Final weekend at Ruapehu

Your faithful roving reporter has just come back from tackling the volcano for the final time this year, with a bit of a suntan...

Actually I look like a flippin' redneck! Despite applying the sun cream liberally in the morning, by Sunday afternoon I could feel I was slowly crisping up - this morning, a day later, I'm nicely pink and feeling a bit sore.

Not as sore as the Aussies though I'd venture! 12-10 England Australia, ah well, better luck next time eh Skippy!

Anyway, back to the snow. Drove up Friday with a couple who Sally and Tim are friends with, and who had a spare seat in their enormous Toyota Estima people carrier. Annette is English and her husband Yves is French (so imagine how he felt on Sunday morning ;-) ) and we got up to the hill about midday to find recent fresh snow and broad sunshine. Friday afternoon was thus spent coasting some of the main slopes and getting re-acquainted with the skis in very pleasant sunshine.

Saturday was rubbish - the cloud closed in, the wind blew and it rained!

Sunday, after the unfortunate loss by the Kiwis, was a stunner! Blue sky, no wind, and soft, forgiving snow meant I went out with a couple of the other skiers to the West Ridge and had an absolute ball! By mid-morning just about all the slopes we went down had been softened by the strong sun before getting slushy so it was a joy to fly down the bowls and trails.
After a quick break for lunch we went out again, although I only managed about an hour before my limbs called a halt to the proceedings - to put it mildly, I was shattered! Clearly I hadn't drunk enough water, I just crashed and couldn't control the skis any more.

Luckily this wasn't too long before we were planning on heading off anyway, so no great loss. Travelled back with Tim and Sally and their son Matt, stopping at Bulls for nourishment in the form of a delicious kebab. Note to self, don't have chilli source when your lips are already burned from the sun!

And so to Wellington. After the sunshine and calm of Whakapapa, the wind and driving rain of Wellington. Last night was terrible, I woke up at 4 cos of the noise of the rain smashing into the window. This morning's not much better either.

Wellington in the spring, hmmm....