For the past few weeks I have been thinking seriously about heading back to uni to complete my honours degree.

Currently some of the team in Computer Science at Massey have been playing with JOGL.

I had a look at it the other day but didn’t get very far. Well tonight I decided to really get my hands dirty.

And it rocks! Im currently seeing if I can convert my traffic simulator to JOGL.

Will keep this blog posted on updates.

All week we have been promised the first fine weather weekend since May.

Well all morning it has been raining!

I was meant to go for a walk or tramp early this morning but that hasn’t happened.

Fine weather. Fine weekend. What an oxymoron.

I don’t know why… And I don’t know if this is out of normal for me. But it seems out of normal.

I have had so much to drink today… And I don’t know why.

It could be because I am tired after a long trip away.

It could be because today was exceptionally hot - I think the Albany Weather Station was at over 23C.

Anyway drinks today:
7.30am Breakfast - Cocopops with Milk - probably 200ml or so.
7.35am Glass of Water - 250ml
9.20am Can of V - 250ml
12pm Glass of Water - 250ml
1pm Bottle of Coke Vanilla - 600ml
3pmish Glass of Water - 250ml
5.30pm Glass of Orange Juice - 250ml
6pm Bottle of Bourbon - 250ml
7pm Glass of Water - 250ml
9pm Cup of Milo - 250ml

That is close to three litres off fluid for the day… not that much out of normal… but I am sure a lot more then I normally have.

Okay, if this picture is anything to go by I am dead and writing this from the depths of hell.

Now, that isn’t quite the case. I am actually back safely in Auckland after nine days away.

On the way back to Auckland yesterday I passed through Rotorua and went to Hell’s Gate, Rotorua’s most active geothermal reserve. Hell’s Gate is different from other thermal reserves in the Rotorua/Taupo area, as its heat source is only 1.5 - 2km below the surface whereas the other thermal reserves’ heat source is approximately 10+ km under the surface.

The following photos of hell are only a small selection of what you see as you pass through the Gate. Who knew the Hell would be so beautiful.

The Inferno is made up of three major pools with an average temperature of between 105C and 110C. The depth range from 8 to 20m with an average pH of 3.5. Water in the pools exceed the boiling point of 100C due to naturally occurring minerals in the water, which elevates the boiling point.

Sodom and Gomorrah have temperatures in excess of 100C with water erupting out of the pools at up to two meters in height.

The Kakahi Falls is the largest hot water fall in the Southern Hemisphere. Its temperature is approximately 40C, which is that of a nice hot shower.

Devil’s Cauldron. This black mud has a temperature of 120C.

Mud Volcano. This is the only example of a large mud volcano in a geothermal reserve in New Zealand. Currently the volcano is 2.4m high and growing. The mud volcano regularly discharges mud lahars of ejects mud.

Lahar on mud volcano.

The steaming cliffs pool is the hottest in the reserve. At the surface the temperature is 122C and 145C one metre below the surface. The boiling activity of the pool constantly changes with waters sometimes reaching heights of more then three meters above the pool.

The large hot lake discharges over the Kakahi Falls. Water is actively heated in the lakes in some areas reaching in excess of 90C.

The Cooking Pool is where the Maori traditionally cooked Asian tourists who walked off the track. These days it can cook a pig in two hours. The Cooking Pool has a temperature of 98C which remains constant throughout the year. Although smelling of sulphur and containing black water, there is no tainting to the food cooked in the pool.

Sulphur laden steam. What more could you want?

Because of some changes in plans I got to go skiing for a second time!

Don’t be fooled by the nice photos below the day started in much worse weather.

I left Wanganui at 6.30am to drive to Ruapehu and I arrived just before 8.30am. The weather was average to terrible driving up to the mountain. Snow in lots of places (not as bad as a week ago though) and lots of rain.

When I got to the base of mountain the upper mountain lift facilities were on hold. Because of this I decided to wait at the bottom of the mountain for an update on their opening status. This wait lasted almost a whole hour before I decided to head up the road at 9.20am.

In my hour of agony and dilemma I came very close to heading around to Turoa as it had more facilities open then Wakapapa. I was lucky that I didn’t though because it was only open for two hours before the weather packed in and closed the ski field.

Anyway back to the story. Like last week the road up to the ski field was closed unless you hired chains for your car. Chain hire costs $25 and there was quite a queue of cars waiting for chains to be fitted. I paid for my chains at 9.20am and then waited until 9.40am for them to be fitted. At 9.30am while I was waiting, and after I had paid, they decided to open the road up until Day Park 10. But no because I had already paid for chains I still had to get them fitted and go up the now open road on them.

This was a minor pain in itself but never mind chains are very helpful on mountain roads and because I was on chains I would be able to go to one of the higher and closer car parks when I got up the mountain. Sweet! However, when I got up the mountain I was directed to park at Day Park 10 despite having chains and arguing with the parking attendant. (I was told later he was wrong and I was right.) I was not happy about this for two reasons. The first is that I was made to hire chains that I did not need, and secondly I was forced to park low down on the mountain just because I was 2WD and the parking attendant was blind to the fact I had chains on!

Anyway. I couldn’t be bothered waiting for a bus so I walked the kilometer or so up the road to the Top of the Bruce. Here I hired gear and passes. The upper mountain was still on hold so they were only selling lower mountain passes. GRRRR I thought. By this time the weather had cleared a lot. After getting my gear sorted I headed out to head up to the top of the lower mountain. Well I ended up in a queue for this chairlift for close to 45mins! By this time it was approaching 11am! Yes I had been on the mountain for over two and a half hours and I hadn’t even got to go skiing yet.

When I finally got onto the chairlift they decided to open the Upper Mountain. When I had purchased the lift passes they had told everyone if the upper mountain opened everyone would have to go back and pay more. However, everyone on the mountain, including myself just headed for the upper mountain lifts without the extra passes. We had had enough waiting! There were at least 100 of us wanting to go higher up the mountain and it was not our fault they hadn’t sold us the right passes so thankfully the ski field operators saw the sense in letting us go higher!

After all this the weather cleared and the skiing was great. I skiied for just under five hours and now two days later I am still paying the pain for it. Sore legs, knees, bruised side and motion sickness is still mucking about with my sleep. But it was great. And fully worth it. Except for the chains!

Check out the reflection in the goggles. Nothing but snow and sky!

Note to self: When taking photos remember to smile!

To go off the edge or not. That is thy question.

Snow. Snow and more Snow!

Okay so tonight I am back in Palmerston North. A whole day earlier then planned but I should be able to get more work done up here then in Wellington.

I came back up to Palmerston North with two other friends and because the weather was good; we decided to go over the Rimutakas and through the Manuwatu Gorge (see yesterday’s blog for other comments).

Looking South from the top of the Rimutaka Road

A zoomed shot looking south.

Brad on the top of the Rimutaka Hill looking to the north.

Brad back in the car before driving off. Looking sideways at friend who is taking a photo of him drinking water. How odd.

Snow, glorious snow on the top of the Rimutakas.

The wind turbines (Tarauras) as seen from Woodville.

The amazing Manuwatu Gorge.

It is late so I will keep this short and maybe expand it in the next few days.

But something to ponder.

What is the point of judging people?

Isn’t it better to accept them as they are? as they come? as who they are?

We are all different shapes, colours, sizes, and people because God is a very creative artist.

So why try and make people to conform to your ideals?

What makes your ideals right?

Why can’t people be as they are because that is the way God has created them?

Why judge? Why not just accept what has been created and especially accept people as who they are!

Check out these two photos from the Mount Ruapehu website.

They are chairlifts buried in nearly four meters of snow. It is just nuts! I am hoping to go skiing again on the trip back up to Auckland.