February 8, 2010
Refreshed after our sojourn at John and Marge’s place we returned to the Pelorus for the bike leg Jo wasn’t looking forward to. My comment that the route was ‘essentially downhill’ was treated with total derision. It was 14kms of up, down and windy gravel road that took us in no time to Pelorus Bridge [...]
Categories: Graeme Dingle, Jo-anne Wilkinson, S12, South Island | Comments [2]
January 25, 2010
Dear Prince William
Please join Graeme and me on The Big Walk.
Much love
Jo-anne
Dear Jo-anne
I can’t join you on The Big Walk but why don’t you come to my barbie in Wellington.
Much love
William
Anyway, this is the story Jo-anne tells which led to us leaving the bush at Nelson Lakes and flying to Wellington for a brief royal [...]
Categories: Graeme Dingle, Jo-anne Wilkinson, South Island | Comments [1]
January 18, 2010
It was pouring rain when we met the group at the Boyle Outdoor Education Centre – Sam (female) and Dylan had been on the leg from Hurunui to Boyle, along with Jacinda Sleeman, and FYD Programme Director from Auckland. The new recruits, from Marlborough, were Jessie, Brendon and Chris Shaw, who FYD Programme Manager from [...]
Categories: Graeme Dingle, Jo-anne Wilkinson, S10, S9, South Island, Uncategorized | Comments [2]
January 11, 2010
While we were at Bealey Emma phoned to say that she felt the planned route over Harper Pass with the next group was too dangerous because of flooded rivers and I agreed. Unfortunately I was now committed so we agreed that she would enter the hills from the east and we would meet at Hurunui [...]
Categories: Graeme Dingle, S9, South Island | Comments [1]
January 5, 2010
Jo-anne has blisters on blisters from the stage Tekapo to the Rangitata. I wouldn’t be able to walk if my feet were like it. But the show must go on, so on the last day of 2009 we continued The Big Walk, albeit without Jo-anne.
Gemma and Tony had come in from Christchurch with the new [...]
Categories: Graeme Dingle, S7 | Comments [1]
December 29, 2009
The Timaru event with the ANZ and Kiwi Can was a wonderful occasion with lots of singing, laughing and Christmas cheer.
Next morning Jo-anne arrived from Auckland. We had no mercy on her, drove her straight to the place we had finished in the Ahuriri and without ceremony got her on her bike. We pedalled a [...]
Categories: Graeme Dingle, Jo-anne Wilkinson, South Island, Uncategorized | Comments [4]
December 24, 2009
Alone again. The plan was to pedal 15 kilometres to Mt Creighton Station then go over the top to Queenstown. I was feeling lethargic when I started but soon got into the rhythm and found myself going like a looney. I expected Mt. Creighton to be signposted but it wasn’t and I pedalled on along [...]
Categories: ANZ, Graeme Dingle, S4, South Island, Sponsors, Uncategorized | Comments Off
December 23, 2009
We were glad to dry out and sort gear at the Mossburn camp ground then it was on to the Mavora Lakes by bike. It could have been a nothing day – 40kms of road, but it wasn’t – Instead it was a break-through day where a sense of team began to shine through. On [...]
Categories: Cynth, FYD, Graeme Dingle, S4, South Island, Uncategorized | Comments [1]
December 9, 2009
Cynth and I camped in a field by a gentle stream at the entrance to Mt Linton while we waited for the first lot of students to arrive. At 5.30pm on the December 6, they arrived in Bill Roxburgh’s van – five graduates of Project K Waitakere; Amelia, Mason, Jamie, Jake and Mathew, together with [...]
Categories: Cynth, FYD, Graeme Dingle, S3, South Island, Uncategorized | Comments [5]
December 7, 2009
Today felt like a bit of a cheat’s day because it was all over in a bit over two hours, and we’re a day ahead of schedule. We’ve had our first view of snowy mountains which made my heart light as a bird on the breeze.
I forgot to say in my last blog that yesterday [...]
Categories: Cynthia, Graeme Dingle, S3, Uncategorized | Comments [1]
Good on you Uncle Graeme and to all the team that made the committment to help those less fortunate than ...