JW in NZ

Having sorted out accommodation in Queenstown, a few days later I drove to Wanaka to do my CSI (Certificate in Ski Instruction) course. Don't ask why I didn't choose a local one! I thought the dates were convenient. The route I took goes through some mountains, past Cardrona where I first ski'd and on to Wanaka. The sad part is, I remember the road well from when I was last here since between Cardrona and Wanaka (20km) there was a fence which literally hundreds of women had hung their bras on! Such is some attitude here though, the fence was highly controversial and has since been taken down (not without a fight!). It lives on for me:



Turns out that there were 30 people on the course at Treble cone, near Wanaka. I think that 26 of them were on a course run by a company called the Rookie Academy. My two private lessons and 4 days skiing in total didn't seem to compare too well with the 5 week intensive course that these guys had been on but I wasn't yet demoralised.

The course was pretty tiring. It was four days long and started each day at 9am (pretty much when the lifts open) and finished after we ski'd down from the last lift. 40 minutes for lunch. Was quite surprised to find though that I was fitter than most of the people that had been skiing for five weeks. A pretty big achievement on their part if you ask me!

Two of the people not from the Rookie Academy taking the instructors course were from the USA (lets just say they made it sufficiently known about). After skiing one day, I gave them a lift back to Wanaka and I want you're opinion on this (below). I said whilst driving down the mountain maybe 5 minutes into the journey, that "I don't remember the road being this long", to which Bailey said "have you not driven along it before?". Err, the car didn't exactly get up there by itself now did it! "I drove up here this morning". At this point I pretty much got accused of speaking without thinking, but I can only think that it was the other way round. Your thoughts below please.

I stayed at the Purple Cow hostel for the first few nights, after which it was full up so having spent several hundred pounds on camping stuff, I decided I wanted to get some use from it and slept in my car. I really am not lying when I say that for the two nights I was in the car I had the best nights sleep I've had for weeks. Not too surprising really; the seats fold completely flat, I have a good radiator (stayed at a powered site), a roll mat, camping mattress and goose down sleeping bag. It might all seem excessive but I got caught out when I arrived in Queenstown and slept in the car for a night. Thought I was going to die I was so cold, and the car being what it is I wanted to be prepared if I were to get stuck somewhere.

Anyway, I had good enough sleep to pass the first instructors course having had only four days skiing in New Zealand before hand. That's right, JW's now a qualified ski instructor. Makes me feel quite good; 26/30 people on the course had spent £4000 just getting to this point and had five weeks preparation. They should feel well and truly had! Took this (and some others):