Unlucky Break

Safely home and back at work today and with an unwanted souvenir of my NZ ski holiday - a fractured right fibula. What my local advisers (!) had confidently diagnosed as a sprain has turned out under x-Ray to be a fracture at the base of the bone near the ankle. I sheepishly confessed to the doctor that I had skied on it after a week of RICE treatment who seems quite unconcerned with my ability to work without walking.
Well, I have survived the first day back at school. Tess chauffeured me, as she will until she leaves for her trip, and the kids were touchingly concerned. I suspect I will get better at hobbling around on crutches as time goes by. I have 5 weeks to learn.
I think my broken leg is the first fracture in my family. I hope our obviously strong bones will mend cleanly.
Bye for now,

Rob Vines

Last day

Up early Friday. Paul already in ski clothes. Snowmaking all night and sun apparently on the Peak although cloud below. I have decided to sit out today - my ankle gives me no choice really. Perhaps skiing yesterday was unwise. Plan is complex:
1 Paint Mikayla's face for her cross country carnival and drop at Kiss and Drop
2 Ski from 9-11am
3 Watch Mikayla race while I return ski boots in Queenstown
4 Catch 4 pm flight to Sydney, thence train to mountains

Saturday, Election DayIt all worked. Don skied 12 runs, I enjoyed a coffee and some internet time in the Peak cafe, Mikayla came 16th in her race, flight and train worked well and Tess had salmon prepared for her birthday dinner. Don keen to catch up with Tiny so missed out on disappointing Pinot Noir from Orange - I may have been spoilt by the past week's drinking. Back to the cask!
Hobbled painfully to the polling booth and am now catching up on some TV. Did enjoy Phineous and Ferb on Disney channel though.
Now need to add some pictures to this blog.
Go Julia!

Rob Vines

Spa

Another cloudy day.

Dropped Mikayla at Remakables Primary and headed up the mountain.

Tried but failed to squeeze my swollen foot into a ski boot on the off chance I could ski and so waited at the foot of the Coronet Express quad chair for Don, Justine and Paul to ski down. Took some dim footage of the arriving at the end of what was to be their only run of the day - a combination of low visibility and soft snow ending skiing for the day.
They went for a walk out of Arrowtown while I relaxed with a book and when Don arrived back exhausted and damp after his excursion we hopped into the spa which was a wonderful experience despite cold rain falling on us.

Queenstown and Lake Hayes

Debonair traveller ...

Slight delay in boarding NZ 232 but a friendly tailwind set usdownat Queenstown International Airportahead of schedule. Paul arrived promptly aboard his X5 with Mikayla and 10 minutes later we arrived at their magnificent crib, perched above Lake Hayes.

I have been busy photographing their wonderful sculptures and artworks against the backdrop of Coronet Peak and the Richardson Mountain Range. To the southeast lie The Remarkables, covered in snow, while to the northeast lies the Crown Range.

The shots here feature Sasha, the debonair dog of Olive Ln.

Beside her, her owner Paul, next to his wedding gift to Justine.

Dinner that night was superb, setting the scene for meals to come. Well, perhaps the spaghetti Bolognese we cooked might be an exception.

First night was sirloin accompanied by...

Wines Consumed:
2008 Amisfield Pinot Gris, 2007 mitre rocks Pinot noir, Pisa range Pinot noir 2006. All Central Otago wines

Ro

Rain Again

Sculptures on the walk around Lake Hayes, near Queenstown

Grey skies and rain greeted us this morning so no skiing again. Managed to slide my foot into long johns and socks so hope to get back to the slopes for at least onemore day before we leave. I plan to venture into Queenstown today for some shopping and then read while I RICE my ankle one last time.

Rob

Day 2 - Rain

Day 2 dawned to clearing skies after steady overnight rain - disaster for the snow as was the warm northeast air. As Jus and Paul have season passes they are fair weather/snow skiers so we decided on a day of touring.

First we visited the rather touristy Arrowtown and it's gold mining past. Lots of Japanese tourists and cowardly skiers there with us.

We returned to Olive Lane after Mikayla had been dropped at school and headed to PeregrineWinery, makers of a superb Pinot Noir. Don has bo

ught so much that we were able to have a private barrel

tasting. I might buy Tess half a dozen for her birthday.

PS I did! Well, shared a case with Don. Happy birthday Tess!

Skiing

Day 1 on the slopes of Coronet Peak

I last skiied in 2005 but really it has been much longer since I really skiied so I was nervous. Fortunately, Paul and Justine put me at my ease and I ascended for the first run on the Coronet Express quad chair. The closest Australian resort I can think of is Perisher - no trees and lovely open slopes with dry snow and plenty of steep pinches. Needless to say, my legs were protesting increasingly throughout the day. I was happy to stop around 2pm so that we could get back to Queenstown to collect Mikayla from her Remarkable school.
I then dragged Don and Sasha around Lake Hayes to work out the cramps, showered and then joined Paul in the spa while I looked at their 180 degree view of the Richardson Range including Coronet Peak.
After that it was time for some serious dining. Life is tough!

MenuBBQ Eye fillet with salad

Wines consumed:
2008 Amisfield Pinot Gris
2003 Wither hills Pinot

Tomorrows menu:
Salmon with horseradish crust and puy lentils
Wines consumed:
2007 Leeuwin Estate Art series Chardonnay
2006 craggy range gimblett gravels Chardonnay
2007 Kumeu River Mate's Vineyard Chardonnay

Rob Vines

Sprained Saturday

View from Jack's Point towards Queenstown.

It was almost as unexpected as it was painful! That most dreaded of ski injuries - the off-slopes slip that leaves you with a swollen foot and no prospect of returning to the slopes in a hurry. See attached bruise photo as proof that i did suffer! Still, if you seen the view from here you won't feel too sorry for me.
We're babysitting tonight while the Mikayala's parents attend a function in Auckland. I'm responsible for the spaghetti. Don has had to nurse my sore ankle this afternoon as well as look after Mikayla.

My (down)fall happened towards the end of an enjoyable walk to the eastern shore of Lake wakitipu at a point called Jacks point. I was approaching the end of the tramp and slipped on the muddy ground and landed with my foot under me. It hurt! I hobbled back to the car and have RICED it all day. I don't know if I will be able to ski this holiday. It is a real pain. ,Mind you, there are worse places to be an invalid. I'm looking out at Coronet Peak which has a single cloud atop and lights for the lifts sparkling on the slopes. It is a magnificent prospect.

Rob

Sunday Ski

Video footage still to come ....

No, I didn't ski today but continued to RICE my foot. Don is impressed with the extent of the injury, "I've never seen such a widespread bruise. It manages to go around the entire foot". Don enjoyed a hot day on the post rain snow (hard and patchy) and is ready to tour the Bannockburn wineries and lunch at Mt. Difficulty tomorrow.
I was sorry to miss Mikayla on skis. She parallels down the entire mountain and she is not yet six! I had to be fairly disciplined while I read, consuming plenty of fluids with my Nurofen. Tonight we dine down the road at AmisfieldWinery, makers of a lovely Pinot Gris. Last sitting for dinner is 6 pm and it is a chef's choice dinner. I'll let you know how it is.

View from the Peak Club cafe, Coronet Peak. Not a bad place to recover.

Bannockburn

Wine Trail - Sober Drivers Required!

Monday dawned with a spectacular sunrise (I'm told) on the ranges but without fresh snow no one felt like skiing. Don and I headed slightly north towards Cromwell on part of the Central Otago wine trail.
First stop, along the narrow cliff trail featured, was Chard Farm. A wonderful tasting in excellent tasting glasses of their range. Ordinary Chardonnay, excellent 07 and 09 Pinot Gris but less successful Riesling and gervortztraminer led to four Pinot noir. The entry level wine was quite approachable and better even than the $145 dollar Tiger we tried. Could buy a Gris from them.
Next was Akarua with 09 wines and a friendly server in new tasting room. Nothing extraordinary there. We had hoped to try some smaller vineyards at The Big Picture, so named for it's interactive 30 minute flyover of 6 wineries, tasting and listening to the wine makers as you went. I thought it a good idea but perhaps not worth the $20 entry price. Don would have none of it!
Lunch was at Mt. Difficulty, a hilltop location in the Otago Desert. The area has been mined leaving the landscape a little like Tasmania's Queenstown although the river surging through makes up a little for the ugliness of some of scarring. A quick tasting of their wines was underwhelming but the service was excellent and we had some idea of the wines to order with lunch:
Breads with dips
Venison and scallops
Affogato and rice pudding for Don - a great success.
Washed down with a NZ$50 Pinot
We stopped of at Peregrine Winery again to buy a late harvest Charcoal Creek Riesling and a share in their lovely 07 Pinot.
Back at Olive Lane, we settled into slow cooked lamb shanks followed by Justine's fig, walnut and chocolate pie, accompanied by amisfield Pinot Gris and Don's 06 Moss Wood Cabernet Sauvignon from Margaret River.
We also lost two games of Guess Who to Mikayla. Then watched Saints demolish Manly.
And so to bed.
Rob