A Slippery Surface

At this side of the world we are in ‘winter time’. Some of you might know that we recently had some heavy snow fall. Bad for some people (certain areas were without power for 3 weeks) but good for others, the ski slopes have had lots of snow so the snowboarding/skiing is great. As we have been experiencing some cold, freezing weather, too, some lakes have frozen over. This is great news to a cloggy, as this means one is able to go skating on natural ice! I did not ship my‘Noren’ (speed skates) to New Zealand for nothing! Last Sunday, we made the trip back to Lake Ida (we went skating in 2004, too). Driving through the Canterbury Plains, with the snow covered Southern Alps in front of us, made us think what a hardship it is living in Christchurch! I digress, so I shall continue. It takes just under 2 hours to reach Lake Ida, but the drive is well worth it. Seeing the beautiful frozen lake, with lots of people enjoying themselves makes you realise how lucky we are. Skating is something you never forget the basics of, so I was fine as soon as I stepped onto the ice. Pete however, has not been skating as much when he was younger so it took a little bit longer for him to gain confidence. Luckily, the owners of Ryton Station, the 37 000 acre farm, which includes Lake Ida, take good care of you. They provider Zimmer-like frames, where you can hold onto, or sit on and then get pushed around! There is a lodge, where you can warm up around the fire and have a hot drink. (Like the good old Koek 'n Zopie).

All in all it was a very enjoyable day and may the cold weather continue so we can go skating a few more times!

Pete did get the hang of it again, eventually!