2023 Wānaka snow fest

Friday special: since Angela doesn't blog on Fridays, I'm going to use that gap to publish some archive blogs that were started but never finished. Here's the first one - our 2023 snow fest in Wānaka with Elly, Tom and Andrew.

Friday 18 Aug 2023 - Early morning Wellington to Christchurch

Up early for a 4am uber to the airport. Our Christchurch flight had gorgeous views on the way down Te Wai Pounamu.

Mike had to work, I hung out with Toby and Tessa. That was much more fun.

Moxley helps with the packing

Haere ra, Poneke

Kia ora, Kaikoura

There is BBQ lunch and darts
at the Christchurch office on a Friday

Saturday 19 Aug 2023 - Christchurch

We were up and about to get a few messages done in Christchurch. But first, coffee at Coffee Culture Bush Inn, near Toby's old flat.  

Are you taking my photo, Mike?

We hit the little ghetto of outdoor shops on Clarence St.  Put my skis in for a wax and edge at Torpedo7 - and they gave Mike, for free, the missing mounting parts from his new snowboard bindings. Mike bought some second-hand skis just for peak to pub in September.

We headed back to Ilam to collect Toby and Tessa. Mike's mission was to sell off some old snow chains that came from Wānaka ages ago and had been kicking about in Toby and Tessa's garage. He got them photographed and listed on Trademe, then we were off to to Little Merchants, Tessa's second favourite cafe.

We didn't sell these chains from 'Parsons Chain Co Ltd, Stourport, England'
- they were old, and small, and hard to fit.
Mike didn't actually want to lumber anyone with them! 

Over to cafe.  They were short staffed and let us know up front we might be in for a wait.  No problem! It was lovely to sit and chill. The owner came over to chat.  She recognized Mike from past visits.  So we all said hello.  She asked our names.  And as we left,  she came out to wave goodbye and said goodbye to each of us by name. 

There was an Open Home at the Town houses across the road which distracted us.  Barnaby the salesman showed us around. 3 bedroom. Garage. Three stories. $850k - or $640 rent a week. If we were in the market, that seemed pretty good. And the cafe just across the road is amazing! 

Went to some op shops to find a denim jacket for Mike for his Ken outfit. Went to three in Sydenham but no luck.  Found one at paper Princess in town. 

Then Tessa went to get changed for her work.  We met her at Coffee club at Northlands mall. Enjoyed a drink then headed to King of Snake for dinner with Toby and Mike while Tessa went to work. 

King of snake was so good.  Small plates.  Larger plates. I ordered a vegetarian main.  The boys ordered chicken kung pao. Hot. 

When the first (sharing) course came,  she gave me mine separately and said it was a vegetarian one with no fish sauce,  and gave the boys two others with fish sauce.  That was customer service right there because I never said I was vegetarian. And all our food was so good.   

Back to drop Toby off and the first snow chains customer appeared. Home to the Coachman Motel to watch Sweden v Australia on play off for third in the football. 

Sunday 20 Aug 2023 - Christchurch to Wānaka

Slept well.  Packed up and into the van, got to the airport well in time to collect Andrew off his 9.30am flight.

Drove down SH1 and inland south of Raikaia. We stopped at the famous Fairlie bakehouse for pies. My Vegetable pie was good but they used too much Carrot for my liking. Mike and Andrew were similarly unimpressed - pies were good but not 'let's drive for hours across the motu and stand in a long queue for pies' good.  We listened to the Royal Navy band outside the bakery for a tune or two. 

Will it be worth the wait?? (not really)

We drove through Lindis pass on gorgeous weather.  A detour down to Cromwell, to fill at at Z. Then to Wānaka.  I reckon the detour only added 50 minutes.  

We went to get our ski passes sorted, and some rental ski boots for Andrew. 

My goggles are not long for my face.  The lens is crazed and the foam is deteriorating. I looked about for new ones but didn't quite commit.

Are you taking my photo AGAIN?

Off to meet Elly and Tom who had driven all the way down from Wellington. Elly had booked our accommodation at 23 Makomako Rd. It's a beautiful house - new, well appointed, warm and spacious.  We cooked the pies from west coast pies for tea.  I prepped the slow cooker with Andrew and then stayed up to watch the football final - England v Spain.  Spain totally owned England.  Totally.  They won 1-0 and England were lucky to get away with that scoreline. Midnight saw me finally off to bed and reading for a bit. 

Monday 21 Aug 2023 - Treble Cone

Up at 6, scrambled eggs for breakfast courtesy Andrew, and lunches made courtesy me. 

We left at 7.39am but got to the main road and Mike realised we'd left the van chains behind in our house.  So back to get those.  Finally away by 7.55am. Up on the car park at treble by 8.30.

Gorgeous weather.  Sunny. Slight cold wind.  I lost all the ski buddies immediately but was happy skiing Triple treat all day.  18 runs.  2 on main St. I'm getting my ski mojo back! 

Tom surveys the view

Elly hits the face opposite Saddle. Wonderful.

Finished just before 4pm.  The drive home was easy. The house was so hot after the all day sun.   Slow cooker seemed to work.  I cooked up potatoes to with it and we ate it all down. 

Elly made bread and muffins.  She's amazing.  Made it look effortless. 

Off to bed early (now the football has finished!) and had a great sleep. 

Tuesday 22 Aug 2023 - Treble Cone again

Rinse and repeat.  Mike made eggs.  Andrew made the lunches. We ate Elly's bread under the eggs.  Delicious. 

Treble cone looking MINT as we set off

Left at 7.38am. In the car park at treble at 8.20am. Less people today.  Sunny and warm.  I Skied triple treat them went to the saddle with the others. I slowed Raffle's run all day there.  We didn't see much of Tom and Elly. Andrew skied a few things around the saddle. We had lunch at the top at 11.30.

At 2 pm Mike and I met up with Allyson and Elaine and rode the chair up.  They went to climb up to the view.  Mike and I went back to the home basin and I tried main street. But i got scared on the steep bit. So we had a hot chocolate then did a few runs on triple.  

Back to the van at 2.50 pm to chill. We watched the two local kea fly around checking things out that caught their fancy. 

Snacks at the cafe on the mountain

Kea!

Back a bit... a bit further you're ok... STOP

Rowdy folks in the back

Wednesday 23 Aug 2023 - Treble Cone #3

Another Treble cone day, I did my longest vertical metres of the week, 9500m. I also ventured over to the saddle for a few runs down Raffles. But after losing sight of the others,  went back to home basin to continue there.

The face behind the Saddle is still fantastic,
but as it softens it's definitely snowboard heaven and ski purgatory

 

After our day we headed to Cardrona pub to see Allyson and Elaine, then back home via supermarket for lasagne soup.  [lasagne soup?! - ed]

Thursday 24 Aug 2023 - Cardrona

Cardrona day.  $170 a pop for a day pass.  Ouch.  We bought them the night before as they've been maxing out lift passes and not selling more each day this week. 

Away by 7.25am and on the Valley View car park just after 8am. The lift didn't open until 8.30 so we got coffee and slowly got ready. 

Up for a run or two on Whitestar then Captain's opened so we headed over there.  After a few runs,  the others went to check out Willow and I stayed on Captain's. 

I met Elaine and Allyson on the piste.  Did s few runs with them then followed them back over via Queenstown return.  They did Willow.  I rode McDougalls back over to Captain's. 

Mike and Andrew found me just after midday and we did a few runs together.  Then had lunch along Queenstown return.  We climbed a little up through deep soft snow to some schisty rocks and enjoyed delicious Wraps and a view over Queenstown. 

I did a few runs on Willow with Mike and Andrew, then headed back to the main field - McDougall's, Whitestar, down Valley View.  At the van at 3.10pm after a much needed toilet stop. 

The others got back at 3.45 and we were soon down the hill.  Got to Hunter Crescent at 4.30 on the dot for a property inspection. The house looks good.  We met the Argentinian cousins as well as Heidi the new property manager. 

Apres ski boissons et hors d'oeuvres

Friday 25 Aug 2023 - Back to Treble Cone

It's a Treble cone day - we were up the mountain early and on the chair by 8:30am. And back in the cafe by 9:00am as it was extremely 'firm conditions'.

Mike got Wordle in ONE

I Skied triple treat again as conditions slowly softened.  Met Mike and Andrew for lunch at the little cafe at the top of main street.

Lunch

 

Wandered over to saddle chair and did cloud 9 but it was a little steep for my liking.  Nice soft snow though. Found side saddle and did that a few times.

Chatting away to my lift-mates, oblivious to the paparazzi

I finished with a couple of runs down the top of Main Street and the bottom of Triple Treat and was done by about 3:45pm. 

Andrew in the classic Treble Cone view

Back to Wānaka to drop rental boots off for Andrew then off to the Wānaka food carts. They were so busy.  We ended up waiting for Noodles across the road from the main collection, which were delicious.  Andrew bumped into a colleague there. 

We wandered back using a much faster route courtesy of Google Maps, and early to bed again. 

Saturday 26 Aug - Running and Biking in Wānaka

Non ski day. Mike did park run from that Wānaka tree with Elly and Tom too. Andrew and I walked into town to meet them. 

READY ... SET ...

GO

Tom is flying

Mike checking his pace

Went to Scroggin cafe for a delicious brekkie.  Elly and Tom packed up and left, heading to the West Coast to stay with some friends.  Bye Elly! Bye Tom! It was a great snow week and so much fun with your company.

We hired 3 pedal mountain bikes from Bike Lounge to entertain ourselves for the day.  Headed out to outlet and down the start of the clutha just past Albert Town. Then back behind Mt Iron.  Into Wānaka township and out to the point behind that Wānaka tree and back. 

Classic Wānaka view

Biking down the Clutha

That Wānaka tree

We covered 30 km in 4 hours, at a cost of $30 each for a half day rental. Good value. 

Drove down to b.effect brewery for free ride ski videos on their big screen, some very nice food, and some craft beers for Mike and Andrew. Good reports from them! 

Yep, my turn to drive

Back home to continue watching more free ride ski videos on YouTube then off to bed. 

Sunday 27 Aug 2023 - Wānaka to Christchurch to Wellington

A lazy start to our last day.  Packed up, tidied house, off at 9am.

We stopped for coffee at Tarras at a really nice cafe and bought a book on farming in Lindis Pass - Snow on the Lindis. 

On the road

Hey what you doing?

Made it to Christchurch by 2.30pm with one more stop at Geraldine for fuel. Went to Poms for early tea.  Steph and Sam arrived.  Enjoyed bar snacks then a meal. 

Tessa dropped us at Christchurch airport, then Sally dropped us home from Wellington airport.  Thank you Tessa and Sally!  Cats were scared there were strange people coming in at 11pm but they quickly came for a head butt to say hello, here are my errant kittens back again from long ago. 

The weekend with fun at Rainbow

We had a superb weekend away to St Arnaud and the Rainbow skifield. This was my first time skiing at Rainbow - and if one day it is the closest field to me (when I live in Nelson) I will not be unhappy. It is fine for a day skiing with good snow cover.

[Mike is here as editor and he'll be adding his adventures in the third person, not that he is awkward about talking about Mike like that. He will also be translating the Football talk.]

Punters for the weekend were: me, Mike, Andrew, Jenny, Jacqui and Ken.

Right. How did we kick off this wonderful weekend? Mike worked Friday morning and Jenny came to our place to get a lift to the ferry with us. Bluebridge sailing at 1.30pm. We had to get there early as there was a QF [Womens' football world cup quarter final game] on at the stadium and people everywhere and road closures around the train station.

Andrew caught the train from home with his gear - alongside all the crowd for the football. The train was heaving at 11am on a Friday coming in from the Hutt. The Bluebridge were their usual efficient, pleasant selves and we boarded quickly. Jacqui and Ken in Jacqui's car not far behind us in the queue.

Leaving Wellington harbour on Friday

Cars and cows

Mike had booked a cabin - twin beds. So Andrew and I got into that fairly quickly. And I lost reception as we had no outside view. I was keen to watch the QF [Womens' world cup quarter final, being played in Wellington] - Spain v Netherlands - so I wandered out to the deck to get the last bit of cellular coverage as we went through the heads.

Spain prevailed. [2-1 and Angela cheers for anyone but Spain because she believes they threw the pool game against Japan to get an easier path through the knockout rounds]

Arrived in Picton and the two cars headed to St Arnaud. Our car went via Blenheim to call in on Iona and Col and Helen was there too. We had a cup of tea and then left to do a somewhat over-catered shopping at Countdown and continue on.

We got to the pub in St Arnaud and the others had secured a table. Lovely customer service at the Alpine Lodge. Same as always. You feel so welcome there, whether you are smartly dressed or you've just dragged yourself in from the tramping tracks and haven't washed for four days.

I ordered putine and baba ghanosh. Mike couldn't go past the rib-eye steak with a cauliflour side. It was all delicious. Mike's cauliflour arrived as a starter, and there was a mountain of cauliflour with a delicious cheese sauce. He heroically got through it all. The steak was perfect. But he had no room for any dessert. Neither did I. Neither did anyone else.

Left there and headed to our house for the weekend. It was a crib on Korere-Tophouse Road - out of St Arnaud a wee bit. Closer to the Rainbow turn off. And it was such a nice place. Ken had started the fire earlier in the day, so the house was starting to warm up. Andrew had the double bedroom to the left of the downstairs bathroom, and Mike had I had the double bedroom past the laundry area. Our room was cold that first night - but I was perfectly warm when I snuggled into my tramping sleeping bag.

Kitchen dining area

Our room - an icebox on the first night

Slept so well.

Up for brekkie - Mike and Andrew made the three of us scrambled eggs. Delicious. And then we were all off up the hill to Rainbow. We left the house at 8.10am and we were in the car park at 9.15am. The road wanders through fords from the main highway towards Hanmer - but the car park for Rainbow is reasonably close in. All cars, even 4WD, had to fit chains.

Cold morning!

Mike took a while to figure out our plastic special chains. But once he did they worked really well. And the icy road needed chains. Wow!

Up to the carpark - which was fairly high up the valley. Maybe 8km or so? Andrew got into the queue for his ticket and ski hire and that took him a while.

Mike and I eventually got onto the field and did a run. One t-bar up to the top. The snow was lovely. Crisp but plenty of grip. I managed to get 13 runs in. At $110 for the ski pass, that was just under $10 a run. Nice. I would have paid $10 for any of those runs!

Sibling Foresters

Mike gets ready

We heard from various t-bar riders that the snow coverage was lower this year than most years. It meant there was only one face we could ski down from the main t-bar. There is another bowl that is usually accessible. And we could see terrain off to the skier's true left that looked fun with better snow coverage.

But for my first ski day back after last August, it was fun. No crowds compared to where we usually ski. So I felt safe and gained confidence through the day.

Jacqui, Jenny and Ken

Stunning view over Rotoiti and back to St Arnaud, from the top of the ridge

I left early (3pm) with Jacqui and Ken. Andrew had decided he wanted to see how fast he could do each run and speed was essential. No turns. But I was tired enough by then. And happy to ride in the newer (2016 I think) Forester of Jacqui's to see how that handled the snow.

Coming down from Rainbow - Jacqui expertly negotiates the icy road

View down the valley from Rainbow

We unpack at the house

Back for showers at the house. By now the house was keeping its warmth. I opened the curtains in our room to let the weak afternoon sunshine in.

The rest of the group went back to Alpine Lodge for tea - but the biggest game so far of the FIFA WWC was on and I did not want to miss any of it. Australia v France quarterfinal. And what a game. It was mighty.

Mike had Baba Ganoush (so yummy from last time) and Diablo pizza. YUM.

It was still on when they all got back. But by then I was in bed. Mike joined me and when it was still nil-nil after full time, then extra time, and the penalty shoot-out started he was riveted to it too. And after penalty after penalty and it got to the 10th player to take a penalty, it was nail-biting.

Then Cortnee Vine stepped up, off the bench in her World Cup debut - and slotted it away for a historic Australia football win. First time in the semis. It was epic. Huge. I cried. Well done to them.

Up for a lazier start to the day. I was the only person expressing interest in a second ski day - but when Mike came in with breakfast in bed for me, I was sound asleep and it was already past leaving time. I discovered that drizzle showers and low cloud meant that it would have been a cold, damp claggy day on the mountain.

So up I got, helped clean up and off we went to find other things to do for the day. Went to DoC visitor centre for some ideas. And the rest of them secured a water taxi to Lakehead for the 3 hour walk back. Great idea!  10.40am they kitted up and left the jetty.

Bye wee house

I did not go. I only had my ski jacket and one pair of shoes/pants and did not fancy sitting in wet clothes for the ferry ride back. But the rest of them had a wonderful walk.

Here we all are

Boarding

Everyone fits under the canopy

Off they head

Snacks on the beachfront walking back

Mike ran back - and he did so well. I was waiting for him when he got back around 1pm.

Here he comes!

Selfie on the jetty

Andrew solved the mystery of the "St Arnaud café" that was a wonderful stop last time we were here, but alas has gone broke and is now for lease. Andrew talked to the water taxi operator and apparently the lessor just wants too much money. Three operators have come and gone because the rent is just too high to be sustainable. So empty it sits.

Mike and I headed back to the ever wonderful Alpine Lodge - to see if he could have a shower there. Yes, they had showers available, for the princely sum of two dollars. He had to wait for them to be cleaned, so we had a bite of lunch. Including yummy iced latte, and Creme Brulee - since we had never ventured into desserts since were were always over-full after mains.

Alpine lodge iced latte

Made with care

The others returned and we met up for photos at the iconic jetty. 

Rainbow seems appropriate for the weekend

Selfie

Another selfie - yes, I was taken with the rainbow

Rainbow on its own

Yes, another pic of the rainbow

View from the car of the iconic jetty

After a quick change into dry clothes, we headed to Picton and Blenheim in the two cars. The blue Forester with Jacqui, Ken and Jenny went to Cortado in Picton for tea. And the red Subaru went to Blenheim for a cup of tea and Afghan biscuit or two with Iona, Col and Helen.

That second contingent left Blenheim at 1700 and found the others at 1730 at Cortado. They were just finishing delicious looking pizza. Mike and Andrew had time for a drink only.

Then off to join the Bluebridge queue. On the ferry on time. And after a quick chat to everyone in the main food area, Mike, Andrew and I slipped off to the cabin (B52 again - exact same one as the previous voyage) and fell into a coma. I was asleep by 7:30 I reckon. We were all dead to the world in minutes. And when we got the wake up call at 10:00pm, I could have sworn we only just shut our eyes. 

We unthreaded the gear and people across the two cars and dropped Andrew and most of his stuff at platform 9 where Sally waited to whisk Andrew home. And we went home and Jenny got her gear and left in her car.

The cats were happy to see us. And we fell into bed just on midnight and slept very well.

What a weekend. Thank you to the company and such good accommodation choices. Rainbow was fun! Limited in snow and therefore terrain while we were there, but having Rainbow as my local field would be great.