The weekend in Blenheim for some Spring Challenge training

 Hi,

What a huge weekend. I didn't go over to Blenheim until late on Friday because I was on Moxley duties as she came out of her post op daze from Thursday. She is doing really well, by the way. Says my completely uninformed vet brain.

Iona picked me up from the airport after a really bumpy flight. Well, the bumps on takeoff and crossing the Strait were fairly normal. But the sideways crab as we land and the one wheel bump and land was exciting. Well done, Sally (our pilot).

I was not long out of bed, to be fair. And up for Parkrun on Saturday morning. Iona kindly drove me to town and off I went. Not a bad time, I suppose. Iopna ran with me for the last 2km and I got a far better time with her than I would on my own.

Mitre10 cafe

A Mitre10 trip was squashed into our post parkrun gap. That was good. And then Col went to work and Iona and I went for a bike ride.

Cycle trail between Blenheim and Picton - a bit waterlogged

Up on the stop bank

Have a look at the bottom of the post for some pics from the ride we did. We rode up the cycle path towards Tuamarina. We negotiated a few puddles. But then the cycle trail went fully underwater and disappeared around the bend as far as we could see. We turned around and peeked a look behind Tuamarina where Maureen and I had got so muddy last time. It was fully underwater too.

So back to the stop bank on the Wairau - and Iona said we should try that. It was so good. Also full of long deep puddles. But Iona was in boss mode. And I finally figured it out too. Great fun.

Back to rest for a bit and then Malcolm joined us to do B line. We found a weasel! Worth getting back on our feet to do that.

B line traps

Classic Marlborough views

Weasel!

Bit maggoty

Joined by this one on B line

Sunday we were up at a more leisurely pace as we had an orienteering course to do at Bastion farm. Okay - that was hard work. We did the orange course. 5 km and 350m of elevation. But it took us 7km and 450m of elevation. Hahahah. We did it in 3 hours 33 mins. Phew. They only had a 4 hour window.

Orange rogaine

Great terrain up here - Bastion farm at the end of the Wither Hills

Walking, walking

And done

Down, down

Our map

Country Calendar

Back for some showers and a bit of TV and some delicious dinner and then off to the airport for my 20:15 flight.

Mike collected me and I was on bed pretty fast.

Thank you. What a great weekend.

Pushing through forst deep puddle. Iona did not come off her bike.

Getting back on

Here we go

Good fun

Have a great week.

Love,

Angela

The weekend with spring challenge training in Blenheim

 Hi,

What a mighty weekend down in Blenheim for our first team training of 2026 for the Spring Challenge. The weather was amazing - 28 and 29C while I was there. Super nice. Mike was also down in Marlborough with his friends doing a 4wD trip down the Molesworth and up the Rainbow. I hope he tells you about that too.

I flew really early Thursday morning to Blenheim - Mike kindly dropped me at the airport at 6am for my early flight. Iona picked me up at the other end and after a quick supermarket stop, I was set up in their back room for my working day. I met Suzie from California who was visiting with some friends of Iona and Col's from Ireland - Lou and Sarah. They were packing up to leave after staying a day or two. And I was taking over their space.

Yes, busy times in Blenheim.

I did get out for a run at lunch time with Nicola. She came and got me and took me to the mountain bike track at the foot of the Wither Hills. We did 3km and it was mostly in shade, so a good option from Nic. 

Lunch run with Nic

Got back to work and finished my long day with meetings. Then got ready for the real event - our Friday spring challenge training day.

Packed and ready Iona and I went out to quiz night. We picked up Victoria on the way. They have a new quiz now - out in Renwick. We came square in the middle (we briefly peaked at #1 during the rounds).

Back for a good sleep. Then up for the training day. Iona and I took her bike with us in the ute to Onamalutu and waited all of 2 minutes for Nicola to arrive. In a brainwave from her, we had her pedal bike and her eBike. 

We left the cars at about 8.50am and headed up the gravel road to the top of a saddle. It was still a little cool especially in the shade. But after the first gate, it got warmer. We lifted the pedal bikes over the gates, but the eBike had to go through the middle. Worked ok.

Friday training day

There was a fair bit of height gained in this part of our day. The road only went up. We surprised a herd of about 15 - 20 goats at one point. Iona and I were shepherding them up the road until they decided to veer off to avoid us. The billy was stinky!

A lot of up

A few gates to negotiate

Last gate before the top

At the top we went up a last wee steep bit to the start of the walk. We tackled the Wakamarina track and it was a beautiful walk. The bush was lovely and the elevation was a gentle sloping ridge for about 6 or 7 km. So nice. Well graded path too. I did lose my sunglasses off my cap at one point, and couldn't see them on the ground behind me. Asked Iona to check behind my on my backpack. Nothing. Then she said we did pass an overhanging branch. So I looked up - and my sunglasses were hanging on this really slender branch over the track at head height. Funny.

Top of our bike ride

Locked the bikes up for the walking part

Discussion at the start of the walk

I also got a  face full of bush lawyer on the way up. Iona took it off carefully and I only bled a little from the bridge of my nose. I also collected some on my arm near the top and got a more spectacular looking blood display there.

Drink pause

Bush was stunning

At Fosters Clearing

Decent climb

We stopped at Fosters Clearing at the top saddle and had some food. Then headed back down to our bikes. The ride down to the cars was amazing. 1 hour 48 to get up. 32 mins to get back. Wheeeeee.

Saturday saw Iona up with me to do Park Run. #31 in the bag. I did a combo of run/walk. Bit slow.

Park run

I look silly when I run

Col's peach tree

Big crop this season

We wandered over to Pollard Park to enjoy the Marlborough multicultural festival. Lots of good food and music. I got a boba tea and veg Indian food. Panipuri. Mmmm. Well - Iona and Col had to pay. it was all cash only.

Multi cultural event in Pollard Park

Boba tea for me

At Barb's quince tree

Then it was time to head to the Bat BBQ in Rai Valley. We picked up Malcolm and Marion too. And stopped at Barb's place to see if there was any fruit or veg to harvest (she had told us to do so).

At the Bat BBQ

The Bat BBQ was great. This is the trapline that Iona and Col do at Pelorus. Lucie from F&B runs the programme. So it was a chance to meet others and chat about the future work.

Back home and a big tea for Col and her sister Jack and her partner Kim that were visiting in their campervan. So nice to meet them. Iona cooked a great dinner after her huge day. Thank you.

Up for brekkie Sunday - oaty pancakes. And watched the Rugby Sevens in Vancouver. Jack and Kim arrived too.

At lunch time they headed off to a winery to meet a friend for lunch and Iona and I went to Whites Bay to meet Claire, John, Jacob and Ashley (and their friend George and wee Jean) and have a go in the kayak and SUP. Good to see Claire again. They had been camping for a few days.

Carrying the yellow kayak to the beach from the ute was hard work. My arms are now 2cm longer than they were.

Had fun lounging around in the water on the SUP and kayak. I managed to stand up and tootle around a bit.

Going home after SUP fun

Then back home to shower and order food. And then off to the airport. Nicola met us there and gave me some venison from Tony's successful hunt over the weekend. Thank you.  Nice flight home - we left early. It was full. 13 of us all up.

Got an uber from the airport for $45 and threw myself into bed. I was fast asleep when Mike got home at 11.45pm. I barely woke up.

And this morning he was off to town for gym and work. So I need to hear all about his adventures tonight.

Have a great week. I will not. It is Shane's last week and I am sad.

Love,

Angela

The Thursday with a Migraine and an epic commute

 It's Mike here, subbing in for Angela while she has South Island adventures. 

My day started as normal, and my squats session was going well - until I realised that I couldn't read the signage properly and people had bits missing from their faces. So time to pop neurophen and go home. I actually felt relatively okay and did a bit of work, getting some low stress admin tasks knocked off.

That meant I was home when Angela set off on her Blenheim adventure. It starts with biking to the ferry - and then biking from Picton to Blenheim! Lots of fun. 

Waiting in the ferry terminal with Maureen

Feet. Truck anchor. It's art.

Um, that's on the ferry

And breakfast in Blenheim

Have a great time, Angela! And have a great weekend whereever you are.

The weekend in Blenheim for the final Spring Challenge training session

 Hi,

What a great weekend to end our spring Challenge training on. Phew! We did get a lot done.  On Thursday after work, Mike ran to the airport (well, I found him outside NIWA) and I drove from home.  We enjoyed a sandwich at the Sounds Air gate before Mike left to head home.

Had a bumpy flight out of Wellington - pilot had to crab a bit over the harbour. Then smooth into Blenheim where Iona picked me up.

Thurs evening Sounds Air flight

Up fairly leisurely Friday for a lovely brekkie then met Nicola at the Quail Stream carpark in the Wither Hills. We rode through the park to the road and along to the Cob Cottage before coming back in along the Mapp Track. Unfortunately I did not find the 8 extra gears this time super helpful at negotiating the track steep parts. Sigh.

Blenheim supply

So windy on Mapp Track

It was so windy - every corner was really gusty. You can see Iona and Nicola bracing against their bikes in the pic above.

1.5 hours of riding then back to the car and a walk up the valley.  This route was not super steep up - and I have come down it a few years ago. The wind was amazing - especially on the top.

Up Quail Stream Valley

Climbing slowly

At one point along the top, Nicole had her beanie whipped off her head and thrown over a barbed wire fence. I squashed through to retrieve it.

2 mins later her wrap around sunnies got blown off her face. Iona and Nicola watched them flutter away over the fence and gone. Oops.

The plan was for us to be back at the car after 1.5 hours so I ran the last 200m to make it 1 hour and 31 mins. Woot!

Lovely scenery

Friday night saw Sally and Andrew visit with Alistair and Vicki. Iona made palak paneer and it was so good. 

Off to bed for an early rise. At Nicola's by 8am so we could pack the bikes into her ute and head to St Arnaud.

Saturday at St Arnaud and Lake Rotoiti

Selfie

We rode from West Arm up to the lower Mt Robert car park. That was hard work. The gravel was good - it was just my legs that didn't work hard enough. We locked our bikes to the DoC sign and sorted ourselves out for the walk up to Bushline Hut.

We started up the track and made good time.  The sign said 2 hours to the hut. We got high up when we encountered snow flurries. We got our jackets on and continued up. We passed a big party of about 6 or 7 people all dressed with tramping pants, boots, and jackets and beanies.  They looked at us in our bike shorts and sneakers like we were mad. Hahah.

We rode to the car park and walked up to Bushline Hut

Stunning

Up Paddy's track

Across some scree

West Arm below

Looking further up the lake

We hit snow

Bushline Hut was surrounded by about 5cm of snow. We were first to it from this side. We met a couple coming down that had done the loop from the other side. Ankle deep snow and often up to their knees.

We had lunch in the hut and chatted to two young women. They had turned back from their route further up Mt Robert due to hip deep snow. :-o

We decided to walk back the way we came - given we had only sneakers and shorts. Good idea!

Bushline Hut nestled in the snow

Ta dah!

Iona is pleased

Our day packs

The descent

Not too chilly

And out of the snow

Me and Nicola at the hut

Back to our bikes with 2 hours 30 min moving time all up. Wow. Super fast.  The sign said 2 hours up and 1.5 hours back. Smashed it.

The ride back to the car was really good - all downhill.

Back to Nicola's place early and home.

Up Sunday to head away with Malcom to do the trapline at Pelorus.  Col and I did K line and Malcolm and Iona did U line and bottom of K. Plus found some gas traps for next time.

Pelorus iced latte

K Trig line with Col

There is the top

View ack to Pelorus

Toasted sandwich

Enjoying the sun

Back down

Mysterious steel cage

Col and I got 3 rats and 2 mice. I think the others got a few rats. Job well done. Finished on time for hot chips at the coffee cart. Choice!

Back home after a cup of tea at Malcom and Marion's place. Off to bed early and up at 1.30am to watch the Black Ferns v Ireland in the RWC.

Such a good game. 40 nil. Did not expect that result to the Black Ferns for their hardest pool game.

Went to bed for an hour. And then up to go to the airport for my early morning commute to Wellington. Nice and fast into the capital. Uber home and happy cats!

Thank you for a great weekend. Happy Fathers Day to Mike and my Dad yesterday.

Love,

Angela