My shoulders are mush and my nose is crushed

On the 7th, I took a bustrip up North to(ward) Cape Reinga... most Northerly point of New Zealand, where two oceans meet, yada yada yada. Well, never made it because the RAIN (recurring theme) had washed out a bridge we needed to cross, the 90-Mile-Beach (which is 60.5 miles, but a Dutchman measured and named it originally...) was one massive mudpool. The driver took us on the beach with 4 other buses in a convoy for safety. As it turns out, not a foolhardy decision. We had to pull one bus free from the mud!

The entire trip the commentary ran "Normally we'd take you up North to see Cape Reinga. Normally we'd take you to the Kauri Forest. Normally we'd drive along 90 Mile Beach and stop for photos. Normally we'd have lunch on the beach. Normally we'd stop at...." But apparently this amount of rain was not normal!

So, I figure, if I HAVE to get wet, might as well make it count and learn to surf. Hence, I booked myself into a 3 day/2 night surfschool experience at Isobar Surf in Taupo Bay(http://www.isobarsurf.co.nz/index.html). There are only 2 learners here - myself and a girl I met on the KiwiExperience bus. So practically private lessons! The place is really relaxed, with surfers dropping by to discuss swells, winds, breaks, rips and fins... a language possibly more difficult to comprehend than Mandarin!

Nicki started us on learner boards... polystyrene covered, one fin, "softer" boards that won't hurt as much when they hit you. After our first 2 hour lessons, I was given a "real" board as I seemed to be in control of my learner board. It handled really well, and I dubbed it "Fred". Well, Fred just about knocked me out. I wiped out, didn't cover my head with my arms and got knocked right in the schnozz. Bleeding nose, chocking on saltwater, grazed all over from being dragged accross the ocean floor... I emerged pathetically onto the beach. It's not broken, just hurts like hell. Since the best thing is to get right back on the horse so to speak, I grabbed Fred and went back in. Status of accomplishment: I can get up on my knees no sweat... stood for about a second and then fell off, got two feet on the board and sank when the wave ran out.

A natural I am not, but a complete hopeless case neither! Yeah! After 2 hours yesterday in pouring rain, 4 hours today in the sunshine (its baaaack!), my shoulders and arms are killing me, 3 out of 10 toes have cuts on them, my nose is "tender" to say the least...but I ALMOST STOOD ON THE BOARD. At this point that feels awesome. :) I know tomorrow I won't be able to get to the bathroom, let alone surf... but they won't take pity on me and just send me out anyway!