Wow, that feels great. Not one single Covid-19 case in New Zealand and we're down to Level 1. That won't change too much for most people, unless you like hanging out in bars, protesting, watching live sport or soaking in a music gig. They're some very welcome additions as life in New Zealand takes another step toward normality. Apart from the international travel thing, it's going to be just like the good old days.
As a family we've already got a map full of pins in all the places we want to go to around our country – some familiar haunts, others new adventures and some wintry mountain trips weaved into it all. Mostly, surf spots.
This week I caught up with the newly announced Otago Scholastics Surfing Team. They're a bunch of pretty amazing young high-school aged surfers who will be competing nationally at Kaikoura in October. They're training most Sundays around Otago, based out of the South Coast Boardriders Club at St Clair Beach.
Coach Craig Higgins has been involved in some very successful Scholastics campaigns in the past, taking surfers the calibre of Jack McLeod and Elliott Brown to previous events. This new group has some stars emerging with Jaya Reardon, Anika Ayson, Taya Morrison and Misha Peyroux in the girls and Luke Rogers, Nixon Reardon, Karne Gabbott, Bailey Pearce, Kahu Kaan, Jake Owens and Jimi Higgins leading the boys.
Craig put them out in some pretty punchy waves on Sunday ... a good acid test for them all. Keep an eye out for these guys, they're going places. And if you want to help support the team get in touch, they're about to launch into some fundraising to cover specialist training, uniforms, travel and accommodation. Go Otago.
See you at the beach ... Derek
PS We understand the DCC is just doing its job in responding to complaints, but seriously – changing the name of mountain bike trails at Signal Hill? It's part of the culture of mountain biking in New Zealand to have curious names – they are part of the fabric of it all. And The Mrs? Of all trails you've picked on one that was actually built by a guy who finished work at 5pm, grabbed a shovel and disappeared into the forest at Signal Hill nearly every night for as long as I have known him. Mike gave up so much of his time and sweated over every aspect of The Mrs for one reason alone: so his lovely wife Sarah had a trail she could enjoy riding down from the top of the hill in a trail network that is predominantly steep and exhilirating downhill trails. Sarah and many 1000s of others (including me and my kids) have benefited all these years from such a well-designed and fun trail. People came from far and wide to ride The Mrs and, as it does in mountain biking culture in New Zealand, the story of the trail reached into every corner. Trailbuilders are among the finest people that exist on this planet and this slur against them is nothing short of embarrassing. Commonsense anyone? Surely we are reminded daily just how important that is to society. I just hope the DCC doesn't find out the name of the new wave Graham Carse has been surfing all summer ...
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