Twilight in Rotorua

I love the twilight hour, that time just as the sun has set, those last moments of daylight and the beginning of night. I have a walk I've done a few times out of the campsite and down to the lake. I can walk through the native bush of Cabbage trees, palms, and tree ferns, as the waves from the lake breaking on the volcanic sandy shore. Do these waves know their brothers in the ocean, is that the sounds they make calling out to them? The light starts to fade and the clouds turn from every shade of white and gray, to pinks and golden yellows. The trees are all bare now, nature sleeps, waiting for the earth to turn. Limbs and twigs reach out and scratch the sky. Birds that use to hide here, now flirt and flit in thickets on the ground, their song still calls and echo's through the air. 4 geese in formation, black silhouetted across the sky, float in the air across the lake. As I walk out towards the parking lot 4 girls are getting out of a car, a collie bolts for the lake, another collie takes after the first. "Charlie, sit, lay down, come back" the dog pays no heed, the water and open land is just too much for all the pent up energy, to hell with orders. The girls all frantically call to other dogs that keep exiting the car, some obey and lay down, only to crawl on their belly as if to be out of ear shot, dogs run wild in all directions, owners giving firm commands that fall to desperate pleas. "sit, heal, lay down, stay, stay! come back!"

Stars are appearing in the indigo sky. Across the lake the yellow twinkle of street lights and homes, scattered along the shore and climbing up the mountain.


This is how small New Zealand is. My driving license i applied for a couple of weeks ago didn't show up. This one guy at the bike shop at the address Id used was sorta acting a bit cagy whenever Id drop in to ask about it. Maybe thats my paranoia, but I go round to the AA to ask about if they can find out anything about the license. I tell them Im not really that worried since I have my international now and thats all really wanted. "oh no" she says, now your in the system as having a NZ license you can get a fine for driving without it! The temp on I have is about to expire, so she writes a new one of those and calls DVLC to find out about the license. It went out on the 30th, so it must have gone missing. They are going to issue a new one and send it to the campsite. The next morning I get a call from DVLC! The license has been returned and where can they send it! Holy shit, can you imagine DVLC calling you about your license? How amazing that they take that much care here. Of course its because its a country of 4 million people, but still pretty amazing service. Oh and so I was probably right about the guy at the bike shop, the ass must have sent it back to fuck with me.

Biking

When I was a kid I could do awesome wheelies. I couldn't for ages, then one day I could. I could pop that front wheel and ride all up and down the alleys at the back of my house. I could ride it over bumps and hills all on the back wheel. Some of the old men that lived on my street would come watch me in the alley riding around. A few years later when i bought my first motocross bike they came out in the alley again, but for another reason! I thought maybe it was the bike, but when I sold it to this kid telling him and showing him what great wheelies it did, he jumped on and instantly went over backwards landing on his ass. I still mess about trying to do those wheelies and yesterday I just caught it wrong and flew backwards landing right on my ass. It just happened to be on this rocky section too. I ripped the skin off my knuckle and gave myself a good ole bruise on my ass cheek, yet again! Sheesh. Oh well the ride was fun. Did the same course I did a few days ago, but added a little extra jump section. Had to go back and forth on this section to get the nerve up not to brake just as I hit the jump. Doesn't look like much in the video, but believe me when your hurtling at it, it takes nerve not to brake. Funny thing is once you've done it, it feels so easy and you wonder why you worried in the first place. Of course there are those times when it goes horribly wrong, um like the wheelies!

Just reading back on posts only a couple of weeks ago and I was complaining bitterly of aching muscles. How nice that I really was able to bring myself up and out of that phase back into a much more fit level. Next time Im outa shape, which wont be long now since I'll be on the road again soon, I must remind myself of this, so I know there is light at the end of the tunnel, just keep training, and I'll get back on top.

This is the start of the jump section, its a class 5 run that is used in the NZ national Championships