Epic Last Weekend

What a blast to celebrate the end of my exchange stint in Aotearoa New Zealand! Snowboarding at Mt.Ruapehu Turoa Ski field, attempting the advanced level slopes, falling on my bum, busting my knee, twisting my wrists, doing 360deg turns, jumping off mini humps, high speed cruising and playing with white fluffy snow. Last snowboard weekend in the entire North Island. Do or die. Tom and Michael(Annika's brother) are pretty good boarders as they proceeded to the tricks section, attempting rails and near 90deg slopes. It was awesome, just based on the fact that i was boarding with 2 rather seasoned boarders. It was EPIC. I got cramps on my thighs but i kept going, realising the fact that if i do not continue, i will never have the chance to do that ever again. It was very important for me. Falling didn't dampen my spirits, i just had to jump back on my feet and carry on the journey. Never say die is the rule on the mountains.

After 4 long hours of snowboarding, we left the ski field, set up our tents somewhere near the field and camped overnight. We were so tired and smashed that we slept right after dinner. As usual, nights in NZ is really cold and even wrapping ourselves in sleeping bags and thick jackets was barely enough to shelter from the cold. But i was still happy. A natural air conditioner is always appreciated.

The next day, we headed to Tongariro Alpine Crossing, an amazing 19.4km hike/tramp to the top of a mountain. We walked through rocks, sand, snow, ice and the blazing sun. For a moment, it felt like an army route march all other again. I was carrying my army bag, with 3 liters of water food, some extra clothes and my camera bag. It was definitely not easy, as my combat fitness was already gone. And, i wasn't trained to walk up mountains with that, Singapore is relatively flat. Kilometre by kilometre, we walked, climbed and took photographs. The scenery was simply breath taking. NZ is definitely a place to visit for everyone reading this post. We took about 7hrs to walk 19.4km and it was so nice to see the ending point. Realising that you have just conquered one of NZ's most walked tracks is very satisfying.

Thanks to Tom, Annika and Michael, without you guys, this trip will never be possible. Cheers!