September already. In a couple of weeks I'll have been away from home a year and in NZ 6 months. Two thirds of the mountain staff finish in a month. I'm here until 28 th October. Then it's up to Auckland for Crowded House. I've made a decision too. I miss Asia, I've got the flexibility, so I'm going back there for the month of November. Back to NZ for Christmas before, well, no idea what next.
It's going to be tough to leave the mountain. I've made good friends, I enjoy the stability in many ways, and it's so beautiful. At the same time, it's so isolated here. In the midst of my horizon-broadening adventure, my world feels like it has shrunk to the smallest it has ever been. I'm looking forward to seeing more of what the rest of the North Island has to offer.
We've continued to enjoy ourselves here in the meantime as well as work. One pal, Matt Ham, is a local and took us on a wee tour of his old stomping grounds and important places in relation to his (maori) ancestry. Our side of the mountain (Whakapapa) competed with the other side (Turoa) in a huge tug of war competition. Each department had at least one team that pulled against its counterpart from the other side. We had a proper official tug of war table and everything! It was a brilliant night, despite the fact we lost (but only just). Last night at a ski club house thank you do for mountain staff, I got a guy's number! OK, so he's 75 and it came with the offer of free Auckland accommodation with him and his wife, but I can't complain!
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