Catch up

So it might have been a while since the last post... Our time in the last fortnight has been spent separately, but we're now back together just outside Rotorua, camped out by Lake Ratoiti which conveniently for Doug is only five minutes away from the Kaituna get on. Sit back, crack a beverage and let me explain what's been happening.

With the shoulder feeling a little stronger and with some time to kill in Auckland, we thought we would go and check out a local climbing wall. The Project is in New Lynn, in a little industrial estate in the south west corner of Auckland. It's owned by a guy called Zane and it's pretty small, but it features a few overhangs and a little roof at the back along with a campus board and some rings set up from the ceiling. A few months here and you'd be a beast.

A blurry pic, but it gives you a good sense of angle and size. Zane lives in a little room behind the wall on the left hand side. I never met him, or anyone that works there for that matter, because there's no reception. To climb there, you get a key out of the letterbox outside, let yourself in, rip your skin apart for a couple of hours (where did my callouses go?) and then leave ten bucks and lock the door behind you. No forms, no bother. 

After all that excitement, Doug went off for another couple of weeks at Fabian's YMCA centre just north of Auckland, and I disappeared up to Russell in the bay of islands for a couple of weeks. It's a lot of fun up there, and one of the most beautiful places that I've ever seen - such a tease, because I've got no photos! You'll have to take my word for it.

My life up there was filled with hardship. Staying on a couch with a couple of locals, I spent my days doing a combination of the following; drinking beer, sailing on a friend's yacht and hanging out to the beach. Often all in one day. The weather was terrible though, it didn't go above about 22 degrees the whole time, but luckily I think over the next few months at least the weather is expected to be much, much hotter. Is it snowing in London yet?

Alright, before I turn all of my readers (both of you) against me, I'll round up this post with a promise. Doug is putting the finishing touches on a pretty good video of Kaituna boating with his international team of Andy (NZ) and Kudzo (JPN) which I'll post up on the blog when I next get good internet. Something to look forward to!

Catch you all soon,

Sam and Doug.