Group trip to Idaburn
We made a group trip to the Idaburn dam to find skatable ice. That failed in epic fashion, so we did some team shots including the following super sexy duckface shot! Thanks to Devon Wallace for the photos.
Ed Waite on the left, yours truly at the top, Jaydee Cabral in the middle and Devon Wallace on right doing our best attempt at the super sexy duckface shot.
From left: Thomas Hedderwick, Jacyln Ho, Dave Patchett, Bret Dougherty, Pip, Ed Waite, Jaydee Cabral, Hernesha Fakir, Ryan Hellyer (me), Liz Roberts, Chris Laing and Keith Dickson.
Posted on 2011-10-02 by
Hockey trip to Naseby
I helped organise a social hockey trip to Naseby this winter. We were greeted with an awesome snowy experience on arriving in Naseby, including snow during one of our games! My should was too munted to play, so I refereed it instead.
Chris Laing getting overly friendly with a snowman!
Brett enroute to Hoffmans dam
From left to right: Unknown (orange) Ryan Hellyer (me as referee), Kelly Cooper-Mitchell (teal), Hernesha Fakir (orange), Thomas Hedderwick (teal), unknown (red), unknown (teal), Jaclyn Ho (teal), Devon Wallace (teal), Brett Dougherty (orange), Keith Dickson (teal), Sonja Texley (orange), Barett (goalie) Liz Roberts (orane), Chris Laing (teal), unknown (teal), Adam Girardin (goalie), Dave Patchett (orange), unknown (teal), unknown (teal), Devon Wallace (teal), Sophie Soph (orange), Jaydee Cabral (orange). Thanks to Adam Girardin for providing the photo.
Posted on 2011-09-02 by
Lower Manorburn dam
Dave Patchett and I headed to the Lower Manorburn dam for some ice skating on July 10th. The ice was a bit thin in some areas, but we found enough to skate on 
Yours truly (Ryan Hellyer) standing on the hill above Rushcutters bay. The channel is in the background.
Yours truly on the ice. My arm was in a sling as my shoulder was quite munted due to dislocations.
Dave Patchett in the gorge
Dave Patchett checking out the ice in the channel
Posted on 2011-08-20 by
Big ass insect!
Chris Laing spotted this giant flying insect whilst we were walking along the Matukituki track in Mount Aspiring National Park. It was around 10 - 12 cm long. I assume it’s a Dragonfly but am not sure - if you can confirm or provide more information about it, please leave a comment below!
Posted on 2011-08-02 by
Camping at Poolburn reservoir
I went camping on the weekend with Ed Waite and Dave Patchett to Poolburn reservoir. We headed off on Friday evening packing tents, as much cold weather gear as we could find and a set of chains in the back Ed’s trusty Toyota Landcruiser. The road up to lake Poolburn was nicely frozen and easy to drive on, apart from a large puddle which Ed decided to travel through instead of around. The puddle was frozen, but apparently not enough to support the weight of a fully laden Toyota Landcruiser but Ed’s ninja awesome four wheel drive skills saved the day and we managed to get out of the ice hole in one piece (sort of …). We found a neat little flat spot perched above the dam where we set up camp with a beautiful view out across the frozen reservoir.
Dave Patchett at the camp site above Poolburn dam
Ed Waite chilling out at the camp site
We quicky discovered that camping in sub-zero temperatures is quite cold, duh! We never took an accurate temperature reading, but from what we could tell it was approximately -8° C. Thankfully we were kitted out well enough to survive the night without any dramas, just a little chilly at times.
We awoke to a beautifully calm, albeit chill day and an excellent view from the campsite, out across the Poolburn dam.
View north from the campsite
Ed Waite and Dave Patchett on the ice
We were greeted at the lake shore with an excellent expanse of solid hard ice to skate on. We did a full circumnavigation around the lake, including many sections we had never skated on before due to the water level having risen considerably this year.
Ed Waite on the ice
Ed Waite and Dave Patchett on the ice
Ed Waite showing off whilst Dave takes a break
View back to truck from the ice. Dave Patchett on the left and me (Ryan Hellyer) on the right. Thanks to Ed Waite for the photo.
There were some massive icicles alongside the cliff area by the dam. Ryan Hellyer (me) on the left and Dave Patchett on the right. Thanks to Ed Waite for the photo.
There were some excellent sections of ice on the streams leading into the dam. It was really fun being able to skate downhill for hundreds of meters.
Downhill skating ... with a little water hopping The segments of open water were mostly jumpable or could be avoided by skating down the edges of them.
Downhill skating. This particular section was a little 'cheesy' but was totally frozen over so less worries about falling into water.
Ryan Hellyer (me) and Dave Patchett standing on a frozen stream. We managed to skate downhill in that stream for a few hundred meters. Thanks to Ed Waite for the photo.
Ed and I headed to Alexandra later in the day to have a skate on the Lower Manorburn dam before heading back to Poolburn. We had an excellent skate under the stars at Poolburn before heading to bed for the night. Unfortunately the weather packed in really badly and blew our tend down in the middle of the night! Thankfully we were well prepared and didn’t get too cold despite the battering from the wind and some snow blustering in through the tents ventilation holes.
We had a very windy skate across the reservoir first thing in the morning. It was certainly an interesting experience being able to just stand their and be pushed along by the wind at break neck speed.
On our way back to Dunedin we got caught in a fairly bad snow storm. Lots of cars fallen off the side of the road, a bus full of tourists careering backwards down the Kilmog hill and many silly drivers still attempting to make their way back to Dunedin grossly unprepared. Thankfully Ed’s Landcruiser was well up to the task and after Ed and Dave kindly put the chains on the truck in horrid conditions (whilst I took stood around taking pictures) we had no problems making our way back home.
Ed and Dave attaching the chains to the mighty Landcruiser
End of the carnage on the Kilmog hill. Apparently some people think it's perfectly sensible to drive on crazily icy roads with no chains or four wheel drive!? Thanks to Ed Waite for the photo.
Posted on 2011-07-26 by
Matukituki Waterfalls
Some photos of waterfalls in the West Matukituki valley, taken during a tramping trip with Chris Laing on New Years Eve in 2010.
Posted on 2011-06-02 by
Matukituki valley
Some views of the Matukituki valley taken during a tramping trip with Chris Laing on New Years eve 2010.
Shovel flat in West Matukituki valley. Mount Aspiring is hidden in clouds above and Pearl flat is behind the small mound of trees.
Original version of panorama here.
Posted on 2011-05-02 by
Road trip to Christchurch
I spent a day packing boxes of lunches for the student volunteer army in Christchurch. We managed to prepare over 17,000 lunches We in fact prepared so many, that they wouldn’t all fit in the truck being used to transport them to Christchurch, and so Ed Waite and myself carted them up in Ed’s Landcruiser.
Ed Waite in Palmerston, en route to Christchurch
The authorities were requesting for out of towners to stay away from Christchurch and not to assist with the quake cleanup, so the only destruction we got to see were some wonky road signs and a couple of area of liquifaction such as this before heading out of town.
Posted on 2011-04-04 by
Night out with Sushi
Great night out with my new flatmate Sushi, Rose, Jordy and Amy.
Amy, Rose, Jordy and Ryan Hellyer at The Break
Sushi and Ryan Hellyer
Sushi and Jordan
Ryan Hellyer and Rose
Ryan Hellyer and Amy
Rose and Ryan Hellyer
Jordy and Rose
Posted on 2011-03-06 by