tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-46718275095338088392024-03-06T05:32:37.939+00:00Matty's BlogA story of my current life and what I get up to.Mr Irelandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00789744128535679522noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4671827509533808839.post-7343010055530229772013-04-16T21:16:00.000+01:002013-05-22T19:15:08.280+01:00Milano Marathon<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhnJkH92RPIv-h_Z4m7j4X8QjOvG2C9mzTYgNVX-Mc_c-fnN7KdL53Q0fjTWrmMcNaQfVDh51oWuRf9HqwxepM1cBH-7IBlRJ26Pej0bbFmMeo9ee3E6BbN9V5q1MEh51Ri7zaRaUQyxs/s1600/Milano+Marathon+Wave.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhnJkH92RPIv-h_Z4m7j4X8QjOvG2C9mzTYgNVX-Mc_c-fnN7KdL53Q0fjTWrmMcNaQfVDh51oWuRf9HqwxepM1cBH-7IBlRJ26Pej0bbFmMeo9ee3E6BbN9V5q1MEh51Ri7zaRaUQyxs/s320/Milano+Marathon+Wave.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
<span lang="EN-US">After all the mistakes I made leading up to
and during Marathon des Alpes-Maritimes (my first marathon), I brought Run
Less. Run Faster and followed their training program. Although the program was
designed to last 16 weeks, I only had 7 weeks until the Milano Marathon. Again,
my preparation wasn’t ideal, but I figured that I completed Marathon des Alpes-
Maritimes after just 4 training runs, so I should be in a much better condition
after 7 weeks of training. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">I really enjoyed the book and agreed with a
lot of the points it made. Each week I completed 3 runs and 2 cross training
workouts. The runs are designed to work together to improve endurance,
lactate-threshold, running pace and leg speed. The cross training sessions are
non weight bearing activities (rowing, cycling, swimming) that increased cardiovascular
strength, while allowing the muscles used in running time to repair for the
next run. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">I found the first weeks training easy to
complete, but my legs felt fatigued after, especially when lying in bed. I
really enjoyed this feeling, as to me, it means the training is doing something.
I found the book really inspiring and believed in the program. As I was short
on time and felt I had a massive point to prove after the disappointment of my
first marathon, I wanted to run Milano as quick as possible. To do this I skipped several pace increases each
week. I was able to complete all three runs, but my body felt the increase and
ached more than usual. I also went on an epic cycle with Rob. I used the cycle
as a cross training session, but I don’t think the program designers thought
anyone would be stupid enough to go on a 60k cycle, that climbed over a 1000m,
after already completing 4 hours of running that week!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">3 weeks before the marathon my knee tweaked.
I think the combination of increasing the pace of my runs too quickly and the
cycle, put too much stress on my body and I broke! It was a weird sensation. I
can only describe it as a short sharp pain that stopped me dead in my tracks.
The pain didn’t hurt as such, but made running impossible. That evening, I was
devastated and thought I wouldn’t be able to run the marathon. I wanted to txt
a chiropractor that I had been seeing in England to see if he thought I should
put the marathon on hold. Rob tried to reason with me and told me that I’ve
come to far to quit. He advised not to txt the chiropractor as his response
would be professional and probably scare me into not running. He said that I
should rest for a few days, then try and run again and see what happened. I
liked Rob’s solution as it meant the marathon was still a possibility. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKqz7j8BJem8t9mCjq_dzjweqbYhVRRPxhYNDMwskL-D72_QV5zCSmcgTVn7YUN1ZCZyPAPrf-T5E98rRsM1BehuLwBsUfFGCRQRj8g28dGCdC67D4VPH1Qp38DQsT9Pz85opoXASXCr4/s1600/Milano+Marathon+Grimance.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKqz7j8BJem8t9mCjq_dzjweqbYhVRRPxhYNDMwskL-D72_QV5zCSmcgTVn7YUN1ZCZyPAPrf-T5E98rRsM1BehuLwBsUfFGCRQRj8g28dGCdC67D4VPH1Qp38DQsT9Pz85opoXASXCr4/s320/Milano+Marathon+Grimance.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
<span lang="EN-US">Before my knee tweaked I was training for a
3hr 42 min finish. I decided to lower the pace of my runs </span><br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
<span lang="EN-US">
to a 3:45 finish and
cut the cross training from the program. My knees didn’t feel right, but
survived the first two runs. The final run of the week was 21k at marathon
pace. I completed the run, but it was a
challenge and I doubted whether I could continue at that pace for another 21k.
After trying to run my first marathon too fast, I didn’t want to make the same
mistake again. I took the time from my 21k run, and using the marathon time
predictor, found my target finish time of 3:52:19. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">I don’t know how to describe how I felt in
the days leading to the marathon. I was confident in my strategy and believed I
could manage my revised time, but was worried that my knee wouldn’t last the
distance. Putting the problems with my knee aside, I felt strong, fit and
believed that in the time I had to train, I couldn’t have prepared much better.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">I really enjoyed the Milano Marathon and
thought it was a much better run than Marathon des Alpes-Maritimes. It seemed
like more people came to support the runners and I enjoyed the banter between
the runners and the crowd. I didn’t understand what they were saying, but it
created a good atmosphere and was good to be part of. From the start of the
marathon my body ached from all the training, and I couldn’t help but focus on
my knees. After about 10k the pain in my knees was more intermittent than
constant, which seemed promising. Around 18k, my left hip started to feel tight
and sore and as the run went on, the pain got worse. I didn’t mind this, as it
took my focus away from my knees. Apart from my body aching, I felt strong and
fit. So strong that instead of sticking to my 5:30 /km marathon pace, I ran the
first 10 to 15k at approximately 5:25 /km. I knew I should have stuck to my
plan, but I felt good and thought I could keep it up. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_AD5nsXswzGqCXOeMtdMZOkAnF_z5AHw6y_nZuQV5LweyDTfG1m5pxO_I7a4wwX5ARXtDwbEkDiwA3anAmuIQVXYcSNjcDLesUZnR6KJt8PXkZoUv1V2fuAwg36LtQqPj7x2mMvNURtc/s1600/Milano+Marathon+Medal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_AD5nsXswzGqCXOeMtdMZOkAnF_z5AHw6y_nZuQV5LweyDTfG1m5pxO_I7a4wwX5ARXtDwbEkDiwA3anAmuIQVXYcSNjcDLesUZnR6KJt8PXkZoUv1V2fuAwg36LtQqPj7x2mMvNURtc/s320/Milano+Marathon+Medal.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
<span lang="EN-US">Around 27k, I could feel most of the
muscles in my thigh getting heavy and tight. The ones that flex the knee and
hip felt particularly heavy, whist the outer muscles felt as if they were
imploding. The last 15k were hard, but nothing compared to the struggle of
Marathon des Alpes. As my pace gradually declined, I thought of how confident I
had felt after a good weeks training and how I believed I could run a faster
pace. I laughed at the difference between looking at finish times in a book and
actually running them. For the final kilometer, I gave it everything I had. I lifted
my chest, moved my arms with purpose and could feel myself grimacing. The final
250m was probably the best I’ve experienced running. You’ve done it, I thought.
Well done. The emotions I experienced were immense. I was able to soak up the
atmosphere, take a good look around and cross the finish line in 3:57:31, with
my arms in the air and feeling very proud of myself. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Shortly after finishing, I heard Pippa and
Rob call. They had come to Milan to support me during the marathon. I really
appreciated them making the effort, as I felt a little sad watching other
runners celebrating with their family or friends after Marathon des Alpes-Maritimes.
This time round I had run a sub 4, and had friends to share the moment with.</span></div>
<!--EndFragment--></div>
Mr Irelandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00789744128535679522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4671827509533808839.post-38541834189687399392012-12-16T03:41:00.002+00:002012-12-16T03:41:50.070+00:00Barberyn Ayurveda Resort<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwsqBpi-24d1s-JktQ4V9Shq5cE7nIrLHuJwKdoYM7g646ppzBHvEjJ2V2TXbrJo62x7nagXpSpfCcNJAYjhGEPWEb8ANS2lCcRClG-UkTMDn930inzXhZRV__jdt_K8q_Rk3ztmurK48/s1600/P1060828.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwsqBpi-24d1s-JktQ4V9Shq5cE7nIrLHuJwKdoYM7g646ppzBHvEjJ2V2TXbrJo62x7nagXpSpfCcNJAYjhGEPWEb8ANS2lCcRClG-UkTMDn930inzXhZRV__jdt_K8q_Rk3ztmurK48/s320/P1060828.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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I came to Sri Lanka to sit an intensive
course in Ayurveda, the main focus for me being Ayurveda Massage. Along with
the course Barberyn Resort threw in 900 Euro worth of treatments, which enabled
us to experience first hand what we were learning.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Everything about the resort radiated relaxation.
The buildings are open plan allowing the breeze to circulate through, they have
high ceilings and feel spacious. The decor gives an oriental feel with several fishponds
and the sound of falling water. The rooms are located just in front of the
beach, some as close as 10m. They are very spacious, again with high ceilings
and a balcony or porch. My room was about 50m from the beach with a balcony overlooking
the ocean, through palm trees. Every evening I lay in bed listening to the roar
of the ocean, the wind through the trees and the sound of falling water from
the pools water feature – it was very relaxing. The service provided by the staff was
excellent. They were all very friendly and always on hand to make sure the
guests were being looked after. I took note of how the resort operated and
found myself thinking of how I could change my approach at work. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlh8hS0VWBFaQHGClpBS9-5lTK8LIDY64qfhrFVRG184UvRJ-pOUWBpj-CtTIT2JWFZFxSTIaqywPsGX3vaQnuY-XcYHT4sdcK4iO_V4Cyi8Yr6uh76SbFBPkhf7Aa7zghHOg-PGJN7RQ/s1600/P1060928.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlh8hS0VWBFaQHGClpBS9-5lTK8LIDY64qfhrFVRG184UvRJ-pOUWBpj-CtTIT2JWFZFxSTIaqywPsGX3vaQnuY-XcYHT4sdcK4iO_V4Cyi8Yr6uh76SbFBPkhf7Aa7zghHOg-PGJN7RQ/s320/P1060928.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Each meal was served in a restaurant that
had rotating French Doors facing the ocean. Breakfast and lunch were buffet
style and dinner was from a set menu. I really enjoyed the food, but I can see
it causing problems for fussy or unadventurous eaters. If I would have known
that the food was mainly vegetarian with the only animal protein being white fish
and served at lunch, I would have been worried. As it turned out, I didn’t miss
meat until the final week and was more than happy with the selection of food on
offer. The majority was served in clay pots, which really defined meal times
and the Sri Lankan culture. Each food was labeled complete with a short description
of the nutritional value: Mixed Vegetable Curry – Rich in flavonoids, vitamin
A, B, C, E, zinc, magnesium, easy to digest, improves liver function, mild
laxative. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">The way of life in the resort was calm and
peaceful; the other guests were friendly and always stopping for a chat, the pace
was slow and know one seemed to have any troubles or problems. It was nice to
chat with people of different ages and backgrounds – for the first time I
really felt more like my old self prior to my accident. I became good friends
with a girl called Nina. We were on the same connecting flight from Dubai and
ended up neighbours in the resort. I really enjoyed her company and have made a
good friend. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7B64u1LFtsULpC3XEaTyuJaVKy9WFhu_dIWf5VEzLpLLMP1zANRSFL_oRaYO1MeEUIs0TTUeJaZWxU1uTdG7NiB_XIYCg2pFQLBRFZHCUHL1uTcEYX96giHXf2VfhqugGhnfD-Ctn4Cs/s1600/P1060840.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7B64u1LFtsULpC3XEaTyuJaVKy9WFhu_dIWf5VEzLpLLMP1zANRSFL_oRaYO1MeEUIs0TTUeJaZWxU1uTdG7NiB_XIYCg2pFQLBRFZHCUHL1uTcEYX96giHXf2VfhqugGhnfD-Ctn4Cs/s320/P1060840.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">The main treatments offered were; massage,
steam bath, herb bath, acupuncture, fomentation (heated herb clothes that are patted
on the boy), and treatment in the herb garden (warm herb packs or pastes that
are applied to aching parts of the body and left in absorb into the skin). When
the doctor thinks your body is ready (usually after 7 day of the above
treatment) you can opt for more in depth oil treatments (Shirodhara or
Sarvangadhara) that focus on the mind/body and, or treatments to eliminate accumulated
toxins from the body by induced vomiting or diarrhea, enemas and blood
purification. To compliment treatments
and support further relaxation Barberyn offered daily yoga classes, several Tai
Chi classes and weekly meditation classes. I took all the classes and have discovered
new interests in yoga and Tai Chi. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">The way I felt throughout my treatment was
a bit of a roller coaster ride and I experienced good and not so good days. By
the end of the fourth or fifth day I was feeling really relaxed and at peace
with my self. I had a spring in my step and felt like a new man. Then a few
days later I started to lack energy, my body ached and I had a dull but
continuous headache. I thought this might have been due to my body needing to
rest so I stopped exercising but my fatigue didn’t improve. One of the lectures
revealed that the symptoms I was experiencing were due to toxins that had been
collected from my body (by the treatments and medication) were ready to be removed
via a purgation treatment. I opted for an induced diarrhea treatment to cleanse
my stomach and colon, as my digestion hasn’t been optimal for some time. It’s
not the most glamorous of treatments but I thought it made sense to have it
done while I was eating clean food and was feeling relaxed. Prior to the purgation
day I had to stop all medicine and not eat breakfast. I was given a decoction
to drink at 7:30am then another at 10:30am. My bowels started to move at 12:30pm
and finished 11 times later at 19:30pm. I had to rest the whole day and was on
a restrictive diet of rice soup and dry toast for the next two days. I’m glad I
had the treatment but I didn’t gain any noticeable benefit from it. I think the
negative effects that I felt during my time here were due to a more vegetarian
based diet. I believe that when I get back into my normal routine they will
clear up – I guess time will tell.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDtT8aN4xFuGbGYt7QMtjUB0d045APSyy98lqcGwV4XkqxlRjRPOAgg0Za7rt4ZVeVU6gRp4GC3Ze199DaLyYMw-4wyJCM48RDhHCbEw1wVvNYVneMv0hOBPl-MrJ980TsPrdbuu72teQ/s1600/P1060897.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDtT8aN4xFuGbGYt7QMtjUB0d045APSyy98lqcGwV4XkqxlRjRPOAgg0Za7rt4ZVeVU6gRp4GC3Ze199DaLyYMw-4wyJCM48RDhHCbEw1wVvNYVneMv0hOBPl-MrJ980TsPrdbuu72teQ/s320/P1060897.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Towards the end of my stay I had a
Shirodhara treatment, which is a native treatment to cure diseases connected
with the head, neck, eyes, ears, nose, throat and nervous system. The Shirodhara
involves a stream of warm medicated oil failing onto the centre of the forehead
from a clay pot that hangs above the head. I’d seen other guests after having
the treatment with a constant grin and a weightless, floating like expression. Unfortunately
I didn’t get to experience this feeling. I enjoyed the sensation of the oil
falling onto my head and I did feel relaxed but I didn’t experience the
peacefulness that I was hoping for.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">All in all I really enjoyed my time at Barberyn,
I have learnt Ayurveda Massage but more importantly was able to unwind and get
the relaxation that I badly needed. I’ve not been convinced by the whole
Ayurveda way of life - I think the main reason people come away feeling so good
is because during their stay they can’t drink alcohol, fizzy drinks or coffee
or eat processed food. On reflection I feel better now than when I arrived,
which says it all. I am able to take away many things from this experience, I
have discovered new interests, and learnt more about myself. I would recommend
Barberyn Ayurveda Resort to anyone that is in need of a relaxation holiday -
you can’t go wrong with the combination of treatments, clean food, sun and the tranquility
of the resort.</span></div>
<!--EndFragment--></div>
Mr Irelandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00789744128535679522noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4671827509533808839.post-79140234718914491832012-11-07T22:26:00.000+00:002012-11-10T13:38:56.849+00:00Marathon Des Alpes-Maritimes, Nice – Cannes<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Well, I guess its safe to say that I over
estimated my fitness and under estimated the demands of a marathon.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjaSgO2LoqWJithKWyQsJWgSWD21TKhBXlHOvVUHOYb-cm7jX0lNQyw59ONE2hLLBIBCuwqU6L1gPMLssO_tCVTsd9CNvQl5B5pWRD2nUuL3rxsyPVEwT8_iH6HByS2gV0h-Jvf_ROD9E/s1600/P1060816.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjaSgO2LoqWJithKWyQsJWgSWD21TKhBXlHOvVUHOYb-cm7jX0lNQyw59ONE2hLLBIBCuwqU6L1gPMLssO_tCVTsd9CNvQl5B5pWRD2nUuL3rxsyPVEwT8_iH6HByS2gV0h-Jvf_ROD9E/s320/P1060816.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">My preparation for the marathon wasn’t the
best. I only managed four runs, the longest of which (26k) was, until the
marathon, the furthest I’ve ever run before. I had wanted to do a final 32k run,
which I thought would be a good indication of how my legs would hold up on the
marathon, but my blister got too big and I decided to let it heal. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Although 26k was the furthest I’ve ever
run, I felt strong through out and thought I was fit enough to manage another
16k. My captain found this funny and looked at me if I was mad, but I knew
best. Well so I thought! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">By the time race day rolled around, my blister
had shed the old dead skin to reveal a new, soft, pink layer. It really needed
more time, but it was good enough. When registering for the marathon, I had a
little wander round the expo and fortunately picked up some blister plasters,
called Compeed. I’m normally skeptical about products like these, but needs
must. The patches stood up to the huge test and passed with flying colours. After the marathon, I had no discomfort, pain
or extra blisters in the area, which was a huge, but pleasant surprise. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">I was shocked at how many people ran the
marathon and it made me wonder how it would feel to be part of the London
Marathon. It was hard to get into any kind of rhythm in the first couple of k,
as people were all over the place, weaving in and out. By about 3k it had
calmed down a little, but I still had to concentrate on what the other runners
around me were doing. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP379g9ORdF8ERcW2AW_WQ01kWC6mxojLCevBYoswiddy-Qec4MMwPEL0B1vPJ1g7NdRjKjWMWLV-Jx-QNeC2MFbjuPtGWh91ttzkJmE4p_HXT4HTLoW1Qd48sHoBCoBz33B41gtA8Ok4/s1600/malpe12snr5150i.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP379g9ORdF8ERcW2AW_WQ01kWC6mxojLCevBYoswiddy-Qec4MMwPEL0B1vPJ1g7NdRjKjWMWLV-Jx-QNeC2MFbjuPtGWh91ttzkJmE4p_HXT4HTLoW1Qd48sHoBCoBz33B41gtA8Ok4/s320/malpe12snr5150i.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
<span lang="EN-US">Around the 7k mark I had settled into my
groove. I was finding the pace easy to maintain and decided to push a little
harder so that I was on the heal of my pacesetter. At about 12k my groin/pelvic
area started to feel tight. I hoped that it would just feel uncomfortable for a
few k’s and start to ease of. Unfortunately this wasn’t the case and it
gradually got worse. As a result of the stiffness my legs felt heavy and it was
an effort to run. By the 16k mark my pace had slowed to 05:30 /km, which was
00:30 slower than it should have been. Still I continued on and at the half way
mark I was clocked at 01:50. I knew now that a 03:30 finish wouldn’t happen but
I was still hopeful of a sub 04:00. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">My pelvic/groin pain continued to worsen and
by 26k I was in agony. I can’t remember exactly when the 04:00 pace setter over
took me, but when he did I felt crushed and finally allowed myself to walk and
try and ease the pain. I was so annoyed
that my body had finally decided to break when it mattered. I couldn’t
understand why it was happening because apart from my blister, I’ve never
experienced any running related injuries.
Even now, the only explanation I can think of is that I hadn’t run for
two weeks prior to the marathon due to my blister and on my first run back I pushed
too hard.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfM9nrcXAD2VIl6xltfL9cjc42D-IxHlMQ510CfPHphiqyjLTzhJ1eSF3aEgMV4t7xm0rIHMgS_xc05tKcMdirSbT2RAGQFNO2tYJjOVCk4a3nmTdkcqXt6X7z5-a1kVVJKnLAChGkLkg/s1600/P1060825.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfM9nrcXAD2VIl6xltfL9cjc42D-IxHlMQ510CfPHphiqyjLTzhJ1eSF3aEgMV4t7xm0rIHMgS_xc05tKcMdirSbT2RAGQFNO2tYJjOVCk4a3nmTdkcqXt6X7z5-a1kVVJKnLAChGkLkg/s320/P1060825.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">This didn’t occur to me at the time and I
struggled to come to term with what was happening. Apart from the stiffness and
pain, I felt fine. I was running so slowly that my breathing was nowhere close
to a pant and I knew that if my legs would loosen, I could pick up the pace. For
a long time now I was being constantly over taken. Mentally, I wasn’t in a good
place, and watching people breeze past me mad it worse. I’d be lying if I said
the thought of quitting hadn’t crossed my mind (to be fair that’s what I wanted
to do when the 04:00 pacesetter went past) but I dug deep and made it to the finish
line in 04:31. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">I’m not, or will ever be proud of the time
I completed this marathon in. I know a lot of people don’t agree with this, but
I’m a competitive guy and I know I can do better. I know now that I attempted
to run 42k at a pace that would have been a push to maintain for 21k. Still, I
wouldn’t change what happened. I’d prefer to blow up like I did and come away
with a lesson learnt, than to have finished in a quicker time, but be left
wondering if I could have done more. I gave it my all on the day and I can be
proud of that.</span></div>
<!--EndFragment--></div>
Mr Irelandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00789744128535679522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4671827509533808839.post-64873437871479457722012-08-29T14:38:00.002+01:002012-08-29T14:40:09.578+01:00On Charter<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">When I hear people talk about my job, I
always hear ‘He cleans boats’, or ‘Matt has a really good job, that allows him
to travel Europe, and gets paid lots of money’. This is all true, and I’d be
lying if I said that I wasn’t attracted to the industry because of the perks of
the job, but it comes at a price. I’m writing this blog to give everyone a
better idea of what goes on.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqKUydyPdvZVeONvOlhyphenhyphenj8eJ_e2F3BX5QJ_8IVD_JYn4v9tWAz0mM9raE1g7IKHWLfVWGLsBnvg6GOKt6-ydQZUbEaghkUIfz1FzECVyUvDdbjpqAVb4Zr6ZlTXK1KPvNq8jkZnPYQLmM/s1600/P1060134.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqKUydyPdvZVeONvOlhyphenhyphenj8eJ_e2F3BX5QJ_8IVD_JYn4v9tWAz0mM9raE1g7IKHWLfVWGLsBnvg6GOKt6-ydQZUbEaghkUIfz1FzECVyUvDdbjpqAVb4Zr6ZlTXK1KPvNq8jkZnPYQLmM/s320/P1060134.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">The term ‘On Charter’ refers to when guests
are onboard the boat. It can be the owner, or guests they have paid to charter
the boat. We are all here for one thing, the guests. It is our job to make
their holiday as exciting or relaxing as they wish. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">On Fathom, the deck crew’s working day is
15/16 hours, with a 3 hour break. Each evening we get 8 hours sleep, with an hour
to get ready. The deck crew is made up
of three guys; the First Mate, the Bosun, and the Deckhand. Between us the day
is split into three shifts; early, middle, and late. The times for each shift vary from charter to
charter, and really depend on whether the guests are early risers, late risers
or everyone’s favourite, the split group (some guests go to bed late, and get
up late, and some guests go to bed early, and get up early). The shifts work out something like this; early,
between 6, and 7am until 9, 10pm. middle, will be between 7:30 and 8:30am until
11pm, 12am, and late shift starts 9 hours after you go to bed, which at worst
case scenario is 6am. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">I will now run you through what we do. It
is up to the early, and middle shift guys to set the boat up for the day. When
all goes to plan this is what is done. The doors are unlocked, and lights
turned off. The seating covers are wiped of all due, and put away. The
stainless steel rails are buffed with a damp chamois, soaked in vinegar, and all
flat surfaces are wiped clean of due, and or dust. The seating cushions are
flumped, and positioned, and any additional stainless like sunbed, and chair
frames, or tables legs are wiped. The decks are now set up, and ready for the
day. At some point, whether it is while one guy is still setting up, or when
both have finished, we need to go and get pastries, and morning papers for
breakfast. The tender will also need to be wiped, or cleaned, and all the toys
(jet ski’s, and inflatable toys) are launch off the aft of the boat. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZx6v_-R-BsqHJ0H4YfoerM9oMwCpMJGoboO9_ayuoD-c90yAuY9d_GR-MbwLp_CYAEX4CiEGU1YRADvdScyzLkjXJ31cdDwedLs9SzAibuh6q6QfvURxYTGIIYs_LUdQBzqbykHpX8lA/s1600/P1060771.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZx6v_-R-BsqHJ0H4YfoerM9oMwCpMJGoboO9_ayuoD-c90yAuY9d_GR-MbwLp_CYAEX4CiEGU1YRADvdScyzLkjXJ31cdDwedLs9SzAibuh6q6QfvURxYTGIIYs_LUdQBzqbykHpX8lA/s320/P1060771.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">By the time the person on the late shift
gets up, the boat will already be set up, the toys will have been launched, and
the guests would have read the papers, and eaten the pastries. If the guests
are active, this is a tough shift because, as soon as you get up, you hit the
floor running. By now the guests are wide awake, and wanting to do things -
swimming, riding jet skis, wake boarding, or getting pulled behind the tender
on inflatable toys. It is also the deck crews job to take the guests to shore
in the tender, for lunch, or dinner, shopping trips, or just a walk around. At the end of the day, we rinse the toys, and
put them away. If the boat has moved, we will rinse the hull free of salt, and
if the wind has been blowing, also rinse the superstructure, and windows. This
shift can be very easy, or very hard, depending on the weather, and what time
the guests go to bed. If it’s windy, and the boat has moved, chances are the
majority of the boat will need to be rinsed. If there is no wind, chances are
you wont have much rinsing to do. Most of the rinsing work cannot be done in
front of guests, so you have to wait until they have gone to bed. I find it
quite hard to be sitting around till 3am, waiting for the guests to go to bed,
then having to get up, and motivated to rinse the boat for two or three hours.
On the other hand, if the guests are in full party mode, you won’t be able to
do anything, and have a relaxing evening, well apart from the unsociable hours!
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3yZFwuu4a90RDx0VaakTGyr7QZ4m2Wo-WFYPaH9y242b230HG9i5_xTfhNlrPlofFSUJW8AweGisA0Qm53QhUOp3DIVCnonTj3jITqC1vw_CgC6tkym8Vm31DPLpTzdj2jqA3PHCfZHU/s1600/P1060761.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3yZFwuu4a90RDx0VaakTGyr7QZ4m2Wo-WFYPaH9y242b230HG9i5_xTfhNlrPlofFSUJW8AweGisA0Qm53QhUOp3DIVCnonTj3jITqC1vw_CgC6tkym8Vm31DPLpTzdj2jqA3PHCfZHU/s320/P1060761.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">So in a nutshell, that is a day in the life
of a deck crew. I love my job, and the lifestyle it allows me to lead. We work
hard, but it is totally worth it. Our season started fairly slow and relaxed,
then picked up speed, and soon became very full on. The season was 109 days, of
which 65 were on charter, 31 were 8am till 5pm work days, and 13 were days
off. I’m now ready for a holiday, and
looking forward to working Monday to Friday with weekends off. After being a
backpacker for so long, I didn’t think I’d be saying those words so soon!</span></div>
<!--EndFragment--></div>
Mr Irelandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00789744128535679522noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4671827509533808839.post-37466124075960660932012-06-20T16:17:00.000+01:002012-07-01T16:20:41.204+01:00Down Time<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="background-color: white;">Our first charter finished on Tuesday,
and were given the option of a 3 day weekend or Wednesday off, and then the
weekend. We opted for a long weekend, but the next two days dragged, and after
working 16 days straight everyone just wanted to chill.</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtw1sCacXnJpfsEGIXjyHCJuqmHlqJPlKtl6JSWxScTzs2TPB45h8v1llmHXVJPBAg0lFPpGV1qhc0MPmdpAS200rL7HOthsBXzduIaNirpmmMakQomlni9tv7DBs2EiPAU0fRQyRz3Po/s1600/P1050537.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtw1sCacXnJpfsEGIXjyHCJuqmHlqJPlKtl6JSWxScTzs2TPB45h8v1llmHXVJPBAg0lFPpGV1qhc0MPmdpAS200rL7HOthsBXzduIaNirpmmMakQomlni9tv7DBs2EiPAU0fRQyRz3Po/s320/P1050537.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Thursday afternoon was finally upon us, and
we were all relieved, and looking forward to a good weekend. A crew watersports
day on the jet ski’s was planned for Friday, then Saturday 5 of us were going
to Castellane for white water rafting, Sunday was a chill day, and of course
Thursday evening was drinks night, but not before we jumped off the sun deck
(top deck of the boat). Al was first to jump, then Rob dived, and all eye’s
were on me. I felt very anxious. Normally, I love doing stuff like this, and
wouldn’t have hesitated, but since my accident I’m a bit more cautious. It took
me about three minutes to pluck up the courage to jump. Perched over the rails,
those three minutes seemed along time. My palms were sweating, and for the
first time, I spared a thought to how other people must have felt when I’ve
pushed them to do things out of their comfort zone. I knew the jump was easy,
and I would enjoy it, but I couldn’t get my legs to thrust me over the edge.
After a few attempts of standing up then sitting back down, I finally jumped.
The jump took my breath away, and my eyes shut tight. When I surficed, I was
relieved that I had down it, but a little shamed that it had taken so long, and
I was so scared. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivsZB612aPtKF4b5DhO0yS-AgxObYyA10YoXJWPvxAXazJUzn1ShSw3d1-d8BxJ8N7cBt-6rRmDfgl4rfQvlLRfmboEYxVxgftOWoG-rvruzPmLDOmnhJJkHKn_GrPnCEkPAeLEyAkFGQ/s1600/P1050712.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivsZB612aPtKF4b5DhO0yS-AgxObYyA10YoXJWPvxAXazJUzn1ShSw3d1-d8BxJ8N7cBt-6rRmDfgl4rfQvlLRfmboEYxVxgftOWoG-rvruzPmLDOmnhJJkHKn_GrPnCEkPAeLEyAkFGQ/s320/P1050712.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">The jet ski’s were great fun. It’s the first
time, I’ve ridden one, and I was looking forward to it. The sea was a little
choppy, so the conditions weren’t perfect, but it wasn’t long before I had it
flat out. I took the Go Pro out, and it didn't disappoint – I love that thing.
Al and I took it in turns to wear it, and when we watched back the footage, I
was disheartened to see that he rode the jet ski far harder than I, and his
footage was much more exciting – I only made a few tight turns and concentrated
on opening her up on the straight, where Al constantly carved up the sea, and
chucked the jet ski about. As the girls don’t have a license we had to ride on
the jet ski’s with them. I didn’t think it was appropriate to hold around the
waist our new stewardess, Pippa, so I held onto the handles behind where I was
sitting. I didn’t enjoy the ride one bit, and held on for dear life. At one
point we hit a passing boats wake. After jumping over the first wave of the
wake, my hands flew off the handle as I flew off the seat. I thought I was a goner
as we still had 2 more waves to come, but fortunately when I landed back on the
seat my hands conveniently placed back on the handles. When we got back to the
boat, I was so glad my time as passenger was over, and thought to myself that
there is no way I would go on the back of a jet ski when a bloke is in control.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4cw8QmWA-fNE-KKUTjWpzFLeLxo_098EvO7LdMtea52kYNRT1qSxfTjZrccwDGFCgCvzWnCc0wYV3l3XOQYoepdhudxPaQaps4CDnJj-MwNk9Q_PV5UVezd8IXi0qs0MVEFqYaU_gF_g/s1600/P1050514.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4cw8QmWA-fNE-KKUTjWpzFLeLxo_098EvO7LdMtea52kYNRT1qSxfTjZrccwDGFCgCvzWnCc0wYV3l3XOQYoepdhudxPaQaps4CDnJj-MwNk9Q_PV5UVezd8IXi0qs0MVEFqYaU_gF_g/s320/P1050514.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">The white water rafting was in Castellane,
which is in the hills. Unfortunately it was cloudy at sea level, so we couldn’t
enjoy the view until we were quite far up the mountain. Castellane, is a
beautiful village. It’s fairly small but seemed to have everything you would
need to live there and it felt very French. Our guide recommended that we would
have more fun in kayaks, so we ended up with two, two man kayaks, and a single man.
I’m really glad we took his advice because the river was pretty tame, and only
had one tricky section. I started off in
the two man kayak with Pippa, then half way swapped with Rob into the single man.
The kayaks were a lot of fun, and the five of us floated down the river
constantly trying to spin each other and splash them with the paddle. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjmJNMHHX7MfRsnchyphenhyphenGAwzAl51zKHV-NwvS31FcEufq-_X5L7v6gDuadwniPpVgy5f4_5k05uOR8tI_bVC7utjkUvjGvvB0JxotTMbudW-rZ1JS2Kfyyh9T7tT273nyo2k1xC4tWdF3V8/s1600/P1050682.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjmJNMHHX7MfRsnchyphenhyphenGAwzAl51zKHV-NwvS31FcEufq-_X5L7v6gDuadwniPpVgy5f4_5k05uOR8tI_bVC7utjkUvjGvvB0JxotTMbudW-rZ1JS2Kfyyh9T7tT273nyo2k1xC4tWdF3V8/s320/P1050682.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">I really love boat life at the moment. A
big factor is that I have everything I want and need so close, and readily
available to me. I only have to walk up stairs for the gym, jump off the back
of the boat for a swim, or take a two minute tender drive ashore to go for a
run. Rob, Jarred, and I, all work out together. We’re all very competitive, and
push each other hard. Rob was nearly a professional rugby player, and Jarred
has completed a half triathlon, so both guys are very fit. Presently we all have
the fitness bug , and train non stop. I use the gym three times per week, then
swim 2k, run 8k , and paddle board for 40 minutes on the days in between. The
great thing is, I can do all this in the sun, with an incredible view - the run
has to be my favourite as we run a long the coast road, but the view from the
gym is also superb. Living on a superyacht also allows you do some cool things.
One Sunday, Al, Rob and I had a beach day. We blew up an inflatable toy called
the Aqua Glide, which is about 3m squared, and normally towed behind the
tender, with people hanging on for dear life.
We loaded it with all our beach gear and, and swam it to shore. Al used
a shackle and a line as an anchor, and we set up camp 10 metres or so from the
beach. This was great because you get all the benefits of being at the beach,
but don’t get sand everywhere, have your own space, and can chill in peace and
comfort. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
</div>Mr Irelandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00789744128535679522noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4671827509533808839.post-64068429753584895922012-05-06T20:42:00.000+01:002012-05-12T20:46:08.792+01:00Genoa Boat Show<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<!--StartFragment-->
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">From our shipyard in Malta, we sailed
straight to the boat show in Genoa, and had just four days to transform the
boat from her yard state to show ready. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">The purpose of the show was for brokers to
look round each yacht, so they could put forward suitable vessels to their clients
looking for a yachting vacation. Yachting related businesses were also in
attendance - some had stands on the dock, while others would just visit the boats
to promote their services. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP3uNpLMCzpv_WKehLSExiCHdCSEyzZPw11SqRd4F4AzX8E4dkTyEdJ6O1PcsvX6rzJIgi921uMB-fqcQpBjbIlIjlxnDDLTGuaJT4j2EdoQdEfFnoHF2AQ2Ony06u4kupLHgp9FbXoLk/s1600/P1060578.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP3uNpLMCzpv_WKehLSExiCHdCSEyzZPw11SqRd4F4AzX8E4dkTyEdJ6O1PcsvX6rzJIgi921uMB-fqcQpBjbIlIjlxnDDLTGuaJT4j2EdoQdEfFnoHF2AQ2Ony06u4kupLHgp9FbXoLk/s320/P1060578.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">The show spanned over three docks. We was
moored on the main dock, opposite was a smaller dock with a third, a 15 minute
ferry ride away. In the morning it was the deck crews job to wipe the boat
clean of any dew or dust, and get her looking her best. When the show started
at 10:00am, we would stand at the top of the passerelle to greet brokers, and
deal with inquiries from the yachting related businesses. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">In the evenings, after the show, there was
always something going on for crew. Different stands held events, and on the
final Friday of the show, there was a crew party. My drinking ban would soon be
over! On the Tuesday, I went to a wine tasting stall with the rest of my crew.
I drank orange juice, but had the tiniest sip from each of their wines. This
was enough to get me thinking the next day when I was on passerelle watch about
Friday’s crew party, and whether or not I should have a drink. In the end I
decided that I would have a drink, and get involved in my first crew party.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Wednesday was our biggest day of the show.
We had organised a lunch for the brokers, and our chef, Jared, was planning an
eight course lunch. This is his first season in yachting, and wanted to show
what he could do. In his words “Go big
or go home”. The lunch was a big success and to celebrate we went out for dinner.
As I hadn’t drunk for three months, I decided I would warm up for Friday’s
party and have a little drink. Two glasses of wine was enough to make me feel lightheaded
and start feeling the effects of alcohol. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidY_t2izvU4LmfJoFzBO1VqPtVYtV2qyb7u3rodEI7ySho_I8HDFMLtE7epyTIwm4pLsbX3LNcBFCSGS9KkJnMy_8aF4b0vuegXPN9ZPMQ9zwqr95GlLqwmjef4ojIevqPLmqZuncwe0Y/s1600/P1060582.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidY_t2izvU4LmfJoFzBO1VqPtVYtV2qyb7u3rodEI7ySho_I8HDFMLtE7epyTIwm4pLsbX3LNcBFCSGS9KkJnMy_8aF4b0vuegXPN9ZPMQ9zwqr95GlLqwmjef4ojIevqPLmqZuncwe0Y/s320/P1060582.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Edward Scissor Hands (aka Emily), Jack Sparrow (Me), <br />The Queen of Hearts (aka Kim), Ace Ventura (aka Al),<br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 16px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">John McClane (aka Rob), Zohan (aka Jared).</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span lang="EN-US">Friday’s crew party was a Hollywood themed
fancy dress party. I went as Jack Sparrow, wearing Kim’s blouse, and Emily’s
waste coat, complete with eye liner, black finger nails and a felt tip goatee.
Of course I needed to wear a felt tip goatee because I had to be clean shaven
for the show – it had nothing to do with the fact that at 28, I still can’t
grow one! I remember the party as being great fun, but my memory doesn’t
stretch far past a certain point. I blame this on Jager, and mixing my drinks.
I’ve now experienced the full range of the pendulum, from being sober, to getting
it right, and getting out of control, or should I say wrong?</span></div>
<!--EndFragment--></div>Mr Irelandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00789744128535679522noreply@blogger.com0Genoa, Italy44.4070624 8.933988944.225566900000004 8.6181319 44.5885579 9.2498458999999986tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4671827509533808839.post-55662549507684741102012-04-29T20:54:00.002+01:002012-05-01T20:04:07.369+01:00Malta<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
I wasn’t a fan of Malta, and its not
somewhere I would chose to return to. To be honest, it never recovered from my
first impression - run down. The buildings are weathered and dirty, the roads in
a terrible condition, the air is dusty and polluted and a lot of the people are
over weight/obese and dress horribly. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWo2t7JW7vQDzP2I1Jq8B4W1GUYCR4xWZWO3-9OFi0axgpICsfmaQdeme5We_DtjWiya2NX0C4jCNn8MI4jeAhAOm9U0DscncRTox2YIwcydbc6BxvjyrTVwlOKLZePM5PrL0_UdfqTgM/s1600/P1060527.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWo2t7JW7vQDzP2I1Jq8B4W1GUYCR4xWZWO3-9OFi0axgpICsfmaQdeme5We_DtjWiya2NX0C4jCNn8MI4jeAhAOm9U0DscncRTox2YIwcydbc6BxvjyrTVwlOKLZePM5PrL0_UdfqTgM/s320/P1060527.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">The purpose of my trip to Malta was 3 weeks
in Palumbo Shipyard. Even though I wasn’t a fan, I was determined to make the
most of my time and hope to find some hidden surprises. On the first weekend
the captain and I went for a drive around the Island. I much preferred Malta
the more rural you go. A natural atmosphere replaced the run down impression,
with greenery in between scattered villages, and I saw glimpses of how Malta
used to look back in the day. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">St Julian’s is were all the nightlife is,
and to be fair it’s a decent night out. It reminded me of a club 18 – 30
holiday destination, with streets full of bars and ticket touts standing
outside. On the first couple of nights, we stumbled across a few bars that were
full of ridiculously young looking kids - the place felt like a school disco.
Fortunately we soon learnt where these bars were and avoided them. I found my
drinking ban hard, and it crossed my mind to give in, but I thought quitting
after 2 months was not good enough - I would never forgive myself if I gave in then
something happened that I would have to live the rest of my life with the
consequences.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Kim and I went on a harbor tour. This
amused Rob. He thought it was a very touristy thing to do and didn’t understand
why we wanted to go on a harbor tour when we work on a boat. I really enjoyed
the tour, and Malta looks much nicer from the sea, than it does on land.
Towards the end of the cruise, I mentioned to, Kim that may be I was being a
bit harsh on Malta, but a soon as we got back on land, the run down impression came
flooding back.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Gozo, is only a short ferry ride away, so
Alistair, Emily, Kim and I went on a day trip.
As Gozo is a holiday destination, I was expecting a bit more, but again
I was left disappointed. Dwejra Bay and a snickers cake saved the day for me. Dwejra
Bay is to the west of the Island, and the last place we visited. The appeal for
me was the rough weather. I enjoyed the waves crashing against the rugged coastline
and loved watching nature’s power. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">The best day out was at Badger Go Karting.
To make sure the karts were up to scratch, Alastair, Emily, Rob, and I tested
it out then returned with Kim and the crew from Lady M (another boat in the
shipyard). We had 5 minutes of
qualifying, followed by a 15 minutes race. The first few laps of the race were
insane. Apart from the eventual winner, who ran away with it, and lead from
start to finish, the rest of the pack jostled for position. W</span>e were all
bumping, spinning, slipping and sliding – it was great fun.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">I had a good time in Malta, but that was
down to the people I was with and making the most of it. I’m glad my visit was
for work and not a holiday, as I would have been left gutted. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>Mr Irelandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00789744128535679522noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4671827509533808839.post-15280327329203846532012-02-18T12:08:00.000+00:002012-04-12T12:10:43.549+01:00Termination of Contract and New Job Offer<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">I got the call Friday evening just after 7pm. A call like this is never at a good time, but the timing of this call for me was particularly bad. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Since Wednesday, I was back in the UK sitting a personal training course. The course thus far had been very intensive, with lots of information covered at fast pace, and 3 or 4 hours of homework each evening after an 8 hour day in the class room. By Friday the pace of the course was picking up, and my head was hurting from the constant barrage of information. The course was by far the hardest my brain has had to process information since recovering from my brain injury and I could feel the strain.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">After Friday’s lesson, my head was suffering from information over load so bad, that I was actually looking forward to chilling out on the tube ride back to Jess’s apartment. I’d not long sat down to start tackling my homework, when my phone rang. I saw it was a +33 (French dialing code) number on my phone’s display and I thought to myself this isn’t good. It was my captain calling to tell me a decision had been made to cancel my contract. The reasoning behind this was because the management had decided that all deck crew are now required to hold a yachtmaster and more experience than I can offer. I was told that it was nothing to do with my work ethic or attitude and that it was a decision that it was out of the captain’s hands. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Even though I’d prepared myself for bad news after seeing the French number on my phone display, I was still taken a back and shocked by the news. Thoughts rushed trough my head, analyzing the news from different angles, and I experienced various emotions. Worst of all, I knew I was facing another 3 or 4 hours of home work, with another 2 days of the course still to run, so I tried to calm my mind and just focus on my homework and the remainder of the course.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I was hugely disappointed because I was really looking forward to the season, but could understand the decision – Clifford is a very nice boat and it is only right they have experienced, qualified crew looking after her. Over the winter they had also brought a new Van Dutch tender, which needed an experienced driver to operate it.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I was given the option of returning to France and working my notice period, or leaving the boat and using holiday to cover my notice period. Staying in the UK was never an option for me. I knew that after my notice was up, boats would soon be looking for crew and I wanted to be in France before the influx of job hunters arrived. I also had food and accommodation onboard, so it made sense financially to work my notice period. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">When I got the job on Clifford, I thought my future in yachting was sorted, and I would never be facing unemployment again. I didn’t expect to be on Clifford forever, but I am sensible enough to have a job lined up before I handed in my notice. I was disappointed but thought to myself the decision was out of my control - I couldn’t sit my yachtmaster as I haven’t accumulated enough sea miles and I need time in the industry to gain experience. I told myself that I needed to stay positive, and work hard to find a new job. I’m now in a far better position, than when I first arrived in Antibes - I have more money, more contacts and more importantly more experience. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtkTkfdls0iA5BgKfezKhyphenhyphenQYJf6snD-bWoAAKHfFzzoQUZieA_xTZdgTEEfVtwBYnmvZ8Abk6t_3h-H3zr0IlVBKHVv7hmhKNZXEM6FteoCYbWWFb7Mff2cuDSVu2eOah1CTfiMz-NwaU/s1600/P1060461.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtkTkfdls0iA5BgKfezKhyphenhyphenQYJf6snD-bWoAAKHfFzzoQUZieA_xTZdgTEEfVtwBYnmvZ8Abk6t_3h-H3zr0IlVBKHVv7hmhKNZXEM6FteoCYbWWFb7Mff2cuDSVu2eOah1CTfiMz-NwaU/s320/P1060461.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fathom</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal">I was back in self discipline mode - until I found a new job, work came before pleasure and I had to knuckle down and get things sorted. I needed to tie up lose ends, visit all the agencies and start dock walking again. One major stumbling block was my personal training exam, which had to be completed and sent of within 30 days of finishing the curse. I arrived back in France on Monday, so the plan was to amend my CV, and visit all the agencies by Friday, then spend the weekend studying and completing the majority of the exam. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivYfGukrsoSYMayY9-zQEJLmXallg9k-Ii83WjNs302pDqZl6-r5aGYXTJvJPcJQ2vDksxvE573UraTsJnjwpQzimYhfdTJ47h14PUtRSd1HxR2_o_n_taELxUZalydv_q1fiGqiZjW9Q/s1600/P1060463.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivYfGukrsoSYMayY9-zQEJLmXallg9k-Ii83WjNs302pDqZl6-r5aGYXTJvJPcJQ2vDksxvE573UraTsJnjwpQzimYhfdTJ47h14PUtRSd1HxR2_o_n_taELxUZalydv_q1fiGqiZjW9Q/s320/P1060463.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fathom</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal">My plan worked out perfectly. I arrived back in Antibes on 20<sup>th</sup> Febr<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=4671827509533808839&postID=1528032732920384653" name="_GoBack"></a>uary, had a trail on a boat on the 23<sup>rd</sup>, which I decided the job wasn’t for me, and was day working from the 29<sup>th</sup> right up until I was offered a job on a yacht called Fathom, on the 12<sup>th</sup> March. Obviously I could have down without the stress of finding a new job, but I made good of a negative situation. The day work meant that I didn’t have to touch my savings, and the job offer meant I can still look forward to the up and coming season, and continue my career in yachting. </div></div>Mr Irelandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00789744128535679522noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4671827509533808839.post-22420920941786145922011-10-12T19:41:00.000+01:002013-02-20T19:46:47.051+00:00Super Yachts - Dock Walking, Day Working and Job Offer<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Apart from a broken toe, my time in Antibes couldn’t have gone any better. It took me three days of dock walking to find ongoing day work and within 2 weeks I was offered a month trail for a permanent position.<br />
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Dock walking never really bothered me but most people you talk to hate it. As the name suggests you walk around a dock asking each boat if they have permanent positions or need day workers? I went in with the mentality that 90% of boats wouldn’t have any work and expected to get rejected. I considered a lead, advice or ‘we might need a day worker in a few days’ a positive and left a bit more pumped.<br />
<br />
To start with I didn’t have a clue and would approach every boat that looked a decent size. Towards the end, I had figured out the size of boat that I wanted to work on and only approached boats around that size. The best bit of advice I got was from someone staying in my crew house that said when you approach a boat you need to sell yourself as chances are they will scan your CV and only remember what you tell them. I trialed this advice and my approaches improved 100%. In day one, I approached each boat thinking I don’t want to take up much of their time, by day three I was having decent conversations with the crew even if there was no work going. I approached one boat where two guys were chatting at the end of the passerelle and asked to speak with the mate. As they saw me approaching one guy started walking up the passerelle onto the boat. I started my pitch to the deckhand that was still on the dock and when I mentioned my time on Lord Nelson the guy that had walked back onto the boat stopped to listen to what I was saying. By the end of my pitch he was standing back on the dock asking me questions. He was the first mate, who on the bigger boats is in charge of hiring all deck crew. As it turned out I never heard anything from that boat but the experience will always stick with me and prove to me that you have to sell yourself. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyEbs7MxFPqeo5KXclPnAMMbZ76LRRn-VRjr_4D79N2f5k3BqHJty6dQK3ZkG3uijmp9EG7Gtu3Yu607Fedpr0EvF_AfZmCV2M6ZvNTZer0pZYDW_X_36CT2tU70BQJ0y1_mtaCPFth_w/s1600/P1060314.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyEbs7MxFPqeo5KXclPnAMMbZ76LRRn-VRjr_4D79N2f5k3BqHJty6dQK3ZkG3uijmp9EG7Gtu3Yu607Fedpr0EvF_AfZmCV2M6ZvNTZer0pZYDW_X_36CT2tU70BQJ0y1_mtaCPFth_w/s320/P1060314.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Suakin in Beaulieu Sur Mer shipyard.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
My day working gig was secured on day three. I started early morning dock walking in Antibes, and decided to hit every super yacht in Port Vauban. I approached one boat and was having a decent chat with the deckhand even though I knew there was no chance of work. At the end of the conversation I shook his hand and approached another boat. I turned around and the deckhand was running towards me to saying that his captain was on the phone to another captain that may need a day worker. He told me the boat is in Beaulieu Sur Mer shipyard, which was about four stops from Monaco on the train, given the captain, Pete’s mobile number and told to give him a call. I instead of calling him I decided to catch the train to Beaulieu Sur Mer, find the shipyard and chat to the captain in person. Fortunately I found the shipyard easily and somehow managed to get in. Looking back it was a stroke of luck getting in as the gate is always locked and you need to know the pin code to get in. I met with the Pete who told me he may need some help next week and would give me a call to let me know when. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8zz_qAl8RE9OZIVjm6EOvuOP2LNKgWFJ5OV8WUrtsV8kfJP9nASYlM-PTfmwjsWvrN15RX02AxiuYawITJ4_w7XUuVxjd2IjqmnjQr4HgI8xIdOqUZSxLJIrqaQuiVDU0JVoFzb8lO4o/s1600/P1060317.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8zz_qAl8RE9OZIVjm6EOvuOP2LNKgWFJ5OV8WUrtsV8kfJP9nASYlM-PTfmwjsWvrN15RX02AxiuYawITJ4_w7XUuVxjd2IjqmnjQr4HgI8xIdOqUZSxLJIrqaQuiVDU0JVoFzb8lO4o/s320/P1060317.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dock walking in Beaulieu Sur Mer</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I spent the rest of the afternoon dock walking in Beaulieu Sur Mer and Monaco. I didn’t have much luck in Beaulieu Sur Mer as the boats were smaller, and mainly French owned, so were staying in France for the winter and finishing up for the season. My dock walking in Monaco however was very fruitful. The dock was packed with lots of sexy looking super yachts all getting ready for the Monaco Boat show. All of my approaches went really well, and I had good conversations with the crew. I was really impressed with Monaco, the place gave the impression of wealth and looked exclusive. I turned into a geeky tourist and took pictures of the boats and F1 track. I even stopped to take a photograph of the start finish line, which is ridiculous when you think I now have a picture of a busy road, with a start finish line painted on. By the end of the day I felt knackered as I’d covered a serious amount of dock miles. I was waiting for the train at Monte Carlo when I got a phone call from Pete, saying that he’d changed his mind and he needed me tomorrow morning at 8. It’s hard to put the feeling into words but a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders and I was over the moon. As I’d arrived in Beaulieu Sur Mer I had a call from a captain in Antibes that needed a day worker that afternoon. I was pretty bummed to have to turn down the work but this news had more than made up for it. <br />
<br />
I really enjoyed my first day on Suakin and loved the fact the work was active, outside and in the sun. I spent the day painting shackles on an anchor chain so they knew how much chain was still in the water when it was coming back in. Around 3pm Pete asked me if I could work tomorrow and before going home the first mate told me I would be needed next week too. I was very happy as a week’s work would pay for two weeks food and accommodation, meaning I can stay in Antibes, debt free while looking for a permanent position. <br />
<br />
In the end I worked nine awesome days on Suakin and took part in numerous jobs, included painting the anchor chain, ballast and fresh water tanks, polishing, treating metal, hosing down, and helping to leave and enter berths. Working in the tanks was an experience that I’m not sure if I enjoyed or not. It’s bloody hot in there and there isn’t much room to move around but I enjoyed the challenge. All I can say is it’s a good job I’m flexible.<br />
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I had only worked there four days when an anchor fell on my foot, breaking my little toe. The anchor chain was nearly up but had a twist in it so I shouted up to get them to stop pulling the chain in. I walked round the front of the anchor to untwist the chain when it fell over landing on my foot. I’m not sure why it fell but the anchor had been standing all day so I think my message didn’t get through to stop the chain and the movement knocked it over. When you need to, you can move fast. My reflexes moved my foot from under the anchor before I felt pain but unfortunately my reflexes weren’t fast enough. At first I pulled the macho card, and told myself it had only grazed me and tried to walk it off. I carried on working and got the anchor fully up before looking at my foot. It had ballooned like it belonged to professor clump and was blue. Pete and his fiancée Sarah, took me to get it x-rayed. I was told that my little toe was broken but as long as I kept my weight off it, would be okay to work. Pete suggested we get a second opinion from a doctor. Throughout the whole appointment the doctor spoke to Sarah in French, whilst I sat on the bed. I didn’t understand a word but knew it wasn’t good news. He told Sarah my toe needed a pin, I needed crutches and should definitely not work. I was devastated and thought my dream was over. I couldn’t believe it as everything had been going so well and was now thinking I would have to spend winter in England thinking about what could have been.<br />
<br />
Pete told me he would have a word with Ralph, the boats manager before we done anything rash. That evening he called to say Ralph would be round tomorrow morning at 9:30 to take me to the boats doctor for a third opinion. Ralph said the doctor we were seeing was his personal doctor that looks after all his family and was very good. The doctor took a look at the x-ray, told me to get rid of the crutches as they are dangerous, wrote a prescription for some tablets to reduce the swelling and bruising, strapped my toe up to the ankle and said I could go back to work tomorrow. I found the whole thing quite comical and was relieved that I could go back to work. My toe never caused me pain or affected my work, and by the end of the first day I could keep up with everyone’s walking pace. <br />
<br />
My first trip on a super yacht was an hour’s motor from Beaulieu Sur Mer to Antibes, and I enjoyed every minute of it. Looking back at the coastline, the windy Riviera road and the red terracotta roof tops was an awesome sight. I’ve always enjoyed the sun reflecting off the water but the deep blue Mediterranean Sea and being on a super yacht made it even better. I regretted not bringing my camera but I told myself that I would have many more opportunities to take photographs of stunning coast lines and life at sea.<br />
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Suakin arrived in Antibes Friday afternoon and I was offered a month’s trial on the Monday. I was given the weekend off and as my foot wasn’t causing me any pain or to limp, I went dock walking in Cannes and Antibes. Whilst dock walking on Saturday I spoke to the first mate of a boat called Clifford II, which ironically, was berthed three boats down from Suakin in Antibes. The first mate, Josh told me that they were unsure what they were doing for the winter and they might be looking for a deckhand. He said they may be heading to the Caribbean or staying in Antibes for the winter and going to a shipyard for a couple of months. Either way they were hoping to find out within the week. I wasn’t expecting anything to come of it but on my way home from work on Monday, Josh said that he was hoping to catch me and could I have a word with the captain? They told me the boat would be staying in Antibes for the winter, going to a shipyard for some major work and they needed a deckhand. The captain, Bob, talked about the career opportunities and the possibility of doing more certificates. Josh told me he had worked for the owners for four years and said they were really nice people to work for.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsFvp6tk5X2SeG3DxODxJ4Uka-lGN6jW9fDGM5XncZq4OR8kJ3IpAPoy19ZVywbBD2W2nNi0rc2HN3TZ5ey0VM1bRdjK8sGY4rtV-obPKLLDlEHR1154FaO71ebP_JSj2ag-E4hgCdsaM/s1600/P1060353.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsFvp6tk5X2SeG3DxODxJ4Uka-lGN6jW9fDGM5XncZq4OR8kJ3IpAPoy19ZVywbBD2W2nNi0rc2HN3TZ5ey0VM1bRdjK8sGY4rtV-obPKLLDlEHR1154FaO71ebP_JSj2ag-E4hgCdsaM/s320/P1060353.JPG" width="320" /></a>I imagined that if I was offered a job, I would be extremely excited and would struggle to control my emotions but I stayed very calm and took in all the details. That evening my mind raced and I didn’t know what to do. I was encouraged to hear that Josh had stuck around for four years and believed him when he said the owners are nice people to work for. Bob’s talk about starting a career on the boat also appealed to me but I had my heart set on travelling somewhere hot. The next day after work, Bob showed me round the boat. I was really impressed and fell in love with her. She looked impressive from the dock but as soon as I saw the interior, jacuzzi and deck furnishings, I thought, this boat is sexy. Everything was perfect apart from staying in Antibes for the winter. In the end I thought, what’s my rush, there will be plenty more Caribbean seasons and I can’t turn down a position with a future. The size of the boat and amount of crew is perfect, it’s modern, stylish and super sexy. I accepted Bob’s offer and started work the following Friday. I am now looking forward to learning the boat and my job well during the shipyard period and should hit the ground running when the Mediterranean season starts again next March / April.<br />
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Ever since my accident I hate the word lucky. I worked bloody hard for this opportunity and believe you get out of life what you put in. Everything I did in Antibes was geared towards find a job. My days off from Suakin were spent dock walking for permanent positions, I asked lots of questions and knocked on many doors. Countless people have told me, finding a job in yachting is all about being in the right place at the right time. This saying is spot on and sums it up much better than being lucky.</div>
Mr Irelandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00789744128535679522noreply@blogger.com47Antibes, France43.580417999999987 7.1251019999999743.539999499999986 7.08482249999997 43.620836499999989 7.1653814999999694tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4671827509533808839.post-89683343997221431822011-07-12T21:31:00.000+01:002011-07-12T21:31:06.171+01:00Afan ForrestWe finally arrived in Cymeer after just over 5 hours of travelling. Apart from the time, and a few numb asses the journey wasn’t that bad and fairly comfortable. Dad had made a make shift seat out of two pieces of ply leaning up against the cab, cushioned with sun bed mattresses. We were armed with iPods, speakers and a laptop for in cab entertainment but unfortunately could only just hear them over the noise of the engine. After only being able to hear 2 of every 5 words spoken the laptop died three quarters of the way through Hall Pass just as it was getting good. Disappointingly we missed the hot Aussie get her tits out, gutted <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxpPWTVisEMDzSCNBpZIip_zo1gMBtT8c74RucIWJAFrrDmpQ7E5xwB8O2p-k8toL1jg8xiuOyFdlzrPNw2KiLhtuA9P7D_uvC3AiitcN_ZD9imb2f9IhjKaaiuLkCIV83lDhiG09tPsw/s1600/P1050901.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxpPWTVisEMDzSCNBpZIip_zo1gMBtT8c74RucIWJAFrrDmpQ7E5xwB8O2p-k8toL1jg8xiuOyFdlzrPNw2KiLhtuA9P7D_uvC3AiitcN_ZD9imb2f9IhjKaaiuLkCIV83lDhiG09tPsw/s320/P1050901.JPG" width="320" /></a>Mrs Williams who owned the cottages must have heard the van pull in as moments later she was there to welcome and show us around the cottage. Downstairs was made up of a front room and a kitchen with a dining table in the middle. It was obvious that most of the tenants were mountaineer bikers as the inner cushions under the covers on the sofa were wrapped in plastic bags. Upstairs was consisted of two rooms of bunks and a toilet. Dad and Martin shared the smaller room with two bunks and Andy, Mike, Tom and I took the soon to be windy four bunk room. I was impressed with the cottage; it felt homely and had everything you needed. Downstairs had a cozy feel to it and was just big enough for six. Dinner time was a bit of a squeeze and a little like playing twister when struggling to stretching from left leg green to right arm blue. <br />
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Shortly after we arrived Mike got on with the dinner, while us others unpacked the van. I was hungry anyway so smelling the food cooking didn’t help matters and by the time the prawns, in chilli sauce with a side of salad was ready, I was ravenous. To satisfy my hunger I got stuck into the prawns a little too enthusiastically and probably should have saved a little more room for the steak. I didn’t really care though as one of my plans for this holiday was to enjoy the food and fill my boots each meal and I’d without doubt started the way I meant to go on. For mains we were served a massive door stop steak with dauphinoise potatoes, and a mix of onion, mushroom and tomatoes in steak juice. It was my kind of meal; rich, meaty and absolutely divine. To be honest I was done three quarters of the way through my steak but managed to push on through and was very happy when Mike mentioned carrot cake for dessert. My greed wanted the cake but I was more than satisfied after the feast so Mike suggestion gave me a good excuse to be greedy.<br />
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</tbody> </table>To my surprise I woke naturally at 7am and was ready for the day. Everyone was up an hour or so later and to Andy’s disbelief Mike got cracking on a fry up. Both he and Dad said they couldn’t eat anything more but as soon as it was on the table they both changed their mind. We were soon made aware of what was to be a cooking time headache as the smoke alarm rang its heart out. It was so bad that someone had to constantly be upstairs as it went off every 30 seconds even with all the windows open.<br />
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The breakfast made getting out on the bikes much harder. To be honest the weather didn’t help as it was raining on and off and was grey and miserable. An hour or so later we were finally on our way to tackle a ride named ‘Whites Level’. The start of the ride was only a mile or so from the cottage, on a path about 2 or 3 bike widths wide running alongside the valley. The air was fresh, the path was scenic and the only noise was made by us. I really enjoy getting away from the hustle and bustle, being in a natural environment and giving my lungs a good workout.<br />
I found the riding much harder than I expected and struggled throughout the ride. I had only been going a couple of minutes when I rode off the trail and had to dump the bike before riding down the hill leading into the valley. To stop motorbikes riding the trails, sty’s are put up that are just wide enough to fit a mountain bike through. After going through a sty, I lazily got back onto my bike and pushed off before getting properly set. By the time I had my feet on the pedals I was needing to pick my way through the rocky terrain and still off balance I had no chance and rode off the trail at a right angle. This wasn’t the best of starts but put it down to a lack of concentrating and tried again. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4mMFRW0C3w_Eg8DUPGtIjSVhgSHhwIbbH2fZAU90tn7_5eSDAHRqvB5sWiIHx0SQLdtJ5LnT-Md_Gca0fuQVV8d2aXjIef67JZCBG19DdoOwRoOAjeq_cgsvf1t-da5nx5TEXyZ34L8s/s1600/P1050911.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4mMFRW0C3w_Eg8DUPGtIjSVhgSHhwIbbH2fZAU90tn7_5eSDAHRqvB5sWiIHx0SQLdtJ5LnT-Md_Gca0fuQVV8d2aXjIef67JZCBG19DdoOwRoOAjeq_cgsvf1t-da5nx5TEXyZ34L8s/s320/P1050911.JPG" width="240" /></a>The bottom line was that I just wasn’t used to riding the terrain and it was much harder and technical to what I’m used to. While riding you have to pick your line through rocks, tree roots and over slabs while keeping to the trail which is only 3 feet wide. At slow speed my balance on the bike isn’t what it used to be, chuck in constantly bashing your pedals on rocks, while riding up hill and the space restriction of the trial and I was all over the place and had to keep putting my foot down. <br />
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As the ride went on I got more disgusted with my riding and started to get frustrated. I wasn’t able to keep up with Martin and Andy up hill because I kept having to put my foot down and get restarted again, and I wasn’t able to stay with the pace going back down. I told myself that it was because I had to take it easy as I didn’t want to fall off and hit my head again but the truth was that I’d lost my bottle. I realised this when I actually felt scared while riding a down hill section and had pushed my bike on three separate occasions. This is something I’ve never done before, previously the scarier and more dangerous the trail became the more enjoyment I got out of it. <br />
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After my realisation I decided that I should just enjoy the ride, take it at my own pace and hope that I could improve. I didn’t want to put a downer on the trip just because I couldn’t keep up with the pace and decided to just enjoy the social side of the ride. I was trying my best to stay positive but my head was dropping and I struggled to let it go. Tom told me that I should be happy that after just 7 months I was able to do this kind of riding and it shows how far I’ve come. I knew he was right but my competitiveness was getting the better of me and it was frustrating when I know how I used to ride. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVmHaiBdGEQ-vOiRjkOqXWIgHvCFSkH-pOltn6IiU3QeeEmam_dldOPdSe-a4UEID7A0-yhXPQh0wcQyn538hA9Hap-Jo3MoMWFQlMtUopKf1yRx9BD-KxNRsSwyVe2m2P1c1lhCmcGoc/s1600/P1050914.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVmHaiBdGEQ-vOiRjkOqXWIgHvCFSkH-pOltn6IiU3QeeEmam_dldOPdSe-a4UEID7A0-yhXPQh0wcQyn538hA9Hap-Jo3MoMWFQlMtUopKf1yRx9BD-KxNRsSwyVe2m2P1c1lhCmcGoc/s320/P1050914.JPG" width="240" /></a>My frustration soon ended when we rode past Dad with his bike upside down on the side of the trial. Tom and I stopped to see what was wrong. His front brake had seized up and was stuck on. He was in a right mood and was throwing his toys out of the pram, saying that he hates this fucking place, every time he comes it’s fucking raining and he’s never coming again. We were on the final stretch of the ride so he wheeled his bike down on the back wheel while Tom and I rode off highly amused. Dad finally got to the bottom and was looking at his brakes when the banter started. Martin was joking how this trip was the best he’s had in Wales, I was telling Dad that he should maintain his bike better and Andy was taking the piss when the camera came out.<br />
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We got home cleaned the bikes and spent the rest of the afternoon down the pub. On the way home we saw a kids climbing along a roof and hanging off the side of the clock tower. Extreme climbing must be rife in Cymmer as earlier in the day we had seen some lads climbing along a railing to a block of flats. The flats were conveniently built right next to the valley. For dinner Mike was making a chicken curry with all the trimmings including samosas, onion bhajis, home made sag paneer, and a spicy chick pea dish. The flavours were intense and it was a top curry. I was really happy as the dinners seemed to be getting better and better. <br />
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Again I was up and ready to go at 7am. After all the food I’d eaten, I felt full but hungry. I guess my body is in the habit of getting fed in the morning so it was telling me I was hungry when really I wasn’t. Again all that went out the window when the fry up was put on the table. <br />
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Today we were going to tackle the Wall and after if our legs felt okay ride Whites Level again. I knew that after riding the Wall everyone would be pumped then half way round Whites Level the legs would go and the ride would drag. First though we had to get off the sofa and on to the bikes, which was made harder as the cottage didn’t have a dryer or anywhere to hang the clothes. We did our best hanging them in the garage but as we were happy lounging on the sofa after another big breakfast, it was hard enough to get up without the thought of putting on damp clothes.<br />
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As Andy had set the pace yesterday we let him lead on the first climb. My riding had improved loads and although I still needed to put my foot out, it happened a lot less frequent and I felt more in control. Even though my riding had improved I still preferred Whites Level to the Wall because a lot of the climbs were on fire road and seemed really long. All the climbs on Whites Level take place on the trail so you need to concentrate and pick your line. When climbing fire roads they’re flat so you don’t have to concentrate and can look further ahead of you. The combination of not having to concentrate and being able to see how much more hill you have left to climb make the climbs seems longer and bring more attention to the strain of your legs.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3gUjIJAv9sff-WaT41ftd578oszk-Vmeo4ezmJTE1V50hAJEesed0FGAvAXz_xB7X6MiwpVZJLAV_4urJa3qHV1j3Y3TidIkqMeOTF0rYL9-S7e6NL9kjp1VufEbVqqXkpqFxtws8X5k/s1600/P1050974h.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3gUjIJAv9sff-WaT41ftd578oszk-Vmeo4ezmJTE1V50hAJEesed0FGAvAXz_xB7X6MiwpVZJLAV_4urJa3qHV1j3Y3TidIkqMeOTF0rYL9-S7e6NL9kjp1VufEbVqqXkpqFxtws8X5k/s320/P1050974h.JPG" width="240" /></a>The Wall’s down hill sections weren’t as steep as Whites Level and were more cross country so gave me chance to feel more comfortable on the bike and build up my confidence. I discovered that I rode the trails better if I broke less as it was easier to ride over the terrain at speed. By breaking less I could hold my speed which meant I didn’t need to pedal as much and could stand up more. This helps with your balance as your body acts like a spring to soak up the rocky terrain and puts you in a better position to deal with the technicality of the riding. The final two downhill sections of the Wall were good fun and the steepest. My riding had improved so much that I was able to keep with Dad on the down hill and pull away from the others. Before I knew it the wall was over and as predicted everyone was pumped and eager to ride Whites Level again. We stopped off at the cottage between rides to let Mike know what we were doing, fill our camelbaks up and eat some chocolate. Within 30 minutes we were riding on the path alongside the valley to the start of Whites Level.<br />
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The terrain of Whites Level was much rockier and technical than that of the Wall and I could see why I had struggled so much yesterday. The first climb was also longer and harder than I remembered but I still preferred it to the fire road climbs of the Wall. Tom and Andy were struggling with having already ridden the Wall and now attacking the steeper Whites Level. Even when coming down hill you don’t have a chance to rest as the trail is so bumpy your legs are working to set the rest of your body while trying to soften the impacts of the terrain. Unfortunately it was Andy’s turn to get frustrated as he wasn’t happy with his riding. I was feeling good as my fitness is still fairly strong and as I was so pleased with the improvement of my riding, I was on a high and eager to improve some more. I was now at the front with Martin climbing the hills and at the front with Dad coming back down.<br />
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On one of downhill sections Dad could hear someone behind him and shouted out to see who it was. As I was getting better at judging my braking I would catch Dad up loads coming into the corner but lose him a little on the flat as I wasn’t pedalling as hard. On the next downhill section Dad could hear I was right on his back wheel and let me past. Yesterday I had to push my bike over two sections as I didn’t fancy the look of riding it but today I went down with minimal hesitation. At the end of the trail Dad congratulated me and welcomed me back. I couldn’t believe the improvement I’d made. I knew I was capable of riding better but I didn’t think it would happen so quickly. <br />
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On the ride back I speed off back to the cottage so that when they returned four cold Stella’s were waiting to be drunk. Tom said he thought I was up to something and Dad had slated me for speeding off but they were all glad that I had when they were drinking the Stella. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFXVLgyjqSRGjsGk7NUmLPbKL-4-c4Tt4NPZYIY1_s94us4Tk38K2KsjHH_l2p0gwwZmJtWShlg4Q7xFTutDMWyJBWXIyRQzRNVbzurRYd_jfu4rBZurGf8QeSrVAD2INy_mGocRBwk5Y/s1600/P1050985.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFXVLgyjqSRGjsGk7NUmLPbKL-4-c4Tt4NPZYIY1_s94us4Tk38K2KsjHH_l2p0gwwZmJtWShlg4Q7xFTutDMWyJBWXIyRQzRNVbzurRYd_jfu4rBZurGf8QeSrVAD2INy_mGocRBwk5Y/s320/P1050985.JPG" width="320" /></a>That evening I felt superb, my legs were tingling and felt tired and heavy from the ride and I was looking forward to chilling out and not moving in front of the TV. Mike had saved the best for last and made a Sunday roast with belly of pork and apple and rhubarb crumble for dessert. I can’t remember the last time I’ve enjoyed a roast so much, it was heavenly. Shortly after dessert I said I needed a comfy seat and headed to the sofa to veg out. To Martins delight everyone followed so he helped himself to the left over crumble. Mike said his eye lit up when he saw everyone get up and the crumble was in his bowl in a flash. <br />
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The evening went just as I wanted it to, I didn’t move from the couch because a), my legs just wanted to be lazy and b), I was so full that I couldn’t have moved even if I wanted to. Its days like these that make a mountain biking holiday worth the effort keep you coming back for more. There was talk of Tom, Andy and I fitting a quick ride in on the Monday before leaving but in the morning no one could be bothered. It’s probably for the best that we didn’t go as we left on a high and wanting more. All in all I had a fantastic weekend and enjoyed every minute of it. Lots of things happened on the trip that will have us reminiscing for year to come. I think the fondest memory will be of Mike and his culinary delights.<br />
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<a href="http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150370043578502.435971.769268501#%21/media/set/?set=a.10150370043578502.435971.769268501">Click here to view more pictures.</a>Mr Irelandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00789744128535679522noreply@blogger.com0Cymmer, Porth, Rhondda Cynon Taff, UK51.607536 -3.409448999999995151.599227500000005 -3.430223499999995 51.6158445 -3.3886744999999951tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4671827509533808839.post-29004433503482933742011-06-18T22:34:00.000+01:002011-07-08T11:08:11.042+01:00Sailing CoursesI was off to the Isle of Wight to take my STCW95 (Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping) VHF Radio (Very High Frequency Radio) and Power Boat Level II certificates so I would qualify to work on super yachts.<br />
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Before leaving, Mum asked if I was excited about my courses and the truth is I wasn’t. I need to sit them before being allowed to work on a super yacht and I viewed them as something that needed to be done. I was looking forward to getting out of Maidstone and seeing somewhere new but I certainly wasn’t excited. The trouble is since getting back from New Zealand I haven’t had any commitments or things I’ve needed to do so I’ve gotten complacent and a bit lazy. <br />
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I caught the train to Southampton and then a Ferry to Cowes. I was nearing the end of my current book The Game and was engrossed in that so the train journey passed fairly quickly and before I knew it, I was on the ferry heading for Cowes. Before boarding the ferry I thought to myself that I should have a look around and I take in the sights as I’ve never been to the Isle of Wight before. Unfortunately the view from the ferry wasn’t great as the weather was overcast and as is it was approaching early evening time the backdrop looked grey and moody so I gave in. <br />
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The first person I saw on the Isle of Wight was Ben, who I’d met when working for Explore NZ. He worked on the America’s Cup boats and as soon as I saw him, I remembered him saying he was heading to the UK to spend the summer sailing. I couldn’t believe I’d bumped into him and thought to myself what a small world. We swapped numbers and said we’d meet one evening for a beer, unfortunately that didn’t happen. He txt me that evening but as I was starting the course tomorrow I wanted to be on form and when I txt him on Friday night he was in London, visiting a friend. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEireXjMJ4O2oge4QwRrDX0CtSv-GIIwoNG7mstFtPgCWhfjJed6qaoycL4ItVCGiRunejL6RV9UbppNyP2I3hLZsYcanMpNtUDK_-UmZ3Vl1iV69YHOuFMdrzWO1NYoygCyKwoXl_a-l-E/s1600/P1050746.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEireXjMJ4O2oge4QwRrDX0CtSv-GIIwoNG7mstFtPgCWhfjJed6qaoycL4ItVCGiRunejL6RV9UbppNyP2I3hLZsYcanMpNtUDK_-UmZ3Vl1iV69YHOuFMdrzWO1NYoygCyKwoXl_a-l-E/s320/P1050746.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The cottages (from the brown door to the water's edge). <br />
They look much better in the photo.</td></tr>
</tbody> </table>On arrival my first impressions of the cottages weren’t great. From the outside they looked dirty, a little run down and in need of a lick of paint. The accommodation was okay and would do the job for the week, I mean all you need is a bed, shower and somewhere to cook and the cottages ticked all three boxes but my expectations from the pictures and descriptions on the website weren’t met. <br />
<br />
No one was about so I decided to have a little look around and walked along the sea front to the esplanade. I was shocked at how many pubs I passed on my way. Cowes is a pretty small place, I only walked for about 10 minutes but saw at least as many pubs. During my walk I got a call from my parents and Granny. It’s the first time I’ve been away since my accident and returning home so anticipated a few calls. After them both calling at least three or four times during my trip (8 days) I smiled to myself and thought do they realise I’m a 27 year old man? At least my trip to Cowes let them get used to me being away again because they aren’t going to be able to call every day when I’m at sea! <br />
<br />
<b>VHF Radio.</b><br />
<br />
The course didn’t start until 10am so was nice and relaxed. We all meet in the outside court yard then went up to the class room. There were about 12 people taking the course. 5 of them had been in Cowes for 6 weeks sitting other certificates; there was a group of ex army guys that were going into marine security to combat the threat of pirates on container ships and one other fella who wanted to pick up some yachting work before joining the Navy. I really didn’t understand why the guy who was joining the Navy was paying for these certificates as the Navy finance you to do more in depth training than we were doing, still, each to their own.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjX2tuxFwrcs-QVClsBJsqdUIw4N2ZYkGzBRlMzU5obDBnL8Dyrbsm_CY8zllK9UmSZhmZ3zxYYtnSUTl8u4EQ_MHtgUnNqs6fmPtOGKeiUoxQ89aA5Qq7aLvm3iXgOlNNKxJrDPnwNJE/s1600/P1050754.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjX2tuxFwrcs-QVClsBJsqdUIw4N2ZYkGzBRlMzU5obDBnL8Dyrbsm_CY8zllK9UmSZhmZ3zxYYtnSUTl8u4EQ_MHtgUnNqs6fmPtOGKeiUoxQ89aA5Qq7aLvm3iXgOlNNKxJrDPnwNJE/s320/P1050754.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The courtyard.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Our teacher, Angus was a lively fellow who had a strong enthusiasm for sailing and in particular the radio. He told us lots of humorous stories relating to the radio that happened while he was out sailing. We covered a fair bit of information and most of the sailing related theory went over my head. The army guys were used to using radio’s so only needed to learn the bits related to the marine industry and the 5 that had been here for 6 weeks seemed to take things on board especially the sailing theory better than I. You never know they may have been thinking the same. My trouble wasn’t taking notes while listening to Angus but I found it impossible to try and memorise the key points whilst the class continued. Fortunately Angus told us that although we had to sit a test, he had never had anyone fail and the exam wasn’t taken in strict exam conditions. This relaxed me and I stopped worrying about taking too many notes and just listened to what he had to say. At times I relaxed a little too much and caught my self tuning out and starting to drift off. <br />
<br />
As soon as the exam paper was handed out my mind went blank and I thought here we go. I tried to relax and flicked through the questions until I saw one that I definitely knew the answer to and started from there. In the end it all came back to me and I found the exam fairly easy and straight forward. After Angus had marked my paper he told me to look at question 5 again, no wonder he has never had anyone fail the exam before.<br />
<b><br />
Elementary First Aid.</b><br />
<br />
This was the first day of the STCW95 course so we had 6 or 7 new faces join the group. Our group was pretty cool, it was made up of people in their early twenties right up to late thirties possibly even early forties and from all different backgrounds. I no longer felt like the only one struggling to grasp all the sailing terminology so was much happier. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxHvUKJnGhBJcA0k3T8Z3lRYutQ9x21PZlgeI3EGlPB2LS3bz1Ha0NzSyTUZfsjzYFhbG7SFSLHkoCxmVcpHJH0K3fo_NBdHgudpz-0tTVspQ8w3JEfAwmaz2etnCs82KjTcDn4ztEgOM/s1600/P1050779.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxHvUKJnGhBJcA0k3T8Z3lRYutQ9x21PZlgeI3EGlPB2LS3bz1Ha0NzSyTUZfsjzYFhbG7SFSLHkoCxmVcpHJH0K3fo_NBdHgudpz-0tTVspQ8w3JEfAwmaz2etnCs82KjTcDn4ztEgOM/s320/P1050779.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The class room.</td></tr>
</tbody> </table>Our teacher, again was very good and even pulled out a bag of jelly babies and chocolate biscuits (and told us to get stuck in) when talking about Diabetes and the need of an instant sugar hit. He worked as an on call helicopter medic for the oil rigs and earned £800 a day! He was very eccentric and made a few comments including sticking chocolate bars in inappropriate places and having allergies when PVC touched his mouth that made me wonder about his sexuality. <br />
<br />
The course was more in depth than I imagined, covered a lot of topics and I found it really interesting. This time we were given a course book to take away that covered all the topics. I felt much happier that we had the book as it meant I could pay more attention to the lecture and read up on the subject on my own time. I was determined to pay attention and get as much out of this course as I could as I think having a decent knowledge of first aid is a good life skill to have. <br />
<br />
At the end of the class we had another exam, this time he didn’t tell us if we had answered questions incorrectly but did allow us to use the course book to answer the questions. <br />
<br />
<b>Sea Survival</b>.<br />
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I was really looking forward to this part of the course as it was practical and sounded good fun. The course was taken by Richie and Richie, both ex Navy and now working as fire fighters. <br />
<br />
For the first half of the day we were in the class room covering theory. After lunch we were taken to the local swimming baths and had to prove that we could swim two laps of the pool in overalls. I decided to dive into to the pool and instantly didn’t feel right. I felt disorientated and had a slight head ache but didn’t think anything of it and started swimming. As I was turning round for my second lap I twigged that the reason I wasn’t feeling too good was the impact of the water on my head. This brought back the reality that I’m still healing and need to slow down a little and be more cautious. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxd4oLmGPNKm0R6y2Vk9aqyXgPf0PpHKPbSKH3hMYzpyGU4rkY6G6EBVqA2UyPr1haVvgB_D-JT3xiMBr1RqZ7oG8e50Ktb6Vf0jFf4foMCw2gtmuapTMnIuDKZJnAZhu2V4wYFzfUg5c/s1600/P1050776.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxd4oLmGPNKm0R6y2Vk9aqyXgPf0PpHKPbSKH3hMYzpyGU4rkY6G6EBVqA2UyPr1haVvgB_D-JT3xiMBr1RqZ7oG8e50Ktb6Vf0jFf4foMCw2gtmuapTMnIuDKZJnAZhu2V4wYFzfUg5c/s320/P1050776.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A life raft. The inside is blue to boost morale.</td></tr>
</tbody> </table>After the swim we was taught how to enter the water wearing a life jacket, learnt how to keep the group together in the water while being able to swim and how to fend of sharks. If you notice sharks whilst in the water you are supposed to form a circle facing outwards, link arms and kick your legs. The shadow from everyone joint in a circle and the noise from the splash will hopefully make the shark think whatever’s above is bigger than them and scares them off. Hopefully I’ll never need to try this technique out. <br />
<br />
<br />
We then got two life rafts out, had to get on board without any help (which is trickier that it sounds), learnt how to flip it over if it’s blown on its side and piled in and had a little chat about sea survival. To finish the day we paired off into two groups, entered the water in our life jackets, swam two lengths in a line connected together and then enter the rafts. Richie and Richie whispered to people to act as if they were unconscious at different points to see how the group would react and if the casualties were rescued.<br />
<br />
I didn’t enjoy the day as much as what I thought I would. Ever since my accident I’ve felt the cold considerably more and was uncomfortably cold in the pool, which ruined the day for me. I was also a little concerned about my head after the dive and I didn’t feel comfortable in the raft with everyone piling in and swinging their arms and legs everywhere, as I was worried I’d get a whack to the head.<br />
<br />
<b>Personal Safety and Social Responsibility.</b><br />
<br />
This part of the course was supposed to be the worst because it was so boring, but I actually enjoyed the class and found it interesting. I learnt a lot and it made me realise that you need to have your wits about you. I was always a little naïve when thinking about working on a super yacht and only thought about the travel and life in the sun. This class made me realise that going to sea can be dangerous and made me aware of what can happen. <br />
<br />
<b>Fire Prevention & Fire Fighting</b>.<br />
<br />
The fire fighting part of the course is covered over two days. We started the first day in the class room and learnt about different types of fire and how to tackle them. The theory side only lasted a few hours and then we jumped on the bus and drove to the fire station. <br />
<br />
We got kitted up then had a go using fire extinguishers. When putting out a fire you don’t aim the extinguisher right at the fire, you’re supposed direct the hose at a backboard or shoot up into the air so that fluid splashes or drops onto the fire. We were also shown what happens when you use water to try and extinguish a fire caused by burning liquids, the result was frightening. <br />
<br />
We then broke into two groups, my group was shown how to set up the breathing apparatus (BA) and put it on. I was surprised that fire fighters rely on verbal communication and don’t know hand signals for back up. I suppose that when you’re fighting a fire it’s dark and smoky so you won’t be able to see hand signals. Before going home we were shown around hot house where tomorrow we would be fighting a real fire.<br />
<br />
The next day my group was shown how to set the hose up, do the fireman shuffle, how to move around a burning building and open doors. Everyone’s coordination when doing the fireman’s shuffle was awful. You have to put your weight on your back foot while stamping your front foot on the ground to make sure it will take your weight then shuffle forward and repeat. While doing this you have to move your arm from the top of your head to the front of your face in a circular motion, with the back of your hand facing out to protect you from falling debris.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2PDg6wjglEV9nM9-KAmGa4YAcJ4f_RqbuJsyf0HQbA7zMcfd6_MePNX19n2D1C01hDHmaDxSojix_W9afMFrumEerX9f0etCQBRcd5ajmsKuciCSvTuFAtPg7OOdGGcwTj2n8fuERtgU/s1600/P1050832.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2PDg6wjglEV9nM9-KAmGa4YAcJ4f_RqbuJsyf0HQbA7zMcfd6_MePNX19n2D1C01hDHmaDxSojix_W9afMFrumEerX9f0etCQBRcd5ajmsKuciCSvTuFAtPg7OOdGGcwTj2n8fuERtgU/s320/P1050832.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Hot House.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Once we had practised all the theory it was time to go in. While we were waiting to enter the hot house I felt slightly nervous but as soon as I was in the front door, instinct took over and I was too focused on the job at hand to be nervous. We had to navigate our way around the outside wall and through two rooms until we got to the hose that was coiled up at the top of the stairs. The room was pitch black and I kept tripping over the hose on the way to the top of the stairs. I was number 3 so my job was feeding the hose from the coil and around the corner in the stairs. When we reached the fire, Richie talked to us about what to look for and told us again how to fight a fire. We all had a go at cooling the gases around the ceiling and the door frame and fighting the fire back to its origin. We couldn’t extinguish the fire completely as it had to keep going so four more groups could experience the hot house. <br />
<br />
Before leaving the hot house we had to work our way back up the stairs coiling the hose back at the top ready for the next group. Someone accidentally kicked the branch on and water started spraying out. I found this funny as we couldn’t see anything and didn’t know where the branch was. Richie wasn’t so amused as the more water that was sprayed in the hot room the hotter it would get through out the day. <br />
<b><br />
Power Boat Level II</b>.<br />
<br />
As the STWC95 course finished yesterday most people had gone home and only Dave and I was left. We were joined on the course by another guy who had previously done the course and wanted to do it again as a refresher. We started off in the class room to cover a little bit of theory then we changed into wet weather gear and headed out to the rib. The rib was much bigger than I expected, had four seats, enough room to fit 6 people comfortably in behind the seats and two outboard motors. The weather was miserable and I had to squint so I could see where I was going through the rain. Even though it was cold and wet I loved driving around on the rib and it reminded me how much I enjoy being on the water and how badly I want to work on a super yacht.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSg_PG7LLoXwRiMqmdKznhRjyCSlMegbZsrDaZ88P-7unLMQ0Wd1S7e1_p7144_QyZ6YRWN7panlWJFneLflSDoC-v01jjyB873lBS5x8GyLq28BY_LQfaBeDzAQ71NGb7LOA5lcK-Iuo/s1600/P1050879.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSg_PG7LLoXwRiMqmdKznhRjyCSlMegbZsrDaZ88P-7unLMQ0Wd1S7e1_p7144_QyZ6YRWN7panlWJFneLflSDoC-v01jjyB873lBS5x8GyLq28BY_LQfaBeDzAQ71NGb7LOA5lcK-Iuo/s320/P1050879.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Resisting the urge to go for a joy ride.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Fortunately the bad weather cleared up and was actually sunny the following day. Dave needed a passport picture for his power boat license so we planned a journey to Portsmouth in our theory class and practised a few man over board techniques on the way. The most important thing to remember when collecting an overboard passenger is to turn the motors off before you get to them so the propeller doesn’t chop off any limbs!<br />
<br />
The navigation side of things was pretty easy and I now know how to follow the bouys to where I need to get to. We also got to practice the using the radio as we had to ask the harbour master for permission to cross the channel and to berth temporally in Portsmouth Harbour. <br />
<br />
On the way home I drove the whole way, and had to restrict my self from doing 360’s and generally messing around. I had to be a good boy with the teacher sitting behind me and it took all my will power as the boat can turn on a six pence and has some serious power so is just asking to be taken for a joy ride. <br />
<br />
I really enjoyed my time in Cowes and the courses, more importantly I’ve got my drive back to get on a super yacht. I learnt a lot and I can see why you need to have the certificate before being allowed to work at sea. I definitely feel more competent, aware of the risks and confident. All I need now is a job. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150364713853502.434033.769268501#%21/media/set/?set=a.10150364713853502.434033.769268501&notif_t=like">Click here for more photos.</a><br />
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Let me know your thoughts and leave a comment :)Mr Irelandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00789744128535679522noreply@blogger.com3Cowes, Isle Of Wight, UK50.762370999999987 -1.298608999999942250.752299999999984 -1.3136379999999421 50.772441999999991 -1.2835799999999422tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4671827509533808839.post-49935494487028137892011-06-12T19:53:00.000+01:002011-07-07T22:36:46.244+01:006 Months On<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Looking back it seems like a long time ago since my accident and 6 months has flown, though at the time the month I spent in rehab felt like a month! Don’t get me wrong the time didn’t drag but I had a lot of time to think and I guess being so focused on getting better and what needed improving made the time move slower. My memory has conveniently forgotten the hard times, but I still remember thinking I never want to feel like this again and have to go through a similar situation. <br />
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I’ve come along way since feeling constantly tired, grumpy and the sensation of having a permanent haze slowing my brain from digesting and acting upon any information. At this moment, I feel fantastic. I’m definitely recapturing the old me and my previous personality. I’m surprised that my personality has taken the longest to heal and I still think I have a way to go. Every time I’ve made big improvements I remember thinking, I’m nearly there. Funnily enough 6 months on and I’m still thinking the same, all I say is long may the improvements keep coming. <br />
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It didn’t take me long to until I was living what I would call a ‘normal life’. With in 3 months of the accident I was back to full time work, regularly working out at the gym and being able to comfortably fit things in like food shopping. After about 5 months I finally let go of my afternoon rest. To start with it was hard work but I knew I didn’t really need it and my body was getting addicted to the rests. I could have stopped the whole rest saga after 4 months but I stupidly reintroduced it as I was having a bad week. Never mind, we live and learn.<br />
<br />
Since leaving New Zealand and returning home to my family, I’ve made huge improvements. I think it’s because I’ve been able to relax and not worry about commitments like work or fitting things in. My fatigue has totally cleared up and I can now stay out clubbing until the early hours of the morning. It is a little weird not drinking but I’m getting used to it and actually quite enjoy it. You pick up on a whole lot more being sober, especially female attention :) Initially I used to feel a little self conscious when dancing and struggled to let my self go but to be honest dancing was never my strong point. Fortunately, each time I go out, letting go and relaxing gets easier and easier and it won’t be long until I even notice a difference.<br />
<br />
I’ve also decided to take up mountain biking again. Initially I wouldn’t entertain the idea as like I’ve said I never want to go through the situation again and wasn’t prepared to do anything that increased the chances of me having another brain injury in the 2 year recovery period. Riding again has been a bonus and it’s forced my brain to improve how it deals with processing at speed. I no longer ride like the maniac I used to, racing everyone and pulling out all the stops to win or doing things that people said I couldn’t. Now I just ride for the social side and plod along with in my limits. I am getting quicker down hill but I’m well within my comfort zone. One day riding home from my mates on the path I fell off and it shock me up big time. I wasn’t confident bumping up an angled curb so slammed my brakes on, but hit the curb before I stopped, washing out my front wheel. Initially my pride was all that was hurt; I felt an idiot and quickly got back on my bike. Shortly after picking myself up the adrenaline wore off, my arms and legs turned to jelly and the crash started playing on my mind. I did however get to see how your body does a great job of protecting the head. <br />
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Another thing I’ve done that may not seem the most sensible thing, is occasional labouring for my Dad. He owns a felt roofing company so I’m up and down the ladder with 40kg rolls of felt on my shoulder or hot cans of bitumen in my hand. At first my footing was a little shaky but each trip up the ladder and every day I worked the job got easier and my balance steadier. The work hit me hard though, and after the first two days I was in bed by 8:30. I honestly can’t remember ever feeling so tired after a day of doing something, I was wiped out. The one thing I’ve learnt from this recovery process is you have to keep pushing yourself and it’s surprising how quickly the body improves. If I didn’t work with Dad or ride my bike again my brain wouldn’t have been forced to deal with the new situations and the improvements wouldn’t have been made. <br />
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Well that’s all my news and the last I will write on the subject. Hopefully my recovery will keep going from strength to strength and the plan is to return stronger than I was before my accident. I’ve got no doubt that will happen. <br />
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If anyone is reading this blog after a recent brain injury or knows someone who’s had one, you do improve and things do get better. You may not believe me when everything is a struggle and the recovery seems like a long rocky road but it’ll happen. The advice I would give is stay positive, know you will recover and constantly push yourself. You’re the only one who knows how you’re feeling so trust your judgement, if you’re happy you can move to the next level do it. </div>Mr Irelandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00789744128535679522noreply@blogger.com2Aylesford, Kent, UK51.3034917 0.4829201999999668351.265303200000005 0.44782019999996681 51.3416802 0.51802019999996685tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4671827509533808839.post-65059201949322424532011-05-12T09:20:00.000+01:002011-06-21T20:58:44.169+01:00Dubai<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">The 20 hour flight to Dubai was painless and past by pretty quick. As it turns out I sat next to a woman who's brother in law is a skipper on a super yacht so I gave her my details and she said she would pass them on.<br />
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</a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuecs9mv0S8GNzjaHpjxArIn0WIuvA6A0x5w7TjeN2r60fFDO4jPW-BXglY3n2vILexWpRA0k-333O_wWv0z0t9ys1MyT_NC_hmW3JVTUX9mkw5DmJBJMBHxyx6K3EbFTgplDoVytuq_U/s1600/001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>The walk from the plane to customs in Terminal 3 is really long and feels like you’re walking for ever. Luckily, there was hardly a queue at immigration so with in 5 minutes I had my passport stamped, collected my bag and was waiting for Iain outside. <br />
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A few weeks before my flight, Iain emailed saying ‘Matty, you'll have to let me know how big your bags are so I know whether to pick you up in the Hummer or the Porsche’. I thought he was having a laugh and talking in hypothetical dreamland but as we approached a Hummer he slowed down and opened the boot. I started laughing and said ‘I suppose you have a Porsche sitting at home’ he smiled and nodded his head. <br />
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The layout and style of Dubai reminded me of Vegas. Although Dubai is nothing like Vegas in the fact that alcohol and gambling are illegal, both Cities’ are situated in the middle of a dessert and built along a strip. All the buildings are modern, tall and built of glass. They are very impressive but leave Dubai feeling a little cold with no sense of history or culture.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUFwWaRIHN9VS_6oBrKDapYXAiBdPmRS5ekeuEbE94QIP2_S2tHIMi9A4zUIgpLVnux7ZcBVknC3yoHRugZKLkPNVGvgFwr-vKaZxngjqsXyxYRuBr1utspmkTZDYRpDryN8WdA4RjJ2s/s1600/030.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUFwWaRIHN9VS_6oBrKDapYXAiBdPmRS5ekeuEbE94QIP2_S2tHIMi9A4zUIgpLVnux7ZcBVknC3yoHRugZKLkPNVGvgFwr-vKaZxngjqsXyxYRuBr1utspmkTZDYRpDryN8WdA4RjJ2s/s320/030.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The balcony</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Iain and Becky’s apartment is really nice. The area was called the Palm and had been reclaimed from the sea in the shape of a palm of a palm tree. The apartment block backed onto the beach and from the living room you could look out onto the sea. We sat out on the balcony for a few hours and caught up. I loved the idea that everyday before work they could do this and chill with breakfast – it seemed to me like an ideal lifestyle. <br />
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I hadn’t managed to sleep on the plane so when Becky and Iain went to work, I had a cheeky hour kip on the sofa. As soon as I lied down and stretched my legs, I knew I was going to fall asleep. It was tough getting up when my alarm went off but I knew that if I would have stayed, jet lag would have kicked in and ruined my time in Dubai.<br />
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Jon and Cherisse were also staying with Iain and Becky. The four of us had meet in Australia at the good old Palladium Apartments, 9 years ago. We caught up for a little while in the apartment then headed off to the beach to carry on the conversation and sunbath. <br />
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The weather was overcast but you could see the sun trying to shine through the clouds and it was bloody hot. The Beach was a private beach for all the residents so nice and quiet and the sea was a striking light blue and very appealing. Jon made me laugh slagging a big muscled poser who was baby oiled up and kept checking out his arms, pecks and abs as the lapped the beach. It was good to catch up and we had a nice relaxing day lying in the sun and having a good old chat. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4x424XgxJAzMjJ5l5GcvL-wyIZAgboyBVZ1v51cDKm6PAOL-KI5AAAJuRqFBx0TLuHHdhHLX6_PDnrzV1GyJbugt0KBJoKvLRg2X1pbDteQs3r4utgCrVO62hkoKm3DbRCBaVA42OzH0/s1600/P1050680.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4x424XgxJAzMjJ5l5GcvL-wyIZAgboyBVZ1v51cDKm6PAOL-KI5AAAJuRqFBx0TLuHHdhHLX6_PDnrzV1GyJbugt0KBJoKvLRg2X1pbDteQs3r4utgCrVO62hkoKm3DbRCBaVA42OzH0/s320/P1050680.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Porsche</td></tr>
</tbody></table>After work, Hirdy called from the car park and took me for a spin in his Porsche. The car used to be owned by the Porsche dealers manager so it was fitted with all the extras. In the shade it looked black but when the sun shone on the paint it turned a dark brown. With the dark creme interior and the 911 wheels the car looked the bollocks. My favourite extra was the sports exhaust. The car was very quick and stuck to the road like glue but the exhaust made the car sound fast, meaty and as though it meant business. Cars don’t normally do it for me but this thing was lovely and by the time we got back I could definitely see myself driving one.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuecs9mv0S8GNzjaHpjxArIn0WIuvA6A0x5w7TjeN2r60fFDO4jPW-BXglY3n2vILexWpRA0k-333O_wWv0z0t9ys1MyT_NC_hmW3JVTUX9mkw5DmJBJMBHxyx6K3EbFTgplDoVytuq_U/s1600/001.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuecs9mv0S8GNzjaHpjxArIn0WIuvA6A0x5w7TjeN2r60fFDO4jPW-BXglY3n2vILexWpRA0k-333O_wWv0z0t9ys1MyT_NC_hmW3JVTUX9mkw5DmJBJMBHxyx6K3EbFTgplDoVytuq_U/s320/001.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me, Becky, Cherisse and John in front of the Burj Al Arab</td></tr>
</tbody></table> In the evening we went to Bar Zen for a few drinks then to the Meat Company for dinner. Bar Zen was a stylish but relaxed bar, that backed onto a man made canal. The complex was trying to create a Venice theme and gave people rides along the canal on gondola style boats. The Meat Company was just around the corner from Bar Zen in the same complex. As the name suggests the Meat Company served up big meaty dishes, which was great news for me and I really enjoyed my meal. By the time I got home and into bed it was nearly 1am, which was 9am Auckland time so I had, had a big day. I was happy that I’d managed to adjust to Dubai time so well and been able to enjoy the evening without being too tired.<br />
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Iain and Becky have Friday and Saturday’s off work so the four of us chilled out at the beach the next day. The sky wasn’t as overcast as yesterday and it felt much hotter. The temperature was just about right, any hotter and it would have been too much. In the afternoon Becky’s friends, Neil and Toni arrived from the Maldives for the last leg off their honeymoon. We had lunch together and spent the rest of the day at the beach. In the evening we went to the Mirage hotel to the Jetty Bar and had a meal at the Beach and Bar Grill. I really enjoyed the Jetty Bar and it reminded of Ibiza. It was on the sea front, full of comfortable wicker sofa’s and played chilled tunes. Again the place was really stylish and had a good vibe to it. The Beach Bar and Grill was only a short walk away and our table over looked the sea. The setting was idyllic and the food was first-class. The complex appeared high end and posh but the atmosphere was relaxed and chilled out, it was superb. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu02ryO1VuWZdw_L6RpS5E6nPfXraAlCro45Sn5LDXZMu50ksWcIlGarvcejFKfbrtymHiJPADZ6jqgB4_02bJTiCZx1UxeBVcgEcQt1cgWKoeiNrp2Y7uIQhRbgjfFd20yQ0Hqc0AMsQ/s1600/009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu02ryO1VuWZdw_L6RpS5E6nPfXraAlCro45Sn5LDXZMu50ksWcIlGarvcejFKfbrtymHiJPADZ6jqgB4_02bJTiCZx1UxeBVcgEcQt1cgWKoeiNrp2Y7uIQhRbgjfFd20yQ0Hqc0AMsQ/s320/009.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside the Jetty Bar</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Saturday morning was Jon and Cher’s last. It was really good to catch up and I was glad I got to spend time with them and Iain and Becky in Dubai. I like the fact that we’ve always made the effort to see each other since Australia and have meet up in all over the England and now abroad. <br />
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After Jon and Cher left, Iain and I played Fifa on the PS3 for about 3 hours to Becky’s bewilderment. Girls just don’t understand the importance of boy’s toys and the enjoyment they bring. In the end Becky hurried us out the door as Iain wanted to take me on a whistle stop tour of Dubai in the Porsche before meeting Neil and Toni at their hotel. First stop was Dubai Creek, which is a natural sea water inlet that cuts through the centre of the city. We visited the port where the QE2 is now moored, drove past Union Square to see the largest flag pole in the world when it was built in 2001 and stopped off at Jumeirah Beach, Dubai’s main public beach. Finally we stood at the foot of the Burj Khalifa, which is the tallest man made structure ever built before spending the afternoon at the Palace Hotel with Neil and Toni by the pool. It was quality pulling up to the front of the hotel, handing the keys to the valet staff and walking straight in. I’ve never done anything like that before and I loved getting out of a convertible Porsche and having the other guests looking at us. <br />
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After spending 21 months backpacking it was nice to experience the finer side of life and sample what you can do when you have money. Dubai was a great way to round of my travels and get in some relaxation and sun before going home. It was great to spend time with Iain, Becky, John and Cherrise, reminiscing about Australia and catching up. I’m really pleased that over the past 9 years we’ve always made the effort to see each other and can always pick up where we left off.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrireland/sets/72157626578667521/detail/">Click here to view more pictures.</a><br />
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<blockquote>How did you find this blog? Let me know your thoughts and leave a comment :)</blockquote></div>Mr Irelandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00789744128535679522noreply@blogger.com0Dubai - United Arab Emirates25.2644444 55.31166669999993225.0723919 55.062508699999931 25.456496899999998 55.560824699999934tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4671827509533808839.post-52149837969859351802011-03-01T22:39:00.000+00:002011-06-21T20:56:37.082+01:00Leaving Rehab and Mum and Dad Arriving<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"> I was discharged from rehab on 15th January 2011, exactly 5 weeks after my accident. On the drive home on of my careers couldn’t believe I had gone through Cavit in just over 4 weeks and told me that the average stay is around 3 months. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">I was really excited about going home and getting back on with my life. That evening we had organized a welcome home BBQ and invited all my mates from the hostel. It was a good turn out and a really good evening. Half way through I said a few words and thanked everyone for all they had done during my time in hospital and Cavit. Between them they had been fantastic - I had a visitor every day I was in hospital and for the first couple of weeks in rehab. Cavit used to say I was the most popular patient on campus as I had so many visitors. I can’t thank everyone enough. It made my day seeing them, they all made my recovery so much happier and pleasant and their visits really meant a lot to me. When bad things happen in your life you realize how kind people can be and appreciate the little things they do that make such a big difference. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">On the Monday I went with Lee and Wayne to pick my car up from a garage on Waiheke Island. I let the guys borrow my car over Christmas and New Years and unfortunately the clutch died on them while they were spending Christmas on the Island. I thought that when I left Cavit, my recovery was nearly complete and I would be getting my life back together and doing normal everyday things in no time. This wasn’t the case and the three days I had been home had hit me hard. I enjoyed the day at Waiheke with Lee and Wayne but I was so tired and had to keep having rests to reenergize and get me through the day. The pace of the real world was hitting me hard!</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">On Tuesday Mum arrived from England. Before leaving she told me not to worry about picking her up from the airport and that she would get a taxi. When I told Hayley and Stacey about this, they weren’t having any of it and Hayley insisted on picking Mum up. I was really looking forward to seeing Mum but was hoping that she wouldn’t cry at the airport and luckily she didn’t. As they hadn’t seen me since the accident, Mum and Dad could only build a mental image of how I was doing from Cavit reports and how I sounded on the phone. Mum explained that Dad had told her to be strong and make sure she didn’t cry even if I had a limp or couldn’t tighten my lips properly and had a slight dribble. I done neither, so instead of crying Mum gave me her suitcase and let me take it back to the car.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"> <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Our first picture togther. </span></td></tr>
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It was great seeing her again and that evening we jut caught up. The next day I took Mum to an Internet café so she could let everyone know that she’d arrived and showed her the Viaduct. The Viaduct was re-vamped for the America’s Cup in 2000 and is now one of the main places in Auckland to eat, grab a coffee or have a drink. All the restaurants, bars and café’s sit on the waters edge around the harbour. The place is full with super yachts, pleasure yachts and racing yachts and when the sun’s out it’s a great place to relax, unwind and look at all the wealth on display. The Viaducts had an impact on Mum for sure. She would often stop when we was in town to relax with a pot of tea. </div>Tommy really wanted to meet Mum and had organized dinner at the local curry house, Bollywood so everyone from the hostel could meet her. Mum was also keen to meet everyone, in particular Hayley, Karen, Stacey and Tommy as she had lots contact with them in the first few weeks of my injury. Again it was a massive turnout and a very good evening. Bollywood make a nice curry but unfortunately with big tables the service is really slow. We didn’t get to eat until 8:30 and we booked our table for 7:00. Luckily I had, had a rest before leaving home but by the end of the night I was shattered and ready for bed. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Meal at Bollywood </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">I took Mum to Cavit so she could have a look at the place. She enjoyed looking around and meeting everyone that was involved in my rehabilitation but it made her sad seeing how bad some people’s injuries were. She said she was glad she went but was pleased to leave as being there made her think about what could have been.<br />
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Probably the best day that I spent with Mum was a Full Day Sailing trip that work runs. We spent the day on a Pride of Auckland yacht and sailed to Waiheke and back. Mum thoroughly enjoyed herself and loved the trip. She had a go at helming the yacht and being the skipper but you could tell by the look on her face she was nervous and not enjoying being in control. Sailing on the Waitemata Harbour is stunning, and allows you to take in with a lot of Auckland’s landmarks from the water. We were lucky with the weather and spent the afternoon in the sun, which makes sailing so much more of a pleasure. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><div style="border: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgwrOCx-lysphoWl6eGoZiqKQ07fjV65V2zYvu0qsSlpWwapGHsXPGoOYAZqr3LZQHGuOUUgV4G54qWlBj1wx7l57_S58jKLPfUvG6e_Z3bkS7T4-sFtaz7rgVcbV9oh9LHrNPMudMca4/s1600/P1000625.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgwrOCx-lysphoWl6eGoZiqKQ07fjV65V2zYvu0qsSlpWwapGHsXPGoOYAZqr3LZQHGuOUUgV4G54qWlBj1wx7l57_S58jKLPfUvG6e_Z3bkS7T4-sFtaz7rgVcbV9oh9LHrNPMudMca4/s320/P1000625.JPG" width="320" /></a></div></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Sailing with Pride of Auckland</span></td></tr>
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Before Mum came, I didn’t think having her around would make my life that much easier. I was very wrong! It’s was the little things she done that made a big difference like helping with the cooking and washing up, she took control when our washing machine brook and we had to use the launderette and she chased up my ACC case manager when she forgot to pay my bills. Mum also got my arse into gear and helped me find a GP, arrange a dentist appointment and get to an eye examination appointment. These appointments were necessary and I had to get them done to move forward with other aspects of my recovery. I hated having to go to them and I always felt grumpy and short tempered because I didn’t want to make the effort. I would have only done the important things if she wasn’t here and it would have taken me much longer. <br />
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In the three weeks that Mum lived with me before Dad arrived she got to experience Auckland life. Generally I wasn’t really up to much and got tired quickly. We still got out every day, done a few jobs and walked around but I could only last three or four hours before getting tired and needing to relax at home. We had a few fun days out like a trip up the Sky Tower with Hayley and Karen, a day at Mission Bay with Jen, Niamh and Irish Tommy, a shopping spree on Queen Street and a day at Takapuna for Aisling’s Birthday. Unfortunately the weather was pretty hit and miss so we didn’t do many day trips, which was a shame. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium none; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjitdvwZ6GQgpJZo64aEFn3xGh1gLXq3T_STijdUAoQvFIYAR_03w9qXVbdkHWBwexWK40XN2eGUwWsdzvg-NAJA-LmFSRAovkmCJHrT2o5La-g7E8aFgM7RgFtzKGi_1Nkhs9zlJSiSiI/s1600/P1000587.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjitdvwZ6GQgpJZo64aEFn3xGh1gLXq3T_STijdUAoQvFIYAR_03w9qXVbdkHWBwexWK40XN2eGUwWsdzvg-NAJA-LmFSRAovkmCJHrT2o5La-g7E8aFgM7RgFtzKGi_1Nkhs9zlJSiSiI/s320/P1000587.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="border: medium none; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Looking down on the Viaduct from the Sky Tower</span></td></tr>
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Mum told me that she planned on taking me home after their holiday but once she had meet my friends and seen the things I had going for me, she was happy for me to stay. She would have had a fight on her hands as I had no intention of going home - the idea hadn’t even entered my head. I wasn’t going to let my injury stop me from finishing what I’ve started and following through with what I wanted to achieve. Leaving would have filled my trip with bad memories and I would have felt as though I’d given up and left with my tail between my legs. When I looked back at my time in New Zealand, I would have just remembered my accident and not all the amazing things I’ve experienced and I didn’t want that.</div><div class="separator" style="border: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="border: medium none; text-align: center;"><div style="border: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZdscYRaCIfX2Felj5iK21JznzBNHFu2HTHj71KveEGD8MnhaVhvCipn6k4Mx3AuOZUbLNXyo6I_jsZht9oAE1UXYGL6bUA744jMqRcwZxeJ6xEtAY4-mTTthrCn-7Q6dEBTfFvaujvhM/s1600/P1000602.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZdscYRaCIfX2Felj5iK21JznzBNHFu2HTHj71KveEGD8MnhaVhvCipn6k4Mx3AuOZUbLNXyo6I_jsZht9oAE1UXYGL6bUA744jMqRcwZxeJ6xEtAY4-mTTthrCn-7Q6dEBTfFvaujvhM/s320/P1000602.JPG" width="320" /></a></div></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="border: medium none; text-align: center;"><div style="border: medium none;"><span style="font-size: small;">Aisling's Birthday at Takapuna</span></div></td></tr>
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Just before Dad arrived I felt the worse I’ve felt since the accident, possibly even my life. The lad’s friends from Ireland were staying with us and they were truly in holiday mode. During their stay they showed little respect for my injury and didn’t give my recovery a second thought. They would stay in the house till gone 1:30am before heading out into town while I was in the next room trying sleep. I really needed my sleep and if I didn’t get enough it totally ruined the following day. One Friday and Sunday night I only get 3 hours sleep and was in pieces by Monday. <br />
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I saw Peter getting out of bed in the middle of the afternoon and he asked how I was doing, I responded angrily and he muttered something under his breath. I’m normally quite good with my emotions but I lost the plot! I felt like punching and kicking a hole in the wall, so went outside to calm down. I saw all their empty beer bottles on the table, this made me even angrier and I really had to stop myself from throwing the table over and smashing the bottles on the floor. I was really losing it and started hyperventilating. <br />
<br />
Mum came round the corner and I told her that I had to get away from the house. I felt as if I was breaking down and could cry at any minute. All I wanted to do was sleep but my mind was raging, I was shaking and wanted to lash out. If I shut my eye’s the day light caused my eye lids to bounce on my eye balls. It felt good to rest them but the constant bouncing was so uncomfortable that I was better off with them open.<br />
<br />
One of the Irish boys, Tommy came up to the launderette and said that he had heard that I wasn’t getting much sleep. I don’t think he wasn’t prepared for the answer he got. He looked very guilty and apologized. To his credit it took guts confronting the situation, it showed character and I respect him for it. He was the only one that ever had the guts to say anything, the others knew they were keeping me up but just looked sheepish, slopped away and never mentioned it. <br />
<br />
I had wanted to wait until all my housemates were together before telling them how they were making me feel but after how I reacted to Peter, I couldn’t face all of them and remain calm. I decided just to talk to Jen and Niamh as they took the lease out on the house. When I got back, I had a chat with them and told them how I felt. The girls said they had no idea and looked very guilty and up set. I explained that I knew they are travelling and want to be able to relax in their home but I just couldn’t cope. I said that it must also be hard for them living with me and my injury and that I would move out if they had a problem with keeping the noise down. They told me not to be ridiculous and I could tell by their faces they were sincere and upset with how I was feeling. The girls have been great since my accident and really kind. For girls that have only known me a couple of weeks before my accident, they couldn’t have done any more, been kinder or spared more of their time so their reaction didn’t surprise me and I knew they meant what they said. <br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggWeTFuNnkWaZj_0YKIozzBMrlT0UFpe8mqhLyJN2jELU63DilhDFxfYL-S0Q_ZDoB9H9OofkdM8f4NRw2lzzjMjU4_rbSg7z1BdoW5VD5u8EcGQ0OTVdF07enZ64wx8Z65KoX_p1ilTE/s1600/P1000651.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggWeTFuNnkWaZj_0YKIozzBMrlT0UFpe8mqhLyJN2jELU63DilhDFxfYL-S0Q_ZDoB9H9OofkdM8f4NRw2lzzjMjU4_rbSg7z1BdoW5VD5u8EcGQ0OTVdF07enZ64wx8Z65KoX_p1ilTE/s320/P1000651.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The sign worked, it was just too small</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Dad arrived early morning on 8th February. He had told Mum that he wanted us to make signs for him as he had lost so much weight that he was worried we may not recognize him and leave him stranded at the airport. We made signs but Dad was disappointed they weren’t bigger, which is typical of him J Little did he know that I had wanted to wear the bright coloured wigs that we wore at Aisling’s Birthday so he should count himself lucky and be pleased with the small signs.<br />
<br />
It was great to see Dad and both of them together. On the way home I had so much to say, my brain couldn’t process my thoughts quick enough and I was left feeling cloudy and worn out. Shortly after unpacking the luggage, Mum wanted to show Dad the Viaduct. She says it was for him but really she just wanted another excuse to go! After our coffee I took them both to my work so they could meet my manager, Alyson and the rest of the Explore NZ crew. I think this was a bit much for Dad after the flight as he was quite knackered and he probably just wanted to chill out. In the evening we put had a BBQ at the house and made Dad the chef. I don’t think he minded but made out in a joking way that he did. On reflection Mum and I didn’t really take Dad’s jet lag into consideration and the poor guy hit the ground running. It was another good evening but the flight and an active day had taken its toll on Dad and by 8 o’clock he was falling asleep in his chair outside.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjBYn_oUrDMGdazE79pNV91VDY_jSyd85HoIO9hiEIDmtOzjCTpy6MDWzgX9f9KzbsHbth1H4jKOxdRrF0AJoRWUdKk5ZiMduoIY4p_8HSdntJ7-KBtAhE2Xzwww0trMWeK03X6DCn9VI/s1600/P1000657.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjBYn_oUrDMGdazE79pNV91VDY_jSyd85HoIO9hiEIDmtOzjCTpy6MDWzgX9f9KzbsHbth1H4jKOxdRrF0AJoRWUdKk5ZiMduoIY4p_8HSdntJ7-KBtAhE2Xzwww0trMWeK03X6DCn9VI/s320/P1000657.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Mecca, Mum's favourite Viaduct café</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Dad was only in Auckland for two days before we started our holiday. We had planned to visit Lynn and Gill in the Bay of Islands and spend a few days in Rotorua and the Coromandel. Lynn and Gill have been good friends with my Granny and Granddad for decades and Dad has known them since he was a kid. He hasn’t seen them for a good few years so was really looking forward to spending some time with them and seeing where they lived. He was surprised that Mum and I hadn’t visited sooner so I could rest up and recover. In hindsight this would have been a good idea but all I was thinking about was getting my life back to normal and as I’ve already mentioned, I thought it would have been easier than it was. <br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrireland/sets/72157626577812572/detail/">Click here to view more pictures.</a><br />
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<blockquote>How did you find this blog? Let me know your thoughts and leave a comment :)</blockquote></div></div>Mr Irelandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00789744128535679522noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4671827509533808839.post-36880078300127244022011-01-29T18:31:00.000+00:002011-06-21T19:57:32.508+01:00Rehab<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXP95MVfrOYvk_b6E6PrOwi8RJXCwMt4IFv9ayBECJzYciwsLKLdL0h0_Kb3yqzUsZwpIwWRZouPYKIFKVAbCJCQLKXvksXdI877xRV1wLZhxSZnGVUAdhmbcItL1E7x5XLtkE9LOCZY4/s1600/6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>I was admitted to Cavit ABI for residential rehabilitation on the 16th December as it was unsafe for me to return home due to me being in post traumatic amnesia (PTA) and because the severity of my accident required intense rehab.<br />
<br />
I arrived by ambulance around lunch time. As I was lifted out of the ambulance I remember being told that I had fallen off a wall and would be staying at Cavit for the next few months to be rehabilitated. I’m not sure if I was told or I made the memory up but I remember being told that I would make a full recovery and be able to return to everyday life. Whether I had made it up or not, there was no doubt in my mind that I would make a full recovery and would soon enough be back to my old self. <br />
<br />
During my time in rehab, I never felt sorry for my self or wondered why the accident had happened to me. I stayed positive and focused on how I could improve. I didn’t think about what could have happened or ifs and buts as my situation was the reality and all that mattered. You can’t change the past so why bother letting it get to you? You can control the present and how you want it to turn out, and that’s what I focused on.<br />
<br />
The staff was very good. They gave me lots of information to read and were always giving advice and educating me on the injury. I took on board and followed every bit of advice I got. Some may say I that I followed it a little too strictly, but all I cared about was getting back to my old way of life as quickly as possible. I wanted to be better then, I didn't want to wait 6 months. <br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgg_ObQwotmErbYVHiW2c7n7P17owE7orAp287SQEGw_K_B4IvmVpB2rTLgb7G6obJSqKt279hSUFOyW-xgmeo2spBIygPja6kUB_1fEKcAc-urepU2E7BNR7PKKZOtEVZawP9izmSEHA/s1600/1.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgg_ObQwotmErbYVHiW2c7n7P17owE7orAp287SQEGw_K_B4IvmVpB2rTLgb7G6obJSqKt279hSUFOyW-xgmeo2spBIygPja6kUB_1fEKcAc-urepU2E7BNR7PKKZOtEVZawP9izmSEHA/s320/1.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">House 1&2</td></tr>
</tbody></table>For the first week I lived in house 1&2. Most patients started in house 1&2 and as they improve, move around the complex before being discharged. Fatigue was a major issue for me and initially I would need to rest at least twice a day for between an hour and an hour and a half. Even with the rests I constantly felt tired and it didn’t take a lot to make me short tempered and grumpy. When I went from sitting or lying to standing I would feel light headed and dizzy. My speech was slurred and I repeated myself as my short term memory was very bad. I knew what was happening but was very confused and mentally slow. My brain took a long time to process things, which left me feeling like I had a constant layer of fog or cloudiness in my mind. Physically I had a right sided weakness and all kind of balance and coordination issues. I was unsteady on my feet and would often bump into things on my right side. My mood was very dependent on how tired I was feeling. When I started to get tired all my negative affects would start to show. I had to learn to look for the warning signs that I was starting to get tired and go and have a rest. It took me a while to learn these but looking back they were very easy to spot. <br />
<br />
Stacey and Hayley were visiting when I had my first physio session booked. Stacey was trying to get me ready and told me to put my shoes on. I just looked at my shoe then looked at her for help. She encouraged me to put them on myself so I looked at Hayley for help. Stacey cut in and said “Come on Matt, you can put them on yourself. Go and get them and put them on” Hayley felt sorry for me and went to help me but Stacey stopped her and said “He has to learn to do things for himself”. I begrudgingly put my shoes on and was more than capable. My first lesson, cheers Stacey. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXP95MVfrOYvk_b6E6PrOwi8RJXCwMt4IFv9ayBECJzYciwsLKLdL0h0_Kb3yqzUsZwpIwWRZouPYKIFKVAbCJCQLKXvksXdI877xRV1wLZhxSZnGVUAdhmbcItL1E7x5XLtkE9LOCZY4/s1600/6.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXP95MVfrOYvk_b6E6PrOwi8RJXCwMt4IFv9ayBECJzYciwsLKLdL0h0_Kb3yqzUsZwpIwWRZouPYKIFKVAbCJCQLKXvksXdI877xRV1wLZhxSZnGVUAdhmbcItL1E7x5XLtkE9LOCZY4/s320/6.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The gym</td></tr>
</tbody> </table>I have no memory of the session but the girls tell me that I had to put my hands in a box and without looking, squeeze the shapes to identify them and say whether they were soft or hard. To test my memory after the session Ann, my physio asked me if I could remember my way back to the house. It was only 20 metres from the gym but nothing looked familiar and I ended up walking round the whole complex. Hayley felt sorry for me and tried giving me hints but I still didn’t have a clue so Ann, gave in and showed me the way. <br />
<br />
<br />
It wasn’t long before I was going to the gym twice a day. I had been told that some of the neurons that carried messages throughout my body had died because of the impact of the fall. I was told that it is possible for my brain to make new pathways but because they aren’t as direct my brain has to work harder, which is why I get tired. They told me the more that I used these new pathways the stronger they would become and the more control I would have over movements. I had always enjoyed going to the gym before my accident but now with my new found knowledge they couldn’t keep me away. <br />
<br />
I spent most of my time in house 1&2 in my room lying on my bed. I wasn’t being anti social but I had no interest in the other patients and preferred my own company. Let’s be honest the conversation wouldn’t have been very good and none of us would have been able to remember what was said after an hour. From reading my report I get the feeling that the staff was concerned about me not interacting with other patients. What seemed to have saved me was that when my friends came to visit I was straight out of my room, alert and full of life. It makes me laugh that they have actually noted I seemed much more alert and happy when I had female visitors. <br />
<br />
I had lots of visitors throughout the day and evening and started to earn the reputation of being the most popular patient on campus. My housemates, Jen and Niamh visited me everyday for the first two weeks after my accident. Jen say’s her favourite memory of me was about three or four days after the accident. She says I wasn’t making much sense, was very confused but knew all about my accident. I was telling them a story about sharing a chair lift up the mountain with an American guy, who kept calling American Football, football. I apparently said to them “Why was that idiot calling it football? Football in England is the only sport where only your feet touch the ball and not your hands. I think he is the one with the brain injury.”<br />
<br />
Tommy, the good fella, still brought me food when he visited. I told him that I had never had a burger from Burger Fuel so on one visit he brought me one, unfortunately I can’t remember eating it. Damo, had brought me a Nuts magazine. One day I was having a read and needed the toilet. I left the magazine cover down in a tented position so that I didn’t loose the page I was on. It just so happens that the page I was on had a picture of a girl with her tits out and when I came back from the toilet the magazine had been closed and put on my bed side table. I felt like I was 12 again and had been caught looking at a porno by my Mum. I had a little laugh to myself, found the page I was on and continued reading. <br />
<br />
So far my recovery was going better than expected and I was moved to House 10. Usually after house 1&2 patients would stay in one or two more houses before being moved on to one of the final housing situations, but my progress had lead the staff to believe I was ready for final step. This was great news and I was very excited. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYExhYxWHLejTobqu5D8MUTd_sU4coqXieretnnLARquQs_Uoa3QMqGrpH-i9sHsGCqaYGT4KYx4L2qhVnG20TZv7E7VbfFk1ZGwmASL4q4Db4vyBDJRk1YlSmJnLkjioVZxo69zL41xY/s1600/14.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYExhYxWHLejTobqu5D8MUTd_sU4coqXieretnnLARquQs_Uoa3QMqGrpH-i9sHsGCqaYGT4KYx4L2qhVnG20TZv7E7VbfFk1ZGwmASL4q4Db4vyBDJRk1YlSmJnLkjioVZxo69zL41xY/s320/14.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">House 10</td></tr>
</tbody></table>The set up is similar to a flatting situation to resemble living at home. We had to cook for ourselves, do the cleaning, food shopping, clothes washing etc. I was one of three patients and shared the house with Paul and Seth. Paul, was a race horse trainer who fell off a horse and was kicked in the back of the head, Seth was in a head on car accident and had to be cut from the wreck. Both of them were in their late 30’s, relaxed and easy to get on with. I was now expected to be self sufficient which meant asking the house keeper for my medication twice a day and to meet all appointments with out being reminded. Obviously the house keeper was there to make sure we didn’t forget but the idea was to prove you were ready to return home. <br />
<br />
Just after moving in Jen, told me that I had better cut my hair and have a shave because I was starting to look a mess. I started to shave my head and stubble but left massive patches everywhere. I found it hard to grip the clippers comfortably and wasn’t very thorough. Jen was in disbelief when I looked at her and asked if I looked better. She wasn’t sure if I was serious or having a laugh. When she realised I was serious she had to finish the job for me. <br />
<br />
House 10 was really where I started to take control of my recovery. I read that the brain not only needs to be worked physically but also mentally to strengthen the new pathways. I brought puzzle books with crosswords, word searches and Sudoku and I kept a daily diary of what I did and how I felt after to look patterns. I used to work my brain to the max. Some days it would go totally fuzzy and cloudy and feel like it couldn’t process any more information. I didn’t make a habit of working it that hard but I used to like the feeling because I knew I was pushing it. My recovery was all that mattered and I would make sure I worked out both mentally and physically before I let my self relax or watch the T.V. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_6uCfjdowMhhjSIXpOiHuJ5R_YhwmRFG0-pUdpochHwLUCJBDzMg74UIeKCrESWz3wnVopnSfcxV-7K7lcI7rzTfeNqzIsHK6c4z17lzVMT003uo9yH6vlHPfLmBfJgoqnc-MSZZxwaw/s1600/12.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_6uCfjdowMhhjSIXpOiHuJ5R_YhwmRFG0-pUdpochHwLUCJBDzMg74UIeKCrESWz3wnVopnSfcxV-7K7lcI7rzTfeNqzIsHK6c4z17lzVMT003uo9yH6vlHPfLmBfJgoqnc-MSZZxwaw/s320/12.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Cavit grounds</td></tr>
</tbody></table>During my reading about brain injuries, I stumbled across one document that scared the crap out of me. I don’t believe in feeling sorry for yourself or dwelling on things, but this was hard to shake. I read that some people can never fully get rid of the fatigue and it was with them for life. The document went on to say that everyone was different. Some were able to do a full days work and feel fine but struggle after doing extra’s like mowing the lawn. Others could just about do a full days work then would have to return home for a rest and not be able to do much else in the evening. As my fatigue was the biggest issue and I still needed to rest twice a day for 30 – 40 minutes, I feared that it wouldn’t totally clear up. As I used to be so active and was always out and about doing things the thought of not being able to really scared me. My friends used to say “you’ll be okay, it’ll clear, you’ll see”. I knew they were only being positive and trying to reassure me but I used to think how do you know? How can you say it will be okay? I’m the one facing this problem and it may not be okay. I may not be able to ride my bike like I used to, go for a run or do things at the same pace. This really played on my mind but I didn’t let myself think about for longer than a day. To take my mind off it, I stayed positive and focused on my training program. I used to think I could trick my brain into thinking this is the kind of work it would have to do everyday so it had better get used to it.<br />
<br />
If my friends hadn’t seen me for a few days, they always commented that I was doing much better. I used to think they were just being polite and didn’t take much notice but when I started noticing the improvements, I felt much happier, more positive and focused. From day one I’ve always had good insight into my injury. I knew what my problems were and as they started to improve I would focus on the next issue. I was a work in progress and nothing was going to stop me from making a full recovery. <br />
<br />
My parents used to speak to me everyday on the phone and they could tell how I was feeling by my voice. I had started to ask questions about home, the accident and early days in hospital. I couldn’t remember any thing about hospital and as my parents explained, the gravity of the situation started to sink in. When I was first admitted to Cavit I didn’t understand what all the fuss was about. I knew I had a brain injury but thought my fall was pretty tame. My memory only really started around 10 days after the accident, when I was able to go to physio and hold conversations. I had no idea how bad I was after waking up from the coma. The more questions I asked the more I understood. After leaving rehab, PC Keith told me he didn’t think I was going to make it through the night and before leaving NZ, Lee, Tommy and Wayne said they didn’t think I would be watching football round their flat having a laugh again. <br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlOlYIa5Wo2QAoE-LRIItIRDZshtCyIuMwO4epNeMVMuniuFMS3lL46trfLn138vD64NZPsifEwsTiQaDKZfvEEL9Rtl-HoIJeMEsJeRN8PvaDwJbsFUVlLjfYLMB8RZkFbIpo0i9xREA/s1600/8.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlOlYIa5Wo2QAoE-LRIItIRDZshtCyIuMwO4epNeMVMuniuFMS3lL46trfLn138vD64NZPsifEwsTiQaDKZfvEEL9Rtl-HoIJeMEsJeRN8PvaDwJbsFUVlLjfYLMB8RZkFbIpo0i9xREA/s320/8.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sergio and I</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Sergio, one of the physio’s used to run a sports group once a week. The first sports group I went on Sergio, took Seth and I to a track and field stadium. We left Sergio for dead and he wasn’t able to keep up. We ran 5 laps of the 400m track with out stopping, Sergio only managed one. We then ran up and down the stairs from the car park onto the track 3 times followed by one last lap of the track as quick as we could. At the time I had only just started to jog and my muscles couldn’t accelerate into a sprint but my fitness was still there. It took a lot of concentration when placing my feet on the steps and on the way down my speed reduced considerably so that I didn’t trip or stumble. After the session I felt really good. It was by far the most exercise I’d done and was happy with my fitness and full of optimism that I would return to my old lifestyle. I loved the trip so much that I asked Sergio to inform me whenever he had a sports group arranged. I only had two weeks left in Cavit but I managed to fit in two, 1.5k walks round Cascades park in the Waitakere Ranges, a two on two basket ball game and a swimming trip to Westwaves Lap Pools. Seth had requested the basket ball match as I used to play. I found it very hard to judge the speed of the ball and had to wait for the ball to reach me before catching it. Every time I ran after the ball I felt like I was going to fall over and my marking skills were shocking. The guy on Sergio’s team suffered a minor brain injury and was only in Cavit for a week or so. He often stole the ball when I was dribbling and he was able to find acres of space with my slack marking. Seth and I won in the end and our fitness showed as we played on together while Sergio rested and the other chap smoked.<br />
<br />
Overall I enjoyed my time at Cavit. Obviously I would have preferred not to have needed the rehabilitation but the staff couldn’t have done anymore and I knew I was in the right place to recover. <br />
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People tell me that I am lucky to have recovered so well and with out any lasting damage. I don’t think I am lucky. My injury was what it was. I could have fallen off the wall and ended up with cuts and bruises, I am also fully aware that I could now be paralyzed or be sitting in a wheelchair brain dead. That didn’t happen, I suffered a brain injury and I have recovered. I think the reason why I recovered so well is because I put so much time and effort into my rehab and I looked to the positives of my situation. I believe that I am reaping the benefits for living a healthy lifestyle. Although the accident happened when I was drunk, I don’t drink that often, I’ve been going to the gym regularly for the last 6 years, I take an interest in my diet which, has been very good for the last 3 years and I am very active. I would say that I am fortunate that I didn’t suffer more severe injuries but as I said at the beginning of this blog, "You can’t change the past so why bother letting it get to you? You can control the present and how you want it to turn out".<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrireland/sets/72157626869205184/detail/">Click here to view more pictures.</a><br />
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<blockquote>How did you find this blog? Let me know your thoughts and leave a comment :)</blockquote></div>Mr Irelandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00789744128535679522noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4671827509533808839.post-27486591118725878222011-01-15T21:18:00.000+00:002011-06-21T20:55:18.328+01:00The Accident<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">I got up late Saturday morning after a big night out at Hayley’s friends house party. I can honestly say that I haven’t been that drunk since my teens! I had drunk a fair bit of rum and coke at Uenuku (my old hostel) before arriving at the party then I drunk home made punch that had all kinds of spirit in it. In the end I was so pissed that on the walk home I kept falling over, so my housemate, Peter had to phone a taxi to take me home.<br />
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When I woke up Saturday morning I was still pissed and was taking it easy watching T.V. For some reason I went outside and Fiona (Jen’s sister) and Eoin dared me to put my Chelsea shorts on so that I was in a full kit. To Fiona’s surprise I whipped off the shorts I was wearing, took my Chelsea shorts off the washing line and started dancing around like an idiot. When I’d finished dancing I decided to get back on the beers with Fiona, Eoin and Niamh and so started another session. <br />
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Eventually we all got ready and headed to The Domain for Christmas in the Park. Our taxi driver drove past the bottle shop and refused to turn round so me, Eoin and Niamh had to go back, buy some beer and then walk to The Domain. By the time we arrived it was around 9:30pm and the others were already set up. I needed a pee so went to find a toilet with one of Fiona’s friends. I got impatient waiting in the queue and decided to cross the road, climb a bank and go against a tree. As I was coming down, I forgot about the wall and fell onto the road. The wall was about 1.5 meters high so adding my height I fell about 3 meters onto the concrete. I’ve since spoken to PC Keith, the copper who found me unconscious at the scene and according to eyewitnesses I was running down the bank (which is pretty steep), didn’t see the wall, carried on running and fell off. He tells me that as it was getting dark and with all the lights from the festival the wall and drop onto the road would have been hard to see. I had no marks on my body apart from a cut under my right eye, which needed 10 stitches so I would have landed head first on the road. My scar goes right up to the corner of my eye so I was lucky that I didn’t do any damage to it. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGAQXFQDTnjcd9rgj6axHfKCQmmhwS95HJFSzXtnorPnrKiDUVbkmffuLW7FGCGOVBzeyViRlb91C6-on9-PJdQtGL8gCO_AeYfaNt72YhDfj2-BvD63GrfFE_rk83Waq_32pPwc2dJy4/s1600/P1050619.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGAQXFQDTnjcd9rgj6axHfKCQmmhwS95HJFSzXtnorPnrKiDUVbkmffuLW7FGCGOVBzeyViRlb91C6-on9-PJdQtGL8gCO_AeYfaNt72YhDfj2-BvD63GrfFE_rk83Waq_32pPwc2dJy4/s320/P1050619.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The wall I fell off</td></tr>
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To assess my injury the medics performed a Glasgow Coma Scale test. The most severe score you can get is 1 out of 15, I scored a 3 so initially I was in a bad way. When I regained consciousness I was very confused, agitated and uncooperative so they put me into an induced coma to rest my brain and start the healing process. I can vaguely remember them inserting the tube. I had to keep swallowing as they pushed the tube down my throat and into my lungs. I remember it not being very pleasant, my gag reflex was going none stop and I constantly felt like I wanted to be sick. I find that you blank out the bad bits in unpleasant memories so I imagine the experience being far worse. <br />
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As I didn’t have my wallet with me the police didn’t know who I was so PC Keith rang the last few people that had text me. He called my mate Tommy from the hostel and started to explain what had happened. People had been calling Tommy all day from my phone and messing around so he thought was another prank. Whilst still on the phone, he asked Hayley and Stacey what my surname was and walked off. The girls thought this was weird and when Tommy had put the phone down asked him what was going on. He explained that he thought it was another prank and filled the girls in. The girls didn’t think someone would make something like this up and my phone back.<br />
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Hayley asked PC Keith what was going on and if I had any friends with me? His reply was ‘No but there are lots of doctors and nurses with him’. She then asked if she should make her way to the hospital and PC Keith said that would be good idea. The girls didn’t want everyone to come so had a quiet word with Tommy to tell him where they were going and said good bye. <br />
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Hayley had visions of me sitting there holding an ice pack on my head, unfortunately she was very wrong! The receptionist quickly took them to a family room, showed them someone’s I.D and asked if it was me. As it wasn’t PC Keith wanted them to identify me and briefly told them what had happened. He emphasized that it was an accident and I wasn’t pushed then He then took them to where I was being treated. They entered the cubical and saw 6 or 7 doctors around me, one of the doctors shouted abruptly ‘Get them out, get them out’.<br />
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A doctor approached and advised a nurse that the girls needed a private room. Scared by the thought of what was going on, Stacey asked the ambulance driver how serious my condition was, her reply was ‘it’s pretty serious’. The girls were taken to a private room and PC Keith went over the accident in more detail. He then asked a nurse if the girls cold identify me. She said that only one of them could go and Hayley put herself forward. All the hospital staff was very serious and a nurse asked Hayley if she would be okay seeing me. Although she knew my accident was serious she didn’t think seeing me would affect her the way it did. They pulled back the curtain and I was lying there in only my boxers and was hocked up to a breathing machine keeping me alive. I had lots of tubes attached to me and big patches of dried bloody around my eye and down my face. Hayley was only in the room for a few seconds, confirmed it was me and burst out crying. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGR-Olx9AVgdcThBLhHe3mJHBohuSJ6OFKz2mjdsUTZGVp0BfjeN9mkyQlBIM-isK4pU0igZeSWDf9o9DGDA87-kWvWOMfY1EsHHTpcU8PBjOCkx3C9tHxsZeABrxoftcH99LnC5_6g_s/s1600/P1050625.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGR-Olx9AVgdcThBLhHe3mJHBohuSJ6OFKz2mjdsUTZGVp0BfjeN9mkyQlBIM-isK4pU0igZeSWDf9o9DGDA87-kWvWOMfY1EsHHTpcU8PBjOCkx3C9tHxsZeABrxoftcH99LnC5_6g_s/s320/P1050625.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The scene of the accident</td></tr>
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Hayley walked to the private room, told Stacey the bad news and they both started crying. PC Keith wanted to know all my details but the girls didn’t know much and couldn’t help him out. Tommy called to see what was happening. Hayley was still in tears and told him it wasn’t good so Tommy said he was on his way. PC Keith told Tommy not to bring anyone else so he came on his own.<br />
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The head doctor came into the private room and told everyone that I had suffered a brain injury. He told them that I was in an induced coma and was off to have an MRI scan as they thought they I would need an emergency operation on my skull to ease the swelling. The doctor said he would keep them updated then left to take me the MRI. Armed with his detective instinct PC Keith found mum’s number on my phone and gave her a call to let her know what was happening and find out more information about me. Mum answered the phone all happily and without giving time for an answer, asked what I was up to. The response wasn’t what she wanted to hear. Again PC Keith explained what had happened, told mum that some of my friends were with me and asked if she would like to speak with them. Hayley again put herself forward. Mum asked how bad it was, Hayley’s response was ‘it’s bad’. Mum said ‘tell him I love him’ and burst into tears. Tommy saw that Hayley was about to follow suit and quickly took the phone off her and tried to calm the situation. He told Mum that I was in the best possible place, had the right people looking after me and re-assured everything was going to be okay. <br />
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Lee and Damo eventually turned up to the hospital insisting on seeing me and wanting to know what was happening. Stacey responded angrily and told them to sit down and shut up, like an angry Mother telling off naughty boys. The atmosphere in the room was very tense and people weren’t really talking. Stacey was worrying about how the injury would affect the rest of my life and if I would be able to cope on my own. She works with stroke patients and see’s some horrible cases where her client’s can’t do much for them selves and are totally dependant on others. Tommy was feeling guilty about what had happen and kept blaming himself for not arriving at the festival earlier. He thought that if he were there then I wouldn’t have fallen and was blaming himself. PC Keith eventually said goodbye. He explained that this was an accident and was no longer a police matter. He comforted everyone and left. My friends and Mum tell me that PC Keith was excellent through out the whole drama. Hayley told me that he mentioned a few times that he wanted to hang around as he thought I wasn’t going to make it. I now find this a ridiculous thing to say and a fantastic way of dampening my friend’s sprit and causing unnecessary worrying. <br />
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After the scan I was moved into a critical care ward for about an hour. Mum had requested that my friends stayed with me for as long as possible, so the nurses let everyone into the ward. No one knew what to say and found it hard talking to me in a coma. A Nurse explained that the scan had revealed two small blood clots on my brain but the injury wasn’t as severe as initially feared. My brain hadn’t swelled enough to cause further damage so I didn’t need surgery on my skull but my alcohol levels were very high so they would be keeping me in a coma and hydrated with a drip. The nurse said there was nothing anyone could do now and told them to go home and get some rest. She said they could come back tomorrow but not to bring too many of visitors because I wouldn’t be able to cope.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh00rvGgRKzC9N4X5Fb72gx-4xHqrwUuuEgu7TdUn3DR-fNmFUzYl7CS3Ij_RDxAMli_pyEsH0BHapwYJPY54SPXHH2fGhXZqW0rOjOGMt7mNd_QUuuO0LGn9yXZewwygd4esQASUMC4bU/s1600/P1050627.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh00rvGgRKzC9N4X5Fb72gx-4xHqrwUuuEgu7TdUn3DR-fNmFUzYl7CS3Ij_RDxAMli_pyEsH0BHapwYJPY54SPXHH2fGhXZqW0rOjOGMt7mNd_QUuuO0LGn9yXZewwygd4esQASUMC4bU/s320/P1050627.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the top of the bank</td></tr>
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When I came out of the coma the doctors performed another Glasgow Coma Scale test and this time I scored 7 out of 15. My brain injury was still classed as severe but my latest score was a big improvement on test result I was given at the scene of the accident.<br />
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On Sunday, Hayley, Karen, Damo, Lee and Tommy visited me. They were told that I was only allowed two visitors at a time for 10 minutes and not to ask me questions, as it would stress my brain and confuse me. I was awake but very dazed and didn’t really know what was going on. I was very frigidity and kept bouncing my leg in and out of the bed and pulling at my tubes going into my nose. I couldn’t stay awake for long and was constantly drifting in and out of sleep. The nurse said it was because to my alcohol levels was still high and I was under the influence. Apparently my blood tests showed that I was 6 times over the NZ drink drive limit, which is a lot higher the UK’s limit. There was no way I’d drunk anything close to 12 pints on Saturday. My housemate tell me that I only had 5 or 6 bottles so I must have drunk myself into a right mess Friday night and just topped up. <br />
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Stacey, Steve and Wayne arrived, while the other were still visiting and were chatting in the waiting room. A nurse came over and told them that I was getting far too many visitors and to try and limit future visits. My friends in the hostel all wanted to visit and Karen and Hayley didn’t want to tell people they couldn’t see me. In the end they had to make a roster of when they could visit so everyone had a turn. <br />
On Monday, Tommy came to visit on his way home from work and the good man brought me two sandwiches and a pack of crisps. He told me that he always got his sandwiches from this particular shop, as they were the best around. I was really pleased he had brought me something to eat because the hospital food was really bad and as I was munching on my sandwich I was telling him about it. All the tubes and drips had been removed and he could see I had already making big improvements from yesterday. I was in post-traumatic amnesia, which meant that my brain couldn’t lay down fresh memories, a bit like Dory from finding Nemo. Because of this I couldn’t remember what had been said and was constantly repeating myself and asking the same questions. Luckily my visitors didn’t seem to mind, they were just pleased to see me getting better. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh71BsW1kRNAcU43RWl70SSspSjJfgF_wpSa4NJdzZrUUYbpAD32xSBp-WaCH2Lnwgg9dX5a9OEZVl1CLg95kWwhIcKGuPxb413gxEDsI7iWeUXll-uRk8Xl9P-eoG4szm6XGrVSW6hifc/s1600/P1050629.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh71BsW1kRNAcU43RWl70SSspSjJfgF_wpSa4NJdzZrUUYbpAD32xSBp-WaCH2Lnwgg9dX5a9OEZVl1CLg95kWwhIcKGuPxb413gxEDsI7iWeUXll-uRk8Xl9P-eoG4szm6XGrVSW6hifc/s320/P1050629.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It doesn't really show how steep the bank is but gives a better idea </td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">On Tuesday I had moved onto a ward opposite an old Maori woman who Tommy thought was weird and slightly crazy. He tells me that all the nurses were top quality throughout my stay. They were all really nice, very helpful and would do anything for me. He said that every day I was making huge improvements from the previous day. I was obsessed with the time and kept asking how long I had been in hospital for, what the day was and what the time was. I told him on a regular basis that I was bored and couldn’t wait to leave hospital. He told me that I would be out soon and I was in the best possible place. He could see that I knew hospital was the best place for me and that I understood what was happening. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Wednesday was my last full day in Auckland hospital as Thursday I was being moved to Cavit ABI for my rehabilitation. When Tommy arrived I was getting ready for a shower. I told him that I was bored and couldn’t wait to go home. I was still obsessed with the time and constantly repeated myself. As we were talking I kept mentioning my shower. He said it felt like I was trying to get ready of him and I was talking about the shower so passionately that after third time of mentioning it, he gave in, went home and let me have a shower. When I came out Stacey had arrived. I was walking on my own but was very stiff and wobbly. The nurses told me that this was my third shower of the day. Obviously I couldn’t remember the first two. I was asking Stacey if she thought three showers a day was too much? Apparently I told her that two showers a day is okay but three is a bit excessive. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">That in a nutshell is what happened. Hopefully with all the insight from my friends it will shed some light on the events and I think it will be good for me to read in a few years. I will finish this blog by saying, I’m only 27 and already in my life I’ve had two accidents that could have finished me off! Hopefully I can remain injury free this time for a lot longer.</span></div>Mr Irelandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00789744128535679522noreply@blogger.com2Auckland, New Zealand-36.8484597 174.76333150000005-36.9860077 174.47881200000006 -36.7109117 175.04785100000004tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4671827509533808839.post-17632653638884311742010-12-01T22:16:00.000+00:002011-06-21T20:53:33.740+01:00Auckland, the second time around<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">As I drove down Ponsonby Road, I felt at home and glad to be back in Auckland. It seemed weird how the sight of Sky Tower and driving the familiar roads made me feel at ease but they did and I was looking forward to another summer here.</div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span lang="en-GB">I drove straight to the Explore NZ office as all my traveling had eaten into my bank balance and I needed to arrange an earlier start date. It was good seeing all my old work mates and catching up, I also managed to push my start date forward so I was very happy. Now all was left to do was find a hostel. I did consider staying at one of the hostels in the City because I wouldn’t have to travel far to work but as I had the car Uenuku Lodge was the easy choice.</span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span lang="en-GB">I rung the door bell and to my surprise Olivia’s friend, Karen opened the door. Olivia and I had stayed at Uenuku when we first got to Auckland and Olivia set Karen and her friend Hayley up there when they arrived in NZ - I couldn’t believe they were still living there but after staying at Uenuku a few weeks I soon realised why. There were a lot of long termers, the longest being Stacey who was staying at Uenuku before Liv and I arrived the first time round! This created a really friendly and fun environment. I stayed the first few nights in room 2 but once the owner realised I would be staying for some time he moved me into room 1 with all the log termers.</span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span lang="en-GB">Getting back to work was easy and it felt as though I had never been away, well apart from all my awesome memories of traveling the South Island and of course snowboarding. It felt as if I didn’t need to settle back in, I was already settled. Work was going well - it was nice to have money going back into my account and I was making some great friends. As my days off changed each week staying at the hostel was great as there were always people around to have a beer with or go out and do stuff. </span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span lang="en-GB">Christmas and New Years was fast approaching and I didn’t have anything planned. The guys from the hostel had rented a house in Waiheke for a few days either side of Christmas and were also going to Rhythms and Vines in Gisborne. As more people were going to Waiheke than the house slept, any my boss had offered me the time off for Rhythm and Vines I decided to book a ticket. For you who don’t</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span lang="en-GB">know, Rhythm and Vines is a three day music festival on 29<sup>th</sup>, 30<sup>th</sup> and 31<sup>st</sup> December. The party continues into the New Year and they keep the campsite open for another two days after the concert has finished. Gisborne is the first town to see the New Year in the world, so I was real excited to be amoungst the first people in the world to celebrate the New Year, raving with my hands held high. To make things even more mouth watering, the dance line up was amazing and featured the likes of Carl Cox, Justice, Boys Noize and N*E*R*D were head lining. I was so pumped for Rhythm and Vines as it had the potential of being the best New Years ever!</span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span lang="en-GB">As I was feeling settled at Uenuku and had just brought my Rhythm and Vines ticket I was going to put the house hunting on the back burner as quite frankly I was bored of it and thought there was no point in moving until after Rhythm and Vines. Then out of the blue I got a text from a house I had viewed two or three weeks ago, offering me the room. I was torn on what to do. I knew I would enjoy my own place but at the same time I had made loads of friends at the hostel and enjoyed seeing everyone, day in day out. Then the next night out in the Viaduct made my mind up for me, I needed my privacy and not a 10 man dorm. </span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span lang="en-GB">The next day, I text the guys back and told them I would like to take the room. The house was really nice and was situated just off Ponsonby Road so only added an extra 5 minutes to my ride to work. My new housemates were called Jen, Niamh, Eoin and Peter. They were all travelling on working holiday visa’s from Ireland. I did miss the people at the hostel but I was glad that I made the move. My new housemates were sound and we all got along really well. When I moved in all I had was my belongings so I had to borrow a mattress form the hostel and sleep on the floor. Luckily I found a bed on trade me pretty cheap and my boss let me borrow the work truck to pick it up. </span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">My life in Auckland was great. I was enjoying work, living in my new house was going well, I was catching up with the folk from the hostel on the weekends and I was looking forward to Rhythm and Vines. </div></div>Mr Irelandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00789744128535679522noreply@blogger.com0Auckland, New Zealand-36.8484597 174.76333150000005-36.9860077 174.47881200000006 -36.7109117 175.04785100000004tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4671827509533808839.post-8688897258640759882010-10-18T06:15:00.000+01:002011-06-21T20:49:39.809+01:00Picton to Auckland<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">I wasn’t sure whether I should hang around in Wellington for the day so I could get the car fixed on Monday or head straight to Tongariro National Park, which was around 450K away. After chatting to the hostel owner in Picton, who seemed to know a thing or two about cars and reading up online, I decided to push on and drive to Tongariro.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">The purpose of stopping at Tongariro was to do the Tongariro Crossing, one of NZ’s great day walks and to do a day’s riding at Mt Raupehau. The good news was the car made it, the bad news was the weather meant snowboarding and the crossing wouldn’t be possible for a few days so in the morning I would be Auckland bound. This was the second time I have tried to do the crossing and have been stopped by the weather. Liv and I spent three days here back in April. Funnily enough I bumped into a guy called Doug that I was travelling on the Stray Bus with and decided to stay and work at the hostel for a couple of months with his girlfriend, Jenny. 6 months later they were still here and planning to stay for several more months. </div></div>Mr Irelandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00789744128535679522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4671827509533808839.post-70604741237005729142010-10-16T22:46:00.000+01:002011-06-21T20:34:40.343+01:00Kiakoura to Picton<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="MsoNormal">As we run a Whale and Dolphin tour in Auckland, I thought it would be a good idea to see how things are done in Kaikoura. I left Methven early and made my way to Kiakoura, which was a far longer drive than I had expected. The weather wasn’t great and I spent most of the time driving through the cloud. As I pulled into Kiakoura the cloud cleared and I could finally see what a beautiful place it was. Unfortunately the wind was blowing around 25 / 30 knots, which meant the sea was too rough for the trip to run so I jumped back into the car and headed straight to Picton. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">When I booked the whale watching trip, I wasn’t really that fussed about going but as I left Kiakoura I was really disappointed. Kiakoura is a beautiful little seaside town and it would be an awesome place to visit in the summer. The sea is a lovely shade of blue and the beach is surrounded by mountains, which makes the place very picturesque. I was really looking forward to getting out on the water and chilling in the sun for a few hours. Unfortunately it just wasn’t meant to be. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">A few K’s down the road from Kiakoura the car started playing up. As I was driving it started to splutter like something was blocking the fuel line. I couldn’t believe it, and the drive to Blenheim, which was the next major town that had a garage was a nervous 100 odd K drive. When I rolled into Blenhiem, I noticed a lot of the shops were shut, I then realised it was Saturday afternoon! I asked a local if he knew of any garages that would be open and he replied “I think you’re barking up the wrong tree around here mate aye. Places shut at 12 on a Saturday mate.” I had already booked my ferry and it wasn’t possible to change the time so I had no choice but to hope the old girl would make the final 50K to Picton and limp onto the ferry in the morning. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div></div>Mr Irelandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00789744128535679522noreply@blogger.com0Kaikoura, New Zealand-42.4008174 173.68138599999997-42.7299449 173.11563699999996 -42.0716899 174.247135tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4671827509533808839.post-64758997815708290142010-10-15T22:35:00.000+01:002011-06-21T20:36:31.255+01:00Mt Hutt - Methven<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="MsoNormal">The final activity on my South Island tour was a day’s riding at Mt Hutt, the third mountain owned by NZSki. I’ve been wanting to go all season and the weather was looking awesome so I was pretty excited. To make things even better I bumped into a lifty from Remarks that I worked with in Queenstown and on the mountain we meet a couple of lifty’s from Coronet so I had a few people to ride and drink with, which made my time in Methven far more enjoyable. I had only planned to stay for one day but as I bumped into the guys from Queenstown and with the weather being so great I decided to stay for another day.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The two days riding at Methven were the best two days of my South Island tour. Mt Hutt is a cool mountain and I’m glad I got to experience Methven. I’m pleased that I finished the season on a high, my last day at Coronet was fantastic and the two days at Mt Hutt were truly awesome. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPJ4WfanCx-szzZC9YEJa6jUUYX7-ucKElMqGmJXFk2SK42JEAMEywMnXR6lEntW_zv5I2ohYJy2fZEgm_ygibq1TC3KR4QKYExlFZgDnbhPh3XxMWsWrb7xZbdKQMPC0zLXopNge3BP8/s1600/P1050084.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPJ4WfanCx-szzZC9YEJa6jUUYX7-ucKElMqGmJXFk2SK42JEAMEywMnXR6lEntW_zv5I2ohYJy2fZEgm_ygibq1TC3KR4QKYExlFZgDnbhPh3XxMWsWrb7xZbdKQMPC0zLXopNge3BP8/s320/P1050084.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div></div>Mr Irelandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00789744128535679522noreply@blogger.com0Mt Hutt, New Zealand-43.533428 171.6157323-43.6265045 171.5026743 -43.4403515 171.7287903tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4671827509533808839.post-26492465864203447762010-10-13T03:38:00.000+01:002011-06-21T20:31:52.688+01:00Lake Tekapo and Mt Cook<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="MsoNormal">Lake Tekapo is a beautiful blue lake, that sits in front of Mt Cook and is very picturesque. The main reason for my trip to Lake Tekapo was to do a star gazing tour at the Mt John Observatory. I have been wanting to do this tour for a long time now and was really excited.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">As it turned out I was disappointed with the tour. I was expecting to look through all these super doper telescope and get awesome close up views of stars, the milky way and planets. Instead we drove up the hill and looked at stars with our eyes and 3 smallish telescopes! I got the tour half price and was gutted to have paid for that, I felt sorry for the people that paid the full $85 for something they could do for free. Even though I was disappointed I enjoyed the evening, the guide knew his shit and educated everyone on our galaxy and it was nice to relax for a couple of hours under the stars. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I managed to arrange a couple of last minute trips near Mt Cook so headed off early the next morning. I was pretty excited as I wasn’t going to visit Mt Cook and was looking forward to getting to the base. The weather couldn’t have been better, the sun was out and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky - apparently the morning before snow was in the car park!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The first trip was called Glacier Explorer. The guides took us for a cruise around the ice bergs in the lake in front of the Tasmin Glacier. Basically the lake is melting the glacier and when the ice falls off it pops up in the lake. It was a pretty cool experience floating around these huge ice bergs, something I never dreamed I would do. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The second trip was a 4x4 trip along the Mt Cook Range. I was really looking forward to this trip but unfortunately it wasn’t really a 4x4 trip. We basically travelled up a rocky road in an Argo, which is a six wheeled off road buggy. We stopped off at a few points and got the chance to look down on the lake, and ice bergs and we got a better view of the Glacier. I enjoyed the trip but would have been gutted if I had to pay for it. When I hear 4x4 I imagine extreme off roading through valleys and streams, unfortunately this wasn't the case but I guess it’s hard to do on a mountain range! I was also disappointed that I didn’t get a decent look at Mount Cook. For this you need to hike around 10k’s. It would have been cool to do a day walk onto the Tasmin Glacier or to the foot of Mt Cook but as I’ve previously mentioned, recently I’ve lost my enthusiasm to take a whole day just to look at landscape. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxMQEj1MH0zuCgC9ZRlju5IeSz_SYA6p7gtQNr1e03Qsxfxsm8A_Bz2-9Gtj0BWt6uIiCiz2IV67_ZWAzo6yXp30nO4H3KUw4RB7PKfWTpHRIpvddfqRBx5vtZFilE773sl18oAL1QUGc/s1600/P1050458.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxMQEj1MH0zuCgC9ZRlju5IeSz_SYA6p7gtQNr1e03Qsxfxsm8A_Bz2-9Gtj0BWt6uIiCiz2IV67_ZWAzo6yXp30nO4H3KUw4RB7PKfWTpHRIpvddfqRBx5vtZFilE773sl18oAL1QUGc/s320/P1050458.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mt Cook Range, the view from the road</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;">The Church of the Good Shepherd </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGoO18nMaztHia0LeMSaWEu_FOwIjpFKGXCkl9k7XLUSg5EY7wzVIiR2rrCB8gbrsc48Pf1yo4-nPaOJxEUMMkfszzSlpV9rC8iaiitdqmDMci4JjmiqxiPTBx8uvsrNgbXs1I58dx51o/s1600/P1050470.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGoO18nMaztHia0LeMSaWEu_FOwIjpFKGXCkl9k7XLUSg5EY7wzVIiR2rrCB8gbrsc48Pf1yo4-nPaOJxEUMMkfszzSlpV9rC8iaiitdqmDMci4JjmiqxiPTBx8uvsrNgbXs1I58dx51o/s320/P1050470.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lake Tekapo and Mt Cook Range</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lake Tekapo at sun set. View from the hostel</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pictures don't really show the size of these massive icebergs</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Foot of the Tasmin Glacier</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mt Cook Range</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwhcPUp1yby437Mypb1EJWmD09MYZ4K4UjRGOn3aTlX9KyNhJqLvagSN-vtHopAHFsNQhIC7TUMr1w6bg_iqgs5KEGr3SafUpTxFiPkgMNRk-TVDttj0LYPxB3tRmT2ZEpphnJMkOVFJ4/s1600/P1050521.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwhcPUp1yby437Mypb1EJWmD09MYZ4K4UjRGOn3aTlX9KyNhJqLvagSN-vtHopAHFsNQhIC7TUMr1w6bg_iqgs5KEGr3SafUpTxFiPkgMNRk-TVDttj0LYPxB3tRmT2ZEpphnJMkOVFJ4/s320/P1050521.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from top looking down at the icebergs</td></tr>
</tbody></table> <span id="goog_1126774044"></span><span id="goog_1126774045"></span> </div></div>Mr Irelandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00789744128535679522noreply@blogger.com0Lake Tekapo 7999, New Zealand-44.005074600000007 170.47746170000005-44.126685600000009 170.42121670000006 -43.883463600000006 170.53370670000004tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4671827509533808839.post-73642279029049369512010-10-11T01:42:00.000+01:002011-06-21T20:21:52.229+01:00Invercargill, Catlins and Dunedin<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="MsoNormal">Invercargill….What a shit hole! As I pulled in I instantly hated the place. It looked so run down, miserable and for the first time since being in New Zealand I was concerned about my car or the contents being where I left them the next morning. I should have known what to expect as, as I approached the town I saw my first KFC and McDonalds for 600k’s! </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The hostel I stayed in was pretty sweet. I got the room for free and they were kind enough to give me my own room with a massive bed in, which was much appreciated and the first time I’ve had my own room and bed for a good 6 weeks. I spent the evening chilling with two crazy Canadian chicks and a dry witted English fella. The plan was to have a nice lye in then cruise through the Catlins in the morning.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Unfortunately the Catlins wasn’t what I was expecting and I was very disappointed. I was expecting a costal drive with lots to see, instead the drive was mainly inland and you had to detour to see the sights. After being in Milford and Doubtful and seeing numerous landmarks in NZ I really couldn’t be arsed to take any detours. I guess I was just in one of those moods, so I decided to give myself a kick up the ass and visit the next sight. I took the road to Mcleans Falls and as I turned the corner noticed that the falls was a 3k drive away. Against my better judgment I drove on and pulled into the car park. The next sign I saw read “Mcleans Falls, 40 minute return walk”. In the true words of a Kiwi, I thought to myself, Fuck I’m over this, got back in the car and drove to Dunedin without looking at another detour. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">From what I saw of Dunedin, I liked the atmosphere and the look of the place. Dunedin is a uni town and there were plenty of bars and clubs around. Unfortunately I arrived during exam week and the place was dead. I booked myself into the Speight’s Brewery tour and just had enough time to cook a quick steak. The word quick being key, which led to the steak being too rare, a road side incident the following day that I shouldn’t share in a blog and four or five days worth of serious stomach cramps. At least my stomach held for the tour and a few beers after in town.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gold medals won from 1877 brewery awards</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Funny ancient Egyption beer warning</td></tr>
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</div></div>Mr Irelandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00789744128535679522noreply@blogger.com0Owaka, New Zealand-46.4787927 169.63881279999998-46.5226007 169.5316628 -46.4349847 169.74596279999997tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4671827509533808839.post-3372337301664504672010-10-09T09:50:00.000+01:002011-06-30T22:46:09.873+01:00Doubtful Sound<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUzL0vQF4HXIl2rt8Uz5OIk_J606AONj50w_dtcKZKnZ5xFYUy90R6eETuqK4UpylhOykuS_yoWXAQ_FVPhjjdDGqEBeigVwgNl7tXQFk7Yyc0A0_Vb65W9aOQYPtHiJS-aKl0P3G3Azs/s1600/P1050387.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUzL0vQF4HXIl2rt8Uz5OIk_J606AONj50w_dtcKZKnZ5xFYUy90R6eETuqK4UpylhOykuS_yoWXAQ_FVPhjjdDGqEBeigVwgNl7tXQFk7Yyc0A0_Vb65W9aOQYPtHiJS-aKl0P3G3Azs/s320/P1050387.JPG" width="320" /></a>Doubtful Sound is just a few k’s down the road from Milford, it doesn’t get as many visitors but it’s supposed to be the more scenic of the two. Again it was created by glacier ice calving through the rock and it also has 4 to 6 meters of fresh water sitting on top of the sea water. This time I cruised with Real Journey’s who I must say have been the best company that I’ve travelled with in NZ. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The trip starts with a cruise over Lake Manapouri. The views are beautiful and to be fair I would just be happy with a cruise around the lake. As with Milford all the mountain are filled with trees and everything is very green and fresh. The next stage is a bus trip over the Wilmot Pass and to the start of Doubtful Sound. Doubtful is very similar to Milford apart from the mountains are made of many Islands compared Milford’s valleys. I was pretty lucky with the weather, we had patches of sun and rain so I got to experience the Sound in different climates but more importantly the visibility was always good.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scar caused by tree avalanche</td></tr>
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">It’s hard to write too much about Doubtful Sound, I guess you just need to experience it for yourself. I think I preferred the trip to Doubtful as it was longer and had more stages with different scenery but I couldn’t pick a favourite between Milford and Doubtful.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrireland/sets/72157627086914410/detail/">Click here for more photos of Doubtful Sound</a><br />
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</div></div>Mr Irelandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00789744128535679522noreply@blogger.com0Doubtful Sound, New Zealand-45.3260228 166.9910671-45.430766299999995 166.84400010000002 -45.2212793 167.1381341tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4671827509533808839.post-59850876300262258522010-10-08T09:35:00.000+01:002011-06-21T20:11:05.850+01:00Te Anau<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="MsoNormal">I had a day to burn before visiting Doubtful Sound so decided to spend the day in Te Anau, as it’s the closest major town to Milford and has a few of NZ’s great walks close by. I decided to walk the first day of the Kepler Track. The weather forecast wasn’t great but I didn’t want to waste the day so I set off looking like a professional tramper, wearing a pair of running shoes, thin running socks, a pair of shorts, my Chelsea shirt and a not very waterproof light jacket.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">It took me just under an hour to walk from my hostel to the start of the track, then just over 3 hours to walk to Mt Luxmore Hut. I was pretty chuffed with this time as DOC advertise a 6 hr walk time from the start of the track to the hut. As the weather was crap the view wasn’t great but what I could see was really nice. As I approached the top of the tree line there was a fairly thick layer of snow laying on the track. It turned out that it wasn’t possible to walk much further than I did as the snow was waist deep in places - shame it wasn’t like that on the ski fields! The trip did through in a fairly big surprise, the hut was amazing. I was expecting a few small, damp, grotty huts but instead DOC has built a wooden mansion with around 50 beds. At this time of year it would be fairly cold but in the summer it would be a beautiful stay, probably better than most backpackers. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> </div><div class="MsoNormal">The walk was much tougher than I had expected but I guess not many idiots walk to the first hut then turn around and come home. After 6 and a half hours of walking in the rain I couldn’t wait for a nice warm shower. I’m glad I made the effort but I’m not sure walking is for me, although I would like to do one multi day hike before leaving NZ.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Picture from Lake Te Anua looking at the Kepler Range</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mt Luxmore Hut</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhICrHLvxSeeDLp7COdwL93bRiF84nqS6ZrwTBSfHfFC1sMRKciO_FJ6oWGecmDXqDkmEEClFDyDsaDec-Y1APU3v3mCF0ognq30mC_O1klQTvhNN_J8lVvgps8q4OfSMwMPxTPcdZypuA/s1600/P1050238.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhICrHLvxSeeDLp7COdwL93bRiF84nqS6ZrwTBSfHfFC1sMRKciO_FJ6oWGecmDXqDkmEEClFDyDsaDec-Y1APU3v3mCF0ognq30mC_O1klQTvhNN_J8lVvgps8q4OfSMwMPxTPcdZypuA/s320/P1050238.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
</div></div>Mr Irelandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00789744128535679522noreply@blogger.com0Te Anau, New Zealand-45.4144515 167.71805300000005-45.5751695 167.49829350000005 -45.253733499999996 167.93781250000006tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4671827509533808839.post-67348324715853914592010-10-07T09:26:00.000+01:002011-06-30T20:27:49.200+01:00Milford Sound<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin: 0px; text-align: left;">So after just over 4 months it was time to leave Queenstown and head back to Auckland via a massive road trip. I am traveling on my own so petrol will be expensive but I’m looking forward to doing what I want, when I want.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtLKk6XhvPQRiEdrFIYVC64J8Q7zF0V66kQZCSQ_a3xehw7Jcc5vMxbEIMysts43a4PWHOTZYVoam9Typt4fqFJC3WaSXtIn6-ksjG5CFA2P_GWWOqWWon47Eeu9DSpslmnmoNZkGoSJA/s1600/P1050124.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtLKk6XhvPQRiEdrFIYVC64J8Q7zF0V66kQZCSQ_a3xehw7Jcc5vMxbEIMysts43a4PWHOTZYVoam9Typt4fqFJC3WaSXtIn6-ksjG5CFA2P_GWWOqWWon47Eeu9DSpslmnmoNZkGoSJA/s320/P1050124.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The entry to Milford. </td></tr>
</tbody></table></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin: 0px; text-align: left;">First stop was Milford Sound. So for the boring part…… Milford Sound was created by ice falling off the glaciers and caving through the rock. The highest peak is around 1600 meters above sea level and the deepest part of the sound is around 400 meters. I travelled Milford by boat with Southern Discoveries. The trip took around 2 hours and was an awesome experience. You are constantly surrounded my massive mountains and due to the amount of rain everything is very lush, green, fresh and there are lots of big waterfalls. It is one of those places that you keep reaching for your camera to take pictures.</div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><br />
</div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUWSgDlHUgY1uLkBkCB_dGDcpeaFTO3jP-tR6C9nccbH8vFi7VFVBoLy3j2glUSH3lZgrfrzUUpNM0ytX_cS-qzRxsRVqj1UpB9vyNIB8-yORdfHJM6fxCqnZOxv9wsuP2m3o8Zx9ACSs/s1600/P1050192.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUWSgDlHUgY1uLkBkCB_dGDcpeaFTO3jP-tR6C9nccbH8vFi7VFVBoLy3j2glUSH3lZgrfrzUUpNM0ytX_cS-qzRxsRVqj1UpB9vyNIB8-yORdfHJM6fxCqnZOxv9wsuP2m3o8Zx9ACSs/s320/P1050192.JPG" width="320" /></a>On the way back we stopped at an underwater observatory. As the Sounds gets so much rain a layer of between 4 and 6 meters sits on top of the sea water. The fresh water filters out the sun so deep sea coral and fish can live in relatively shallow waters. The observatory takes you down 30 meters and gives you an insight into the depths of the sound. I really enjoyed the day, the scenery was beautiful and it was nice to kick back, relax and know work is a few weeks away.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrireland/sets/72157627085895006/detail/">Click here to view more photos of Milford Sound. </a> </div></div><br />
</div></div>Mr Irelandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00789744128535679522noreply@blogger.com0Milford Sound 9679, New Zealand-44.671625 167.9256213-44.836715 167.7583813 -44.506535 168.09286129999998