Adventure Bardsley: November 2010

Monday, November 29, 2010

Alex's school trip to Central Otago (mountain bike holiday)

Alex clearing the gap

Last week I got to come along with Alex's school as a chaperon for 20 kids on a mountain bike holiday. Yes! That is right, this school actually takes kids to the mountains for week to ride their bikes instead of do math. It is safe to say that Alex feels like he won the lottery living in NZ.
The school principle, who organized the trip is a cycle enthusiast. He did many of the hard down-hills with the kids. I was really impressed with his ability to let the kids "go for it", while also teaching safety and bike-awareness. There was also two other dads, Sean and Bob. One was a great cook, the other a great mechanic. So that made me "Nurse Jen" - the only mom.

There were many many nasty wrecks - but luckily no real injuries. It is amazing how "rubbery" these kids are.

DNI kids posing at Lake Wanaka

What I loved about whole idea of this trip is that New Zealand school's want these kids to know what is out their backdoor. The schools give a major opportuny to provide them the experience to see it and enjoy it!

The kids had the option everyday to bike something easy or super technical - seriously, I was impressed with the crazy tracks and jumps. Again, Alex was in heaven.

My girls! These little studs rocked the tracks - they were super fun, and I had a ball with them.

Alex scoping the next jump in Wanaka (All handmade dirt jumps)

From Dunedin to Central Otago.

I loved that Central Otago (only 3 hours west of Dunedin) it is so much like Montana.
The land is dry and it is full of deep valleys and big mountains. Made me miss home.
This area is super futile as well. It is full of wine vinards and "heaps" of fruit is grown here. (Heaps is a word that everyone say's here)
We stayed in Cromwell and drove to Alexandera, Clyde, Wanaka, and beyond.....

Wine and Mounains, two of my faves.

Blown out tire!

loading and unloading the van with kids and bikes - these lucky kids got "heaps" of shuttles. We only got stuck once.

Alex with his free ride bike

Alex doing a 360 in air

Alex with cone on head.

shooting the hip

Kids ready to drop down "hair ball decent" outside of Alexandera, NZ (yes, alex is wering pj's)

This girl's name was Ellie and she rocked the downhills.

For the last night of the trip, I suggested to the princible that the kids have a "talent show" - of course I had to teach the girls the Micheal Jackson dance "Thiller"
They were sooooooo good. Never out of character - super creepy!

Thriller Girls! Sierra, Mia, Harret, Jazzy and Sophia

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Bardsley's Go Surfing

Our first surf day out as a family on Smails Beach, NZ

Well what can I say, John shocked me last weekend by purchasing surf gear. We had talked about it before the move to NZ. "Wouldn't it be cool to learn how to surf?" But, honestly, I didn't think it would happen. I should know better.

There are many beaches minutes from our home in Dunedin. All gorgeous with white sand and green/blue water. It almost seems unreal being at them because they are so beautiful and powerful. The strength of the ocean is truly humbling. The water is freezing cold! We all are in awe of it and have little butterflies being in it. John and I decided to always be out with the kids and chose one to be in charge of. This may seem fearful, but rip-tides are real even with experienced life guards and shark alarms. I really feel out of my element. John is more confident of course. His dad was a swim champion and coached for years at Butte High school. John also kayaked for years in class 4 rapids in Montana and Idaho before we had kids. The "kitchen sink rapid" on the Madison and other multi-day stretches in his back pocket of extreme experiences. I kayaked too, and did nearly all the good whitewater rivers in Montana, but I just liked to play and didn't really get my role down well.
Swimming awareness was important to John. In fact, when we first hooked up as a couple, (1993) he wanted to know my swimming ability and accessed my strokes with tips and advice. So, as a result the kids are good swimmers and used to moving water with our land on the Dearborn river. Still, I am pushing my "mama-bear" button to heightened awareness.


Heading down to Smails Beach

Smails beach (just the week before John and Mountain biked above the beach up over the Peninsula)

One of the best features is that the beaches of Dunedin are not so crowded! The beaches of Tomahawk and Smails have very great waves and surfers will love it here. There is a gorgeous little island that separates these two beaches.We just surfed on the Smails side because the waves are longer and rolling into the beach. If fact, you can stand and just catch a wave without having to paddle out past the break point.


Smails Island ( http://www.flickriver.com/photos/mundoview/tags/newzealand/)

We find out that we are lucky to get the southerly winds off the Antarctic iceshelf. Brrrr.
However, it drives the huge swells that sweep in from the Southern Ocean.

Fortuitously, these gnarly monsters wrap around rugged headlands and roll into some Otago Peninsula bays as perfectly formed tunnel waves. (People wait in line for these in Hawaii) We have a choice of over 40 breaks within a one hour drive of the city.
For those who brave the sharp winds and chilly waters, this coast can deliver the best surfing in the South Island. You just need to be outfitted in a complete neoprene wardrobe to survive. Our new wet suits are amazing! They keep you perfectly warm is freezing water. I wonder if we shouldn't sell them when we go back to home, but use them in the fall and spring to swim in the rivers around Montana....hmmmmm.
The other bonus is that we look like a family of super-heroes. This is a good metal boost.


To cute Ellie in her new Roxy wet suit


Cold and windy - this photo was taken with our "water proof camera" - so it was wet

Alex heads out with our Dart surf board. Since he my equal height and weight, we are sharing the board. Ellie and I had a so much fun body-boarding.

While we were coming in on a great long wave, we noticed to our left a Sea Lion swimming in as well. He landed on the beach and bounced his fat body up into the Dunes for sleep.

smails beach and island

New past time for the boys....waxing there surf boards.

Bardsley Beach Film

Click here to see our new film featuring the first 3 months of "Beach Highlights"

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Halloween in Spring

New Zealand does not really celebrate Halloween, so the excitement factor was not present. However, I was not about to allow my children to miss out. Halloween is like our fave family holiday. We have 6 tubs of dress-up clothing and decorations at home. So this year, we had to do what we did in Finland. Make our own holiday and look for any American's or Kiwi's that wanted to be goofy with us. This was not a problem for me.

Ellie carved these apple's into scary faces since we couldn't find a carving pumpkin. Remember - it is spring here.

Halloween in the spring is sorta odd. All the spring flowers are coming up. It is super green and super alive. Bright colors of life just don't go with Halloween's Brown and Oranges of autumn.

Our creepy scarecrow and Ghosts!

We ended up having our house featured on the New Zealand "Good Morning" Show because photos were sent in by tourist (we live on the steepest st in the world)
Click here to go to TVNZ we were featured on the broadcast of October 26th.

We got invited to a Halloween party by Missoula friends of friends. Our buddy from Missoula Phil Gardner lived here awhile ago, so these folks were his contacts. Angie and Dean - super nice kiwis with neato kids the same ages as ours...The party was a teenager madhouse. Really fun for our kids.Of course, we came to the party dressed to the nines. Complete outfits and themes. But, when the kids looked out the window at the other kids not really dressed up, they quickly shed their costumes before they even got out of the car.

Love that stash. John was a "Tiger Tamer" - and I was a Tiger.

Angie and Dean with John

The next day on Halloween was a Bike Jam downtown. It was organized by the BMX crew in Dunedin. Riders got extra points for being dressed up. It was a cool scene. Alex was the only kid with a "dirt jump" bike as compared to the small BMX bike. He had to step up with the big Boys. He was one of two kids below the age of 14years. It was mostly 20 year old guys competing.

There were hundreds of folks cheering and dressed up for th event. Alex really rocked it and took 2nd place.

Alex with wings and bike!

Sweet Wheel Grab

Later that day on Halloween we hosted our fellow American/Kiwi friends for a pre-candy meal of "Sausage Fingers" and "Deviled Eye balls"

Chris, John and Linn Layn

Ellie and our local Black Cat

Kids trick or treating on our street. People waved them to go away, some had signs that said "No Halloween Here" and many others went to their kitchen's to find anything to give the kids since they were not prepared. So their lot was limited. But they had fun!

GRRRRRRRR!


Ellie and her sweet little friend Holly eating "growing food" before getting "junk food" trick or treating.

Sunday, November 7, 2010

Abel Tasman - day three of backpack

On day 3 we explored along the Tonga Marine Reserve. Coming out of the bush, we decided to explore the granite boulders that were along the Beach. Along the way we got to see over 20 Fur Seals up close. Some just looked at us and a few barked. We kept our distance and kept moving on by... it was truly wild. I felt like we were in the deep "grizzly" backcountry in Montana.

Out of my element in another creatures space.

This special place is located in the Abel Tasman National park, It is the third marine reserve to be created alongside a national park. Extending one nautical mile (1852m) offshore from the mean high water mark of Tonga Island.