Challenge Five: Rafting!

Well!!!  Unfortunately due to me breaking my arm back in October, I was unable to go with the WPCA Group on this challenge.  BUT!....  Luckily back in September I went rafting with my Dad, his friend and some Outdoor Tourism students and tutors from NMIT.  So this means Ms. E can tick my name off as completing the Rafting Challenge.  

We were about to raft a hard section of the Buller River.  We were well dressed in wetsuits and safety gear, then instructed and practiced what to do and how to do it.  We started at the Gowan Valley Bridge and slowly but steadily rafted down the river.  Then it was all on!  We were doing hard areas and then resting in easier patches, until we came across a Grade Five rapid called 'The Granity'.   In our approach, we got it slightly wrong!..... All of a sudden, we were dumped into the FREEZING water, causing me to hyperventilate!  I felt my breath being ripped out of me causing me to breath fast and shallow!  In a flash, Dad washed past.  I raised my arm and shouted "Help".  There were throw bags and ropes criss-crossing the river and instructors leaping from raft to raft.  Dad grabbed a rope and held on, grabbing me as I went past.  Next thing I was being hauled up into a raft and we were out of the river.  Once I composed myself I said to Dad that "that was awesome!"  We went on to complete the run coming across some more rapids like "The Devil's Elbow".  I had a great time.  We talked about it the whole way home.  Luckily Dad's car has a good heater because I was wet right down to my undies!

My Last Summer Planting

This week (with a broken arm, due to a little bit of enthusiastic trampolining at home!) I headed up to our garden with a shovel and a container full of potatoes that we had left to sprout in the garage over three weeks.  I grabbed three potatoes and placed them into the wee holes Dad was making.  As yet there is no sign of any sprouting coming through but I will continue to water and check them. Hopefully they will be ready by Christmas!

Although this is my last planting, I will still be keeping Mum's herb garden up to date.  There's a bit of trimming to do and a few new plantings!  Also a couple of weeks ago I replanted some lettuces.  I realised in the Summer that they grow 25% faster than in the Winter!

Challenge Four: Orienteering :-)

ORIENTEERING!  I thought it was a slow walk around the bush with a compass at hand.  I was seriously wrong!  We started off with a practice around the school.  My group was sprinting to the next control, stamping it and then heading off to look for the next.  The controls were orange and white signs with letters forming a code.  Our group of three was made up of Harry (Harry's WPCA) and Fergus. We were quickly writing the code down and then hammered off to the next control.  Soon after we formed an alliance with Matthew, Fletcher (Fletcher's WPCA), Josh S (Josh's WPCA) and Sam (Sam's WPCA).  Matt had tried to jump a fence then he fell and couldn't walk so his team carried him to the class where he recovered quickly.  Rapidly we were closing in on the finish only to see another team approaching also.  This was the race for 4th or 5th!  I put the hammer down and sprinted.  We made it in time for the 4th place.  Overall I thought this was a great, unique experience and would love to do it again!

The Nelson Prep WPCA group

Fitness Needed For Completing The W.P.C.A

To successfully accomplish the challenge, I have realised you have to be fit, motivated and determined.  Recently I have made the Nelson Bays Under 65kg Representative Rugby Team.  The fitness for rugby I have done this year and currently doing is going to help both my William Pike stuff and my rugby.  I am a Tight Head Prop and have started in every game so far!  I have even played with a sprained ankle!  We have only lost one game, to a big Marlborough team.  In the first week of the school holidays we are all off to Dunedin for a tournament.

Towing the sled, 15kgs of water!

Dragging 15kgs 20m at a time

My Post Views So Far

Here are the top 10 countries who have viewed my blog.

New Zealand	2762
United States	208
Russia	204
Germany	73
Australia	30
Ukraine	20
South Korea	16
United Kingdom	10
Mexico	9
Nicaragua	7

With a total views of 3447 to date.

Garden Update - Winter Harvest!

Recently I went up to the garden and I had noticed that the broccoflower and the beetroots had grown, along with some weeds!  I jumped and grabbed the knife and chopped off the divine looking broccoflower.  I was eating it raw because it was so delicious!  Dad helped me pull the beetroots out.  It was awesome and I am now preparing for a Spring garden.  This will involve pulling out the dying Winter plants, adding some fertiliser and mulch, and then planting some Spring and Summer veggies.

Challenge Three: 8.3km Trail Run

"All on the bus?" shouted our teacher, with a quick reply of "Yes Sir" we were all off to the Tantragee Saddle for a trail run!

The categories were a 4km run, a 6km run or the big 8.3km!  I chose to do the big one.  I wanted to test my body and also set myself a challenge!

As we started off, I smiled towards my Grandad's camera and took off.  It was strangely tiring for me at the start but eventually we could all see the top which helped us to go faster.  It was a mission to get to there but the lovely parents were cheering us on and motivating us to get to the top!

Finally we had hit the saddle.  The parents took more photos.  I was not looking my best as the sweat rolled down my face.  We had a QUICK squirt of water and were all of a sudden off running again.  I was quicker going downhill but I took it slow because I didn't want any injuries.  

The 4km stop approached but nobody got on the bus, so we all kept running down past the golf course, through a grassy paddock to where the 6km stop was.  I nearly ran over there because I thought it was the next water break!  Anyway I kept running and then approached a bridge.  I ducked under that which took me out onto a cricket field. The bus driver was there along with the parents, but they had gotten mixed up.  Further still?  So I kept on running to where we all were meant to stop.

Eventually with the end was approaching, my legs were burning, my eyes were stinging and my lungs felt like they were on fire, but I wasn't giving up!  I was greeted at the end by a round of applause and a yummy hot chocolate. YUMMMM!  Thanks Tracy!

I thanked everybody and headed off with Mum to catch the plane to Christchurch for the start of our two week school holidays!!!!! 

"Here we come Grandad!"