Side awnings finished

Before we went to the US for a month, Sunshine and I finished one of the side awnings. After we got back, we finished the other. Now we have great outdoor space on the deck to use when its raining - like drying cloths, or potting plants, or some minor building work. The awning down below offers us huge storage for building materials, or a green house in the future.

We used new H5 treated 100x100 posts, with recycled H3 and 4 100x50s. We saved a tonne of money with the recycled wood and they were nice and straight and very dry. We used the top of the line polycarbonate sheeting that comes with a 15year guarantee and cuts out UV rays. The guttering dilivers the water away from all footings. Will dig a gravel trench for over flow and put a small tank for garden watering.

Already we can feel a difference in warmth. Our original plan was to close them in with second hand windows. We still could, but have been surprised by the warmth offered as they are now! It would be amazing if the awning was continued around the front of the house, offering extended indoor/outdoor space below, and helping to heat up downstairs. Going this large (over 15m2) however would require a permit. Perhaps 2 separate awnings would get around that.

More photos

Last ski in the NZ back country

Even though we have no money, 2 days of dumping snow followed by perfectly still and sunny days was too much to resist. Avalanche warning went down from high to considerable, so we packed our probes and shovels and went in search of powder.

Sure enough, dropping into Cardrona's back bowl, we found some lovely fresh, with only a slight wind effect to keep us alert. We climbed the West Ridge back up, looked for the loaded pow and dropped down 800m vert of uninterrupted bliss.

Nothing can over state the sensation of floating in air as you fall down a mountain you have spent hours climbing.

USA and Canada

Video shot with my phone and uploaded on teh spot to Youtube. Later edited using teh web based video editor Kaltura.

An attempt to ski Mount Pisa

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Robin has had this place scoped for a while, so the weekend after the big snow day Shelagh, Robin, Sunshine, the dogs and I all head off for a look see. We stayed the night in a really nice little holiday house in Bannockburn, getting up long before the sun so we could start our way up a long steep route to the Pisa range.

I must admit, when I saw the maps, I had my doubts that Sunshine and I would make it up to a snow line, ski it and get back in one day, but Shelagh and Robin had packed for an over night stay in a hut up over the range on the Cardrona Cromwell Pack Track. That was a better plan as the climb to the snow line was too big for Sunshine and I in a day, seeing us turn back :(

It was a little disappointing to see the snow line wasn't anywhere near the 900m we had hoped, and the car pack was at 400m. Had we bought a 4WD along, we could have driven all the way to the snow line and into it! But the road was boggy in patches after the sun had melted the frost over it - the driving should be done early morning only I'd say...

The view we did get of the range and the bowls and valleys coming off it was enough to inspire a return.. but it is definitely a committing trip, and not one for less than 2 days.

A snow day

It snowed all day across Dunedin yesterday. The town services closed down including the Polytech, so we could all go out and play.

And play we did! Skiing around the Peninsula! That's less than 200 metres above sea level!

It kept snowing all day. In the afternoon Mike and I skied from Larnach Castle down to Broad Bay!



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