Three wolves™

So I’m back in Wellington after a brilliant Queen’s Birthday weekend in Taranaki with some good friends, staying at my old mate Jamie’s parents place. I’m super tired from all the activities, but fully stoked to have spent a weekend with some of the coolest, genuine and most loving people on the planet!

I’m not sure what I was thinking, but somehow i had this idea that we’d have this nice relaxing few days just lounging around and reading books and playing cards, eating way too much, and maybe a leisurely mountain bike somewhere, then piling in the car and heading back to Welling-town. Sometimes i can be so wrong…

Not a minute is wasted at the Finnigan household. Once breakfast is over (not because you had it, but because you missed the breakfast eating window) it’s straight into day planning mode! Mrs. Finnigan (Liz) was already making the most of the day rafting with her WIA friends, and Mr. Finnigan (Steve) was in town at his model shop, so it was up to the two remaining Finnigans Kirsty and Andrew to drag Mike and I out the door and into some sporting activities.

First up was climbing a mountain! We donned shorts and hoodies and took a few bottles of water and left the beautiful sunny serenity of Finnigan central to tramp up a mountain (Egmont). All general hopes of enjoyment quickly faded as we ascended from the warm sun into cold damp cloud, and the wind started to pick up. Off we went up the hill with Andrew leading the way (he’s a gun mountaineer and is off to Franz-Josef glacier to take tourists up and down it) at a cracking pace. Five minutes into it I faked a “I’ve just got to take off my hoodie - it’s a bit hot” an stopped for a well needed rest (I didn’t want to show Andrew how incredibly unfit a human being can get). After this we scrambled (or ambled) up the ‘Razorback’ about halfway up the mountain. There was actually another track we could have taken rather than this one, and it looked nice and gradual, but apprently the razorback was the optimal choice. Best not argue with experienced mountaineers.

Once we reached the top, we got to a hutt which we were intending to check out and really just pass by on our way back down. All of a sudden a guy pops his head out the window and calls out to Andrew. Turns out he’s a tramping buddy of his. So we get invited inside for a cuppa (read: Very very strong black tea with sugar and no milk). The guy was pretty funny, and it was good chance to check out the inside of the hut - lots of old photos and tramping memorabilia.

Then we ran (read: supported the weight of my rapidly descending body with my knees, both of which are now extremely sore) back to the car. Mike and I gave up on the running half way and chatted most of the way back.

Once we got back home, it wasn’t long before there was something else to do, and to my delight we took out Steve’s radio control car for a spin. This thing is every little (or big) boy’s dream! It’s got a real motor in it (runs on methanol i think) and man does it go… We took it to a local dirt track and fanged it around the place. We had to cut things short as we broke one of the suspension rods, but sufice to say I’m hooked! You guys know what to get me for my birthday…

After that, Steve had booked us in to see the circus! I hadn’t been to one in a very long time, so seeing this one brought back old memories: the hotdogs and chips, the candy floss. It was good show, the highlight for me being a dude who suspended himself horizontally from a pole with his hands, and proceeded to do horizontal chin-ups!! Very very impressive. I thought about giving him my card in case he needed a stunt double.

Sunday morning we attened the Combined Inglewood Christian Church. We made up all of about 30 people, which at first was a bit daunting compared to my church here in Wellington of 800+, but after finding our pew we got into it. There’s something really genuine and intimate about a smaller service. When the pastor looks at you, you know he’s really looking at you. Nothing is hidden. I really loved it. And I found out that without an awesome band leading the worship, people are actually terribly singers! The pastor spoke on motivation, and what motivates us to get up and do life everyday. Some good thought fodder for sure.

After that, i think we had a bit of lunch back at the house, and then went and played 10-pin bowls. I was terrible, as were the rest of us, but Andrew took out the top spot in the end. After bowls, Kirsty Steve and Andrew
decided it would be fun to run around for a bit, so off they went (they happened to have their running gear with them…) while Mike, Liz and i drove back home to Inglewood. We did stop for a ’short walk’ on the way back though! Liz took us up a little hill (it was actually quite little) where we checked out a nice view of the Naki area. then it was back home where i curled up on the couch with a book, and caught up on the happenings of the day according to tickler (the family cat).

Monday morning we all jumped in the cars and headed to ‘Paratutu’ (a large local rock outcrop on the foreshore). Andrew was certain we’d love the walk around, and after reassuring us that there were only a few ‘interesting’ (read: easy parts, so long as you don’t slip, and if you do, you’re dead) parts to the walk, we pushed on. There were in need some interesting parts. I think the thing that freaked me out the most was the abundance of metal climbing hooks spotted all over the rocks, indicating that perhaps one should have brought a rope or two for safety, but apprently they were not needed… We got most of the way around till Mike decided that the way Andrew had led us up was boring and chose his own route. I stood there and watched him while waiting for my turn to climb up, and just caught a glimpse of him as he lost his grip and slipped down the rock face onto a ledge below us. Slightly scary, but more painful for him than anything. His had was quite cut up and bloody.

After Paratutu, we raced the RC car a bit more, then had a nice picnic lunch on the beach then headed back home.

And that’s about it for my weekend away in the Naki. I had a fantastic time, and while being a very very tired boy, i’d do it again in a heartbeat. Thanks so much Steve and Liz for an awesome weekend. You guys are choice!