Flashback: Spring

Look, writing every six months is just becoming a thing now. You should probably just get used to it.

So we’re going back in time a bit here – back to 2020 – please don’t exit the page. I last left off waaay back in October, and being that it is now April, it’s probably due time that I wrote a bit. So we’re breaking this down into three sections yet again. October – Christmas break. Christmas break. And then the summer months. Let’s kick it off.

October 15-18

When I last left you, we had just finished our McCaulay hut mission. The week after that, it finally started to feel a little bit like warmer weather, and that only means one thing – boating season. And while it was still a little cold, we managed to rug up, get two dogs, seven people and 24 cans of beer on a boat probably only meant for five bodies and went for a ski.

While I was still a little nervous to ski because of my busted shoulder, it was my first time seeing Fraser in the water and… the boy can do everything. Wicked skier and even better wakeboarder. Eat my heart out.

That weekend, our regular antics resumed. Following a photography exhibition, Hayden, Fraser, Chloe, Molly and I decided to go out for a few bevys, which somehow turned into tabletop dancing, lightpole dancing and eating fries on the dancefloor.

After a weekend of art-related activities (because of the festival happening in town), it was nice just to have a good Sunday brunch with Fraser, who made pancakes while I nursed a hangover.

Then later that afternoon, with the bike season well and truly underway, we headed to Bike Glendhu for a spin, some nachos and some beer. The perfect Sunday, really.

October 22-25

Thursday boating sessions started to become a thing, and this time I finally did get a ski in – and it felt amazing to be on the water again. I was even feeling a little cocky showing off for Fraser – which didn’t last long, because Taylor got in the water and showed us all up with some really incredible skiing. Again, why is it that Kiwis are good at everything?!

That weekend, we headed off for PK Bay, a bay along the East Coast in the Catlins that I still hadn’t been to yet but had heard plenty about. Because it was a long weekend, it was insanely busy when we got there, but that didn’t take away from how incredible it was.

Beautiful water, a grassy camping area and a massive wall of rock facing out towards the ocean – it was dreamy. Fraser couldn’t make it this time, because he had gone up North to visit his family for the weekend, so I was on my own with the crew. But it was so amazing. We surfed a little, Andy went diving and caught paua, (a kind of shellfish that when fried with butter and garlic is AMAZING), we lit a fire and watched some fire dancers perform down on the beach – it was so perfect.

The rest of October was a bit of a blur of work, Thanksgiving garden parties and boating.

As we eased into November, Fraser and I kept up our weekendly bike rides and even got some fishing in down by the river, which made me reminiscent of the beginning of our relationship. It was nice just to slow down a bit after a few big Spring weeks, before things picked up again.

November 12

One week before my birthday, we got the best surprise. Chloe had asked Hannah and Hayden to write her a reference letter for her upcoming immigration visa application. We were all planning to hit up the lake for a beach session after work, so Hannah told Chlo that she’s bring the letter with her to give to her there. When we got there, Hannah gave Chloe a folder with the letter and Chloe opened it to read it. Weirdly, there were two pages, and when Chlo turned to the second page there was a photo of an ultrasound – Hannah was pregnant!

While we had had our suspicions, it was such an incredible surprise and writing about it now is kind of surreal – Han’s only a month away from her due date and soon we’ll have a little baby girl in the group!

November 19

The following Thursday was my 29th birthday. And for the first time since my 25th, I wasn’t completely dreading it. This was my third birthday here in NZ and I’ve always seen my birthday as a marker for where I’m at in life. And for the first time in a long time, I finally felt like I was exactly where I was supposed to be.

This COVID thing has been kind of a weird blessing for me. Instead of constantly worrying about what my next move is – where I’ll live next, what job I should get, how much money I should be making – I’ve finally just settled for a bit and sunk into where I am now, knowing that there’s no rush to go anywhere anytime soon. It’s been strangely freeing.

That morning, I woke to Fraser singing Happy Birthday to me and joking about what a cougar I am now because I’m a 29 year old dating a 25 year old. My workmates had tea and cake for me at work. I got home to lillies (which are now my favourite flower) and a gift of Birkenstocks from Fraser, as well as roses from the girls. I had a huge dinner that night with 25 of my closest friends at my favourite restaurant and even received a few more flowers from Sonia, Fraser’s sister (who has become a very dear friend). It was such an amazing day and I couldn’t have been happier.

That weekend, we rented a really cool AirBNB and went to Twizel with a day trip down to Mt. Cook. It was so amazing just to get away with a few close friends, drink, eat good food and relax for the weekend.

Last weekend of November

Alright, let’s talk the big event of November – Burning Han.

Backstory: Due to COVID, Hannah and Hayden had to cancel their wedding, which was originally planned for the last weekend of November. And with the date coming up, we thought that it would be hilarious to do a fake wedding and have an excuse to put on a bit of a party.

It was Chloe who came up with the idea to put on the wedding with a Burning Man theme (hence, Burning Han). And we totally went with it. We hired a DJ, set up a tent in a field, killed it with the costumes, Chloe even managed to get a few metalwork sculptures to make it as close to the real thing as possible. We set up tents, blankets and pillows, cheese boards, brought in pizza and even had a ceremony – which I officiated. The “newly-wed” couple had their first dance to WAP.

It was the most amazing night with so many laughs. I’m pretty sure it’s going to be an annual thing now.

December 5-6

The weekend after Burning Han, we were right back into again with Beer Festival. I don’t have a lot of photos from this particular day because 1) it was rainy as hell and 2) I was preeeetty drunk. But it was SUCH a good day of amazing beer, laughing, dancing and the usual tomfoolery. And I tend to think that the best days are the ones where you’re having so much fun, that you forget to take photos.

Note to self: this was the first night that Fraser said it.

The next day, Fraser and I were hungover as hell and the weather was total shit. So with nothing to do, we drove three hours to Jackson Bay on the West Coast and had the best fish and chips ever from the Cray Pot – a cute little caravan in the smallest fishing village I’ve ever been to.

After that first weekend, December was a total rollercoaster of drinking too much at work Christmas parties, biking with Fraser at Rude Rock and our first night up riding Cardrona, lake evenings and cleaning the house before going away.

And then on December 22, Fraser and I left for nearly a month (!!!) away together for Christmas with his family in Taupo on the North Island and New Years with Hannah and Hayden at Hayden’s place on Great Barrier Island.

…but that’s for next time.

If you want to see the video wrap-up from Spring, click here. As per usual, remember to press the arrows to see the whole thing.

• JB