Sunday, November 7, 2010

Beached and Bushed!

Great day - great times! 10 challengers plus 3 supervisors participated in the CACTUS Term 4 Challenge.
Leaving home base at Bodyworx at 5pm we headed for Sunny Bight to gear up and load the kayaks with our equipment. A 9 km paddle lay ahead of us. (Click on the map at right to have a closer look in Google Maps.)
Idyllic conditions prevailed as we skirted the western shore of Kaniere to Laura's Delight. Great laughs rippled across the lake when we rafted up for a game of chicken kayak. My vote for rooster was definitely Katsu!
Dark descended as we beached at Lawyer's Delight. Challengers were dispersed in the Bush along the lake shore for an hour of solitude in the bush. Kiwi calls and "moreporks" punctured the silence of night - or was that just our stomachs growling for food having not eaten since Sunny Bight? Back to the beach (after the search party eventually found the lost hoochie!) for a 10 pm pasta cook up and set up camp. Lights out at midnight after everyone was laid out along the beach under hoochies or in survival bags. 5:40 wake up call and 25 minutes to get ready for the paddle across slip bay to the checkpoint for porridge a la Isaac. A dawn south-easterly gave some interest to the crossing but the group swiftly paddled directly into the headwind to slip alongside the waiting ute and trailer. All fed up and off to the start of the Mount Brown track at a double march. We entered the bush at 8:40 and ascended to the ridge appreciating the newly recut track. We made the hut by 11:30 for lunch at the Mt Brown Hilton overlooking the lake. What a magnificent job the tireless Mt Brown hut team have made relocating this now classy establishment from the Arahura. Paradise! Snowy peaks, magnificent views, brilliant sunshine and just enough breeze to refresh!
A two hour descent saw us back at the ute for 2:30 where Grant (thanks Grant!) was waiting with the van.
Great times - big thanks to Pip (the new CACTUS) Challenger for her fantastic support and leadership and to Isaac taking the time out to give back to CACTUS, Tai Poutini for the use of the  Kayaks and all who made it such a great time. Especially the awesome CACTI!
[Check out the slideshow at right and click on it to open up the album.]

[+/-] Show Full Post...

Thursday, November 4, 2010

PLAN B - Beach and Bush - NO CACTUS SESSION FRIDAY

Snow is forecast down to 800 m tomorrow on Kelly's so the Challenge has been shifted.
Challenge is now - Lake Kaniere Kayak/Mt Brown ascent! 5:00 PM START
Please note the following changes:
NO CACTUS SESSION ON FRIDAY -  Mon as usual. Gym session will now be Wed.
CHALLENGE START IS NOW 5 PM - Be there early - we leave BODYWORX at 5.00
BRING A PLATE AND A SPOON - pasta meals will be provided.
We will be cooking a meal Friday night. If you have a camp cooker & pot please bring them.
If you have a two/three man compact light weight camping tent we can use please ring me or text.
Make sure you have woolen socks as per essentials list as there may be some snow on the summit.

All other details are the same as Kellys/Taipo .

[+/-] Show Full Post...

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Get WETA on the TAIPO!

Term 4 Challenge 2010 is on!
Kelly's Range traverse from Kelly's to the Taipo at 7 mile creek.
Then we raft out to the road with Wild West Adventures!
Check out the route on google maps in satelite view here.
A south west airflow is forecast off the tops for Friday night so be prepared
to wear your thermals in the sleeping bag if need be!
A steep ascent in the morning will get the body temperature up
and set us off to a good start for the rest of our adventure!
We'll follow the main divide before we drop down into the Taipo for lunch
and hit the river for an action packed afternoon!

[+/-] Show Full Post...

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Youth Development Winners!

 CACTUS wins runner up in the Trustpower Westland District Community Awards Educational and Child Youth Development category!

Derek Blight CACTUS Westland Trust secretary and John Winsley receive the award from Trustpower's Graeme Purches and Mayor Maureen Pugh. Thanks to Trustpower for their recognition and generous donation to the CACTUS coffers! Well done to all the CACTUS volunteers!



CACTUS wins runner up in the Trustpower Westland District Community Awards Educational and Child Youth Development category!

[+/-] Show Full Post...

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

TERM 4 CHALLENGE - CORRECT DATES

Sorry about the confusion but the CHALLENGE is definitely on Fri night/Sat 5th and 6th of November! We had to bring it forward due t0 study leave. Make sure you have the essential gear for this NOW. Click here for to find the list. This is will be an awesome event.

[+/-] Show Full Post...

CACTUS YOU TUBE

CACTUS is now on YOU TUBE! (See at right.)

To open it in YOU TUBE click here or double click on the embedded video on the right. If you double click on any of the sideshows on the blog they should open up the albums online. When you get a post from the blog emailed to you the blue underlined link at the bottom of the email CACTUS Hoki takes you to the blog.
Great effort at the RFL today team!

[+/-] Show Full Post...

Friday, October 15, 2010

CACTUS UNDER ENEMY FIRE!

CACTUS came under enemy fire today attempting to stretcher the wounded to safety. Determination, attitudes and team cohesion were sorely tested as the teams struggled to carry their wounded to safety under withering sniper fire! Both teams earned 30+ bonus press up for being late back to base. (Photos of casualties from enemy fire at right).

CACTUS CHALLENGE DATES.
12th & 13th November, Fri night/Saturday (CORRECTION: This is NOT Westland anniversary weekend). SET THESE DAYS ASIDE! The Challenge is early before senior school breaks for exams so expect to be pushed hard to prepare. Course will continue till December 8 for those who can still attend.

[+/-] Show Full Post...

Monday, October 4, 2010

TERM 4 BEGINS!

Hi guys,
Term 4 starts WEDNESDAY 13TH OCTOBER.
Most CACTI have exams this year so hang on for the ride as we try to fit it all in!
Term 3 challenge is still up in the air after the biggest storm in a long while dumped extreme weather on us. If we can we will try and make it happen in the first week or so of term. Either way the term should be full of challenges.
Go hard out at the study if you have exams and go hard out at CACTUS as much as you can to keep the body and mind sharp and focused.

[+/-] Show Full Post...

Monday, June 28, 2010

Adrenlin Adventure was Awesome!

Yeeeeeeehah! Adrenalin Adventure was an awesome time. Arthur's Pass and into the Devil's Punchbowl walk in the dark with snow underfoot. Then off toe Spencer's Beach on the northern outskirts of Chch. Lights out at 11 and up at 6:00 - 10 minutes to fall in! South along the beach with a stretcher run and return with sand in the packs, breakfast tidy up and then into the trees for and Adrenalin challenge.
The CACTI excelled on these challenges - 100 activities spread over six "paths" in the trees starting at 1.5 metres off the ground ascending to 20 m! Scariest activity: the drop-in flying fox into the spiders web on level six!
We concluded with a session in snow and boulders at Castle Hill on the way home.
Thanks to Joe Davies who stood in as supervisor on this event, and the amazing young people who made it such ha great time. See the photos - click on the slide show to access the album and bigger pictures.

[+/-] Show Full Post...

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

ADRENALINE ADVENTURE

CACTUS invade Adrenalin Forest
TERM TWO END OF TERM CHALLENGE
Dates: Friday 25th- Sat 26th.
Leave Hoki after school Friday.
Hit the high wires on Sat.
Click here to visit Adrenaline Forest website.
Check out this video on YouTube!
Other random CACTUS adventures for good measure.
Details to come.

[+/-] Show Full Post...

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Coast and Caves Challenge Term Two

Term 2 is off to a great start with morning and afternoon programs underway!
Coast and Cave's was a great challenge to end Term 1. (See slideshow). We put behind us the Queen Elizabeth Walkway at dawn, 3 circuits of the Devil's Cauldron... (at Punakaiki), The Truman Track and the Charleston cliff top loop before the CACTI were let loose in the Adventurer Cave. Our awesome guide Jackie, split the two group into two teams to explore the cave system in two different directions. A great introduction to the underworld and a good starting point for other subterranean adventures.

[+/-] Show Full Post...

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Term 1 underway. 18 recruits front up so far!
CACTUS also expands into Afternoons sessions!
Click Full Post for more details.


MORNING CACTUS is well underway with impressive RFL (Required Fitness Level) results this morning - times will be posted later. The morning team is shaping up well for some hard out challenges. Supervisors, John and Alan will be straining their fertile imaginations for this group.
Don't forget GOLD COIN DONATIONS FOR BREAKFAST.

AFTERNOON CACTUS
Demand from some keen young people from the metropolis of Kumara along some Hoki afternoon stalwarts has prompted an afternoon course this term. CACTUS is welcoming back Pavel from Sports West Coast to supervise the afternoon sessions supported by John. Course times 3:30-4:30 also based at Bodyworx.

[+/-] Show Full Post...

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

CACTUS 2010!

UP FOR THE CHALLENGE?

COURSE STARTS MON 8TH FEB
6:45 - 7:45 am. BODYWORX GYM.
Showers available afterwards.
Breakfast provided (Gold Coin donation).
Click What Do I Need to Start CACTUS if you're a first timer.
Scorching weather - remember to hydrate.
755 8245 for more info.
See you there!

[+/-] Show Full Post...