Ski Season in Wanaka!! Yay!!

The first dump of snow came in the mountains in Hanmer Springs the night before last. And the air's cooled down a lot. This means that Winter's a-coming which, whilst not great for sleeping in my car, does mean that we're getting ever closer to the ski season!!

Last week I applied for two jobs in Wanaka, and I get offered both of them - result! One was managing a motel at the weekends, and the other was managing a hostel during weekday evenings. Of course I chose the hostel! It' looks like a lovely hostel called Mountain View Backpackers. I'll be working reception from 5pm - 9pm Monday - Friday. I've committed to one month minimum, during which time I can get a cafe job during the week / bartending job at weekends in the run-up to the ski fields opening in June. I'll also have the option of either working at the hostel during the ski season or moving into a house share with some cool people, and finding a bar job somewhere else for the season! But for now, i'm happy that I'll be in a hostel environment (for free) during the cold winter months, meeting new people all of the time. And I'll have the luxury of being able to go boarding every single day once the slopes open if I choose to!! Oh... I can't wait! :o)

I'm gutted though, as I've missed out on the cheaper early bird season passes by a matter of weeks. But it'll be ok. I'm no longer going to the Rugby World Cup games as they can't hold them in Christchurch, so I can use the money I'm saving on them for my ski lift pass... or snowboard lift pass should I say?? I'm hoping to properly learn to snowboard this season!! Yeah!

So I'll be based in Wanaka from 25th April, when my job starts. The season officially starts mid June, so I'll just have to chomp at the proverbial bit until then - but I'm sure Wanaka will be an amazing place to live, and I should be able to get myself some free perks for being in the tourism industry too!! I shall be milking those for all they're worth, I can tell you! It's fair to say that I'm very happy right now. I'd hoped to get a hostel manager job whereby I could ski during the day, and that's exactly what I've found. This NZ experience just keeps getting better and better.

Now I'll just keep travelling around the south island for the next 2 1/2 weeks which, I'd say is pretty much perfect timing.
Down the east coast I go... where I'll stop, nobody knows! :op

Oh. I've just been told by a pasing cyclist that I've got a flat tyre (I'm sitting in my car outside a library using their internet). Cr*p. Guess I'd better change that before I can go anywhere!!

Yep - flat as a pancake

Oh. Next problem: I've just discovered that I don't have a jack. Great. The cyclist has volunteered to cycle down to the garage for me to see if they have a jack I can use. How very lovely! At least it's a sunny day and I'm not getting rained on.

Hmph. Apparently the garage won't just come and do it - I need to call the AA to get them out to me. But I don't really want to use up my call-outs on trivial issues, in case I really need them one day! I can't drive it over tp the garage, as it'll bust up my tyre rim. Grrrr. So now I'm going to go for a wander and see if I can find any Mitsubishi car owners who might have a jack... wish me luck! :)

I've found an ISUZU owner who has a jack...Doesn't really work though - I can't turn the handle any more.

Another guy pulled up next to me, and had a different type of jack. He jacked the car up for me, took the bolts off, went to pull the tyre off, and... nothing. The tyre won't budge. He thinks it's welded on or something. So I'll have to call the AA out anyway. Grrr. But this is yet another time when a Kiwi has been amazingly kind and helpful! And the lady with the ISUZU also went running around the pubs for me, trying to find a suitable jack. They really are lovely people :)

So I just called the AA and they'll be here within the hour. Actually... looks as though someone might be here now!

Oh. Don't I feel stupid. He just kicked the tyre really hard a couple of times and it came off. Jeez. What a waste of an AA call out!! But at least my tyre's fixed now.
  

Tyre = FIXED!

So now I'm all set and ready to go... destination unknown. Woohoo!!! :)