Sunday morning I want for a very short mountain bike ride up a hill, down the hill over the jumps. The jumps were great fun but I must confess to having bottled out on the largest one. On the way up I had been told as we cycled up the hill “ this jump where Justin broke his collar bone”. It was far to hot to go back up the hill again.
I then had an off-road driving lesson to prepare me for Africa. We started off up some very steep inclines. The technique seems to be more power, more speed and more prayer! We then went for a drive threw some swampy ground. A lot of wheel spinning and throwing around of stinky mud I was out the other side. At this point I thought we were stuck being surrounded by trees. “Were stuck” I said naively “She’ll be right mate, aim for the smallest tree and give it some gas” Dan replied.
Monday, 26 March 2007
Back on the water.
I contemplate the smoothness of the landing and the volume of water I have just comsumed.
Saturday morning I sat off with Dan to get new toys for the pond. He is now the proud owner of a new knee board. The board was damaged before the end of the day but I think he was pleased. Dan seems to believe that a day on the water is only complete if both equipment and people have suffered minor damage!!
With a new addition to the pond of a home made jump it was going to be a good day. The jump works like this. Sit on kneeboard, aim at ramp, lean back (it’s all in vain but make you feel as if you are doing something), hit ramp, proceed up the ramp and into the air (you have little/no choice at this stage!). Once in the air the rope you are grasping onto becomes your enemy. You start to pivot forward, then with a vain hope that it will all be alright you let go of the rope. The end of the knee board enters the water and stops. You body continues forward at great speed pivoting around the nose of the board until you face gently slams into the water. The people on the boat laugh, cheer, point and always say things like “Wow, he stacked it” as if it’s a surprise! The jump was only successfully cleared about three times during the whole day. It was a fantastic day.
With a new addition to the pond of a home made jump it was going to be a good day. The jump works like this. Sit on kneeboard, aim at ramp, lean back (it’s all in vain but make you feel as if you are doing something), hit ramp, proceed up the ramp and into the air (you have little/no choice at this stage!). Once in the air the rope you are grasping onto becomes your enemy. You start to pivot forward, then with a vain hope that it will all be alright you let go of the rope. The end of the knee board enters the water and stops. You body continues forward at great speed pivoting around the nose of the board until you face gently slams into the water. The people on the boat laugh, cheer, point and always say things like “Wow, he stacked it” as if it’s a surprise! The jump was only successfully cleared about three times during the whole day. It was a fantastic day.
John's party.
John worked with me at Rocky point doing all the electrical work. He has now made it to the grand age of thirty. On Friday night he had a lovely party with about one hundred people. It was really great to catch up with lots of old friends at the party.
Tuesday, 20 March 2007
The Beach
We started the day hiring a boat and heading up the Noosa river with my uncles, cousin and her friend. Then we hit the beach which was quite fantastic the waves were just enough to allow you to body surf. The water was a lovely temperature and the water crystal clear. Later we saw some dolphins chasing a shoal of fish.
Netball!
It’s not all girls in pleated skirts running around trying to get a ball threw a little hoop. Over here it’s the boys as well. So I was once again a part of the Tribe of Dan net ball team. The rules of net ball are not as easy as it seems at first glance. The referee just would not spot her insistent blowing of the whistle and carrying on about another foul. How can you have a game when people have WA on their front meaning wing Attack and claim it’s a non-contact sport? Stepping of the court I could not help but think I must look like someone stepping out of the shower fully clothed. The idea or running around in this heat is quite ludicrous. It was a really good laugh and more importantly we won!
Tuesday, 13 March 2007
Off Road!!!
Sunday was hot hot hot!!!!
It was too sunny to go back on the water so we went off road. We had three four wheel drives I was with my good friend Dan in his fantastic blue beast!
We set off into some really beautiful hills inland from where I used to live. The tranquil hills did not remain that way for long we were soon smashing, crashing and revving our way over rocks trenches and river beds. I was quite amazed at what the vehicles could make it up some of the ditches and hills I would have had trouble making it over on foot. It was so much fun and a real bone shaking time!
Monday, 12 March 2007
Jet boats on prawn farm ponds!!
Last Saturday I went to a friends prawn farm which is very close to the place I used to work. He has the most fantastic new toy – a jet boat!! It was my first time to try wake- boarding (Its like a snow board for water.) I must confess to stacking it the first ten or so times I tried to get up and going. Each time almost pulling my arms out of their sockets! Once you can get going it’s quite easy to stay up and turn. I left the big jumps, flips and slides to the other guys not wanting to show them up on my first go!!!
The second part of the day was really fun when we had two ropes and were knee boarding. A body board is use and you start off on your belly then hop up onto your knees and sit on the thing in a very Japanese way. They are surprisingly a lot easier than the wake board and spins ect are great fun. The main aim of the boats driver is to “rag doll” the two people on the back. That basically consists of trying to go really fast into a corner and send the two people on boards around the corner like a slingshot watching as they skim along. Inevitably they go to fast and end up fling off the board and crashing along the water like a rag doll being thrown from a car. I was more than a little stiff trying to get out of bed this morning.
The guys also have a big pipe in the pond one end below the water. The aim is to slide along the pipe out of the water. By some amazing fluke I managed it on the knee board by pure fluke of lining up and holding on!!
The second part of the day was really fun when we had two ropes and were knee boarding. A body board is use and you start off on your belly then hop up onto your knees and sit on the thing in a very Japanese way. They are surprisingly a lot easier than the wake board and spins ect are great fun. The main aim of the boats driver is to “rag doll” the two people on the back. That basically consists of trying to go really fast into a corner and send the two people on boards around the corner like a slingshot watching as they skim along. Inevitably they go to fast and end up fling off the board and crashing along the water like a rag doll being thrown from a car. I was more than a little stiff trying to get out of bed this morning.
The guys also have a big pipe in the pond one end below the water. The aim is to slide along the pipe out of the water. By some amazing fluke I managed it on the knee board by pure fluke of lining up and holding on!!
Thursday, 8 March 2007
Aus
I went kayaking on the Brisbane river with the cousins. Such fun but I dig end up very wet and am well educated as to the quite foul taste of the river (still better than the Thames!).
Traveling south to the tacky wonder of the Gold Coast we hit the beach. The sea was quite rough but it was great fun getting pushed around. I looked like a well greased albino after bathing in sun tan lotion, the obvious tourist.
Traveling south to the old stomping ground was great. It is strange to see people and places you know so well but have not seen for ages. Everyone is very much the same but there are a lot of little kids running around!
Traveling south to the tacky wonder of the Gold Coast we hit the beach. The sea was quite rough but it was great fun getting pushed around. I looked like a well greased albino after bathing in sun tan lotion, the obvious tourist.
Traveling south to the old stomping ground was great. It is strange to see people and places you know so well but have not seen for ages. Everyone is very much the same but there are a lot of little kids running around!
Leaving the U.K.
The last few weeks in the U.K. were great fun but a frantic blur of restoring water flow to the taps and not the front lawn! Parties galore were had with some epic indoor BBQ’s resulting in much enjoyment but for those who were present when the extractor went smog!!
Having spent what time I had doing the really important things like putting all the music I could onto I-tunes I may have left the front lawn looking like a front line trench after heavy shelling. Packing was my traditional random throwing of stuff into bags for a few minutes the getting bored and setting off to the pub!
The flight was as per usual long and as exciting as watching six films, not sleeping and relentlessly pressing the magic button on the arm rest which results in free beer (a much better invention than the wheel, sliced bread etc!) could be.
Having spent what time I had doing the really important things like putting all the music I could onto I-tunes I may have left the front lawn looking like a front line trench after heavy shelling. Packing was my traditional random throwing of stuff into bags for a few minutes the getting bored and setting off to the pub!
The flight was as per usual long and as exciting as watching six films, not sleeping and relentlessly pressing the magic button on the arm rest which results in free beer (a much better invention than the wheel, sliced bread etc!) could be.
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