Cat Mac Attacks the Globe: November 2012

So, again, I have been MIA for a bit of time. I had a bike accident and have been down for the count for the past couple of weeks. My flatmate, Gareth, has a BMX bike, like the ones you do tricks on, so there are little pegs on the back. He had been bowling and I went to a going away party for a girl at work. We met up afterwards for a couple of drinks. On the way home we decided it would be quicker if I just stood on the pegs and rode on the back. We made it down quite a steep hill and around a corner, but once we hit a speed bump my foot slipped and we ate the concrete. I hit my head and gashed it open, so of course I was screaming dramatically on the ground and the neighbor heard and called the ambulance. We spent a lovely night in the hospital. I had some brutal brazes on my right hand, my left knee, 8 stitches on my forehead, a concussion and a busted shoulder. Gareth roughed up his left foot, a scab on his head, scabs on both knees and a couple fingers and a fractured shoulder. Needless to say, we lived through it and now that the pain is slowly going away we are able to laugh about the stupidity of it all. I was off work for a week, but still went in to do office work so I could get out of the house for a bit. He is a builder so he will be off for 6-8 weeks with the severity of his shoulder and the limitations the AC joint puts on movement and lifting. Poor guy had no idea what he got himself into when he told me I could live with him! Hopefully from now on we will understand we are not invincible!

So much happened before our incident that I don’t even know where to begin! I will be brief and let the pictures do the talking. Hopefully I can go back to blogging on a regular basis now.

Joe and I took a road trip up the east coast for a week. We drove up through the center of the island around Twizel and some other beautiful lakes and then made our way over to Christchurch. Christchurch was a bit of a let down. I had been there 5 years ago and remembered it being quite boring. This time though I was really fascinated with seeing earthquake damage. I know that sounds awful, but I have never witnessed an earthquake, like some people have never witnessed hurricanes or avalanches. Movies make earthquakes look like the ground opens wide and everything falls in. I knew that wasn’t what really happened so I wanted to see it for myself. A year and a half later was a bit too late to see most of the rubble. My boss is actually from Christchurch though so when I told him I wanted to witness buildings falling he showed me hundreds of pictures and videos from 5 minutes after the quake. It was so interesting. We stayed in Christchurch just to see Kora perform at a “bar” that was no longer a bar. It was where the bar used to be, but there is a big outdoor tent set up now. The show was really good. Not as crowded as I expected since Kora is huge here in NZ, but enough of a crowd for my taste.

The next morning we headed north along the coast for Kaikoura. Oh and let me just say a majority of our trip was a disappointment for me because it rained and the weather was gross the whole time. It hindered my plans for hiking and kayaking and getting to see the beautiful Marlborough Sounds. We got to see seals in Kaikoura, went wine tasting in Blenheim, bought Salmon in Twizel and saw Mumford and Sons in Christchurch on the way home. I have to say, if they are ever near you, they are a MUST see. I was blown away. We were like 3 people from the front and they put on a rockin show for a non jam band show. Thanks to Judd for sending me the link that they were even playing in NZ!

Twizel....the water is this pretty from the glacier...seriously the clearest water I've EVER seen! I was a bit beyond obsessed!

Wine tasting in Blenheim...the Marlborough wine region, where I discovered I love Rose and it's not an old ladies wine