Sunday, October 11, 2009

The big day out!

Well we (the staff and me) fought a battle and won and took the trainees down to the snow, bare in mind that a lot of these guys have never seen snow. My own kids wanted to come too (I know, they wagged school for the day oops!)and CA brought her eldest too (who has adopted Lou as a younger sis!!). So we headed down to the Tongariro National Park with a visit to Taupo first to see Hukka falls which was sooo full, more then any of the other times we'd seen it. For the folks in the UK Mount Ruapehu the mountain we were going on is a live volcano!! It was an (here's that word I don't like but....) awesome day out. The weather was glorious, with some of us going down to vest and tees!! Thank goodness I don't think I could of put up with the moaning from the trainees about the cold! The kids (me included!) had a great time, the trainees were laughing that I was going down the slopes on the boogie boards when I got the chance and I was a pretty mean snow baller thrower (hey I grown up throwing snowballs). Stevie was throwing snowballs at them as they went down the slopes and they all ganged up on him and got him back. CA had arranged a treasure hunt with prizes buried in the snow and a 'coconut shy' thing were they had to throw snowball at the chocolate lollies to win them. But as soon as their snowballs had knocked the choc off, they had to run to get their prize, I made the others turn the snowballs on to the person getting the prize instead!! Good fun.
Then it was a trip back, after a stop for hot chips in Te Kuiti, then home late. A trip of 600K in total!
But worth it.

Hukka falls - the start of the Waikato river, it's not that blue when it gets to us!!(although we did kid a few of the trainees on that they put food colouring in the water!) look at how full it is.


Here is the Motley crew!!


"oh no they didn't" I am shocked by a photo shown by CA.


On our way in our van



Here we all are with Mount Ruapehu in the background


Key trying a bit of 'snowboarding' and not doing too bad!


Me and Lou going down the slopes, YAY!



Key taking the high ground to throw snowballs at those below him (look some of them our in vests it was that warm).


The trainees getting Stevie back - she's behind you!

Too late - bang on target - Ka Pai


Stevie getting Key back


Stunning Mount Ngauruhoe, I just love that! (or otherwise know as Mount Doom on LOTR)


Waiting to start the treasure hunting.


Key and Lou picking on one of my girls when she went to get her choc bars!!








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