpA9yjpGeW8RTsZg_yVgM6mTpuZtUhNkDt0_aA8ydLB7QJEXVjUEulXLdf2_nmjufNQ4iv7s6QCkAbtz3c9kBFIGRyLd7qOydheprvKDbiBUZv9IOkvaXVq2WWXOekNEqmF6RqY1JDPcGkuU4LB4qUWHDeuk9v2-OBY/s320/20230121_230203.jpg" width="320" /></a></pre><pre class="aLF-aPX-K0-aPE" style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; user-select: text; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></pre><pre class="aLF-aPX-K0-aPE" style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; user-select: text; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOZHWqpwXATavsNF-dwkmKkQLnPRh15Okh8FsVC4tcO2dWOyq64BWTKa39bTAXWFN0UVQaFwoTkWMhB326eSwlOUMgSpY_7RyXs9qr3zqKb-00htMNVRrsqtJo-KGodadNOLiC6YdefA5QPj2S0zwyP9ofyzVVlEgOEMnGTHke12PDjKtHYlp3vJI8/s4128/20230121_230054.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2322" data-original-width="4128" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOZHWqpwXATavsNF-dwkmKkQLnPRh15Okh8FsVC4tcO2dWOyq64BWTKa39bTAXWFN0UVQaFwoTkWMhB326eSwlOUMgSpY_7RyXs9qr3zqKb-00htMNVRrsqtJo-KGodadNOLiC6YdefA5QPj2S0zwyP9ofyzVVlEgOEMnGTHke12PDjKtHYlp3vJI8/s320/20230121_230054.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: arial;">
<br /></span></pre><pre class="aLF-aPX-K0-aPE" style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; user-select: text; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKAQUlLk0OlScW3lTbl3eomW4zWJykdTxsNhUdsV7_wShnwUlkZUWIVxGcoCpHoPocbI6FhRrFZeAKp0Jfgh_4v7d5Yf6H23NxpDgkEvvHSM1cSb_Ds4a-yJq67hoyqkHcHT00A8hD79n2xpVLY7Ln-hNEeCDktmNiGO-dLQDjRPvipKqY3UVvxEmy/s4128/20230107_101004.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4128" data-original-width="2322" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKAQUlLk0OlScW3lTbl3eomW4zWJykdTxsNhUdsV7_wShnwUlkZUWIVxGcoCpHoPocbI6FhRrFZeAKp0Jfgh_4v7d5Yf6H23NxpDgkEvvHSM1cSb_Ds4a-yJq67hoyqkHcHT00A8hD79n2xpVLY7Ln-hNEeCDktmNiGO-dLQDjRPvipKqY3UVvxEmy/s320/20230107_101004.jpg" width="180" /></a></pre><pre class="aLF-aPX-K0-aPE" style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; user-select: text; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;">
While on a sunny day, they would have provided excellent views, the bad weather meant that we couldn't see far, and the sky was grey, so we continued onwards down the path. Eventually arriving at a turn off to the boat ramp, we headed down and ended up on the bank of the Rakaia River - so took the opportunity to skip stones of course (with varying levels of skill amongst our group). Then back off to the minivan, another hours plus walk to get there though, and back to camp for lunch.
Lunch followed by a nice warm shower for me when we got back to camp, before I headed into the dining pavilion to chill out for a bit. Later on, I headed over with James to see if we could do an escape room, so teamed up with two others who were waiting and started the escape room.</span></pre><pre class="aLF-aPX-K0-aPE" style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; user-select: text; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></pre><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwId-8Gg1oIaauqar-KD5hY8owLCggiAi--1gO3nhptfxJzaL_qWb-2yspmodORmvx3jVWXfbFjg3u1Lma6nEZhjaq9fp1VKHOkfgUcj-KDSbHI87PM7-WLgz8cwbMAU7J5neAemRx6ZFW8wRIOeADWsHCDAxiNBrKKgJwsHbAXv_ggcnfRIDbL7n6/s4128/20230107_103952.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2322" data-original-width="4128" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwId-8Gg1oIaauqar-KD5hY8owLCggiAi--1gO3nhptfxJzaL_qWb-2yspmodORmvx3jVWXfbFjg3u1Lma6nEZhjaq9fp1VKHOkfgUcj-KDSbHI87PM7-WLgz8cwbMAU7J5neAemRx6ZFW8wRIOeADWsHCDAxiNBrKKgJwsHbAXv_ggcnfRIDbL7n6/s320/20230107_103952.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQkdC5pa82AnCG_2Quxa-_c5fVA9wqGBf42zZCgcSA7w_7awuRMWiheteJbA7FK01BW3rMsOnCzqDih8EVzX8ICyExdPpy_3ICd_K0cPFf862SsL6Kj9ahpGGYReMtNzyHXj3A62L7z20a4WxamDlTQR7PzR22-vjrvvTmVJeI5qRVuYKxdAFwTCQX/s4128/20230107_160153.jpg" style="background-color: white; font-family: monospace; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2322" data-original-width="4128" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQkdC5pa82AnCG_2Quxa-_c5fVA9wqGBf42zZCgcSA7w_7awuRMWiheteJbA7FK01BW3rMsOnCzqDih8EVzX8ICyExdPpy_3ICd_K0cPFf862SsL6Kj9ahpGGYReMtNzyHXj3A62L7z20a4WxamDlTQR7PzR22-vjrvvTmVJeI5qRVuYKxdAFwTCQX/s320/20230107_160153.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><pre class="aLF-aPX-K0-aPE" style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; user-select: text; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;">
The one we chose to do was called Money Heist, where we had to unlock numerous safes and gather all the money before some robbers came back to find their loot. And while we did not break any records, we managed to find all the money (with a little help though) under the one hour time limit.</span></pre><pre class="aLF-aPX-K0-aPE" style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; user-select: text; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></pre><pre class="aLF-aPX-K0-aPE" style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; user-select: text; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp8-ODARecZvKTGU2st88WI0kndpTJYzZnuNdLNLfg58tP-zsho5MY6GcC6R6gNAy7xSyrjcbmQshBtweipWgjZoPPzRsvtuu8nOGHEkKW2waqQYtNyKcDIRWAf0my6_rQpLtRcIET41fszxLcA0LOyHW35JiJyLMC2vsqNQ3FSnN4WqYOfrxfExMo/s4128/20230121_230015.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2322" data-original-width="4128" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp8-ODARecZvKTGU2st88WI0kndpTJYzZnuNdLNLfg58tP-zsho5MY6GcC6R6gNAy7xSyrjcbmQshBtweipWgjZoPPzRsvtuu8nOGHEkKW2waqQYtNyKcDIRWAf0my6_rQpLtRcIET41fszxLcA0LOyHW35JiJyLMC2vsqNQ3FSnN4WqYOfrxfExMo/s320/20230121_230015.jpg" width="320" /></a>Following on from dinner saw us come to the closing ceremony, so we all gathered around the main stage to listen to a speaker talking about his life experience as a paralympian, watch a video of various activities at Venture, and finish off the Venture.
Then time for the last party of Venture (though I did disappear from it a few times to help out on a kidnapping for another patrols mascot Gorizza). Lots of glowsticks there, so I spent some time making a long glowstick necklace and other apparel. I ended up staying up until 1:30am partying that night, before heading to bed.</span></pre><pre class="aLF-aPX-K0-aPE" style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; user-select: text; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></pre><pre class="aLF-aPX-K0-aPE" style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; user-select: text; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPyt68YCjKK4PhLvgLyLNQCJcZpqUtxjY-86dTIVcgcY_i44gLLFxP3sFGNGa5QgdEsjWc6qHpK-NGQMMFeNMQ2WiZVnea9IknUdYF-wyrewzeBHBDWJUU6U3lgOAg4qA12tRDItdOVCcXXKAo-8xPaCep4LtK71ykjK_rhwGYfewo7PRV-_jbCIUu/s4128/20230107_204005.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2322" data-original-width="4128" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPyt68YCjKK4PhLvgLyLNQCJcZpqUtxjY-86dTIVcgcY_i44gLLFxP3sFGNGa5QgdEsjWc6qHpK-NGQMMFeNMQ2WiZVnea9IknUdYF-wyrewzeBHBDWJUU6U3lgOAg4qA12tRDItdOVCcXXKAo-8xPaCep4LtK71ykjK_rhwGYfewo7PRV-_jbCIUu/s320/20230107_204005.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: arial;">
Early breakfast meant that I had lots of time to wander the site and chat to people I knew while I waited for my tent to dry. Once dry, I packed up my gear and tent, and headed back to farewell people as they left. The Rover cafe were selling remaining food at a discount, so I headed over there for a drink and bag of chips (and back again another 3 times later on!). Elsewhere, hot chips for free at another area, so I grabbed some of those while I waited for my parents to pick me up.
<br /></span></pre><pre class="aLF-aPX-K0-aPE" style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; user-select: text; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigXjOop3P6skzhfnA1ktfrGXM7WbF-OfpOaUWn1-jpelfxjJBQ6EyW9iyVA7sZY05D90t2XPmYcBAY9Ae2xpZTPR0suv73hTyjGfyhXnmjy_5SXpIqKDX-6lkYQZoqGLTNxodaC4aXERNqaKUuJ_53HoL7HMwideXlVhnSfpdfdcHoTlFRL-okmKDU/s2576/20230108_000549.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2576" data-original-width="1932" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigXjOop3P6skzhfnA1ktfrGXM7WbF-OfpOaUWn1-jpelfxjJBQ6EyW9iyVA7sZY05D90t2XPmYcBAY9Ae2xpZTPR0suv73hTyjGfyhXnmjy_5SXpIqKDX-6lkYQZoqGLTNxodaC4aXERNqaKUuJ_53HoL7HMwideXlVhnSfpdfdcHoTlFRL-okmKDU/s320/20230108_000549.jpg" width="240" /></a></pre><pre class="aLF-aPX-K0-aPE" style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; user-select: text; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;">
Now that the event has come to an end, I guess it's time to reflect on it, so here goes - What a blast!, 11 days (if we include the pack up day) of fun filled adventures, lots of new friends from both NZ and Australia. I enjoyed all the activities I did (hot air ballooning especially), though thinking back now I should have done more for some of the onsite days, but who doesn't like a lazy day every now and then. Many fun filled moments with my unit on phase 1, and just around the site and doing activities on phase 2. 890 photos (a lot of blurry ones though) taken by me, and 30 minutes+ of videos to remember Venture by. And a lot of fun filled memories to remember it all too now!</span></pre><pre class="aLF-aPX-K0-aPE" style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; user-select: text; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAIauKYYDzw42zdPpKo2qfpnLGj8lr7vhNx_tPkxc7doKoK1rgiGHVm07mou-Ur6np7eGTKmGOHth1kPfOq1L1uej57bEJMJTX6JGCJQXgon9airJxKxHHnpno8aKCRGsP8Gj0vp7jrHa-Tax_JSXG07ulGMA5lWme_NcgM8N4rMsvCnKJRXakqzSZ/s4128/20230108_013516.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2322" data-original-width="4128" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAIauKYYDzw42zdPpKo2qfpnLGj8lr7vhNx_tPkxc7doKoK1rgiGHVm07mou-Ur6np7eGTKmGOHth1kPfOq1L1uej57bEJMJTX6JGCJQXgon9airJxKxHHnpno8aKCRGsP8Gj0vp7jrHa-Tax_JSXG07ulGMA5lWme_NcgM8N4rMsvCnKJRXakqzSZ/s320/20230108_013516.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></pre>Robin Plessiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02356831643269878870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7231910499023661372.post-44430989335541756762023-01-22T22:22:00.008+13:002023-01-22T22:57:01.253+13:00ignite23 Days 8-9<p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;">After waking up late at 7am, I headed over to have breakfast, while taking the time to think over my choices for the day. I had nothing planned, but having been able to jump on an activity the previous day, I had high hopes of being able to jump on an activity.</span></span></p><pre class="aLF-aPX-K0-aPE" style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; user-select: text; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieB5ihjfXe0g7B8Tj1RaEr6qS2pB3TAbuTMJilm0HaMqtH4fnqWR5K4X5IHIs-mPTcRYxOLP5QccELa4utlrT-j9CyYDLykBb6uXhpm-SOIMAsmLL5K_WWRa4yiOSb-6jNFXP-SMNIo9IJ-RlVrK0HRb9erXs4tltqX_8f-dMkEeNrEm8kqe66mxid/s4128/20230106_125516.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4128" data-original-width="2322" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieB5ihjfXe0g7B8Tj1RaEr6qS2pB3TAbuTMJilm0HaMqtH4fnqWR5K4X5IHIs-mPTcRYxOLP5QccELa4utlrT-j9CyYDLykBb6uXhpm-SOIMAsmLL5K_WWRa4yiOSb-6jNFXP-SMNIo9IJ-RlVrK0HRb9erXs4tltqX_8f-dMkEeNrEm8kqe66mxid/s320/20230106_125516.jpg" width="180" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;">Unfortunately, I wasn't able to jump on an activity, so decided to head out to Mayfield to have a look around and shop for a bit (the town was part of our site, meaning we were able to visit it without scanning out anytime between 7am and 7pm).
While Mayfield does not boast many stores, the few that it does have are well worth the visit - especially the Mayfield Op Shop. I headed over to it while I had the chance, and spent (more like wasted) a lot of time looking around.
Boasting many treasures from crockery, to furniture, to clothes, books, glassware and a whole lot more. I spent some time looking at various knickknacks, before spending some time browsing in the clothes section for anything that I could use for the costume themes coming up (I didn't buy anything though, but I saw a lot of people who did). I did end up with a few books (just something to read while chilling out), before heading back to camp for lunch - with a stop at the cafe for an ice cream.
Lunch was basic, just a roll and a piece of slice and fruit, while I started reading the first of the two books I bought. Taking a break from reading, I headed back out to the Mayfield Op Shop to keep exploring the outside section. It keeps on going and going, with not only the inside store but also a large exterior section with treasures in. Nothing eye catching for me this time round, so headed back to camp for dinner.</span></pre><pre class="aLF-aPX-K0-aPE" style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; user-select: text; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></pre><pre class="aLF-aPX-K0-aPE" style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; user-select: text; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcNoor-l3x6D2E5fZ1UA332DsQh-8cpn-fgDonEm3xTzM9pFVgZY2cKfPMtcClD5eUFUng_hON4Oa9SPvYgkCauxpLhL5ugOF9tOm3Z5pyyDAe2CwjQroTPn30CyaXS2n8jw7Tn04uvZ6zTyhJtFYYjhiUW-_A7OcbVQuxCpSifJzv1JqbrEgKA_zJ/s4128/20230105_205059.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; font-family: arial; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2322" data-original-width="4128" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcNoor-l3x6D2E5fZ1UA332DsQh-8cpn-fgDonEm3xTzM9pFVgZY2cKfPMtcClD5eUFUng_hON4Oa9SPvYgkCauxpLhL5ugOF9tOm3Z5pyyDAe2CwjQroTPn30CyaXS2n8jw7Tn04uvZ6zTyhJtFYYjhiUW-_A7OcbVQuxCpSifJzv1JqbrEgKA_zJ/s320/20230105_205059.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: arial;">A few firefighters were doing a demonstration while we were all lined up, so we got to see what happens when we add water to an oil fire, and what can happen with overloaded plugs, while waiting for the dinner to be ready.
Talking with Brett (one of the West Coast Wonders leaders) led me to jumping on a spare spot on a night walk activity to Peel Forest.
Only a 30-45 minute drive away from Mayfield and situated in an area with little to no cell coverage, Peel Forest was an old logging area, with remnants of logging still visible on the walk. We parked in the high carpark, walking down to the track, and completing a loop walk through some bush and some fields, before ending up in the Peel Forest Campsite before having to walk back up the hill to the carpark.</span></pre><pre class="aLF-aPX-K0-aPE" style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; user-select: text; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></pre><pre class="aLF-aPX-K0-aPE" style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; user-select: text; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJIhUB0F--mhyDquI_zfbVwrsj9T0tx1RDIKOMBzfT0MI7agwa2BNAbAadqhhIuXfQrH24454QntDwqsw0cy3KUkGLK1Z5SpDDCaB0HEgSl4Li-huSMN8GQbqyci_KrPoIRxkuzKmEJOS-Hl3_dI8z5Goqmsd-cAfKGYJaT6sxc83sRwy3qcKBjJ2X/s4128/20230105_210115.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4128" data-original-width="2322" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJIhUB0F--mhyDquI_zfbVwrsj9T0tx1RDIKOMBzfT0MI7agwa2BNAbAadqhhIuXfQrH24454QntDwqsw0cy3KUkGLK1Z5SpDDCaB0HEgSl4Li-huSMN8GQbqyci_KrPoIRxkuzKmEJOS-Hl3_dI8z5Goqmsd-cAfKGYJaT6sxc83sRwy3qcKBjJ2X/s320/20230105_210115.jpg" width="180" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN6p5OqhyGQulnXaZcROYvtetv73gDj0Ji2txCLmuhJSXuJ5o04B9ZvsgyAngDhNrjTqC7nMmgbszrVgmJbSsFyP7SETbtGUsWlGZtgwsSsBWUZKdlOC2HPDvps6qFxowsseJkTloOWbiJaKVFxInDby14jAT04SNqaJyY2LUA4xfNvwLFkkNbFdT0/s4128/20230106_125708.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2322" data-original-width="4128" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN6p5OqhyGQulnXaZcROYvtetv73gDj0Ji2txCLmuhJSXuJ5o04B9ZvsgyAngDhNrjTqC7nMmgbszrVgmJbSsFyP7SETbtGUsWlGZtgwsSsBWUZKdlOC2HPDvps6qFxowsseJkTloOWbiJaKVFxInDby14jAT04SNqaJyY2LUA4xfNvwLFkkNbFdT0/s320/20230106_125708.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div><span style="font-family: arial;">
Heading back to camp, I scanned back in before heading over to the disco - a DJ playing music that night. I took a few photos of the disco, spent some time partying to the music, before heading to bed well after midnight like usual!</span></pre><pre class="aLF-aPX-K0-aPE" style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; user-select: text; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></pre><pre class="aLF-aPX-K0-aPE" style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; user-select: text; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiavTZ8biY_lTOpYW8eLAowHfpTQ-TmLNq5Lwluw1fb9ldT_1ku0zhvCl-uE0XiJAVzLrK0LyeprUQNSGrVLKIr6u2OME25QG3MTFeNPEZ-AuAW56genzhrlptPmqpLsv4jjO5iCNeJRAY9gRbcFj2wKqv4li9ojZyN_rTw4el67RmVEaZ8F4zgY2Zg/s4128/20230106_000135.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2322" data-original-width="4128" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiavTZ8biY_lTOpYW8eLAowHfpTQ-TmLNq5Lwluw1fb9ldT_1ku0zhvCl-uE0XiJAVzLrK0LyeprUQNSGrVLKIr6u2OME25QG3MTFeNPEZ-AuAW56genzhrlptPmqpLsv4jjO5iCNeJRAY9gRbcFj2wKqv4li9ojZyN_rTw4el67RmVEaZ8F4zgY2Zg/s320/20230106_000135.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: arial;">7:30am wakeup the next morning, with no plans for the day, I headed over to breakfast, before grabbing my book, and sitting in the dining marquee while I read. I ended up checking out the pool later on in the morning.
Simple lunch again, before I headed over to the programme office to book onto an activity for the next day - Take a Hike, a good 3 hour hike. Out in Mayfield again to look back in the Op Shop, before back to camp and spending some time talking to Tim, before I got a phone call from my parents asking if I wanted to catch up while they were out and about in the area.
<br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8pkXls61YgvYuMOK1KOe0d-qIp4u4Accx5YIxFmGi69WZhvBVQqomP4GGGeWG_XVrvotEfCahJRlkUvz7rygYYY-ha5c8DWf9U79rdghKPufCg9tZsGa3_ocgnV6SM9Z1e3s1tNAJOXQ4mI29EYVAHtTrSOXbe6aTGrsucdkXW5mrwnPFT-6QnqoG/s1840/20230106_125358.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1380" data-original-width="1840" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8pkXls61YgvYuMOK1KOe0d-qIp4u4Accx5YIxFmGi69WZhvBVQqomP4GGGeWG_XVrvotEfCahJRlkUvz7rygYYY-ha5c8DWf9U79rdghKPufCg9tZsGa3_ocgnV6SM9Z1e3s1tNAJOXQ4mI29EYVAHtTrSOXbe6aTGrsucdkXW5mrwnPFT-6QnqoG/s320/20230106_125358.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></pre><pre class="aLF-aPX-K0-aPE" style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; user-select: text; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY3d_7AIqWWFfNgxOtcX8AswJq0rDDG98ZKGw2umEiVYiasB0HJL04V_Kao8c8xjjDG0Nf7mJtdL4ofuFYJrZ5-efi9Aqlq8SgSTlldfkg3zbPHLbqjkQSrB4kfECqpUKIwcuuY_fKXBPGILTvBWoa_fq4exAHK0dzx04Qpsxpcwjq6MLMepNhT1EI/s4128/20230108_192525.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2322" data-original-width="4128" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY3d_7AIqWWFfNgxOtcX8AswJq0rDDG98ZKGw2umEiVYiasB0HJL04V_Kao8c8xjjDG0Nf7mJtdL4ofuFYJrZ5-efi9Aqlq8SgSTlldfkg3zbPHLbqjkQSrB4kfECqpUKIwcuuY_fKXBPGILTvBWoa_fq4exAHK0dzx04Qpsxpcwjq6MLMepNhT1EI/s320/20230108_192525.jpg" width="320" /></a></pre><pre class="aLF-aPX-K0-aPE" style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; user-select: text; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Meeting up at the local cafe meant I scored a free meal, while I got to show them some pictures and talk to them about my days so far. No chance for a look around the Op Shop before they closed, but we did get to have a walk around town, before it started bucketing down with rain while my raincoat and jacket were in my tent. I ended up huddling under a tree till the rain lightened a bit, before racing off to my tent to grab my jacket, and line up for dinner.
That night the act was a hypnotist, so I headed over to watch him - rather entertaining to see all the funny stuff he made the hypnotized people do. No recording was allowed, though many of us did manage to take videos of some acts before a staff member told us no recording. I headed past the dining marquee once the show was over, stopping in to see the silent disco which was going on - lots and lots of glowsticks used at it, before off to bed for me at midnight.</span></pre><pre class="aLF-aPX-K0-aPE" style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; user-select: text; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-MMxaefRyVI348S54qUKtFLBKima_nO8gjKjaD5ILfO1c7cNXKlyHnsHHDTmPM3pl517cb9LDwbvC8pKL81wEvmAQEZuYaxfBt0crwah0aZ1jVZonS3aKX4mhYeDQmBSUyNmhGYs7RG4jYqNcr_zS0UalfWBw-047ijy_i9pMF9jCESnQf6PIaOCz/s2205/20230108_192417.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1082" data-original-width="2205" height="157" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-MMxaefRyVI348S54qUKtFLBKima_nO8gjKjaD5ILfO1c7cNXKlyHnsHHDTmPM3pl517cb9LDwbvC8pKL81wEvmAQEZuYaxfBt0crwah0aZ1jVZonS3aKX4mhYeDQmBSUyNmhGYs7RG4jYqNcr_zS0UalfWBw-047ijy_i9pMF9jCESnQf6PIaOCz/s320/20230108_192417.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></pre>Robin Plessiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02356831643269878870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7231910499023661372.post-42733329509740357582023-01-22T22:17:00.005+13:002023-01-22T22:50:37.218+13:00ignite23 Days 6-7<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO0wOqPWW1l4As_t9190ueEJEml813_qKOZzIvPmRHumdlkdDYapf19__15W3eGQ8o-CAfoLBzDbvo6wJj3QzWAvpCzBv1JmtCh2YNY0GwpR9_8sADNr7pGVJxpjcqqtYiN5nrQFz8k0b8CK0CAH6lT1YXADVcRgdscOzX79RrsDZ6jiMCufWGwwwt/s4128/20230103_185908.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2322" data-original-width="4128" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO0wOqPWW1l4As_t9190ueEJEml813_qKOZzIvPmRHumdlkdDYapf19__15W3eGQ8o-CAfoLBzDbvo6wJj3QzWAvpCzBv1JmtCh2YNY0GwpR9_8sADNr7pGVJxpjcqqtYiN5nrQFz8k0b8CK0CAH6lT1YXADVcRgdscOzX79RrsDZ6jiMCufWGwwwt/s320/20230103_185908.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;">Early wakeup at 6am, followed by an early breakfast gave me time to take a few photos of the surrounding town, before packing my bag and bringing it out of my tent while I left it to dry. After spending a good hour and a half waiting for my tent to dry (and watching others put theirs away while still wet), I packed up my tent, threw my gear in the back of the minivan, gathered around for a ceremony and to take photos of the West Coast Wanderers and Unit 2004, we loaded up and headed off on our way at 10:30am.</span></span><p></p><pre class="aLF-aPX-K0-aPE" style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; user-select: text; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcJhU3ZpDGOfSFd2mpJIAXvYLkA6_2JV4c7fsD_NThAsCMwBzkHZexk_JUd0FaiQK8o1xJRJeNGFeYQ-nS2Wj7UMoMBmySOBcG8Nh03GmnNfp_RLHpAw9jQTv9m9kEl9prc3nzut1-rtW7Ryq6WDWqaw_62RVexYDYqPCjtCcSj_ddJNIL-WqUPS6g/s4128/20230103_111927.jpg" style="clear: right; display: inline; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2322" data-original-width="4128" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcJhU3ZpDGOfSFd2mpJIAXvYLkA6_2JV4c7fsD_NThAsCMwBzkHZexk_JUd0FaiQK8o1xJRJeNGFeYQ-nS2Wj7UMoMBmySOBcG8Nh03GmnNfp_RLHpAw9jQTv9m9kEl9prc3nzut1-rtW7Ryq6WDWqaw_62RVexYDYqPCjtCcSj_ddJNIL-WqUPS6g/s320/20230103_111927.jpg" width="320" /></span></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI1bBfJKVG2Mk7gHFZXyGZMaf5F7NPaRqkIm6P6fzMnenp02wKf82njC2-1_prPIjl6UR4aPV7OBwRvv75TucQ7pVXoGc9YrRStQJOdMuLz4sSWiVvjx8Y0PKvPQVCJxgXe3E78ZgRIpzX1BcV8DI4oypDDxnZ_X88UGaZDjSkVjO-ObQqh-zOQHZ1/s4128/20230103_104431.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2322" data-original-width="4128" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI1bBfJKVG2Mk7gHFZXyGZMaf5F7NPaRqkIm6P6fzMnenp02wKf82njC2-1_prPIjl6UR4aPV7OBwRvv75TucQ7pVXoGc9YrRStQJOdMuLz4sSWiVvjx8Y0PKvPQVCJxgXe3E78ZgRIpzX1BcV8DI4oypDDxnZ_X88UGaZDjSkVjO-ObQqh-zOQHZ1/s320/20230103_104431.jpg" width="320" /></span></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI1bBfJKVG2Mk7gHFZXyGZMaf5F7NPaRqkIm6P6fzMnenp02wKf82njC2-1_prPIjl6UR4aPV7OBwRvv75TucQ7pVXoGc9YrRStQJOdMuLz4sSWiVvjx8Y0PKvPQVCJxgXe3E78ZgRIpzX1BcV8DI4oypDDxnZ_X88UGaZDjSkVjO-ObQqh-zOQHZ1/s4128/20230103_104431.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI1bBfJKVG2Mk7gHFZXyGZMaf5F7NPaRqkIm6P6fzMnenp02wKf82njC2-1_prPIjl6UR4aPV7OBwRvv75TucQ7pVXoGc9YrRStQJOdMuLz4sSWiVvjx8Y0PKvPQVCJxgXe3E78ZgRIpzX1BcV8DI4oypDDxnZ_X88UGaZDjSkVjO-ObQqh-zOQHZ1/s4128/20230103_104431.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI1bBfJKVG2Mk7gHFZXyGZMaf5F7NPaRqkIm6P6fzMnenp02wKf82njC2-1_prPIjl6UR4aPV7OBwRvv75TucQ7pVXoGc9YrRStQJOdMuLz4sSWiVvjx8Y0PKvPQVCJxgXe3E78ZgRIpzX1BcV8DI4oypDDxnZ_X88UGaZDjSkVjO-ObQqh-zOQHZ1/s4128/20230103_104431.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI1bBfJKVG2Mk7gHFZXyGZMaf5F7NPaRqkIm6P6fzMnenp02wKf82njC2-1_prPIjl6UR4aPV7OBwRvv75TucQ7pVXoGc9YrRStQJOdMuLz4sSWiVvjx8Y0PKvPQVCJxgXe3E78ZgRIpzX1BcV8DI4oypDDxnZ_X88UGaZDjSkVjO-ObQqh-zOQHZ1/s4128/20230103_104431.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;">
Heading straight at the turnoff to Moana (instead of left like we should have) meant a few minivans started following us before realizing and turning around. Stopping in Greymouth for Patch to pick up batteries and us to buy snacks, we quickly doubled back towards the turnoff and on the way again we were.
No photostops along the way, but I did take a few from the moving minivan before we rolled on in to Arthur's Pass around 12:30pm for a lunch stop. Long queue at the cafe, so only out to take a few photos of a nearby kea, throw out some rubbish and eat some food before jumping back into the van.
One more toilet stop before Mayfield saw Olympia get distracted and us all heading off to the playground for a quick play to stretch our legs, before Patch entertained us with some donuts in the parking lot. Meeting up with the other minivans at a petrol station in Methven gave us another stop for snacks and a chance to refill, before traveling again in convoy towards the Venture site in Mayfield.</span></pre><pre class="aLF-aPX-K0-aPE" style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; user-select: text; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></pre><pre class="aLF-aPX-K0-aPE" style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; user-select: text; white-space: pre-wrap;"><pre class="aLF-aPX-K0-aPE" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; user-select: text; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQndT4qmW_euQK79TogzJaAjvUT3_5G3dQpiWWmUoLGo3LGZ6EG_h4WRU2yQZHhNqSb5cGef2Zd0UyCrnXP4XX19kWrUJIGyMoyQd-PyDBW1cs7GQ3arD3980CrjIETICFyZwBt87GIguJu-YzflGiLUy8dl_DwAd66CeS5JX3wVGWqgxTnLhoEvgR/s4128/20230103_185500.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4128" data-original-width="2322" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQndT4qmW_euQK79TogzJaAjvUT3_5G3dQpiWWmUoLGo3LGZ6EG_h4WRU2yQZHhNqSb5cGef2Zd0UyCrnXP4XX19kWrUJIGyMoyQd-PyDBW1cs7GQ3arD3980CrjIETICFyZwBt87GIguJu-YzflGiLUy8dl_DwAd66CeS5JX3wVGWqgxTnLhoEvgR/s320/20230103_185500.jpg" width="180" /></span></a></pre><span style="font-family: arial;">
Only arriving a good hour and a half late, we took our gear to our campsite and started work on setting up tents, before I caught up with Tim, headed to the programme office and then over to dinner. Early dinner for us, being from 5:30pm to 7:30pm, before heading off to a quick preflight meeting for my Hot Air Ballooning on the 4th.
Despite trying to make it an early night, I ended up heading to bed around 11pm (chatting away with others), with Laurence promising me a 4:20am wakeup call (spoiler - it never happened!). All ready for my hot air ballooning in the morning!</span></pre><pre class="aLF-aPX-K0-aPE" style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; user-select: text; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></pre><pre class="aLF-aPX-K0-aPE" style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; user-select: text; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzYhh3rEb61WDXA8i3mKpHZRYqCbinIOVuo8Yog3MxUyQQFgomlHALPcaMt4dGhDU6O-M2EwfCtoMo_Pdkx7XS1PJdfL88N-rMF4zKcGcmFP1zfFtVYhZwDzHtYM4YZRTy0b6mlvvg47sX_CxLw-PmI3r1LMzJuJDcwPfZ6yq9n0g_pU0YUao59YWA/s4128/20230103_184740.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2322" data-original-width="4128" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzYhh3rEb61WDXA8i3mKpHZRYqCbinIOVuo8Yog3MxUyQQFgomlHALPcaMt4dGhDU6O-M2EwfCtoMo_Pdkx7XS1PJdfL88N-rMF4zKcGcmFP1zfFtVYhZwDzHtYM4YZRTy0b6mlvvg47sX_CxLw-PmI3r1LMzJuJDcwPfZ6yq9n0g_pU0YUao59YWA/s320/20230103_184740.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></pre><pre class="aLF-aPX-K0-aPE" style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; user-select: text; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></pre><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCJ3M33hC2Y1dxv78TCum76o4-t6p1qrypJ-p7QvKEdeupasofIDEzZQ7hA5FKE0ij2eRlj70fEqS1c0hOZMjD5qyLYNze8KeEf1g5NzIKGkWCsuncr7523N-MG1rQ9sQvL-NrUaGTzA_1dsoQKKCP7E-6WRv5G049xqrndsydFfF_CCrqxZ_EEM2A/s4128/20230103_201653.jpg" style="font-family: arial; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2322" data-original-width="4128" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCJ3M33hC2Y1dxv78TCum76o4-t6p1qrypJ-p7QvKEdeupasofIDEzZQ7hA5FKE0ij2eRlj70fEqS1c0hOZMjD5qyLYNze8KeEf1g5NzIKGkWCsuncr7523N-MG1rQ9sQvL-NrUaGTzA_1dsoQKKCP7E-6WRv5G049xqrndsydFfF_CCrqxZ_EEM2A/s320/20230103_201653.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><pre class="aLF-aPX-K0-aPE" style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; user-select: text; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeVCpRTThNGqaPq_ea8tBewWegKPF_L-At0xyXL9gHc4ORtMxDOQwCi91UG1b9SI5vHbqcsrQ705Vx-eiDDNKkebrzkoOa7g1hjVfpoqzQ7EBcjP0iOYXaHttQUwYZqTY0jhqinpEDKVkYf7VSr3_LwZVpIEChqB99_GWeRBCdA-W30rAHtl2SQt_i/s1068/20230103_185127.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="952" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeVCpRTThNGqaPq_ea8tBewWegKPF_L-At0xyXL9gHc4ORtMxDOQwCi91UG1b9SI5vHbqcsrQ705Vx-eiDDNKkebrzkoOa7g1hjVfpoqzQ7EBcjP0iOYXaHttQUwYZqTY0jhqinpEDKVkYf7VSr3_LwZVpIEChqB99_GWeRBCdA-W30rAHtl2SQt_i/s320/20230103_185127.jpg" width="285" /></a></div></span><span style="font-family: arial;">
Waking up to panic isn't nice, especially when it's at 4:20am, but that's exactly what happened when my ID card wasn't where I left it (needed it to get onto my trip), but luckily, I found my ID card under my sleeping bag (waking up both James and Patch in the process). Crisis averted, I headed to the toilet and over to the breakfast tent. Nothing had been opened up yet (others waiting though), though someone soon came and opened it, giving us access to the breakfast tent.</span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8pfJjpmv_gmh9Ul3d0N5dIYcHITXIj5CejvfV05jZDfU8v_PA8XMuR8FM2XmqH_a0B9RwIznyrQXkPEl1TMvNVkboC3fSRcLqNjpGknC5I01EWZWtfoCYZfziZFXsPW6VBm7ecoyv6lFenLq4fsp0B4wzpechAs12hv7NhW24jmAKu3KgcH_NdFvm/s4128/20230104_052338.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2322" data-original-width="4128" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8pfJjpmv_gmh9Ul3d0N5dIYcHITXIj5CejvfV05jZDfU8v_PA8XMuR8FM2XmqH_a0B9RwIznyrQXkPEl1TMvNVkboC3fSRcLqNjpGknC5I01EWZWtfoCYZfziZFXsPW6VBm7ecoyv6lFenLq4fsp0B4wzpechAs12hv7NhW24jmAKu3KgcH_NdFvm/s320/20230104_052338.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></pre><pre class="aLF-aPX-K0-aPE" style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; user-select: text; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheL-TedNw2o8qX0U6e27wDZ55raZH_polTXCvY3to-0tV7zrCM0qMGbpW3I2TU_ceBBqZy5AJqU7oQF46dPbL3mWSCodLu2-iU3_9VNFTU_0bFEXaJcutS9VQGMTCMrEPP3ikZPxHn3O7zWcLab6EiwtidyEe19zAvoRVgIQz6sgb9mH3xBwI_1HAa/s4128/20230104_052510.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2322" data-original-width="4128" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheL-TedNw2o8qX0U6e27wDZ55raZH_polTXCvY3to-0tV7zrCM0qMGbpW3I2TU_ceBBqZy5AJqU7oQF46dPbL3mWSCodLu2-iU3_9VNFTU_0bFEXaJcutS9VQGMTCMrEPP3ikZPxHn3O7zWcLab6EiwtidyEe19zAvoRVgIQz6sgb9mH3xBwI_1HAa/s320/20230104_052510.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
After a quick breakfast, I headed over to the muster point, and waited for all the others to show up. By 5am, we had all but one there, so someone else took their place, and headed off to find minivans (a whole new issue when only one set of keys opened a van), and off to Methven to meet up with the Hot Air Balloon company.
</span></pre><pre class="aLF-aPX-K0-aPE" style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; user-select: text; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></pre><pre class="aLF-aPX-K0-aPE" style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; user-select: text; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj13mHLQKQtNMgaCEnKIEhtTpdYWMgHYaw6lUm9KP1eDG0CjjIgwp6pCo14FKUaYV58BCk7B-dATDCajTkznl6ytuvMceF8ZrQh4YnUx2M-TpybHKNSp8lZ302cc93bxqeiaCtqcbCA2C-hgpvsapZQT2ZtlMo9qpom9JIDwv4ho89p4tJhoa135swn/s4128/20230104_063150.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2322" data-original-width="4128" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj13mHLQKQtNMgaCEnKIEhtTpdYWMgHYaw6lUm9KP1eDG0CjjIgwp6pCo14FKUaYV58BCk7B-dATDCajTkznl6ytuvMceF8ZrQh4YnUx2M-TpybHKNSp8lZ302cc93bxqeiaCtqcbCA2C-hgpvsapZQT2ZtlMo9qpom9JIDwv4ho89p4tJhoa135swn/s320/20230104_063150.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
A 30 minute drive from Methven in a bus saw us in a paddock in the middle of nowhere, with us helping to unroll and setup the hot air balloon, before we split into two groups (one having to stay close by and jump in first, the other able to wander back and take photos). Being in the 2nd group, I took some photos of the balloon being setup, and taking off, before we jumped back on the bus and headed off following the balloon.
<br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0fZTwSk6AdiLFJbRSzKjNbVjJ1Zio6xQujYljgKHIbkapnBrO81TBmxpYiEtCJzfF2AYUZZfV8NzIsmv-E1Izco798BaV8TH1I1dHgKP78dPIYZY5AznWbyKn-UQs9OxTz1vtAcx-HynURT66iqg6IXfYxIaSQQs1AP0afgvl8sdkTazjSLb-bfLJ/s4128/20230104_123922.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2322" data-original-width="4128" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0fZTwSk6AdiLFJbRSzKjNbVjJ1Zio6xQujYljgKHIbkapnBrO81TBmxpYiEtCJzfF2AYUZZfV8NzIsmv-E1Izco798BaV8TH1I1dHgKP78dPIYZY5AznWbyKn-UQs9OxTz1vtAcx-HynURT66iqg6IXfYxIaSQQs1AP0afgvl8sdkTazjSLb-bfLJ/s320/20230104_123922.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></pre><pre class="aLF-aPX-K0-aPE" style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; user-select: text; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC1JTKvdBogGDdaiM0QpDayOriswxvftkrwP77ovZrUbdICAbsQAGEJPuav1_8rbwDzE_jf-3nblQEQvF5cfwuJV7prFDc6f6XXdaQ7eWR-DPdhIlc7Ol98G6MwewDOKJGA4yBCGEPlZAYHyRtOMgy0guiON8ON85p7v24Ev4Qto0FpXGBW3f_18FP/s4128/20230104_093959.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4128" data-original-width="2322" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC1JTKvdBogGDdaiM0QpDayOriswxvftkrwP77ovZrUbdICAbsQAGEJPuav1_8rbwDzE_jf-3nblQEQvF5cfwuJV7prFDc6f6XXdaQ7eWR-DPdhIlc7Ol98G6MwewDOKJGA4yBCGEPlZAYHyRtOMgy0guiON8ON85p7v24Ev4Qto0FpXGBW3f_18FP/s320/20230104_093959.jpg" width="180" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;">
Finding multiple locked gates slowed us down, but eventually we found an open gate and made our way to where the hot air balloon had landed (through some random farmers paddock), and began the transition of the two groups. I jumped in one corner, along with two others and when all 12 of us were in, we took off and quickly began rising.
<br /></span></pre><pre class="aLF-aPX-K0-aPE" style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; user-select: text; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvgW80qcyRu7LS76SC_kzFvK7jvCiotjSzbu_bNVbf-PjeQ90ONoFUVx764AoBEeAnWNSCb4k6cAfKW-xcH9uQGOngwnWA3YsmmQ5DVndq7vzVQCYe5DkgbdPIp174PwaZmw_whQLTm9_okcpuhuB1N9jkmDtuiVLYjX06rFO8_fq1Fs3RWUvwgyhb/s2576/20230104_094157.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2576" data-original-width="1932" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvgW80qcyRu7LS76SC_kzFvK7jvCiotjSzbu_bNVbf-PjeQ90ONoFUVx764AoBEeAnWNSCb4k6cAfKW-xcH9uQGOngwnWA3YsmmQ5DVndq7vzVQCYe5DkgbdPIp174PwaZmw_whQLTm9_okcpuhuB1N9jkmDtuiVLYjX06rFO8_fq1Fs3RWUvwgyhb/s320/20230104_094157.jpg" width="240" /></a></div></pre><pre class="aLF-aPX-K0-aPE" style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; user-select: text; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;">
Reaching a maximum height of well over 6,000 feet, we were able to enjoy stunning views of the Southern Alps, Mt Cook, and the land below. With a total travel time of around 45 minutes, we ended up doing a figure 8 pattern before landing in a paddock around 300 meters away from where we took off (and just short of the pig farm, thank goodness). The farmer who lived next door came to say hello with his wife (and ended up scoring himself a free bottle of champagne).</span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGCzSTqkDPco23fA6E55dgMVC4BIR2PJZ1HcAi9ku3CvXylvUyeyKQ5aZINmgLl58MQqJzNRx0xNoJTon4fIoNarQtywsihtg7vNCPjmx_UEyEbypNkB0sHirqz8jvakL8xwz4NHGcS47uprzfdfrynyUjRXbH0GMMHU8aDPsymfom3G97Ykr5QQvr/s4128/20230106_124932.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4128" data-original-width="2322" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGCzSTqkDPco23fA6E55dgMVC4BIR2PJZ1HcAi9ku3CvXylvUyeyKQ5aZINmgLl58MQqJzNRx0xNoJTon4fIoNarQtywsihtg7vNCPjmx_UEyEbypNkB0sHirqz8jvakL8xwz4NHGcS47uprzfdfrynyUjRXbH0GMMHU8aDPsymfom3G97Ykr5QQvr/s320/20230106_124932.jpg" width="180" /></a></div></pre><pre class="aLF-aPX-K0-aPE" style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; user-select: text; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;">
While the first group made their way towards us, we dismantled the hot air balloon, and started packing it up, and once the bus and trailer arrived, packed it all up. A nice glass of orange juice and a muffin followed our flight, before we started heading back to Methven, where I bought a Hot Air Balloon pin for $5, and finally back to Mayfield by 11am.
After lunch, I headed over to the muster point to see if I could jump onto the trip to Ashburton, but seeing the queue for spare seats, I jumped on another trip (Holy Walkamolies) with James and Aiden (WCW member).</span></pre><pre class="aLF-aPX-K0-aPE" style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; user-select: text; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCY-7Lfw1icw1lO9LC73Jo4vl6OkfV45xrpmHFRn7CdEH5J7SntB7p9WSXmt_IP-R4Aw4u1ge7_od3vdD8rrkVi7VfyiaFeGHcYfG9jUe0SMHiQX7g_O8U1kout9hiuPWcsgNAYs9zZGxudKFxyMv26NtuuXe4NPzb77PfN9_o-NWdswM798l-Xbe8/s4128/20230104_150004.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2322" data-original-width="4128" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCY-7Lfw1icw1lO9LC73Jo4vl6OkfV45xrpmHFRn7CdEH5J7SntB7p9WSXmt_IP-R4Aw4u1ge7_od3vdD8rrkVi7VfyiaFeGHcYfG9jUe0SMHiQX7g_O8U1kout9hiuPWcsgNAYs9zZGxudKFxyMv26NtuuXe4NPzb77PfN9_o-NWdswM798l-Xbe8/s320/20230104_150004.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></pre><pre class="aLF-aPX-K0-aPE" style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; user-select: text; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;">
Following a 30 minute drive, we made it to the car park and began our walk, with us splitting into two groups after the 2nd turn off, with one group doing the loop and the other heading back to the van to see if they could swim anywhere. I headed off with Aiden, Adam and Gordon (the latter two both did Coast to Coast) to continue the walk, and after a steep climb, we arrived at the Blackburn Coalmine (which was a disaster as a coalmine).
</span></pre><pre class="aLF-aPX-K0-aPE" style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; user-select: text; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></pre><pre class="aLF-aPX-K0-aPE" style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; user-select: text; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ86vGni-qCMqz3vmsKzc0H31v6hztiRO7pzdnM81cFLq1cVOEsSOaAX2-2LlfUul8era6Cz-YG64bKK_Jcyuwy6WTP43KKcpsSY3EniTkL44oTU6a8aTQPVvy52PRG8ogqdQpKRrQ5tXWjEkV5TomlRkE73xLR1r65kOjfcidnoG3sd-6wtA23DWg/s4128/20230104_154219.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2322" data-original-width="4128" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ86vGni-qCMqz3vmsKzc0H31v6hztiRO7pzdnM81cFLq1cVOEsSOaAX2-2LlfUul8era6Cz-YG64bKK_Jcyuwy6WTP43KKcpsSY3EniTkL44oTU6a8aTQPVvy52PRG8ogqdQpKRrQ5tXWjEkV5TomlRkE73xLR1r65kOjfcidnoG3sd-6wtA23DWg/s320/20230104_154219.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;">
A short 15 minute stop up the top of the hill was well worth it, as we began down the 2nd path to loop back up, with the route ending up being half visible at the best of times and very steep too. Making it the bottom was a relief before connecting back onto the path and finishing the loop, then we followed the arrow the other group left on the ground back to the carpark. We encountered the other group as they made their way back to the van, so off we headed back through Mt Somers.</span></pre><pre class="aLF-aPX-K0-aPE" style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; user-select: text; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></pre><pre class="aLF-aPX-K0-aPE" style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; user-select: text; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtpGCubAM7rkkLjWqUps6B-5vklpSsQPbjI1iOWtpumGfIdGykzQx_v1krmmr0Pryj-poXtwDhO3NWzrPn_A4AEUHsjcoJNQuDBEZsM7Yfeo3LSbhFSeXFiVQRUV63lOQPDkrUV4uFNOMwh6ejY7M1VILouSC_VcndbAxp4xZCtElU5_2OC_aPd-Vq/s4128/20230106_125102.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4128" data-original-width="2322" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtpGCubAM7rkkLjWqUps6B-5vklpSsQPbjI1iOWtpumGfIdGykzQx_v1krmmr0Pryj-poXtwDhO3NWzrPn_A4AEUHsjcoJNQuDBEZsM7Yfeo3LSbhFSeXFiVQRUV63lOQPDkrUV4uFNOMwh6ejY7M1VILouSC_VcndbAxp4xZCtElU5_2OC_aPd-Vq/s320/20230106_125102.jpg" width="180" /></a><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />
Back to camp for dinner, before heading over to the main stage to hear some announcements before the music began. I spent some time listening to the music, before heading off to my tent for a bit, but returned to the stage to listen and dance to the music before it stopped at around midnight. Then teeth, toilet, water and off to bed, with nothing planned for the day ahead.</span></pre>Robin Plessiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02356831643269878870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7231910499023661372.post-87855375843244381472023-01-21T23:59:00.015+13:002023-01-22T22:46:47.955+13:00ignite23 Day 4-5<p></p><span style="color: #252525; font-family: arial;">Following the long awaited 7 hours
of sleep (what a luxury!), I rose, and headed over to the hall for breakfast
and to pack my lunch, ready for the day ahead. Meeting at the minivans at
10:30am, we set off in our units for the main destination of the day - Lake
Brunner.</span><br /><span style="color: #252525; font-family: arial;"><br /></span><span style="color: #252525; font-family: arial;">Just after an hours driving, we
finally arrived at our stop for the day - Moana and Lake Brunner. Combining a
warm summer's day and New Years day meant that the lake was busy, but after
managing to find a park, we met up with the other units and headed over the
swing bridge (15 max limit, though I'm sure we went way over that at points) to
stake our claim to a secluded section of pristine waterfront.</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO-V9xyvEZZKuaBH4kox9Jr6-blFirdUd7A7AycNGS5nQTevOC0N7W4Cj5EiP8bv8lUPNJUlnSRhTvaV-RvqjsXwdpAEPVe_3NbSAPkKJ4Kfo7fZs3Me3TipuFl88RGbt91ezi3vRK3NKlIB8tHQVOFyfDnriE5h_vY_IzQxoPtoQe5dUr6H9owv1g/s4128/20230101_144623.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2322" data-original-width="4128" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO-V9xyvEZZKuaBH4kox9Jr6-blFirdUd7A7AycNGS5nQTevOC0N7W4Cj5EiP8bv8lUPNJUlnSRhTvaV-RvqjsXwdpAEPVe_3NbSAPkKJ4Kfo7fZs3Me3TipuFl88RGbt91ezi3vRK3NKlIB8tHQVOFyfDnriE5h_vY_IzQxoPtoQe5dUr6H9owv1g/s320/20230101_144623.jpg" width="320" /></span></a><br /><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #252525; font-family: arial;">Grabbing my towel out, I began to
sunbathe while waiting for other groups to</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #252525; font-family: arial;">arrive and for people to start
going in the water. While waiting, the sun ended up looking like it had rings
around it - I tried to snap a picture but failed.</span><br /><span style="color: #252525; font-family: arial;"><br /></span><span style="color: #252525; font-family: arial;">Eventually changing into my
swimming gear, I headed back down to the beach and went in to the water -
albeit only half deep if I could, to avoid getting my neck brace wet.
Continuing to stand around in the water, I eventually got out when Laurence
called out that he needed volunteers to help bring some kayaks he hired around
from the boat ramp.</span><br /><span style="color: #252525; font-family: arial;"><br /></span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #252525; font-family: arial;">Throwing my hand up, I headed
around (wearing no shoes on a gravel path hurts) and helped carry the kayaks (4
doubles, with gear), down to the water, where I joined up with Benji (7 of us
to paddle around, so 1 person going single) and lead to way out past the wharf
and around the</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #252525; font-family: arial;">rocks to the far side of the river
where we had set up our gear.</span><br /><span style="color: #252525; font-family: arial;"><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx5m_nAu9dK2ON0Ox8ckz511rUMuoBTU7ZQ6zMvLvdrB2piwuNvjjbzK9icOWE8FgXKPgpexmSjBweuRIHkVtD28230ex0bEASo4LYuO3a8UeRt_qSWKuK19rRDLW32pjjRSK5tkyqibNb-sooNitacUdI3MS4dHLflddQGnFj3zh3wXnihBxmf9vK/s4128/20230101_172315.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2322" data-original-width="4128" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx5m_nAu9dK2ON0Ox8ckz511rUMuoBTU7ZQ6zMvLvdrB2piwuNvjjbzK9icOWE8FgXKPgpexmSjBweuRIHkVtD28230ex0bEASo4LYuO3a8UeRt_qSWKuK19rRDLW32pjjRSK5tkyqibNb-sooNitacUdI3MS4dHLflddQGnFj3zh3wXnihBxmf9vK/s320/20230101_172315.jpg" width="320" /></span></a><br /><span style="color: #252525; font-family: arial;">Back to sunbathing afterwards for
me, till we finally started getting ready to go at around 3pm. Some of the
girls in my unit wanted to go to the town or out shopping on the way back, but
instead we just headed back to camp, arriving at 4pm (a move Patch later agreed
was silly, seeing as how there were no activities on at camp till dinner).</span><br /><span style="color: #252525; font-family: arial;"><br /></span><span style="color: #252525; font-family: arial;">Dinner followed by a quick dessert
once we were all back meant that we had time to relax, before Laurence gathered
up a group of people and led them down to a small creek to go eel hunting -
with the tools of the trade being a piece of fishing rope, tied to an old sock
with a piece of meat and a stone in.</span><br /><span style="color: #252525; font-family: arial;"><br /></span><span style="color: #252525; font-family: arial;">Despite two eeling sessions that
must have lasted a good hour plus in total, I never managed to catch an eel,
though came close on several occasions, with them either not wanting to bite
into the sock, or escaping before the rock I threw at them hit.</span><br /><span style="color: #252525; font-family: arial;"><br /></span><span style="color: #252525; font-family: arial;">Admitting defeat, I headed back to
camp, and turned in for the night, with a 6am wakeup the following day -
reasoning, a 3-4 hour hike the following day.</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><br /><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #252525; font-family: arial;">6am came faster than I would have
liked, but up I rose and started getting ready for the hike. Plenty of time to
organize myself, grab breakfast, and pack lunch left me waiting outside the
minivans at 8am, following Laurence's van out the campsite and onto the road,
for the hour long drive</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #252525; font-family: arial;">to the beginning of the hike.</span><br /><span style="color: #252525; font-family: arial;"><br /></span><span style="color: #252525; font-family: arial;">Stretching 6km long one-way, the
Fox River tramp to the Ballroom overhang is an easy trail for the most part
(until you get the stony riverbank and river crossings that is), though
encountering a few muddy patches and rocks to clamber around is a common
occurrence. I jumped on with the fast group, wanting to get the walk done and
dusted before lunch (obviously).</span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheoQEL0HqTU7d8g2oCFjm6syfETLNtHgRnNNmcB9OnqthOlR_0XUrIHithvqWjlOiTEwVv0SgNM-wrS8oL16c8qbNy_ltgpDF5zujSykv3i5BJzQveh0HYdHPr28Fg_z0i7xFZ4T9_9tmbfR0WRweFH6QIA7jYFfhII-QfWCtS3ilrm207PxHTJYcb/s4128/20230121_225553.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2322" data-original-width="4128" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheoQEL0HqTU7d8g2oCFjm6syfETLNtHgRnNNmcB9OnqthOlR_0XUrIHithvqWjlOiTEwVv0SgNM-wrS8oL16c8qbNy_ltgpDF5zujSykv3i5BJzQveh0HYdHPr28Fg_z0i7xFZ4T9_9tmbfR0WRweFH6QIA7jYFfhII-QfWCtS3ilrm207PxHTJYcb/s320/20230121_225553.jpg" width="320" /></span></a><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-oAU3RTbwr6qjckGFqwR5Mver-oQtxce5tPqbLLxGsu9cuTtiKrgXFSP0FA7uk_H_uaFSqE1GLi_VC3NOVIl1zJAWxjDQ-Fct4X7XkqjeS21gc3803dz-_vStmXkZrQ09bQwBHX5XxrftA2YJSTdTc8Qd7pFnWUz7jq7UBsTnvvN06AP3otYoQL7E/s4128/20230102_114838.jpg" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2322" data-original-width="4128" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-oAU3RTbwr6qjckGFqwR5Mver-oQtxce5tPqbLLxGsu9cuTtiKrgXFSP0FA7uk_H_uaFSqE1GLi_VC3NOVIl1zJAWxjDQ-Fct4X7XkqjeS21gc3803dz-_vStmXkZrQ09bQwBHX5XxrftA2YJSTdTc8Qd7pFnWUz7jq7UBsTnvvN06AP3otYoQL7E/s320/20230102_114838.jpg" width="320" /></span></a><br /><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote><span style="color: #252525; font-family: arial;">Plunging into the river at the
first river crossing, I quickly took the lead of those doing it and retained
that lead for the remainder of the journey, only slowing slightly for the stony
riverbank, and the 8 or 9 more river crossings left to go (I pity those who
thought they could keep their shoes dry by taking them off and on again after
each crossing).</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1ZaFju3BvI3iZ_fXs2TQXuPr5EzN8nW7c_4Npr_O4szGIVG84qnGjowqbRD8O8pB9gGqObRWg3P0nsVsyyYVciPh9H88cqijUf9GCNDl2pbQrDbhgGQFLp08pDlKoUB74AoD31_AaxpOjREmsN7zoP3E2bxA1zKZaHNkuI8FEHos0iNcs3ybLUDcN/s4128/20230102_120513.jpg" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2322" data-original-width="4128" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1ZaFju3BvI3iZ_fXs2TQXuPr5EzN8nW7c_4Npr_O4szGIVG84qnGjowqbRD8O8pB9gGqObRWg3P0nsVsyyYVciPh9H88cqijUf9GCNDl2pbQrDbhgGQFLp08pDlKoUB74AoD31_AaxpOjREmsN7zoP3E2bxA1zKZaHNkuI8FEHos0iNcs3ybLUDcN/s320/20230102_120513.jpg" width="320" /></span></a><div><br /><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote><span style="font-family: arial;">Being the first to the ballroom
overhang meant I was able to capture stunning views of not only the overhang,
but also the landscape surrounding it. After a looong lunch (try a good hour
and a half) while waiting for slower groups to turn up, I set off again heading
out, walking with Laurence for the river, before catching up to Patch and
sticking with him for the rest of the walk.</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzCr2bldYJZ-4Gcl6GzL7N_aTBe1zNU31dAru_7HG-DzZEEMeWxvMwvRg8r4igTJxCxCwJwc31krzEOs9HLn4Sc_vrxpWh4LJX9XnluzoOm5lMRuLM09W_LfXJV39PEDQIDWYYyQkjedhsRnctofi7xP9u2A67N8ONLcUnKSz7auar4AHJaudQIwuX/s2576/20230102_130212.jpg" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2576" data-original-width="1932" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzCr2bldYJZ-4Gcl6GzL7N_aTBe1zNU31dAru_7HG-DzZEEMeWxvMwvRg8r4igTJxCxCwJwc31krzEOs9HLn4Sc_vrxpWh4LJX9XnluzoOm5lMRuLM09W_LfXJV39PEDQIDWYYyQkjedhsRnctofi7xP9u2A67N8ONLcUnKSz7auar4AHJaudQIwuX/s320/20230102_130212.jpg" width="240" /></span></a><br /><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote><span style="font-family: arial;">Having my watch run out of power
was sad, but at least it managed to capture the majority of my walk, though it
meant I wouldn't get anymore steps that day. Jumping in one of the first 4
vans, I headed off to the kayaking place ready for a kayak trip upstream and
back.</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><br /><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #252525; font-family: arial;">Taking roughly 30 to 45 minutes,
we kayaked upriver sticking to the left of the river, having to get out and
carry our kayaks through at one point, before</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #252525; font-family: arial;">paddling around some rocks, and
turning around a giant boulder and heading back downstream. After finishing the
kayak trip, I took the time to dry off what I could, though I still had soaking
wet socks and shoes.</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><br /><span style="color: #252525; font-family: arial;">While the 2nd group did their
kayak trip, I joined up with some others and walked the kilometer-ish up the hill
into Punakaiki. As we were walking in, I did catch sight of a crazy driver
(James) in a van, without the boot closed so gestured to him till someone
closed it. Stopping at the cafe/restaurant, I ordered a bowl of fries, and sat
outside to enjoy it, before heading over to look at the Punakaiki rocks.</span><br /><span style="color: #252525; font-family: arial;"><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXb89C1xHJtDgamFemIhajPggOoJ186oPjnOZxa7taXkvpnactNbBc7KXPjhWi-HktPt1LvPfTILIg3eoolmcL6LiwqmghB1SKIKSpeHx_kYWOyaUGJMSSiYMLDaR8JIglqfCyCVfXm2QhlfKuPQDVQWBhjrdyBYzvlsy_bnHJl3fNoBbGoQgXK7xB/s4128/20230102_173016.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2322" data-original-width="4128" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXb89C1xHJtDgamFemIhajPggOoJ186oPjnOZxa7taXkvpnactNbBc7KXPjhWi-HktPt1LvPfTILIg3eoolmcL6LiwqmghB1SKIKSpeHx_kYWOyaUGJMSSiYMLDaR8JIglqfCyCVfXm2QhlfKuPQDVQWBhjrdyBYzvlsy_bnHJl3fNoBbGoQgXK7xB/s320/20230102_173016.jpg" width="320" /></span></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq29VOcAcawffaHF-DgUq-kjIrTJXaOuh1XT1dKyYOcjLweB7Ct3H7Lz7OLSmdQ1Piuh37mm7SeOSCKRxcnyZac7DMBfHoLx6SmD7-pMMeUSjDI4MraI51JGarKF1F3j5JCs-h4Ev2WSOITzyBwIYG_OcN4RUpxzylPZWALzVqYNcXQ33VBq4LVEPi/s4128/20230109_143951.jpg" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4128" data-original-width="2322" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq29VOcAcawffaHF-DgUq-kjIrTJXaOuh1XT1dKyYOcjLweB7Ct3H7Lz7OLSmdQ1Piuh37mm7SeOSCKRxcnyZac7DMBfHoLx6SmD7-pMMeUSjDI4MraI51JGarKF1F3j5JCs-h4Ev2WSOITzyBwIYG_OcN4RUpxzylPZWALzVqYNcXQ33VBq4LVEPi/s320/20230109_143951.jpg" width="180" /></span></a></div><div><br /><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote><span style="font-family: arial;">On the way in, I was told that we
had to be back at the minivans by 6pm, so less than 3 minutes away when we were
over a kilometer away. Making it back after 6pm, </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #252525; font-family: arial;">we organized ourselves back into
our units, and headed off, with the chance to stop at the Punakaiki rocks on
the way (so no need for me to have walked all the way there, grrr).</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><br /><span style="color: #252525; font-family: arial;">After a few pictures of the
Punakaiki rocks, we headed back on the road, headed for Hokitika and the
Warehouse. After a quick stop in at the Warehouse </span><span style="color: #252525; font-family: arial;">to top up on essentials - lollies of course,
we made a quick stop in at McDonald's (making sure to tease the two people who
work at a McDonald's and trying to get them to help out when it was slow),
before beginning the 30 minute drive back to Ahaura.</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj62hrrw-5gRcccGwcYW68XXxV6k4SRSjAuQ9RR4qC5QdndYtOvHDGVKR9WvG9lLMSTUK06V1cfjbq1RerkVp8Kmf5J7YHA3dTysU8dJNyXFH1Idw6fzj6tTwrMtZVIVe9OOhAXcx5Or4Qq3ewfYVmNrM-baHG4gp67fM3f19SQJLFqWXh3PJpw6Mos/s4128/20230102_232717.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2322" data-original-width="4128" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj62hrrw-5gRcccGwcYW68XXxV6k4SRSjAuQ9RR4qC5QdndYtOvHDGVKR9WvG9lLMSTUK06V1cfjbq1RerkVp8Kmf5J7YHA3dTysU8dJNyXFH1Idw6fzj6tTwrMtZVIVe9OOhAXcx5Or4Qq3ewfYVmNrM-baHG4gp67fM3f19SQJLFqWXh3PJpw6Mos/s320/20230102_232717.jpg" width="320" /></span></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9AzfJ07PQD09opDiAOjNAzZa6Jzg3tDoSDBO8q3IVHjoDKQOP3VmBrpizU5qOWX4rwKRgzCy9vbrvuYRWb-fQU-ig_k_5KXOaygoC6dVVGm4D-Hjr8e4PB51pEx655RoWR6HTxmn-RXMkOb9sGCidv55DL3FFo8BDRAnLRDxaxpzv-_opq-jmuejv/s4128/20230102_185129.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2322" data-original-width="4128" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9AzfJ07PQD09opDiAOjNAzZa6Jzg3tDoSDBO8q3IVHjoDKQOP3VmBrpizU5qOWX4rwKRgzCy9vbrvuYRWb-fQU-ig_k_5KXOaygoC6dVVGm4D-Hjr8e4PB51pEx655RoWR6HTxmn-RXMkOb9sGCidv55DL3FFo8BDRAnLRDxaxpzv-_opq-jmuejv/s320/20230102_185129.jpg" width="320" /></span></a><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK8gvtnkL2vBTl_Sv7yQVHCJXGuiydSz0bbSQ0r52oqQR20hR7b8Fp1Dp4JSm7M9-bITwO5kn27MH4ctKe8g-H0WBzi4i5QrI4Rkp8cuK508HhWZPhoSS1tpWWkWQj-fmN1AoHdvZHhpOcmgb6aTDyLuWCwCfF4AI-xnZXbTlkcYZ2wJaPqQ-XOs4v/s4128/20230102_185343.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2322" data-original-width="4128" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK8gvtnkL2vBTl_Sv7yQVHCJXGuiydSz0bbSQ0r52oqQR20hR7b8Fp1Dp4JSm7M9-bITwO5kn27MH4ctKe8g-H0WBzi4i5QrI4Rkp8cuK508HhWZPhoSS1tpWWkWQj-fmN1AoHdvZHhpOcmgb6aTDyLuWCwCfF4AI-xnZXbTlkcYZ2wJaPqQ-XOs4v/s320/20230102_185343.jpg" width="320" /></span></a><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote><span style="font-family: arial;">Making it back after dinner had
started, we ate quickly before the leaders started transforming the hall into a
disco room - ready for the party that night. After </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #252525; font-family: arial;">watching both Patch and Wayne
(another leader) get their hair dyed in some form, I headed over the disco
party and spent some time enjoying the music and atmosphere while there.
Heading off to bed around midnight, with the wakeup at 6am the next morning -
not for any activity but to pack up, as we're traveling onwards to Phase 2 the
next day!</span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwm8qTUCm2-aVfwX5E4b4IOs3Q8cTGK-PuKpaPHQjVdmqGB9pYeoc_OBV98duxP4dQQuMrAZUi504_Dk-MyEFSwS6-IV7uMAkHz3ZkL0blLKtsshNnEyowgt4tZPl40Ij2FQq3OTlJx1Y6Ck2rRo7tD0ieG1vu-BjTDm8gu7vViuQeAt3UVt_2oe_b/s4128/20230102_225955.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img alt="Disco" border="0" data-original-height="2322" data-original-width="4128" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwm8qTUCm2-aVfwX5E4b4IOs3Q8cTGK-PuKpaPHQjVdmqGB9pYeoc_OBV98duxP4dQQuMrAZUi504_Dk-MyEFSwS6-IV7uMAkHz3ZkL0blLKtsshNnEyowgt4tZPl40Ij2FQq3OTlJx1Y6Ck2rRo7tD0ieG1vu-BjTDm8gu7vViuQeAt3UVt_2oe_b/w320-h180/20230102_225955.jpg" title="Disco" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #252525; font-family: arial;"></span></p><p></p><p></p></div>Robin Plessiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02356831643269878870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7231910499023661372.post-69661930871553047432023-01-18T22:57:00.002+13:002023-01-22T22:29:02.200+13:00ignite23 Days 1-3<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />After waking up early (6:30am, the horror!), I had breakfast, finished packing my bags, and headed out to the car with my parents for the hour and a half drive into Christchurch (from Okains Bay). <p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBygG8BkV8XX8xZcgvkvk9bCLWetpB6zSbnlgf6ZwXBqz8ekrUgAF27oJiJDtveTEfMYVktR1f03TW4TGR20ltgmRt3ikZOJO_bi0teVHthKeheUbTxnyUQrf10y8bQHB3fMCiffPgya_Mr_SOm03vBP9aMDod7U8dDtDYOh5Jtjo-l-avTgtsFUcz/s4128/20221229_133254.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2322" data-original-width="4128" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBygG8BkV8XX8xZcgvkvk9bCLWetpB6zSbnlgf6ZwXBqz8ekrUgAF27oJiJDtveTEfMYVktR1f03TW4TGR20ltgmRt3ikZOJO_bi0teVHthKeheUbTxnyUQrf10y8bQHB3fMCiffPgya_Mr_SOm03vBP9aMDod7U8dDtDYOh5Jtjo-l-avTgtsFUcz/s320/20221229_133254.jpg" style="opacity: 1;" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waiting to leave Riccarton Racecourse</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p>After a stop at Couplands for morning tea, we headed over to Riccarton Racecourse for me to sign in for the Venture (ignite23). Completing the sign-in, we headed out to the expedition zone, where I put my bags with the rest of the people on the expedition, before my parents headed back out on their way. </p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFA-P6DIe1tnYcUn_qtsox42D-H_2CUJGoMASh8l-JL8m30AQW6PETQZGHhwSq8F3kVa5ryzy8J3dAT_OQDEP8mQKavorpOkoGKBfkyrINkX6Of4C0faEqZd0llsssf7fR-yZEwpR5brT34VbVyyrzcuolf_SnlO9XuUmDMWj2xVk-SIZ9mPuUSoeX/s4128/20221229_200744.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2322" data-original-width="4128" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFA-P6DIe1tnYcUn_qtsox42D-H_2CUJGoMASh8l-JL8m30AQW6PETQZGHhwSq8F3kVa5ryzy8J3dAT_OQDEP8mQKavorpOkoGKBfkyrINkX6Of4C0faEqZd0llsssf7fR-yZEwpR5brT34VbVyyrzcuolf_SnlO9XuUmDMWj2xVk-SIZ9mPuUSoeX/w320-h180/20221229_200744.jpg" title="Photo from the drive through Arthur's Pass" width="320" /></a></div>All of the Venturers gathered at 12pm at the Grand Stand to attend the Opening Ceremony, before heading to stand in our expedition groups and being introduced to the expedition leader (Laurence), our Unit Leaders and the rest of our Unit's. I was placed in Unit 2004, with Patch (Andrew) as my Unit Leader.<p></p><p><br /></p><p>After waiting around for several hours, we headed off on our expedition - driving over to the West Coast, with petrol stops and a stop at Cave Stream Cave for caving. One of the enjoyable parts of the driving was when Laurence's van pulled over to wait for others to catch up, but instead of waiting with him, we shot past and kept on driving till Cave Stream, being the first van to arrive and get ready to begin the caving!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVhbiGWcdTlu0yEyy9d24n-w8Ry0CKHgt7UI41TYsxSo0u7f9u2TZHdqEGsMNkFCPhoNEgrum1Afe2V7zA2zzvtSq2XsmvS_CuslLdTE7tu5w_6W6LV3tsEENg0G_N-DP7R71-zpWGYOQBC59Kt45RNOJeMuqzlID-WeCgqb93CvToP11Z6TKFRqr3/s4128/20221229_223813.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4128" data-original-width="2322" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVhbiGWcdTlu0yEyy9d24n-w8Ry0CKHgt7UI41TYsxSo0u7f9u2TZHdqEGsMNkFCPhoNEgrum1Afe2V7zA2zzvtSq2XsmvS_CuslLdTE7tu5w_6W6LV3tsEENg0G_N-DP7R71-zpWGYOQBC59Kt45RNOJeMuqzlID-WeCgqb93CvToP11Z6TKFRqr3/s320/20221229_223813.jpg" width="180" /></a></div><p></p><p><br /></p><p>Traversing a steep rocky path down to the cave outlet (entrance of the cave), we followed Laurence into the cave and began the trek upriver through the cave. While there were some hard bits (including having to climb up through several powerful rapids, and bend down to get under a big rock), we eventually made it to the cave inlet (exit of the cave) - not before a ladder climb and ledge crawl though! Overall, a very rewarding activity before the driving began again.</p><p><br /></p><p>By the time we arrived at the campsite, we were a good 3 hours behind schedule, and had to setup tents in the dark before heading across the road to the community hall for dinner (spaghetti bollenaise with a salad). After the caving and a good 4+ hours of driving, we were all tired and headed to bed.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcnhhPycn9_sa8S-0WgG0VT4H93d_1Yj8vfXCRLv9Oc1FYUYXMYMT7PF7K3FYupYKfQsQjsVQqijOYvG1YKbmT58Zog9OVNXhI0fl6tk8pi2C9q8ApyWofTF3zOsmU65SJulRkwlrSwEyZO3MkcfrPFjpQlnbNN03dSeRzopR82XbxOsrBpr4IiN6j/s4128/20221230_094048.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2322" data-original-width="4128" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcnhhPycn9_sa8S-0WgG0VT4H93d_1Yj8vfXCRLv9Oc1FYUYXMYMT7PF7K3FYupYKfQsQjsVQqijOYvG1YKbmT58Zog9OVNXhI0fl6tk8pi2C9q8ApyWofTF3zOsmU65SJulRkwlrSwEyZO3MkcfrPFjpQlnbNN03dSeRzopR82XbxOsrBpr4IiN6j/s320/20221230_094048.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Waking up in the morning with a refreshing 6 and a half hours of sleep (Yay!), I headed over to the hall for breakfast (just cereal with fruit salad), I packed my lunch and met up with my unit at the minivan at 8am. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijTpgY4oWvPV0M9zGNEre-L6ntBPCpNEtWSaFddIt5SKbX6CFFNsjldC9phq7B-WKg9QG7Y8Hc9H0pYf-ealjak43DgQ8pAPLApKXBnmJm4f_CU5dOL2XsWds_ivrqWYEtJW_ImmlWaETcKBIqznO3dj-K8_zOZaLEDpCIwgX8fjthgb-OQXqYdvZx/s4128/20221230_094259.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2322" data-original-width="4128" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijTpgY4oWvPV0M9zGNEre-L6ntBPCpNEtWSaFddIt5SKbX6CFFNsjldC9phq7B-WKg9QG7Y8Hc9H0pYf-ealjak43DgQ8pAPLApKXBnmJm4f_CU5dOL2XsWds_ivrqWYEtJW_ImmlWaETcKBIqznO3dj-K8_zOZaLEDpCIwgX8fjthgb-OQXqYdvZx/s320/20221230_094259.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p><br /></p><p>Then on the road again - first stop Hokitika, for the kiwi sanctuary and exploring Hokitika. My unit was among the 4 chosen to go inside the kiwi sanctuary first, so we followed Laurence and headed in. My two favourite activites from the kiwi sanctuary were surprising not kiwis, but the interactive kids area (fishing for lobsters in a pond, I caught lobsters 3 times!), and the eel feeding, which I got to feed a few pieces of meat to the eels. After looking at the kiwi (soooooo cute running around!), I had a quick look around Hokitika before meeting back at the Van's.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmH2De60rS7Nsm1hmSalH4inJ-nHIZ5RnvdKvifi_xmMpFSLhYWU3pj4z3E7wBryfmlT7Ooa-_3JuZVvwktFtEurs1lbKM1KjB2oAb0x_HhPch6U_09KNc5benvJ8cLFbXVtFPuuQaE09dqTl1sSM1_OTlfOXk3nDIvRESDO-r8slwQChUKzMEWdJL/s4128/20221230_102149.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4128" data-original-width="2322" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmH2De60rS7Nsm1hmSalH4inJ-nHIZ5RnvdKvifi_xmMpFSLhYWU3pj4z3E7wBryfmlT7Ooa-_3JuZVvwktFtEurs1lbKM1KjB2oAb0x_HhPch6U_09KNc5benvJ8cLFbXVtFPuuQaE09dqTl1sSM1_OTlfOXk3nDIvRESDO-r8slwQChUKzMEWdJL/s320/20221230_102149.jpg" width="180" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Following on from the stop in Hokitika, we headed to the Treetop Walk. Amazing scenery there of the trees, and being able to hear the birds, but when there are so many Venturers doing it all at once, the bridges do start to wobble a bit! It featured a tower which I think is a good 20+ meters in the air.</p><p><br /></p><p>Moving on to the road again for a drive down to Franz Josef to see the glaciers, we stopped in the township to let out the people doing the scenic flight, before continuing on up to the glacier. Walking up to the main lookout, the view of the glacier was hidden by clouds, but by the time the James (another Unit Leader) and I headed up the other path towards the Pinnacle Rock lookout, the clouds had begun to clear and after a 15 minute wait, we were able to take spectacular views of the glacier.</p><p><br /></p><p>We split into two groups at the bottom of the glacier, those who wanted to go to Hari Hari hot pools and those who wanted to go back to camp. Most of my unit wanted to go, so we grabbed a few extra people who wanted to come, and set off with Patch driving. On the way, Patch showed off his amazing driving skills, heading over bumps with speed, and swerving the car to keep us on our toes!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqnSSx-1y8hgHE7pNJjbU961IJI-PPvKUiGbK3hkghW4WV0J_XjxaldbEFaBqrApMNAPUkufiKlbQZ1njkfJcG9wF4kVrZxvvRH7x9TT31ZEdXNO_ftLbe7wDVIuUxIN639zJfJRXUey5RumtRlmtuw4bFl7hIVweAOm3WHg7_I8_HM-03dy4zDqbb/s4128/20221230_102949.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4128" data-original-width="2322" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqnSSx-1y8hgHE7pNJjbU961IJI-PPvKUiGbK3hkghW4WV0J_XjxaldbEFaBqrApMNAPUkufiKlbQZ1njkfJcG9wF4kVrZxvvRH7x9TT31ZEdXNO_ftLbe7wDVIuUxIN639zJfJRXUey5RumtRlmtuw4bFl7hIVweAOm3WHg7_I8_HM-03dy4zDqbb/s320/20221230_102949.jpg" width="180" /></a></div><p></p><p><br /></p><p>The experience of the hot pools was weird, but enjoyable, with the hot pools simply being a section of the river which hot water flowed up from, and us having to build some walls to prevent cold water from coming in. On the way back, the van I came in filled up, so had to travel in another van, which luckily meant sitting in the front so getting good photos of the sky.</p><p><br /></p><p>Followed by a late dinner at 10:30pm, before being told that we'd need to be up even earlier at 5:30am the following morning to keep on time for the next day, I headed off to bed.</p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzpGigW9mdkdYvfvGCp0ixNU5BEzlbQ0zbCplKiMB1tqeYjI_QvaLNlCqqhZxcqI6ddEQLf_D55_I3RkOb3E8Y9FziHKLCypaDvG1xOq7J3VyRtiSH4JSxOsz-6ykotKVSlB5WMduqd1zx8Cg5Ej-dzxlCP5hA1WNUDR0I7IXuD_0JMK7QMSmbMQ1N/s4128/20221230_112725.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2322" data-original-width="4128" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzpGigW9mdkdYvfvGCp0ixNU5BEzlbQ0zbCplKiMB1tqeYjI_QvaLNlCqqhZxcqI6ddEQLf_D55_I3RkOb3E8Y9FziHKLCypaDvG1xOq7J3VyRtiSH4JSxOsz-6ykotKVSlB5WMduqd1zx8Cg5Ej-dzxlCP5hA1WNUDR0I7IXuD_0JMK7QMSmbMQ1N/s320/20221230_112725.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhULHMYY9hgLiZqqd4dVsB32CI-9Fgtz315H3SRxSs3LUnuEZPjzYv7UIlytwgVzy-Lnbbxvqj9iFnHX7zEJU-0XCKNVptSk-4QfNgLHSbT6wqfCIRXOCABXDlU0D8eMMnZAJ7_UB-UPnO3xFo0rtNkPR2H_yjbUng1E1c-sPoeucRvhyxZn-CzjKNv/s4128/20221230_113025.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2322" data-original-width="4128" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhULHMYY9hgLiZqqd4dVsB32CI-9Fgtz315H3SRxSs3LUnuEZPjzYv7UIlytwgVzy-Lnbbxvqj9iFnHX7zEJU-0XCKNVptSk-4QfNgLHSbT6wqfCIRXOCABXDlU0D8eMMnZAJ7_UB-UPnO3xFo0rtNkPR2H_yjbUng1E1c-sPoeucRvhyxZn-CzjKNv/s320/20221230_113025.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy3GqW9ZcgMoyzJfbkiXY7Ca__clHNBjL-Lufpsed8q09ND6txhA-zogQ07v1OX5vyi-5QJPdfpK9WRonKK87Yv6xgw3tfFihonRZo38GeqZPap151E51v_u5Ym4nWNCug_oxe4xYRFM9s3EnChY508GXG3iQJQ5AKR0DVgdZu38GZRco4-HRCglRj/s4128/20221230_113140.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2322" data-original-width="4128" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy3GqW9ZcgMoyzJfbkiXY7Ca__clHNBjL-Lufpsed8q09ND6txhA-zogQ07v1OX5vyi-5QJPdfpK9WRonKK87Yv6xgw3tfFihonRZo38GeqZPap151E51v_u5Ym4nWNCug_oxe4xYRFM9s3EnChY508GXG3iQJQ5AKR0DVgdZu38GZRco4-HRCglRj/s320/20221230_113140.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2nR2GkgRIG2RYvl-UHD3YhX3tN78LeQ7HxhiYk3sCYRK8DUS2y8N1HxZY1xztAKpHOJkDLLlYzpi2LVhS4byP3a6Ktlbs_-q3wbzSyvkp_ZF3Hgin9CoSKvXcRueVRiGjKeDkhVADXek45zgkEhRbMBo_fkGctkoMznL4mWxQTsvY6hd_7WJSoxVe/s4128/20221230_153749.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2322" data-original-width="4128" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2nR2GkgRIG2RYvl-UHD3YhX3tN78LeQ7HxhiYk3sCYRK8DUS2y8N1HxZY1xztAKpHOJkDLLlYzpi2LVhS4byP3a6Ktlbs_-q3wbzSyvkp_ZF3Hgin9CoSKvXcRueVRiGjKeDkhVADXek45zgkEhRbMBo_fkGctkoMznL4mWxQTsvY6hd_7WJSoxVe/s320/20221230_153749.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2322" data-original-width="4128" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho-1_8fNVRuchMerrI4Uy0TutfyTXZIAR-5lONgYKBQ2X2itSyHXck7HDNBrbNj_-g8BSEcjPqhRWbNrRiD9l4OnV3JugixtxOS5gjBkAWl64ytHsrKQ0SQFfdqgEASwNG9RA1Y7t7thk4Uf63tD1iwVGPgeenipvmt_U0yoTn0fYrDaDdZ-AQEXSq/s320/20221231_141122.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIxGl6Wu2PRVL07o0sLK6mUR1pDQeDQCgcmSXMI4Oj7-SrNH-rh44ihIrOP0gLWWe10HoOFGEMEK5euGAJU2MrACi9jZzorL_WHHFs_qMExk2E2T5cLoNRXdoo27e2t3c2A2pEcqqOZa0ntvRbjROV9xmgi3C8EM2qxZZpuSVuruy_hrMTH2UsXS9j/s4128/20221230_154513.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4128" data-original-width="2322" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIxGl6Wu2PRVL07o0sLK6mUR1pDQeDQCgcmSXMI4Oj7-SrNH-rh44ihIrOP0gLWWe10HoOFGEMEK5euGAJU2MrACi9jZzorL_WHHFs_qMExk2E2T5cLoNRXdoo27e2t3c2A2pEcqqOZa0ntvRbjROV9xmgi3C8EM2qxZZpuSVuruy_hrMTH2UsXS9j/s320/20221230_154513.jpg" width="180" /></a></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO1os-56X3BjJRlgBH0-utXuwTrDqnIzQfEd3ep_vpjbaVjASuT9x2RO29AqCZw7WSAHQhwTpT9sRa81prV8TFbCf2n4aHoOpL_ki1uajnhn-fi13iaFsgLnCBczlLKx-hZ2vOkp4E8UHMDA66IcLayeq6L1XOHAIYNmeJu8YSWg0ZIsbza8wEfeH2/s4128/20221230_213021.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2322" data-original-width="4128" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO1os-56X3BjJRlgBH0-utXuwTrDqnIzQfEd3ep_vpjbaVjASuT9x2RO29AqCZw7WSAHQhwTpT9sRa81prV8TFbCf2n4aHoOpL_ki1uajnhn-fi13iaFsgLnCBczlLKx-hZ2vOkp4E8UHMDA66IcLayeq6L1XOHAIYNmeJu8YSWg0ZIsbza8wEfeH2/s320/20221230_213021.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia4H8kW3CNX2oH9_RbGEb_tWQY9RDkglWxYPujtzvhcwQrBZApMZSFKXAyH6bXlK1tTy2OhBBKuoh27jyzu9ItG2260-hO5dRBNwo3R5LmiYVLA-cZmn-iogF-monA_j_kBmc4bPmneTTOSZL7_LwxPQr78o2qt1nnkKFusAwXds8M3JlQI-Nmfx3u/s4128/20221230_214315.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2322" data-original-width="4128" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia4H8kW3CNX2oH9_RbGEb_tWQY9RDkglWxYPujtzvhcwQrBZApMZSFKXAyH6bXlK1tTy2OhBBKuoh27jyzu9ItG2260-hO5dRBNwo3R5LmiYVLA-cZmn-iogF-monA_j_kBmc4bPmneTTOSZL7_LwxPQr78o2qt1nnkKFusAwXds8M3JlQI-Nmfx3u/s320/20221230_214315.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Early morning wakeup by Laurence followed by breakfast meant that I was able to take some photos of the campsite and local area while the sun was still rising. We jumped in our minivan by 7am, and headed out towards Buller Gorge.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPwR9U4CpkLPowSlf1Q25P0l251lwcv2RB3jLvw97RqNCNf4UEDsPvFjsXJgJvQqIrAVTFmIF4kR4UmsCZO4bi8YEP0nn7n6wqFcakCbrPNDnL31iyqvjLaMV_ydEy3y8sTBXmxHiyan2gy2dDPzCx6DmJ5ePm8fkz5qaA0YOhDcLMJ2CajnOtWZ1P/s4128/20221231_064645.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2322" data-original-width="4128" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPwR9U4CpkLPowSlf1Q25P0l251lwcv2RB3jLvw97RqNCNf4UEDsPvFjsXJgJvQqIrAVTFmIF4kR4UmsCZO4bi8YEP0nn7n6wqFcakCbrPNDnL31iyqvjLaMV_ydEy3y8sTBXmxHiyan2gy2dDPzCx6DmJ5ePm8fkz5qaA0YOhDcLMJ2CajnOtWZ1P/s320/20221231_064645.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p><br /></p><p>One of the thrills of the drive, was when we passed the van in front after they pulled into a petrol station to refuel - a smart move we didn't realize until later on when we got down to 17km of fuel left in the tank with the nearest petrol station a good 15km away.</p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbFkSrNpNzj-hg3QWnO7pw3YBVC48YSPSMyWxc5W1z5bBywaBsJEq_c1PlWP3JJBfdWL_35uJUWvDz1ksYCzCxgzwFzIeSK2hHXu46TOrBV3gU3HQONn6NnHwpqSrXTPWZ1qd7S7SDghqVFwKJtfbjwb8igew7Nb9ewwl-O48ES6e8kly5lR7Ae-27/s4128/20221231_064957.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2322" data-original-width="4128" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbFkSrNpNzj-hg3QWnO7pw3YBVC48YSPSMyWxc5W1z5bBywaBsJEq_c1PlWP3JJBfdWL_35uJUWvDz1ksYCzCxgzwFzIeSK2hHXu46TOrBV3gU3HQONn6NnHwpqSrXTPWZ1qd7S7SDghqVFwKJtfbjwb8igew7Nb9ewwl-O48ES6e8kly5lR7Ae-27/s320/20221231_064957.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpIeCoT5RDdYKMZkVSudjDeVNtKthuvwQcQt5TzSYlrTcOtUE0UsbcJlYOefmycV2E-MzvXGMBPQNvwAcFEXA-zhQUroRRlYiXmD8HaY2WWFfScqt5B2pooRFGw6CbdKKU6cc1vr-ivqpGB69jZvAsBuh7qBQX0iqOtXnl9VB36eTCiO406k7Cltfi/s4128/20221231_064937.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2322" data-original-width="4128" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpIeCoT5RDdYKMZkVSudjDeVNtKthuvwQcQt5TzSYlrTcOtUE0UsbcJlYOefmycV2E-MzvXGMBPQNvwAcFEXA-zhQUroRRlYiXmD8HaY2WWFfScqt5B2pooRFGw6CbdKKU6cc1vr-ivqpGB69jZvAsBuh7qBQX0iqOtXnl9VB36eTCiO406k7Cltfi/s320/20221231_064937.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Being the first group to get to Buller Gorge, meant that my unit (not me as still recovering from my accident ðŸ˜) were among the first to get to go on the jet boating. I waited up the top with the bags and took the chance to take some photos while they went on the jetboat, and met up with them again once they had finished.<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQDbnHyvpXXjhThxrwFGPq90gvV126LMoZONftYpiM4626ocMxoSOV8LFUjG1S2oNmhBHK_kP88uG6C3_MDcbVTWKnuZQe3OUcdYSfr1c8XjJsISQJXCzT-tVl6vpp0fu2BXLwt1m_ayEVdxkMTJW7htN1dQ0TfLA8I_8Eszz1uN76cKPOEOnTuyxJ/s4128/20221231_070426.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2322" data-original-width="4128" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQDbnHyvpXXjhThxrwFGPq90gvV126LMoZONftYpiM4626ocMxoSOV8LFUjG1S2oNmhBHK_kP88uG6C3_MDcbVTWKnuZQe3OUcdYSfr1c8XjJsISQJXCzT-tVl6vpp0fu2BXLwt1m_ayEVdxkMTJW7htN1dQ0TfLA8I_8Eszz1uN76cKPOEOnTuyxJ/s320/20221231_070426.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>After the jet boating, I had some food before my unit was called up to do the zipline. After being told that the impact at the end was not large, I decided to do the zipline, which ended up being lots of fun (even if only for around 15 seconds).</p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX1P6fBXoN0Pj3Xh3I97Qg7GhJwhVFUjfC3VLf0b_d41fZhkX3xuKfVAVf7IhQmrEX-yG9ssSHYDS9ecB1LopSpSODBXmP1ZJ7qj93wgcbDJb2zPWQmwLtu-ock5uuCIOVhyzq2QHKhRfBoP7TIFii622CkRg-5IleC3nRrZLei1U6HC3lhyk5CHPE/s4128/20221231_071159.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2322" data-original-width="4128" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX1P6fBXoN0Pj3Xh3I97Qg7GhJwhVFUjfC3VLf0b_d41fZhkX3xuKfVAVf7IhQmrEX-yG9ssSHYDS9ecB1LopSpSODBXmP1ZJ7qj93wgcbDJb2zPWQmwLtu-ock5uuCIOVhyzq2QHKhRfBoP7TIFii622CkRg-5IleC3nRrZLei1U6HC3lhyk5CHPE/s320/20221231_071159.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Patch headed off with another van (both running low on gas) to fill up, while I took the time to talk to James about some of the features of his camera (and take a few photos of it to try and get the hang of the focusing), and to chill out. Crossing back over the swing bridge a third time wasn't that fun, especially when it's wobbling around and you're having to pass someone.<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Z5k-_Uy5A2zfitDfDV4kZ6ndHQeUCbmisNLMJoITZSdf1R6SiEUsvq1pLz9Keb0C_qj83wOVf2OJrjNbvvbxGFgYHlCrM8R5LuYbWJwoNj3t3kO73jRuPcdHn19fFwH12ZePn_Hmwn8Z4o-ryweQppCdkSslIKC7G-j7qs3DNSJTnoaz5h_i1OB7/s4128/20221231_095659.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2322" data-original-width="4128" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Z5k-_Uy5A2zfitDfDV4kZ6ndHQeUCbmisNLMJoITZSdf1R6SiEUsvq1pLz9Keb0C_qj83wOVf2OJrjNbvvbxGFgYHlCrM8R5LuYbWJwoNj3t3kO73jRuPcdHn19fFwH12ZePn_Hmwn8Z4o-ryweQppCdkSslIKC7G-j7qs3DNSJTnoaz5h_i1OB7/s320/20221231_095659.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>We stopped in Reefton on the way back for a toilet break, though some people must have surely misheard, because it turned into a 20 minute stop so some people could get donuts, ice cream and have a gaze around town. As we were sitting back in the bus waiting for Patch to get back, Ben just started talking to a random person there who looked like Patch from behind, which we all found hilarious. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnyOybuWzxS8Qr2OXfq29JlsYEVhqgiYHDzTBYUM-FinJskuJNutSk-rHkK056X6vHNkBwjBKwiPvzVUU-AhXQpdwUKthQBU1cmTkP_VZZzqCqZS5xI-dFjFus0t5Xv5h5o4aWq7yrRwlxi8OksngBEpTx8dYTgxVs9t4kS_pj9ub1cFnzQQqNUrmi/s4128/20221231_122019.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2322" data-original-width="4128" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnyOybuWzxS8Qr2OXfq29JlsYEVhqgiYHDzTBYUM-FinJskuJNutSk-rHkK056X6vHNkBwjBKwiPvzVUU-AhXQpdwUKthQBU1cmTkP_VZZzqCqZS5xI-dFjFus0t5Xv5h5o4aWq7yrRwlxi8OksngBEpTx8dYTgxVs9t4kS_pj9ub1cFnzQQqNUrmi/s320/20221231_122019.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZHHpe__IdCgVyG7yve1lncYflkhT_oKqDyjlposf9fpSFMKvovY-ro60jU9M_PFhdIfmHynpLN-jhehWLTfUKrbjGSdqglvzpXCFPzky4GpJH2qdh8fOZJvE_KtHlZ17axYkKvSEAnHPJ6F3qCpdoiQv31Bc2DLx9tvN0vEfTnfIXBBhoeKzyiFrl/s4128/20221231_123401.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2322" data-original-width="4128" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZHHpe__IdCgVyG7yve1lncYflkhT_oKqDyjlposf9fpSFMKvovY-ro60jU9M_PFhdIfmHynpLN-jhehWLTfUKrbjGSdqglvzpXCFPzky4GpJH2qdh8fOZJvE_KtHlZ17axYkKvSEAnHPJ6F3qCpdoiQv31Bc2DLx9tvN0vEfTnfIXBBhoeKzyiFrl/s320/20221231_123401.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Heading back at around 2pm, we made it back to camp around 4pm, to wait for Laurence to arrive and give us (first 4 units) directions to paintball. Paintball ended up being on a farm (owned by one of the men who had been doing meals for us), though I decided to sit it out (hard firing pellets, and who'd really want bruises anyway), but I'm sure I was good at moral support. One funny memory happened as we left, when Olympie decided that she wanted to race the van down a stretch of the road, only for Patch to gun it and shoot past her, leaving her to jump in the van behind us to catch back up.<p></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiWRK0QwicJyfrbRpvS0NcK-I4xtdST5IZgnsKrHjEA8BozT6lKbChfY0HwYtCaWU6obmYdcswSFZ3e1QhhRXKNlThjbZ5WFedtegfDn1fCopl1fJ9oGFwqx6bN-aFyPcD4q2BjyHYLZKc3H28lNj9AI3nNrZKseK9_vQV8YZgNatqvWKFclJ7X6ti/s4128/20221231_122328.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2322" data-original-width="4128" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiWRK0QwicJyfrbRpvS0NcK-I4xtdST5IZgnsKrHjEA8BozT6lKbChfY0HwYtCaWU6obmYdcswSFZ3e1QhhRXKNlThjbZ5WFedtegfDn1fCopl1fJ9oGFwqx6bN-aFyPcD4q2BjyHYLZKc3H28lNj9AI3nNrZKseK9_vQV8YZgNatqvWKFclJ7X6ti/s320/20221231_122328.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>Dinner was burgers that night (early too at 7pm), with ice cream and jelly for dessert, before chilling out for several hours while waiting for the 4wd group to arrive. As we were about to depart for the farm again (10ish), the 4wd group arrived, so Laurence gave them instructions and off we all went!</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFqBpEPk1xoEP7obZCI6_g-rHAesh04lTCSIRDjMweM5ZkTNEtw183bBKGVoeGGKxe-JgE2XdNIAI92FGRUIvdCh7F-bgGU8tk1ws1KAZ8ziG6t8FHe-KiY31WCQuKAVEHwXAAW790ZaDb2aENyyilmbw3SNo-OoW8_Mtm3Z_ORSd9Q3gnY37B0AkA/s4128/20221231_123529.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4128" data-original-width="2322" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFqBpEPk1xoEP7obZCI6_g-rHAesh04lTCSIRDjMweM5ZkTNEtw183bBKGVoeGGKxe-JgE2XdNIAI92FGRUIvdCh7F-bgGU8tk1ws1KAZ8ziG6t8FHe-KiY31WCQuKAVEHwXAAW790ZaDb2aENyyilmbw3SNo-OoW8_Mtm3Z_ORSd9Q3gnY37B0AkA/s320/20221231_123529.jpg" width="180" /></a></div><p></p><p>We made it to the farm just before they lit the bonfire (a well over 3 meter high and wide pile of dry wood), with the flames reaching a good 20 meters high when the fire was at its peak. All the venturers had formed a circle around the fire, but as it grew, we all stepped backwards and backwards out of the heat. I took the time to talk to James, Tim, and to take some photos of the bonfire.</p><p><br /></p><p>Starting at 11pm (the man incharge thought it would take an hour to get through them all), they started firing the fireworks at a reasonable rate, though ran out at around 11:35pm. I did try to capture some photos of the fireworks, and ended up taking what must have been 100+ photos, with only the odd few capturing anything good.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixhK8b0WJMhleUeL0utXMyvaPC86iy_CQFwOZ9SOj9eMj9-Vy8hPpNSmEjxQ8ZtkzBcp_ccpQhDgSEstqLVziOSA17C5DzHL0Udq8--ALSgla-FjphMNXwY-gwSWdonKy_y3VcGTpJyzVnrEzRLZjr_ElkdLt7PCTRVUM1yy1TmmL9I5zFs4nQQnFF/s4128/20221231_211615.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2322" data-original-width="4128" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixhK8b0WJMhleUeL0utXMyvaPC86iy_CQFwOZ9SOj9eMj9-Vy8hPpNSmEjxQ8ZtkzBcp_ccpQhDgSEstqLVziOSA17C5DzHL0Udq8--ALSgla-FjphMNXwY-gwSWdonKy_y3VcGTpJyzVnrEzRLZjr_ElkdLt7PCTRVUM1yy1TmmL9I5zFs4nQQnFF/s320/20221231_211615.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfc35Um4f-jfnjvjWcmSLa3JGsO6DMo0lmEfysw6CscTs-RyzWPS_I8MtgpUErrsWPQoPuLTKV9pWGwJbNQhstDxzpa8UaeP70cWTZBFrKFGQTxmk9zP8RnzSKJ09Vo238rgpu415q2c44ajaO6aaE0JDDyXxD2doQIWjWl7rBuKQYNzx7G9KBTyqV/s4128/20221231_211647.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2322" data-original-width="4128" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfc35Um4f-jfnjvjWcmSLa3JGsO6DMo0lmEfysw6CscTs-RyzWPS_I8MtgpUErrsWPQoPuLTKV9pWGwJbNQhstDxzpa8UaeP70cWTZBFrKFGQTxmk9zP8RnzSKJ09Vo238rgpu415q2c44ajaO6aaE0JDDyXxD2doQIWjWl7rBuKQYNzx7G9KBTyqV/s320/20221231_211647.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiwKQF_Zrppyqr_raAnAsC2D4fR72RMmq4Yw5eTdY2LppJSSlwJA--bBgkYHYLM-3oUoVPwuOmTUgZRj_GpXn4iwRR8GKBPCMhNqxf6aopU-4PAlpBL2wLZM6XDhbAOc2Cy-tJCVXHHy4Tc_1IdDSvrWQKlnobUJtYowVEAcRnoBJKfhLuWZJQTobl/s4128/20221231_214633.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2322" data-original-width="4128" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiwKQF_Zrppyqr_raAnAsC2D4fR72RMmq4Yw5eTdY2LppJSSlwJA--bBgkYHYLM-3oUoVPwuOmTUgZRj_GpXn4iwRR8GKBPCMhNqxf6aopU-4PAlpBL2wLZM6XDhbAOc2Cy-tJCVXHHy4Tc_1IdDSvrWQKlnobUJtYowVEAcRnoBJKfhLuWZJQTobl/s320/20221231_214633.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIl8z6F3dee4uzks97P1Dc_P9IVWfqqJdruWbciu1K_aZoJIJemlzADnAN3LYQZluqmxmLZhO-U_E7yuEs7AeWpufwu0lHHGR66JxdaubPBcdX6X5Y2jH4OUhjce8Ihu_GX5Jw2-9jhIi0AFlMQais-vSo87PkWiWHu0y3DbAQAQ-seQv8xTlFyHno/s4128/20221231_223742.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIl8z6F3dee4uzks97P1Dc_P9IVWfqqJdruWbciu1K_aZoJIJemlzADnAN3LYQZluqmxmLZhO-U_E7yuEs7AeWpufwu0lHHGR66JxdaubPBcdX6X5Y2jH4OUhjce8Ihu_GX5Jw2-9jhIi0AFlMQais-vSo87PkWiWHu0y3DbAQAQ-seQv8xTlFyHno/s4128/20221231_223742.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIl8z6F3dee4uzks97P1Dc_P9IVWfqqJdruWbciu1K_aZoJIJemlzADnAN3LYQZluqmxmLZhO-U_E7yuEs7AeWpufwu0lHHGR66JxdaubPBcdX6X5Y2jH4OUhjce8Ihu_GX5Jw2-9jhIi0AFlMQais-vSo87PkWiWHu0y3DbAQAQ-seQv8xTlFyHno/s4128/20221231_223742.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIl8z6F3dee4uzks97P1Dc_P9IVWfqqJdruWbciu1K_aZoJIJemlzADnAN3LYQZluqmxmLZhO-U_E7yuEs7AeWpufwu0lHHGR66JxdaubPBcdX6X5Y2jH4OUhjce8Ihu_GX5Jw2-9jhIi0AFlMQais-vSo87PkWiWHu0y3DbAQAQ-seQv8xTlFyHno/s4128/20221231_223742.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIl8z6F3dee4uzks97P1Dc_P9IVWfqqJdruWbciu1K_aZoJIJemlzADnAN3LYQZluqmxmLZhO-U_E7yuEs7AeWpufwu0lHHGR66JxdaubPBcdX6X5Y2jH4OUhjce8Ihu_GX5Jw2-9jhIi0AFlMQais-vSo87PkWiWHu0y3DbAQAQ-seQv8xTlFyHno/s4128/20221231_223742.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIl8z6F3dee4uzks97P1Dc_P9IVWfqqJdruWbciu1K_aZoJIJemlzADnAN3LYQZluqmxmLZhO-U_E7yuEs7AeWpufwu0lHHGR66JxdaubPBcdX6X5Y2jH4OUhjce8Ihu_GX5Jw2-9jhIi0AFlMQais-vSo87PkWiWHu0y3DbAQAQ-seQv8xTlFyHno/s4128/20221231_223742.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4128" data-original-width="2322" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIl8z6F3dee4uzks97P1Dc_P9IVWfqqJdruWbciu1K_aZoJIJemlzADnAN3LYQZluqmxmLZhO-U_E7yuEs7AeWpufwu0lHHGR66JxdaubPBcdX6X5Y2jH4OUhjce8Ihu_GX5Jw2-9jhIi0AFlMQais-vSo87PkWiWHu0y3DbAQAQ-seQv8xTlFyHno/s320/20221231_223742.jpg" width="180" /></a></div></div>After taking the time to edit some photos and talk to James about photos, it came time for the big moment, the final minute of 2022. Gathering around in a circle around the fire, we counted down the last 10 seconds as a group, before celebrating for a bit, before Laurence started to send us back to the minivans. Off to bed once we got back, with the promise of a longer night's sleep (a good 7 hours for me!).<div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNxkkiU5M7JsFfIRZSE0ppkx_bpfVmQIGR3BRBxJ3zPqRSOmT6MossUDWXBl8mga9JYYArHxuXSuE1o0GYMf9D4e5fsSTtt80E_bVxeRyU3tSj0Ygbn0OgwOcX43ISQTeSa3yFoJ-tQAs0PbMPxLdrEaPTxCAD5yjbctSAheuSgfNGx6buOR_KZd1B/s4128/20221231_224200.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4128" data-original-width="2322" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNxkkiU5M7JsFfIRZSE0ppkx_bpfVmQIGR3BRBxJ3zPqRSOmT6MossUDWXBl8mga9JYYArHxuXSuE1o0GYMf9D4e5fsSTtt80E_bVxeRyU3tSj0Ygbn0OgwOcX43ISQTeSa3yFoJ-tQAs0PbMPxLdrEaPTxCAD5yjbctSAheuSgfNGx6buOR_KZd1B/w181-h320/20221231_224200.jpg" width="181" /></a></div></div><div><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyRZ0Kl0Dv6oFeTzU51IyhGn4-M6H8u8tGVhOoPjZ0cPX3A5ARvI5Dt6NWJei8pqyTBaoQNmpoxp1kUOoZ9f6Kggj3SWiHO7P-WBdi-6Om9w1bLKyLZ3hAB-4ChBQ5AkZynDJtQ3FvD1YRRDLE0c1PEBOJ-WvpOi0erM8rDuPdO1pXBbj2O47YeV_K/s4128/20230101_103101.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2322" data-original-width="4128" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyRZ0Kl0Dv6oFeTzU51IyhGn4-M6H8u8tGVhOoPjZ0cPX3A5ARvI5Dt6NWJei8pqyTBaoQNmpoxp1kUOoZ9f6Kggj3SWiHO7P-WBdi-6Om9w1bLKyLZ3hAB-4ChBQ5AkZynDJtQ3FvD1YRRDLE0c1PEBOJ-WvpOi0erM8rDuPdO1pXBbj2O47YeV_K/s320/20230101_103101.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxuXFfzka2XFYbsLkZIH4F_ARlm-9_sp5R_UOtnJz2Kch_rcXu-qznKOYLGXGSxhoZ95XIdGWGPxZg7N1RtQMkFhtGgktGjWWQ6LbvyJdhPptQbIJdzZGEza27lzw8-Zaeb8hfr28dxUj56Z-GzAmjz57GoAGf2i3OrJ2rg13cT3A7UE6k7vnfZ_E5/s4128/20230101_102909.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2322" data-original-width="4128" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxuXFfzka2XFYbsLkZIH4F_ARlm-9_sp5R_UOtnJz2Kch_rcXu-qznKOYLGXGSxhoZ95XIdGWGPxZg7N1RtQMkFhtGgktGjWWQ6LbvyJdhPptQbIJdzZGEza27lzw8-Zaeb8hfr28dxUj56Z-GzAmjz57GoAGf2i3OrJ2rg13cT3A7UE6k7vnfZ_E5/s320/20230101_102909.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzTow47vPlS8XAZLlmoW7k4iBakos4MMrgX7YcEwPHPImGX2SMXrJ5fl89mGZlfNszKlSt3ck9S6Y0lal4AY2YOrPfWQibq3ZYT6RBKFfw03SieKK7Ct2x9lBaDCmnGwPnLuIWcWPqSYpZVdj0ePUcON_JIQHK5Ws6XL9OYAlHVz5MtfCDU0DSoill/s4128/20221231_231556.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2322" data-original-width="4128" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzTow47vPlS8XAZLlmoW7k4iBakos4MMrgX7YcEwPHPImGX2SMXrJ5fl89mGZlfNszKlSt3ck9S6Y0lal4AY2YOrPfWQibq3ZYT6RBKFfw03SieKK7Ct2x9lBaDCmnGwPnLuIWcWPqSYpZVdj0ePUcON_JIQHK5Ws6XL9OYAlHVz5MtfCDU0DSoill/s320/20221231_231556.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEY5rxOyetDzXUCOw_61dFOgMCjLlmuHQKo95ESaXVThWXYXPjgUa2nkPTv0KZ6quS_oVVEdB4if3lc2BY3MPMzMet2sqsdFmZrSQnAwzMUAyGnk4xAxPlDLkVPLZtJpHx17Ys__posHsItwnsU-QC9mWFPJXHNIb9jUYpwyLyCXv4Tgw1kQ2kLu2O/s4128/20221231_230016.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2322" data-original-width="4128" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEY5rxOyetDzXUCOw_61dFOgMCjLlmuHQKo95ESaXVThWXYXPjgUa2nkPTv0KZ6quS_oVVEdB4if3lc2BY3MPMzMet2sqsdFmZrSQnAwzMUAyGnk4xAxPlDLkVPLZtJpHx17Ys__posHsItwnsU-QC9mWFPJXHNIb9jUYpwyLyCXv4Tgw1kQ2kLu2O/s320/20221231_230016.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p>
<!--/data/user/0/com.samsung.android.app.notes/files/clipdata/clipdata_bodytext_230102_073732_875.sdocx--></div>Robin Plessiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02356831643269878870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7231910499023661372.post-20037651928890498202022-12-04T15:06:00.001+13:002022-12-04T15:06:23.018+13:00Sunset on Monday night (And a return to posting on my blog!)<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiyejzzuoJKeAVMbUimp0L-5AmBpNmzmIwIHRDvBqQHlJ9fQojkDw3fAOCD2lGzPaOEMIjMHdfZQzhsd0qhYLgkeOuafb6hwfhjLAK2mVXw64Dmlbdj13Gp2WZ8y3Ey97r892iS5CQNuP5A1cvmxO5kG9pGcJmAI1qrmkV9lznkN17Vyao6My1cu8qH" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="1002" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiyejzzuoJKeAVMbUimp0L-5AmBpNmzmIwIHRDvBqQHlJ9fQojkDw3fAOCD2lGzPaOEMIjMHdfZQzhsd0qhYLgkeOuafb6hwfhjLAK2mVXw64Dmlbdj13Gp2WZ8y3Ey97r892iS5CQNuP5A1cvmxO5kG9pGcJmAI1qrmkV9lznkN17Vyao6My1cu8qH=w400-h225" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Just a picture of the sunset on Monday night while at Venturers (doing a photography themed night)!</p><p>First post in 4 years, though more to come with the NZ Venture coming up, and a trip to the World Scout Jamboree in South Korea mid-way through next year for me!</p>Robin Plessiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02356831643269878870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7231910499023661372.post-48791262474958972912018-11-07T09:00:00.000+13:002018-11-07T09:00:09.844+13:004 Your R.I.S.E Only<iframe src="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1S2XBtrU56fvoljaUhW8lBfK7JG8DLMuy/preview" width="540" height="360"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7231910499023661372.post-86855028293682365092018-02-12T16:40:00.002+13:002018-02-12T16:40:42.825+13:00America Trip 2 - Day 24 and 25<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">On Saturday we got up early and got on the road to go to Palm Springs. On the way we saw fake trees, which are actually telephone posts which look like trees. On our last holiday, we went to Joshua Tree National Park, thus driving past Palm Springs, but never going into it, so this was a new thing for us.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-teijoLBcK6g/WoD2CWFWMaI/AAAAAAAAFk0/iLsj0HojCtoQLd0wypbzdYgDkqtjT4dPACEwYBhgL/s320/P1060476.JPG" width="320" /></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">We stopped at the Visitor Centre on our way in, and decided to go to the Indian Canyons. We spent a good 2 hours hiking around there and having lunch, but went back into town for a ice cream. We looked at the place where Elvis Presley had his honeymoon, before going back to LA.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3yT7VQFUy6M/WoD2CipRsXI/AAAAAAAAFk4/Xgr5g8v4Ffw7IKW-_qvJOdpcFV5Y9z0ggCEwYBhgL/s320/P1060477.JPG" width="320" /></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HxkbnrydnY0/WoD2FshdRbI/AAAAAAAAFk0/3MhZDYkxfe4jaMzR4iuSOp8tAukPdJiLACEwYBhgL/s320/P1060488.JPG" width="240" /></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-v9IktMlpX3E/WoD2H-sd-EI/AAAAAAAAFk0/MpOHhLf6-GIA5xaerwjxkX5CLt-Sd1JLACEwYBhgL/s320/P1060511.JPG" width="240" /></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-V0LK41vi9Nw/WoD2IafGtrI/AAAAAAAAFk0/EpfpQsNsXtkCU6igr4rSQQSdl81imIswwCEwYBhgL/s320/P1060514.JPG" width="320" /></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">We then went back to La for dinner at Arby's (for the curly fries) before bed.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">On Sunday, we got up and went to the Home Depot. We went so that Papa could see things he did not know he needed, and happen to buy them.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">After that we headed to Venice Beach. We parked on one side of the canals, and walked across them.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yrm1JpSffCI/WoD8449LTAI/AAAAAAAAFlI/jrIXBmAR-eAX9L_zfnK2Ff_d4_hYdBKtACEwYBhgL/s320/P1060521.JPG" width="320" /></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-q7w8CqfXKV8/WoD862PVOEI/AAAAAAAAFlY/TC3Y087ipAwXEbAC_0sBakp3-WbBONKGwCEwYBhgL/s320/P1060526.JPG" width="320" /></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">However when we got to the beach, Papa took his top off in hope of getting a better tan, though I think that it remains the same still.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pNqoDoSRzl8/WoD88fHoENI/AAAAAAAAFls/3nyRnTKQtW0cIsNtpvZf9lr4CBeVquIDQCEwYBhgL/s320/P1060535.JPG" width="320" /></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-99azK_ZQuC4/WoD89AGNXCI/AAAAAAAAFlw/Gesb85VvM_0hqEpkHNTg8o1rZ35dEN7NACEwYBhgL/s320/P1060537.JPG" width="320" /></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">We then stopped of a mall nearby, so that we could sit down and have some hot drinks. We then returned the vehicle and headed to the airport.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">So, 4 weeks away has come to an end. Los Angeles, Boston, Cape Cod, Nantucket, Elkton, New York, Washington DC, Los Angeles again. Museums, parks, ferries, monuments and statues, churches, motels and apartments, cars, planes, buses and trains, people. Pizzas, clam chowder, pretzels, curly fries, root beer, bagels, baby carrots. Over 1,800 photos - these blogs have contained just a small fraction of them.</span></span>Robin Plessiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10525162978819276361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7231910499023661372.post-29257696805430781422018-02-12T16:28:00.000+13:002018-02-12T16:28:20.111+13:00America Trip 2 - Day 20, 21, 22, 23On Tuesday, we jumped on the bus and jumped off near the White House. But first we went to the Old Clock Tower, which is in the now Trump Hotel. I loved the views that you could see from the top of the tower.<br />
<img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mYHno8ZzbbU/WnpBbA1Eg0I/AAAAAAAAFfI/tFuim3Ud6GsFVRy8gW02T0RRwRtWFSZggCEwYBhgL/s320/P1060409.JPG" width="320" /><br />
Our next stop was the White House Visitor Centre, where I got two Junior Ranger badges, which is one thing that I am happy about. When Andrew Jackson got ill, he ate squirrel stew.<br />
<img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-699Gzq5CQ7A/WnpBcAAJ0hI/AAAAAAAAFfI/SfFGxV5M3lERpWEByNKCp5UCwAe9aQcrQCEwYBhgL/s320/P1060414.JPG" width="320" /><br />
The next stop was the Ford's theatre, which is the place where President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated. The person who killed Lincoln, Booth, expected to be a hero in the South, but was condemned by all for his actions. Lincoln was taken across the road to the Peterson House after he was shot, so that his family could come and say good bye to him with little public attention.<br />
<img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GFzYxwNtlhM/WnpBiZAICzI/AAAAAAAAFfA/5MAJO0Yei8YYlInc9WF_Tw4r-K_uoTxzgCEwYBhgL/s320/P1060428.JPG" width="320" /><br />
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On Wednesday, we welcomed Tante Thea before going to the National Museum of African American Culture. I saw some stuff which I had done researched or heard about in History last year. I saw the original casket on Emmett Till, one of the reasons why the Civil Rights Movement started. Mrs Bryant, one of the accusers, has recently said that she lied, and Emmett Till had done nothing.<br />
<img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kDN7Elz45o4/WnupKRzA-2I/AAAAAAAAFgg/3TWMiInoAcwcSoBRZ9MvzktQzzuBrlqRgCEwYBhgL/s320/P1060452.JPG" width="320" /><br />
We then had lunch in the cafe, and found the lemon pie very tasty.<br />
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The next stop that we went to was the National Museum of American History. It had items such as the Star Spangled Banner, the hat that Abraham Lincoln worn to his assassination, and dresses worn by first ladies.<br />
<img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-USUHKHPcXhw/WnupEMIc2PI/AAAAAAAAFg0/elPd777Mo5kSgjl-7qyJ-_ycnBJDOCM6QCEwYBhgL/s320/P1060438.JPG" width="320" /><br />
<img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YbxLo0LHnlU/WnupFNb1WNI/AAAAAAAAFgo/-TmVlT8UJtQTuUyjroKYSPe5ySJOPLL8gCEwYBhgL/s320/P1060441.JPG" width="320" /><br />
We dropped Tante Thea back at Union Station before going back to the apartment and going to bed.<br />
<img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QmgkFMZq5u4/WnutBWSvnCI/AAAAAAAAFhc/3GjdIILMWdUzN00l-bvyGNca-NsctmRZgCEwYBhgL/s320/P1060432.JPG" width="240" /><br />
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On Thursday, we left our apartment and headed to Union Station to get on the MARC Train. We headed to Baltimore International Airport, got on a flight to Detroit. When we arrived to Detroit, we rushed to our next flight to LAX.<br />
<img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lMGpnSezzhM/WoD1_oeTdEI/AAAAAAAAFjg/kS1Md0n67lQDTwRn_9gkIGPsBOj0EtOgwCEwYBhgL/s320/P1060463%2B-%2BCopy.JPG" width="320" /><br />
We picked up our car and found our motel room rather easily. For dinner we went to Farmer Boys, a place right near our motel.<br />
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On Friday, we went to the Outlet Stores at Orange County, which is a place with lots of outlet stores. I bought myself a new teddy bear, which is something that I liked.<br />
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We went to the New Balance store so that Papa could buy himself sneakers, and went to see the Queen Mary from where she is now. We then went for a drive before going to look at the sunset at Hermosa Beach.<br />
<img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AxkqnmFW_zY/WoD2Aa0alLI/AAAAAAAAFjk/rbM6kOGXnG8ZJLwPJzSmKD7Am9jCVm3SgCEwYBhgL/s320/P1060467%2B-%2BCopy.JPG" width="320" /><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jkupdMYk4NM/WoD14mQfRYI/AAAAAAAAFjA/gPitEpWrx4gFDXqLS1EmRV7YXQzNjLoGgCEwYBhgL/s320/20180209_180723%2B-%2BCopy.jpg" width="320" /><br />
Dinner was at an Arby's near the motel, and we liked the Curly fries that they had.<br />
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<br />Robin Plessiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10525162978819276361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7231910499023661372.post-7736689938307787252018-02-12T15:40:00.000+13:002018-02-12T15:40:21.786+13:00America Trip 2 - Day 17, 18, 19<span style="font-family: inherit;">On Saturday we did the Capitol Building and the Library of Congress, and even got to go underground between them. On the way we passed Union Station, which is big and designed by the person who also designed Grand Central Station.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TPUTJtsGN6A/Wnb_GqEEoXI/AAAAAAAAFao/ZXvTPIJ3iqYDcGQqkhjmrmEakNDPCsbawCEwYBhgL/s320/P1060285.JPG" width="320" /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The US Capitol Building has hosted the Congress since 1800 and has grown when the country has grown. The right wing holds the Senate and the left wing holds the House of Representatives. The dome is actual made out of iron with the statue of freedom on top.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The plaster model was made in Italy and shipped to America so that they could make the statue. We also saw some statues, and later found out that each state has donated two statues of people that have done something good for the state or nation. There are additional statues like a statue of Rosa Parks as the country donated her.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2lT2A7u46xc/Wnb_YUn0LUI/AAAAAAAAFac/VLqUdAAqyEI4pl-8YAfcSQkyoASCdZElgCEwYBhgL/s320/P1060313.JPG" width="240" /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fQYZ2t_NV9Y/Wnb_SJchnEI/AAAAAAAAFag/dFdKWl11jRsNdvHhIAxWpZVoGjBJ8Er3gCEwYBhgL/s320/P1060303.JPG" width="240" /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> The rotunda holds state funerals, and rises 180 feet high to a mural. The mural is called The Apotheosis of Washington, and was painted by Constantinople Brumidi. He also painted the frieze, which is a lifelike mural showing famous scenes in American history.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RyPMKVxD4cQ/Wnb_QVAG4iI/AAAAAAAAFac/WPho3njLsj8rIZ-q3n0g6GXmrgLGV2DkwCEwYBhgL/s320/P1060301.JPG" width="320" /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">We also saw important items in American history before we ended our tour.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-512KOnUk4PI/Wnb_MigvEII/AAAAAAAAFac/7Yp_fCOfEhkY-tMkrHoDOdbaHfDkv-YqwCEwYBhgL/s320/P1060295.JPG" width="320" /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">We had lunch at the cafe in the Capitol Building, before going over to the Library of Congress, a giant library with amazing books. It beats the library at my school by far.<span style="background-color: white;"> There are 470 languages represented in the collection, 14 million photos, 5.5 million maps, 8.1 million pieces of sheet music, 70 million manuscripts, more than 38 million books and other print material.</span></span><br />
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We then wandered round the grounds near the Capitol Building, and saw things like Grant's memorial.<br />
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On Sunday, we decided to do some of the Smithsonian museums.<br />
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The first museum that we did was the National Museum of the American Indian. There were four floors in the museum, but I only got to saw one. I received the sad news that Opa had died, and that caused me to sit down and think about him.<br />
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We ate lunch outside the first museum before going across to the Air and Space Museum. Mama, Papa and Nana went on a free guided tour, while me and Karl did our own things. I meet up with Mama, Papa and Nana later, and joined them on the end of their tour. I enjoyed all the things that I did, including seeing the original Wright Flyer and one of Amelia Earhart's planes.<br />
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We watched the time when America stops, the Superbowl Final.<br />
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On Monday, it was a clear but cold day, which was something I was happy for.<br />
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We looked at the Thomas Jefferson Memorial first, and I found it ironic that he died 50 years after the signing of The Declaration of Independence. The statue was big and the scenery was breath taking. We then hoped on the bus again and went to the Lincoln Memorial. I stood at the exact stop Martin Luther King Junior stood when he did his "I have a dream" speech. Karl and I did the junior ranger badge for the memorials, and went to the Washington Monument.<br />
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We then went to the Holocaust Museum, which is something that I found quite devastating. I stayed with Papa most of the time, and looked in the younger children area with him because I was scared of what I might see. Papa told me that he had asked, and 80% of the museum was in one exhibit. We only managed to do the top floor of the main exhibit before having to leave.<br />
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We then went back to our apartment so that we could go to bed.<br />
<br />Robin Plessiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10525162978819276361noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7231910499023661372.post-71488911024126067252018-02-12T11:41:00.010+13:002018-02-12T11:41:34.948+13:00America Trip 2 - Day 13, 14, 15, 16<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">On Tuesday we woke up, and were amazed by the fact that there was snow everywhere on the ground.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">We headed out to see the Raging Bull, the Wall Street stock exchange and the Federal Hall where George Washington was inaugurated as the first president of America.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">We saw the Tiffany's store, so Mama and Nana went in for a look.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_w2QUsbx--Q/WnW0y105vjI/AAAAAAAAFQk/_HVyfK98a2swQ47NoiB9j2o_EsqdNQmcgCEwYBhgL/s320/P1060086.JPG" width="320" /></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Next we went on the free Staten Island ferry, got to look at the Statue of Liberty from a distance and had lunch at Gavel's Grill on Staten Island. We ran round in the snow and got nice and happy.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">We then went back to Manhatten, looked around Castle Clinton and getting a Junior ranger badge in the process, before going to the 9/11 memorial, which is something that I found quite horrible.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">We grabbed some soup and heated it up at the apartment for dinner - a late night for all of us after a day filled with views and snow and noise and cars and statues and people.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">On Wednesday, we headed to the Brooklyn Bridge, which was the first bridge to be built across the Hudson River.</span></span><br />
<img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yZLn66-36KA/WnW6u3t3n-I/AAAAAAAAFTU/7P3gtlr-pVsTAfA0b0TOR6rA8Wfj49a7gCEwYBhgL/s320/P1060129.JPG" width="240" /><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #333333;">After that, we made our way to Saint Paul's Church, near the Twin Towers and a haven for rescue workers that helped after 9/11. I found it surpr</span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">ising</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> that it only suffered one broken window when it was less than a kilometre away from the Twin Towers.</span><br />
<img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0Wheu_V7LJA/WnW6ws-mF1I/AAAAAAAAFVE/fuyLb8h98EsW5AYIU6KlC9KSxGvhLq6PgCEwYBhgL/s320/P1060132.JPG" width="320" /><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #333333;">We then went to the African Burial Ground, which is a massive burial ground that was around when the slaves were, and the Africans had themselves buried there. I felt that the entire thing was interesting and liked going there.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #333333;">We then went out for a slice of pizza, and they came from 18 inch pizza's, which got me very full.</span></span></span><br />
<img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-F-yAbP9h2EI/WnW6pEMor6I/AAAAAAAAFVA/HMCZxz4mYLQtRzuT5YzSAcooJxRpkis3gCEwYBhgL/s320/20180131_141252.jpg" width="180" /><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white;">We then went to the Rockefeller centre, and to the top of the rock. We spent some time up there, before receiving the news that Opa was sick, and Oma had been advised to go home. We went down before going into the Lego Store in New York, and each getting a </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">fr</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">ee mini-figure because we completed a quiz.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #333333;">On Thursday, we took Oma to the Port Authority Bus Terminal, so that she can go back to Tante Thea, before flying back to New Zealand to see Opa.</span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GeBfVYam4RM/Wnb4Cxn9F0I/AAAAAAAAFVg/Yyd9KdqfagI7zDNGd6ICxS4Bf4fWEVyaACLcBGAs/s320/P1060190.JPG" width="320" /></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">We then went off to Grand Central Station, with all its beauty, missing Oma very much. I liked the style and design of Grand Central Station. We then hopped on a train to the UN, but took a wrong train, and instead went to Queens. We got off, walked around to the other entrance, got back on and went to the UN actually this time.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3wGrrYCDQto/Wnb4IAGNppI/AAAAAAAAFX8/jkWksPp3ioM0Z7Ifje2sW4d4R7pPfadAQCEwYBhgL/s320/P1060203.JPG" width="320" /></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">We then went to Central Park via Times Square. Papa changed into his running clothes, and went for a run around Central Park, while the rest of us headed to the place to meet Papa. We played checkers at a place in Central Park and had a hot dog from a vendor in Central Park after we meet up with Papa.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wBuijCnVZps/Wnb4PCS0p7I/AAAAAAAAFYA/rhGF9o5uO9gmYsF3IHjEyMl_y1K-jcHQACEwYBhgL/s320/P1060219.JPG" width="320" /><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1v6NmY7Ongc/Wnb4VZo9CMI/AAAAAAAAFYA/ZYXJGXD7WzU3-sY9NNfcVUybpXTZbJgFQCEwYBhgL/s320/P1060233.JPG" style="background-color: transparent;" width="320" /></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Then we went back to Times Square to see it in the dark, then back to the apartment.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">On Friday, we got out of bed early, and caught the bus (rather than walking) to the train station. We then got on the subway and went to a different station, waited in the freezing cold for our bus to arrive, and then got on our bus to Washington DC.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4wOg5QdkMRQ/Wnb4hnK-D5I/AAAAAAAAFYE/l3xTWeMYKkYc46YFmm4-J3H7ZzpI89TUQCEwYBhgL/s320/P1060274.JPG" width="320" /></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> When we got to Union Station in Washington, it was only a 5 minute walk to the apartment we were staying in. I was impressed by what was in the apartment, and the building even had a games area, with a pool table and a poker table. The building also had a gym, a kitchen for shared use, a gym and a pool (which was closed).</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Mama and Papa went out grocery shopping, Karl and I went on our netbooks, we had dinner then we went to bed.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span>Robin Plessiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10525162978819276361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7231910499023661372.post-14202785095935345362018-02-11T18:23:00.000+13:002018-02-11T18:23:28.740+13:00America Trip 2 - Day 8, 9, 10, 11, 12<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">On Thursday morning we left the hotel, and headed towards a lighthouse so that Mama could take a photo of it. The place was in a good area, so we took a photo of it, before we headed to Newport.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Newport is a town, which has a district called Mansion District, and is called that because it has large homes belonging to rich families such as the Vanderbuilt's. We took a look around the district and were impressed by the houses which were there. We had our lunch there before continuing on towards Elkton.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UpHXBCNvOgI/Wmx8YBYtZ6I/AAAAAAAAFG0/IH3QchHlzbQuqvY-ndUryu5sqvD4CzbSgCEwYBhgL/s1600/P1050892.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UpHXBCNvOgI/Wmx8YBYtZ6I/AAAAAAAAFG0/IH3QchHlzbQuqvY-ndUryu5sqvD4CzbSgCEwYBhgL/s320/P1050892.JPG" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: none; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative;" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The Breakers, the grandest of the summer cottages, once owned by the Vanderbilts<br /></span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">We stopped at Yale to see if Karl or I wanted to go there, but unfortunately I felt it was too cold.</span></span></div>
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We then stopped at a place for dinner, kept driving for a bit, and eventually stopped in Middletown for a room and bed.</div>
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We had gone from Massachusetts to Rhode Island to Connecticut to New York state - 4 in one day!</span><br style="text-align: start;" /><br style="text-align: start;" /><div style="text-align: start;">
On Friday we got up, and headed straight for Hershey, so that we could meet up with a friend of Mama's, and had lunch with her. I think that Mama and the friend enjoyed seeing each other again.</div>
<br style="text-align: start;" /><span style="text-align: start;">Then it was in to Harrisburg, the capital of Pennsylvania, and time for a quick look through the State Museum. Some interesting exhibits on the Civil War, coal, and the animals in this state.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DnYO8zMjkI8/Wm3V7O_kRcI/AAAAAAAAFIA/Xn_Y3ReWNYo80qsK3N1P8vSYogxoxzwnACLcBGAs/s1600/P1050927.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DnYO8zMjkI8/Wm3V7O_kRcI/AAAAAAAAFIA/Xn_Y3ReWNYo80qsK3N1P8vSYogxoxzwnACLcBGAs/s320/P1050927.JPG" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: none; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative;" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Silverware off the USS Pennsylvaia</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tQ7gyf-V6Cw/Wm3V86J_NQI/AAAAAAAAFIE/j0T-VKnmixwPZ9B9YJe2ebbBGuSQh-segCLcBGAs/s1600/P1050929.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tQ7gyf-V6Cw/Wm3V86J_NQI/AAAAAAAAFIE/j0T-VKnmixwPZ9B9YJe2ebbBGuSQh-segCLcBGAs/s320/P1050929.JPG" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: none; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative;" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Replica of the Liberty Bell</span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white;">We reached our final destination later that day. We saw Tante Thea and Oma later on, before going to Regina's apartment, met Ken, Coco and Tatiana and having dinner. We stayed at there house for the night, and enjoyed seeing them all.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Saturday and Sunday was spent exploring Elkton and the surroundings, and spending time with our family. We visited the Amish village in Pennsylvania, took a tour around the Amish house and village. The house has modern appliances converted to different ways to power them, as Amish can only use some items.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">We saw lots of horse and buggy's on all of our journey's through Amish country.</span></div>
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For lunch we had soup at a nice place, and we all tried a piece of shoe fly pie.</div>
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We then went to a place where Regina often rides her horse Blue John, looked at the ruins of an old house, saw one of the markers from the Mason - Dixon line, and saw Blue John where he stayed.</div>
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We went back to Regina's for dinner, before going to bed.</div>
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Sunday was a wet day, but we went to look at a statue made for Oom Franz, Tante Thea's husband, before going to the pool with Regina, Coco, Karl and Tatiana.</div>
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We ended Sunday with the news that Oma had felt unwell, and went to the hospital, though we never went to the hospital with Oma, we were worried.</div>
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On Monday, Mama and Papa picked us up from Regina's after we had dropped Coco off at school and gotten donuts. We took a look at a covered bridge (which is a bridge with a roof on it. We then went into Delaware to a Lego store, an official Lego store, so I bought some lego and Karl bought some lego.</div>
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We stopped in New Jersey to stretch our legs, and made it with plenty of time to the Thrifty car drop off, where we dropped of the car, got on the train and went to the apartment to meet Oma. We had pizza for dinner then bed.</div>
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Robin Plessiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10525162978819276361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7231910499023661372.post-54055869811806150602018-02-10T19:20:00.002+13:002018-02-10T19:20:13.023+13:00America Trip 2 - Day 7<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.524px;">Today as the cold day started, we hopped on the high speed ferry headed for Nantucket, an island my mothers family used to own a quarter of, as well as another island in another area. We got to Nantucket at around 10, and headed to the oldest house on Nantucket, which is also the Jethro Coffin house, who is a distant family member. We walked around, trying to find more places which belonged to the Coffin family, but we could not find any.</span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3YprjClH1DU/WmkyOMTapNI/AAAAAAAAFD8/FySwqwCVLYs5TcgqcyaRuqcZNtl-jJCCwCEwYBhgL/s1600/20180124_104453.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: white; color: #993322; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-decoration-line: none;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3YprjClH1DU/WmkyOMTapNI/AAAAAAAAFD8/FySwqwCVLYs5TcgqcyaRuqcZNtl-jJCCwCEwYBhgL/s320/20180124_104453.jpg" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: none; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative;" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 10.8192px;"><span style="background-color: white;">New Zealand Coffin's outside the Oldest House</span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><br style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px;" /><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.524px;">After looking at the house and getting a private tour of the inside by one of the museum workers, we headed to the Whaling Museum to get a private tour of the museum and talk to the workers.</span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zkfWSu5_WTI/WmkyRYgOKKI/AAAAAAAAFEA/TeET9cZLAc8iyxJvsBwBJVF0rsZtKYhmQCEwYBhgL/s1600/20180124_121207.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: white; color: #993322; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-decoration-line: none;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zkfWSu5_WTI/WmkyRYgOKKI/AAAAAAAAFEA/TeET9cZLAc8iyxJvsBwBJVF0rsZtKYhmQCEwYBhgL/s320/20180124_121207.jpg" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: none; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative;" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 10.8192px;"><span style="background-color: white;">Mary Gardner Coffin (1670-1767) - earliest painting in the museum, painted about 1720</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hjFwyGC6Oug/WmkzpOKFGjI/AAAAAAAAFFs/3qUPas7kWP4EmbXgQ_peoNAwJtenKLfRwCEwYBhgL/s1600/P1050824.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: white; color: #993322; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-decoration-line: none;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hjFwyGC6Oug/WmkzpOKFGjI/AAAAAAAAFFs/3qUPas7kWP4EmbXgQ_peoNAwJtenKLfRwCEwYBhgL/s320/P1050824.JPG" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: none; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative;" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 10.8192px;"><span style="background-color: white;">Charlotte Coffin Gardner received this table with whalebone inlay from her husband</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tpmjIa0P2Co/WmkyPOoOK_I/AAAAAAAAFEA/LojQOnp2U1AKtqAb9210Lp6DCuiJOpFjQCEwYBhgL/s1600/20180124_120448.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: white; color: #993322; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-decoration-line: none;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tpmjIa0P2Co/WmkyPOoOK_I/AAAAAAAAFEA/LojQOnp2U1AKtqAb9210Lp6DCuiJOpFjQCEwYBhgL/s320/20180124_120448.jpg" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: none; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative;" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 10.8192px;"><span style="background-color: white;">Hezekiah Coffin had this chair on board the Beaver during the Boston Tea Party</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0q4ylmkPTEw/WmkzoYAehiI/AAAAAAAAFFk/81vZqALknnsJYK-Ilf2D-kMHCyhNrQrTACEwYBhgL/s1600/P1050811.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: white; color: #993322; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-decoration-line: none;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0q4ylmkPTEw/WmkzoYAehiI/AAAAAAAAFFk/81vZqALknnsJYK-Ilf2D-kMHCyhNrQrTACEwYBhgL/s320/P1050811.JPG" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: none; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative;" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 10.8192px;"><span style="background-color: white;">Artist and Model in Studio, painted by Elizabeth Rebecca Coffin (1850-1930)</span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Mgaz6lczHvg/Wmkzm_Gf1qI/AAAAAAAAFFw/FXsrl5b3XeUFvo3x3y_7BBgKVwXV-7QIgCEwYBhgL/s1600/P1050809.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: white; color: #993322; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Mgaz6lczHvg/Wmkzm_Gf1qI/AAAAAAAAFFw/FXsrl5b3XeUFvo3x3y_7BBgKVwXV-7QIgCEwYBhgL/s320/P1050809.JPG" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: none; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.5) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 8px; position: relative;" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white;"><br style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px;" /><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.524px;">We had an hour spare, so we went along Coffin Street, looked in a shop before going back on a ferry to Hyannis.</span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yi73PJ2lsH4/WmkyUXGa28I/AAAAAAAAFEA/NBqQUhgBWZwbAc_D_bVq0fpE5S-_r7JDgCEwYBhgL/s1600/20180124_124718%25280%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: white; color: #993322; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yi73PJ2lsH4/WmkyUXGa28I/AAAAAAAAFEA/NBqQUhgBWZwbAc_D_bVq0fpE5S-_r7JDgCEwYBhgL/s320/20180124_124718%25280%2529.jpg" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: none; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.5) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 8px; position: relative;" width="180" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">When we got back to Hyannis, we looked around for a bit in the stores, picked up the car and drove to a JFK memorial, looked around greater Hyannis and found some Cape Cod lighthouses for Mama to take some photos of.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px;">Then, back to the hotel for dinner across the road then blogs and a swim.</span></span>Robin Plessiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10525162978819276361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7231910499023661372.post-87761068907782404872018-02-09T03:47:00.000+13:002018-02-09T03:47:52.122+13:00America Trip 2 - Day 6Today we packed up from the place we were staying in, and went to the car rental place on the subway, picked up the car and headed off to Sourh Yarmouth.<br />
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We then drove to Harvard, and did not get out of the car as it was raining, but we did look around some of the outside of Harvard, a school which I would be happy going to. We then headed south towards Cape Cod, and got off the motorway at Braintree, so we could look at the houses along the coast. In Scituate, we saw some historical places including the Lawson Tower, which looked old.<br />
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We stopped at a Dunkin Donuts in Plymouth, where the earliest settlers landed and walked onto the Plymouth rock. We drove past the Plymouth Rock, and then headed off to our accommodation in South Yarmouth.<br />
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For dinner we went out to a resturant called Captain Parkers, which had awesome Clam Chowder, which I could not finish. We went back to the accommodation, and went in the pool before going to bed.<br />
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<br />Robin Plessiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10525162978819276361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7231910499023661372.post-37545620106503531642018-02-01T16:35:00.000+13:002018-02-01T16:35:06.231+13:00America Trip 2 - Day 5<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Today we did the freedom trail, which though only spans 2.5 miles, takes a lot more time.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We trained in to the start, at Boston Common, coming out at the Park Street Station which was the first subway and is now the oldest in the USA, and had a man dressed in a costume because he was a tour guide.. Boston Common is the oldest public park in the USA, and is where we saw some squirrels. We looked inside the visitors information center, but did not buy anything.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white;">We headed off to the Massachsetts State House after we looked at a memorial and followed the red bricks, and were able to tag on to a tour. The tour only showed us some of the house, but the oldest part of it was completed in 1798, and was designed by Charles Bulfinch (a prominent Boston architect). Lots of tiled, mosaic floors, large murals and paintings, marble, flags (there is a collection of over 400 flags carried to battle by Massachusetts men from the Civil War to the Vietnam War). A couple of the flags are not there, as there are empty hangings for them. After the iron on the main staircase was cast, the moulds were broken to ensure that the railings would be unique. We got to see the House of Representatives in between the sessions which were being held, as the people were getting lunch.</span></span><br />
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After that we looked in a graveyard, and then in a church which families bought private boxes in. Some of the boxes were plush, and a box was used by the King at some point.<br />
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We also saw where the Boston Tea Party started, where the Boston massacre started (which fuelled hate for the British), and the Paul Revere house. We also saw the Old North Church, in which Paul Revere had someone shine two lights to warn riders which way the British soldiers where going. Once more, the pews were privately owned.<br />
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We then went to Bunker Hill, which was closed because of a federal shutdown, before going to the USS Constituition, but we only got to look in the muesum. We then went to a train back to the apartment, and went to bed.Robin Plessiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10525162978819276361noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7231910499023661372.post-7606210356924031242018-01-25T13:29:00.000+13:002018-01-25T13:29:12.723+13:00America Trip 2 - Day 4<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.524px;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">Today we went arrived in Boston, after flying through the night to Detroit, before getting on another plane to get to Boston. I was tired when we got to Boston, but it did not help that I </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.524px;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">my parents had to wake me up every time we got up off the bus and train, as I fell asleep on my Grandmother's head.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 10.8192px;"><span style="background-color: white;">Tram inside Detroit Airport</span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><br style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px;" /><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.524px;">When we got to our accommodation, we found out after around an hour that the building had leaked, and that we were staying somewhere else. When we got to where we were staying, with Nana being driven as well as our big bags to the place by a maintenance man who showed up, we saw that the place was better looking than the last place we were at.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.524px;">Mama and Papa went for a train ride to pick up some stuff that we needed, and when they got back we had dinner and went to bed.</span></span></span>Robin Plessiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10525162978819276361noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7231910499023661372.post-71867565371154131202018-01-23T14:04:00.000+13:002018-01-23T14:04:03.639+13:00America Trip 2 - Day 2Today we went to La Brea Tar pits, with Nana going into the museum by herself, as we had gone there on our earlier visit to LA. While Nana was looking around inside the muesum, we went and looked at other places near the tar pits. When we came back, we met up with Nana and looked around the grounds of the tar pits, with me climbing onto a statue and having Papa taking a photo of me while on it.<br />
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After that, we went to Mission San Fernando, to have a look around, and this time, we actually got to look around the inside, not just the walls and the outside. During our trip to the mission, we went to have a look and get a photo of the house (mansion) used in the Iron Man movies. The mission looked good, and the graveyard had the earthly remains of Bob Hope, and a church with 7 foot thick walls.<br />
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We then went to have a look at a Cold War Missile Nuke site, but unfortunately their was nothing to see.Robin Plessiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10525162978819276361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7231910499023661372.post-40573500479466908542018-01-21T18:34:00.000+13:002018-01-21T19:16:34.704+13:00America Trip 2 - Day 1First we went to see the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and saw several famous stars including Daniel Radcliffe (who plays Harry Potter), Tinkerbell, Snow White, Winnie the Pooh, Bugs Bunny, Orlando Bloom, Disneyland, Donald Duck, Tom Cruise, Gene Autry, Samuel L Jackson and Johnny Depp.<br />
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After the limo trip, we went to the Griffith's observatory, seeing the holly wood sign, before going to have a look at the outside of the San Gabriel, one of the missions.</div>
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We decided to go out to Santa Monica for dinner, looked at the Santa Monica pier, had tacos for dinner and went back to the apartment.<br />
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Robin Plessiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10525162978819276361noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7231910499023661372.post-39299828197815106232017-04-25T16:28:00.002+12:002017-10-19T14:22:35.386+13:00Results of my DadMy dad finished in a time of 1 hour 46 min and came 27 in the age group of 50 to 55. He was in a three lap race and his first lap was faster than his other eas he lost energy over the laps.<br />
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The marathoner Rod Dixon also was biking in the World Masters but in the 65 to 69 age group and got 10th out of 12 people. Rod Dixon's time was 1 hour 48 min and he too was doing three laps. If my dad and Rod Dixon were in the same age group then my dad would have beaten Rod Dixon by two minutes.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nrw9n-jkmxI/WP7QHGtPKBI/AAAAAAAAAJA/-DYSnz_Fa74c3MqHpygeoUmCYUptF0OlQCLcB/s1600/IMG_20170424_104154.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nrw9n-jkmxI/WP7QHGtPKBI/AAAAAAAAAJA/-DYSnz_Fa74c3MqHpygeoUmCYUptF0OlQCLcB/s320/IMG_20170424_104154.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Dad at the Start of the Race</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4XWIu4tOUnQ/WP7QHVcijFI/AAAAAAAAAJE/bvcSHprRHSQ2ncyoXV3M81mHWg9uziZqQCLcB/s1600/IMG_20170424_113253.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4XWIu4tOUnQ/WP7QHVcijFI/AAAAAAAAAJE/bvcSHprRHSQ2ncyoXV3M81mHWg9uziZqQCLcB/s320/IMG_20170424_113253.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Dad doing his race</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UC036heXu3I/WP7QHeilv-I/AAAAAAAAAJI/Kqj-Fm3h7EoAz_AbShAduIHddu4iK19XQCLcB/s1600/IMG_20170424_122226.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UC036heXu3I/WP7QHeilv-I/AAAAAAAAAJI/Kqj-Fm3h7EoAz_AbShAduIHddu4iK19XQCLcB/s320/IMG_20170424_122226.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rod Dixon doing his race</td></tr>
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Robin Plessiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10525162978819276361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7231910499023661372.post-54291528689125920652017-04-23T16:43:00.000+12:002017-04-23T16:43:04.116+12:00World MastersMy Father is competing is the World Masters Mountaining Biking event out at Woodhill Forest on the 24th of April. The World Masters is the biggest sporting event of modern day with 25,000 medals been given out at this Auckland World Masters. On Saturday, my family and I went to the city to watch the end of the marathon and some of the cycling criterium race. Today, we went to watch a rugby game which Willie Apiata played in.Robin Plessiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10525162978819276361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7231910499023661372.post-38183951701425201722017-01-13T14:28:00.003+13:002017-01-15T13:21:25.866+13:00Day 18<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Activity 1:</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I had just entered the zoo, when all of a sudden I saw a giraffe moving about in its enclosure looking like it owned the entire zoo. As I continued walking around the zoo, I saw a hippopotamus which was being fed whole cabbages from the public. I decided to throw a cabbage and I threw it straight at the hippo and the hippo caught it in its mouth. I continued walking around and saw a tiger and a lion roaring at the top of their lungs, a elephant walking around the zoo. I also saw a monkey trying to steal food, a parakeet saying hello and a orangutan climbing.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Activity 2:</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Kiwi: The kiwi is a nocturnal, flightless bird who sleeps on the ground and is the national icon of New Zealand.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Kakapo:The kakapo is a plump, flightless, nocturnal parrot who is unique in many ways.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">Bonus Activity:</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">My idea is to put all kakapo on a island which no animals that kill kakapo or kakapo eggs and let them breed and stay there.</span>Robin Plessiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10525162978819276361noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7231910499023661372.post-4496925399397434352017-01-12T15:10:00.005+13:002017-01-12T15:10:53.962+13:00Day 17Activity 1:<br />
I would choose to visit Neuschwanstein Castle as it is a big castle and it would have lots of information in and out it. It is also the castle that inspired Walt Disney to make a castle. I would also like to follow in my mothers and fathers footsteps as they went there in July 1999.<br />
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Activity 2:<br />
I would take my person to the top of New Zealand, Cape Reinga. Next I would take my person to Te Papa to see the World War exhibit. Then I would take my person to the bottom of New Zealand which is Bluff.<br />
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Bonus Activity:<br />
The monument I choose is the Sydney Opera House. It is in Australia and lots of people go to it.<br />
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<br />Robin Plessiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10525162978819276361noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7231910499023661372.post-46551069317456416932017-01-12T14:35:00.002+13:002017-01-12T14:35:25.422+13:00Day 16Activity 1:<br />
On German Unity Day, I would eat sausages and sauerkraut, go to as much museums as I could and see all the festivities and parties that happen on that day.<br />
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Activity 2:<br />
Germany's holiday would be called German's Are Noble Day. All people would have the option of going to a service in the cities that are all about how the Germans came about and how Germany was founded. They would eat historical German foods to mark the occasion which are made for them.<br />
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Bonus Activity:<br />
Whilst a lot of people in New Zealand go to organised celebrations, my family do not do so. Instead we tend to use the time as an extra day off work or school and normal chill out or go to the South Island to visit relatives.Robin Plessiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10525162978819276361noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7231910499023661372.post-14241133496969169392017-01-12T14:19:00.000+13:002017-01-12T14:19:10.544+13:00Day 15Activity 1:<br />
1. I like the painting because it has lots of colour and I like colour<br />
2. If I could buy the painting for someone then I would buy it for my mother<br />
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Activity 2:<br />
I would feel happy that I had to leave school because I could help out around the house more and do things to help my family. It would give me more time to play lego at home so I would be happy.<br />
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Bonus Activity:<br />
1.The Signal Corps was responsible for battlefield communication<br />
2.The Field Artillery fired at the enemy gun batteries and infantry<br />
3.Our "Long Tom" rifles could carry 10 bullets, but each ehad to be loaded individually<br />
<br />Robin Plessiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10525162978819276361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7231910499023661372.post-60889396468585367922017-01-10T14:45:00.000+13:002017-01-10T14:45:27.195+13:00Day 14Activity 1:<br />
1.You must eat lollies every day<br />
2.You must play with lego every day<br />
3.You must become a scout<br />
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Activity 2;<br />
1.Clinton was the US Senator from New York from 2001 to 2009<br />
2.Hillary was the 69th US Secretary of State for 4 years<br />
3.Her education was at Yale Law school<br />
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Bonus Activity:<br />
I would not like to the Prime Minister because a lot of his time is taken up by working for the government and New Zealand and not with his family like I would want it to be. It does not give the greatest amount of money but it does give a good office view. But<i> </i>I would still not want to become the prime minister.Robin Plessiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10525162978819276361noreply@blogger.com0