Mid-Sem Tour, Day IX, X, XI – Ski Trip!!

The much awaited ski trip was unfortunately not as great as I expected. I attribute it to bad timing. I was so tired from 8 days of traveling that I did not enjoy myself as much as I tot I would. We joined the ski trip organized by the Kiwi Asian club, consisting of Asian members born in NZ, some of whom are 4th generation kiwi Asians, like Michael. Michael, one of the organizers was so kind as to stop by Taupo and pick both of us up from Rainbow Lodge. I think it was a minor detour. We requested him to pick us up because there was no direct bus from Taupo to Ohakune.

We stayed at Ossies, a self-contained 5 bedroom chalet in Ohakune. The place was a perfect lodge, clean and big and the best part was that it had a nice fireplace so we were kept warm. However, blankets were not provided!! On the 1st night, I was freezing because no one was putting in logs in the fireplace to sustain the fire. On top of putting on all the layers I brought, I had to resort to curling up into a ball to fit into my make shift blanket, my white jacket. Thankfully, on the 2nd night, Michael kept the fire going. On the last night, I took up the suggestion of using the bedsheet as a blanket, thin as it was, it provided some relief.

Outside out chalet

Nice warm fireplace

The entire entourage

On the second day after our arrival at Ohakune, we set off to Whakapapa Ski Fields. Whakapapa is on the north-western slope of Mt Ruapehu and is New Zealand's largest developed ski area. We got the 'Discovery Ski Package', which included rental for skis, a lift pass for Happy Valley, a scenic lift ride to the top of the mountain and a group lesson. Unfortunately, we did not have time to utilize our scenic lift pass. The mountains close so early. By 4.30pm, the ski lifts stop taking people up. Further, we had to return our ski equipment by 4.30 or else we’ll have to pay extra!! What a pity we didn’t take the lifts all the way to the Upper Mountains, I’m so sure it’d have been a breath-taking sight.

Happy Valley

Getting our ski equipment

Raring to go!

Skiing is really tough. I was the poorest student. I cldn’t go in the direction that I wanted to. I’d like to think that part of the reason was due to my already sore ankle. Due to that, I had trouble distributing my weight equally on both my feet and hence, I just kept sliding down to the right, instead of going straight.

Picking up skiing with the help of our ski instructor

We tried going up the pole. It’s a mechanism that brings u up the slope but it is different from a ski lift. Instead of chairs, it is a pole with a circular rubber attached to it. The trick is to hold on to it and lend slightly forward. Alternatively, you could put it in between your legs. Never sit on it though. We committed that terrible mistake 3 times and all three times, we fell. It was really dangerous because ppl behind us got affected when we fell. Whilst they were able to go around us most of the time, some of them collided with us. It was difficult to get us due to the skis. They leave you in an awkward position when you fall. It was very fun when we did get the hang of using the poles.
On the third day, an ominous cloud hung over our heads. It had already rained throughout the night. Unfortunately, the weather did not hold up and it started to drizzle. Unfettered by the rain, we went ahead with our plans to ski. This time, we proceeded to a different ski field, the Turoa Ski fields because it is nearer to our chalet. Turoa is on the south-western side of Mt Ruapehu and the slopes there are supposed to be more challenging. To our dismay, the weather at the Turoa area was worse than Whakapapa. When we arrived at the fields, it was so foggy, we cldn’t see past the field. To make matters worse, the rain started to really beat down. In the end, since we cld not ski, a snow fight ensured. Surprisingly, when the snow/ice hits ur face, it scratches, causing stinging pain.

After the fight came to a close, we decided to build a snowman. At first, everyone was skeptical abt whether we would succeed because we cldn’t roll the snow into a ball. At the initial construction stage, our snowman looked like a mole hill. Nonetheless, after our tender loving care, he turned out to be a pretty cool snowman! Everyone wanted to take pictures with him. Hee…

Mr Snowman

The creators! Haha..that's my beanie he has on!

After mopping around Turoa for some time, we decided to head to Whakapapa, where we were told had better weather. This time, we bought the lower mountain pass. We still hung out at Happy Valley first, for a little revision. Yay, I was much better on the 2nd day, at least I cld stop at will. Then, we decided to take the lifts up to the lower mountain and expose ourselves to what real skiing is like. The white snow, the mountains, the sky. It was such an idyllic sight!

Michael and someone posing with their snowboards and us!

It was just such a waste not to ski down the mountains when u’re already up there. So, even though I TOTALLY sucked at skiing, I hit the steep slopes anyway. Wendy and Yeefang chose not to attempt the slopes. It was 10 times trickier than Happy Valley (and note, I wasn’t very competent at Happy Valley) so, you can imagine how much trouble I had coming down the lower mountain. It was so tiring because I kept falling and it was so difficult to pick myself up. Any attempt to do so would just lead to me going down the slopes again because it was steep!! I would slide down even before I could stand up straight. It was SO embarrassing because he Kiwi Asians were all at the lower mountains (as this is not their first time skiing/boarding) and they were just giving me looks when they saw me STRUGGLING. How encouraging!!! By the time I reached the bottom, I was soaked in my own perspiration. Anyway, I don’t regret going down the lower mountain because I know that I might never have another opportunity like this again. My mentality here in NZ is to just go for it, even though u know u might not be up for it. I just wished I had more time to perfect skiing. Man…skiing is difficult. I know that it’ll be an exhilarating feeling to go down that mountain when u can ski well!!! Maybe next time (like a long time later I hope. I’m still a little traumatized by this first experience)

The Lower Mountains. Can't believe I got down this steep slope!

A little about the Kiwi Asians now. They are really heavy drinkers!! Once we reached Ohakune, which was in the evening, they wasted no time getting to town to get booze. Every night, they indulged in alcohol, playing poker and other drinking games. I was quite shock to see that somebody had brought snakes and ladders to the chalet, only to find out later that it’s the drinker’s version of snakes and ladders. Meaning, on top of losing a turn or moving 5 steps back, you have to drink shots of alcohol as well. Quite a cool game.

Joining in on the vices.

We Singaporeans, formed quite a big group ourselves. There was 6 of us, Wendy, Tze Chia, Chao Chia, Yeefang and Jiayu. We ended up having a party of our own in one of the 2 chalets as not many of us were drinkers. On the last night, we engaged in a entertaining game of charades. It was so amusing to see everyone make a fool of themselves. Michael and Chris joined in and gave their kiwi input. Hee…

Our Cosy Room

Oh yes…back to the Kiwi Asians, most of them seemed exactly like the kind of spoilt kids depicted on TV, those party and thrill seekers that have very little regard for their safety or others. Also, judging from what kind of apparels they wore and had in addition to how they carried themselves, we all shared the same sentiments that they were rich kids who splurge without a blink of the eyelid. Probably, they don’t lift a finger at home as well because after meals, they just stacked their bowls and plates into the sink seemingly expecting them to miraculously clean themselves. On the first night, the guys did the dishes but on the 2nd and 3rd night, we were relegated to being their maids, spending more than an hour washing the enormous pile of oily and badly stained plates. Nonetheless, most of them were pretty friendly. They tried to include us in their drinking activities however we kinda wanted to do more innocent activities that didn’t involve excessive alcohol. I did meet a couple more law students on this trip, Suelynn as well as Martin and turns out, they are both in my legal ethics class. Never noticed them before.