Okere Dreaming

 Life here in NZ is pretty dreamy. Last week a sweet crew of Okere ladies (and Sam) went mountain biking in to Waihaha hut which is out towards Tihoi. It was a really nice day and I was stoked to get back out on my bike. I have been enjoying heaps of surfing lately as I picked up my new board:)
I have also been working on the yacht that charters out on Lake Rotoiti, been loving being back on the boat!
This week I start studying to be a teacher...this will be occupying a lot of my time for the next 10months!Ahh!

Rio Fuy

Here is an edit put together on our trip on the Rio Fuy in Chile:)

Tits Deep- Movie Trailer!

Women of the 2012 Whitewater Grand Prix!

Check it!

Okere Champions Race!

Photo credit above: Douglas McCormick

The last few weeks have been really awesome being home:) Morning surf sessions, mountain biking and some competitions. Last weekend we had the Andy Duff Memorial Race which was taken out by Kenny Mutton in the Mens and myself in the women’s. The following weekend we had the Okere Champions race which includes a run, bike, swim, kayak and finally a run to the store to skull back a beer. Tim Pickering held his own once again in the mens finishing just ahead of Jamie Sutton. For the women it came down to the skull for the fight for the win. I managed to pull through just ahead of Martina and Soph Hoskins, must be all that winter training I did;)

My final year of study to be a teacher starts in 1week so I am making the most of time before then!

Aotearoa- Land of the long white cloud

After many hours of traveling I finally made it back to New Zealand! Since I have been home I have settled back into Okere Falls and have managed to line up some work for the next few months. I have been out surfing a lot at our local spot- Nudics and have been back in my kayak. The other day I joined Soph, Leela, Sam, Leaf and a few others for a trip down a small grade 2/3 creek just out of Te Puke. It was really really beautiful and the walls of the river had moss all over them! The weather was stunning and this combined with the amazing scenery was soo good!

Today I followed Brendan, Tyler, Soph, Leela and Elsy down to Access 14 of the Tongariro River. This section of river is beautiful and a good read and run class 3/4. It only runs about three times per summer so I was really stoked to get on it finally! The take out is at Treetrunk Gorge drops but this was just a bit too high to run today. 

On the weekend we had the 10th Andy Duff Memorial Race here on the Katiuna river. With 5 classes- Short boat, Long boat, Topo, Swimming and Rafting this is a really good day that brings every man and his dog out to the river. I was stoked to take out the long boat class as there was definately some hot competition around with Olympian Luuka Jones and Toni George. The mens was won by Kenny Mutton. We also had a primo all ladies raft crew that owned the raft race!

So stoked to be back here in NZL! Hanging out with good friends again:) Getting out on the lake with friends on the boat water skiing, kayaking, surfing and easing back into work!

2012 Finito

Since the WWGP finished I have joined up with a sweet Kiwi crew of Blair Trottman, Matt Burton, Dean Woodgate and their Canadian accomplice Mitch! It has been great to reunite and hang with some Kiwi boys again. We cruised to the Rio Gol Gol for Christmas and joined up with Blairs lady, Leith and Natalie and an awesome Auzzy couple. Unfortunately the rain gods had really gone to town and left the Rio Gol Gol in serious flood. So instead of going kayaking on Christmas we spent the day indoors enjoying hot wine and playing board games, it turned out really sweet.
After boxing day we headed back to Pucon to jump on the Nevados. The boys Natalie and I went right up into the upper canyon gorge and finished just above the Demshitz drop. I had not run the upper canyon or Dulce Amour so was really stoked to rally down the whole Nevados with our sick crew! I had one of the best days I have had on the water in a while. Just stoked to be paddling with some Kiwis again and with a good crew.
Mitch, Dean, Matt and I then departed Pucon for Santiago on the night bus and then continued on to Pichilamu- Chiles sweetest surf spot. It was so nice to be back in the pacific ocean although the waters were definately cold. We hired some wetsuits and surfboards from a shop on the beach and spent the next week eating, surfing and sleeping. We celebrated in 2013 with a steak meal and wine followed by watching fireworks on the beach and a midnight dip in the ocean.
Its time now for me to head back to New Zealand. I will be straight into working and potentially back studying. But my plans are to continue kayaking and get back on the charge!