I admit it...

Ok. I can admit it. I suck. It's been nearly two months since the blog thing has been updated and I haven't worried too much about it. So much for keeping everyone updated on the events here in the Southern half of the world.

And now it's time for me to write something, because despite how boring the every day, 9 to 5 sort of nonsense of the working world can be, there have been some interesting, or perhaps more truthfully, stressful events here in the last month or so.

To begin, we have had to purchase a different car. I refuse to say new car because this one has seen far more of the road than either of the first two we have purchased since landing in Dunedin 10 months ago. If you recall, we had purchased a Subaru Legacy wagon, but that was killed in an unfortunate tete-a-tete with a Toyota. After that we purchased another Legacy wagon, but it recently decided that its engine internals were better off divorced, or at least separated. Short of a new engine, there was no hope for a reconciliation.

Which brings us to the "new" vehicle. It's a green 1996 Toyota Corona with just slightly less than 250,000 km on the odometer. But it starts and runs and uses half the fuel of the turboed beasts we owned previously. I'll post a picture later, but for now, picture a slightly dented bowl of plain tapioca, and you won't be too far off.

The other incident began last night, and from the sound of the wind outside the house, is continuing even as I type. The weather here is a bit unpredictable, and we have been warned that they close the motorway between work and home a couple times each winter. Last night was the first for this year. Unfortunately, we had already attempted to climb the hill before they shut the road. It was coated in ice, which was then covered in snow. It was slow going that eventually became stopping. We paused for about 20 minutes in a line up of cars waiting for a few motorists to manage to get un-stuck. In that time, we were passed by nearly a dozen four wheel drive vehicles, powered by their own certainty that 4wd can get you out of any sort of inclement weather. We also watched a large flatbed truck stop, attempt to start again and slide neatly into the ditch. Finally traffic began to move again and we took advantage of the opportunity to test the ice-worthiness of the car (it isn't) and in a flurry of spinning tires, we managed to creep past the few remaining cars waiting patiently, following a large truck and another car, which I found out later was a 4wd as well.

The drive to the top was interesting to say the least, but "an adrenalin-filled ride worthy of Disneyworld" might be a more accurate statement. At one point, as we slowed to a crawl, we watched as the truck in front of us, with the rig turned 20 degrees to the left relative to the trailers, crept around the last corner of the hill and began the long descent. We, however, decided that the best course of action was to stop in the car park at the top of the hill, where we could watch the carnage. We weren't the only ones to do so, and we had a nice chat with several people, all of whom wanted to be the last one to try making it further through the hills in this weather.

So we sat in the car, thankful for our full tank of fuel, chatting and waiting. The kids handled their confinement well and even managed to get some sleep. We had cell phone coverage, so a quick text message to a friend ensured that the dogs got fed, even as we planned for staying at the top of the hill overnight.

Here, in NZ, they don't salt the roads as we are used to in Canada. It preserves the cars, but doesn't instill me with a great trust of the roads. We watched the trucks come up the hill, sometimes pushing snow with a plow, or spreading "grit" for traction.

After two hours of waiting, the snow had stopped, but the wind was up, the grit trucks had made 3 passes up and down the hill and we thought it was time to go. We started the car and made to leave the car park, and one of our fellow stranded folk immediately followed me. His car, with it's large V8 engine and rear wheel drive, was less than suited to the situation. So off we went, in second gear, engine braking all the way, through the twists and turns descending the hill, preparing for the long, straight climb we knew was still ahead. Our travelling companion was following closely behind, perhaps figuring there was better chance for him to get up the hill by drafting.

I am afraid that the after all the build up, the road wasn't really terrible. We have driven on worse many times in Canada, albeit without the threat of a 100 metre roll off a cliff if I got it all wrong. The car handled the weather well, considering it isn't really meant for romping through the ice and snow. Our travelling companion roared off into the night, without so much as a toot of the horn, the moment we hit level ground. I hope he made it to where he was going safely. We made it home 3 hours late, but Jake and Elwood forgave us, happily wagging their tails in greeting when we arrived.

We have decided, that the adventure pack (full of clothes, food and blankets) will return to its place in the truck, even if we are just going into town; we are going to purchase snow chains, as these seemed to help many people managed the climb up the hill more easily; and a diesel powered 4wd might not go amiss either.

Hope all is well in the warm Northern half. We are just shivering with jealousy here.