Passing Time

The "batch" where I'm living here in Wanaka at times feels like it's located in any suburban subdivision. My backyard is surrounded by a high hedge, obscuring any views of Lake Wanaka and the surrounding mountains, leaving me with only the Crayola-colored blue sky, the now-green lawn and hedge, the unkempt gardens of the house and the tops of the surrounding houses to admire. A "batch" is a Kiwi vacation home, somewhere in between a cabin and a house, typically of simple design and small size in the way a good middle class family would aspire for a little piece of the country to call their own. In between cars passing on the roads surrounding the house, with Spring having arrived here in town I now can hear the dramatically increased number and variety of birds making their homes in the neighborhood. With the late day sun aiming its rays squarely on our back porch, it is at least a very nice slice of suburbia on the edge of the Southern Alps.

Some of the staff at Treble Cone have begun leaving for their lives overseas - some headed for university, some for better paying work to tide them over and recoup some money before the Northern winter. I prefer to stay and experience the gradual winding down of the season - without a full four seasons I'll take whatever ebb and flow I can. The resort continues to be busy enough, but at a much more humane pace, without any of the frenetic activity of high season. Of course, high season here just isn't that busy but the contrast is what's important. I like to watch the snow gradually give way to Spring, as the tussock grass continues to increase its presence even after the huge storm we had a few days ago.

Why so contemplative on a beautiful, sunny afternoon with terrific skiing up on the mountain? On Tuesday, towards the end of an incredible morning of skiing complete with my friends and I giggling like school girls while making turns in snow up to our waists, I may have pretty severely hurt my right knee. It's not yet clear just how bad the injury may be. It's taking some effort to navigate the New Zealand health care system and I do remain optimistic, but in all likelihood my ski season here is over. I am going to remain in Wanaka for at least another couple of weeks and will try to use the opportunity to see some of the area I've missed by working so much. I may even just have to come back in order to finish on my terms.