Reef Surfing at Cloudbreak

Nervous excitement of the unknown of what may, or may, not lay ahead hung in the air as we drove through the streets of Nadi. The air conditioned minibus had picked us up early and was taking us and a couple of other surfers to their boat at a small marina. We'd been keen to try and surf a wave while we were in Fiji. There is only one beach break down on the south coast; the famous stuff is all off the reefs that surround the various islands, so have to be accessed via boat. Having been assured yesterday, that it wasn't all house sized barreling waves crashing onto ankle deep water, we'd organised some board hire and a boat to take us out to the more friendly spots so that we could experience Fijian surf. 

The ride out in the cool (relatively, at 28 degrees) of the morning was both exciting and tense. To start with we just seemed to be heading out to sea, then suddenly some palm trees came into view on the horizon. Eventually they became an island and just beyond the island we caught our first sight of some waves. 

We went to all the 'easier' spots, but they weren't really working. Unfortunatley the wind had picked up and it was a mess of small choppy waves. We tried a few other areas, but it soon became clear that the only area that was working was a  wave called Cloudbreak. That's right, the world famous barrel wave producing reef that all our research had proclaimed to be the domain of expert surfers only. Not quite what we'd had in mind. While we are both competent and experienced, neither of us had ever surfed on a shallow world class reef break, (or any shallow reef breaks for that matter!) so in that sense felt justifiably like beginners! 

To  try and get a sense of what the waves were doing, we watched from the boat for a while. Even though the waves were small by Fijian standards, they still rose up quickly as they neared the reef and curled up and over the the heads of surfers. After identifying the best spot to approach from, the boat got up as close as it could, then all we had to do was jump in! 

As is the way with surfing - the waves are always bigger once you're in amongst them! What we couldn't tell from the boat and the bit that we were most worried about was the depth of the water. It was crystal clear, but the depth was indeterminable, especially in the white water where the waves were breaking. Tentatively we had a go at catching some waves on the edge of the break to get a feel for it, but it was difficult to stay in the right place. The combination of wind, swell and not having a point of reference on the beach made things hard to catch. Unfortunately, Clare found out the depth by cutting her knee on the coral after catching a fast wave! - We retreated back to the boat for some shade and some detol. 

After a brief rest, some food and more sunblock, we jumped back in for round two. Now the tide was lower, and the water even shallower. Even though I wasn't having much luck catching the waves, it was pretty awesome to be up close looking through to daylight at the far end of a breaking barrel wave. The other guys from our boat were 'old timers' and made it all look very easy, seeming not to be the least bit bothered about the odd cut and graze when they occasionally miss timed things! They were friendly though and helped us out as best they could. Eventually the swell dropped off around the same time as our energy levels. Back on the boat, it was actually good to be out of the glaring sunlight and a relief to put our sun glasses back on.

Inland, we could see towering cumulus clouds that were already starting to drop vast, heavy sheets of rain. The captain picked up the pace, and gunned the boat to shore, but alas, it was too late! Just before we encountered the maelstrom, he stopped the boat so we could stash our bags, then we continued at full throttle towards the deluge. We stayed as low as we could as the rain hit like pellets. Thankfully, the other surfers, who were all barrel chested solid looking guys were up front and took the brunt of it while we unashamedly tried to shelter in their lee!

We passed through it, and were amazed to find dry land, back on dry land. Well, we survived the Cloudbreak experience and have the bruises, cuts and grazes to prove it. Didn't exactly catch the ride of my life, but it's been a cool experience all the same.

Chaos and Tranquility

Got the public bus into Nadi town today to experience a bit of 'normal' Fijian life. But not before a hearty breakfast of eggs, toast, several pancakes, fresh watermelon and pineapple and a bowl of yogurt. The bus ride was actually quite fun, packed in on the bouncy ride. The windscreen was cracked, the gears were crunchy the heat overwhelming and loud music blared from crackling speakers.

The high street was a mix of hustle and bustle and quiet calm. The shops ranged from silent air conditioned department stores selling designer clothes to sweaty crowded ones selling imitation designer goods. All of them had an unbelievable amount of sales assistants to greet you, help you shop and enquire how you day was going.

After locating the surfboard hire shop, to find out about the possibilities of catching a Fijian wave, we continued on to the local fruit and veg market. There was no sign of any other tourists about, but we had no hassle as we walked amongst the rows and rows of (often unidentifiable) fruit and veg. There was also a fish market, but we didn't linger in there!

A tactical stop for iced coffee at an air-con café kept the heat at bay and thus, our bodies functioning. Inside it was cool and quiet. We took a seat by the window and watched people going past in the heat and noise of the main street, like we were sat in a different world. Afterwards, we took another bus to the marina where there were beautiful golf courses, big hotels and a 'western style' shopping area with international brands. To cool down from the bus ride, we got a coconut drink. The guy took it from a fridge, then casually as much as skillfully, hacked the top off with a machete and served it with a straw! Very cool! Later we  even came across the 'Hard Rock Cafe' were we got a snack to help us get home, back to the cool and tranquility of our guest house.

The Fiji Phase

Even after selling and donating our surplus camping gear, we still found ourselves stretching the limit of our bagage allowance at the airport this morning. We flew first from Christchurch to Auckland, then onto the town of Nadi in Fiji. After a bit of smiling at the check in desk, we managed to squeeze within the weight limits by employing the tactic of stashing a few extra kilos of stuff inside the hat I was carrying! Subtle but effective.

It was about 18 degrees when we left Auckland; we stepped off the plane in Fiji to find ourselves in a humid 35 degrees! Wow, it's hot here! It was a small terminal with three guys playing guitars and ukuleles as we got our passport stamped. A driver from the guest house met us and got us swiftly into his air conditioned jeep. After a short drive we arrived at our accommodation, hot, tired, but very happy. Later in the day we had a short walk to the local shops. There was plenty of choice if you wanted to buy rice...

Or tinned meats...

Late in the afternoon I experienced my first proper tropical downpour! The clouds had been building during the afternoon, then after a rumble of thunder rain poured down like a burst pipe under pressure. Amazingly, the heat remained. I've no idea how much rain fell, but bit must have been quite a few centimetres worth! 

The evening was then spent, on the advice of our host, enjoying a traditional Fijian dinner of fish at a local restaurant.  New Zealand suddenly feels a long time ago.

Climbing at Flock Hill

Our last full day in New Zealand! Having camped up in the mountains near Castle Hill, it was only a short drive in the morning to the next port of call on our climbing tour - Flock Hill. The pesky Sandflies made sure that it didn't take long to pack up camp and get out of the shady forest. On arrival at the limestone Boulder fields of Flock Hill, we started the day by taking a walk down to a cave entrance. There were some 'safety' signs up that pretty much seemed to be encouraging anyone to grab a torch and make the through trip! We decided that we didn't much fancy half an hour of wading through cold waist deep water in the dark, so went climbing instead.

After a bit of pleasant bouldering in the cool of the morning, the heat of the sun suddenly turned itself up a few notches. Before it got too blistering, we got the ropes out and climbed a boulder called the pyramid. Technically it could be described as a boulder, but it was certainly big enough to warrant the use of a rope for some security!

It was a cool little peak to finish our New Zealand climbing adventures on top of! After a bit of puzzling over the question of how to get back down, we descended safely, then packed up and headed to Christchuch.

On the drive down from Castle Hill, we had a brief lunch by Lake Porter and donated some of the 'stuff' that we'd accumulated during our travels, to an appreciative lady in a cool old camper. 

Further down the hill we stopped for celebratory coffee and carrot cake at a town called Springfield, where a giant donut celebrates its twinning with The Simpson's home town.

We'd managed to book into one of the last available rooms in Christchurch and counted ourselves lucky again. The headlines in the paper declared today the busiest day in Christchurch in eight years with hotels all at bursting point! Apart from the cricket world cup and the Chinese New Year, the Foo Fighters also happened to be playing a sell out gig in town! Thankfully, we checked into our little haven and spent the following hour or so packing our bags ready for tomorrow's 4.30am start to Fiji.

 

Once the bags were sorted, we drove into town to see if we could sell some of our excess equipment to climbers at the Christchurch indoor climbing wall. We had a bit of interest and managed to sell the (too heavy to carry around the States)  New Zealand climbing guide, and would have sold the tent for a healthy profit, had a young instructor not had his wallet stolen last night! We decided to pass on some good luck to him and donated it to him anyway. It had served us well and hopefully will continue to get some use. While we were at the climbing wall, we realised we were very close to the crazy 'futuristic' café from the other day, so popped in for a quick drink, before grabbing a 'Velet Burger' with the cash from our sales.

Climbing at Castle Hill

About an hours drive inland from Christchurch, on the way to Arthur's Pass is a place called Castle Hill. It's an area of wierd limestone outcrops that have weathered away to create a pretty surreal landscape. Even if you're not into climbing, I'd say it would be worth a look in. 

Naturally, for us, seeing wasn't quite enough and to the travelling rock climber, they are just crying out to be climbed. It took a while to get our heads around the guidebook and the complexities of the different areas, but we soon found ourselves on top of one of the pinacles, feeling rather pleased with ourselves. The climbing was a mixture of delicate moves, interspersed with water worn scoops and pockets.

Many of the climbs had had the bolts removed, which meant that we couldn't climb some of the routes we wanted to. After a long lunch in the shade of a big boulder, we went for a bit of an explore of the rest of the area, climbing over and through the shapes as we went.

We finished the day by climbing a few of the boulder problems, but only cautiously as we didn't have a mat and the top outs generally involved very slopey holds.

Cricket in Christchurch

We arrived in the city of Christchurch, where it turned out the Cricket World Cup was in full flow! Well that explains why there is not a single hotel room available this week and only a couple of old cars left to hire! Not to worry - we've still got our trusty $30 tent.

We had a very smooth start to the day really. Walked the few metres down the beach to check the surf; but alas there was none. We contented ourselves by dipping our toes in the water before returning for our last breakfast in Wendy the camper. A smooth operation then followed...

We stopped at the surf shop and sold Clare's surfboard, my surf bag and leash for cash. We threw in the remains of Bamboo Barry into the bargain as well as the owner thought he could make a sign out of him! Then, it was on to the airport to pick up a huge Toyota Corrolla (the last car they had - 'don't you know it's the cricket World Cup sir? All cars in Christchuch are booked!). Lastly, we transferred our bags from the camper, returned Wendy to her owners, then drove off in into the city in our shiny new ride.

Evidence of the earthquakes is everywhere still; much of the place resembles war like scene of devastation. You can be walking down a street then suddenly find a bunch of derelict buildings, often with one end of the structure missing. You could see the seats of a theatre with ornate ceilings hanging precariously over them. It was all very eerie. There is a huge amount of building work going on still, but some areas that have been cleared have not all been rebuilt on; many have been made common ground for people to use. A little golf course was at the first place we came across, so we stopped for a quick round and I had to get the drinks in later on, as Clare got a hole in one!

Because the art galleries got destroyed, there are many art installations and sculptures just on the streets...

We stopped in Victoria Park where a giant screen was showing live cricket. Scotland were getting thrashed by New Zealand so there was happy home crowd. The screen was part sponsored by Cadburys, so we enjoyed plenty (a bit too much actually) of the free slabs of chocolate that was being handed out.

Then, we strolled the streets, stopping for a drink at a temporary shopping area made out of shipping containers. It looked very cool, but not once you looked past it at the waste land that it was in and were reminded again of the destruction.

After a stroll through the botanical gardens, we finally found somewhere to eat called C1 Expresso. I unfortunately didn't get a photo of the building, so I'll have to try and describe instead. It was one of the coolest eating experiences I've ever had. It was a 'Steampunk' cafe, which is based on what the Victorian era guessed the future might be like. 

Inside there were wood panels, high ceilings and an old fashioned library area. Above, were big bulbed lights and a network clear tubes, inside which, little pods were travelling (see picture above). It looked a bit like the inside of a mad professors study, or somewhere Sherlock Homles might live.

After ordering some food and drinks, would you believe it; a little bell rang overhead and one of the little pods (with my name written on it) landed down the tube which ended next to the table!

Excitedly, we extracted the tube, and opened it up. Hey presto! Dinner was served! Three little burgers and some fries all neatly packaged into a pneumatic pod! Brilliant!

And it wasn't just a gimmic - it tasted delicious! Especially washed down with a banana smoothie.