Day 5: Coronet Peak & Sunday Night in Queenstown (View photos set here)

Another early start 7:30am, breakfast at McDonalds before arriving at Coronet Peak at 9:30am the crew had kept our ski boots from Saturdays trip to the Remarkables but still had to stop past the ski hire to collect our boards (Tom, Luke, Conrad and Haynes at ski hire centre). With our confidence high after Bens “Happy Days” instructions from the lesson at the Remarkables the group decided to pass on our final lesson and headed straight to the “Meadows Chair” Lift to make mine and most of the groups way down our first ever snow run! The photo right was taken at the top of the Meadow Chair Lift at the start of our first run!
There were considerably more people at Coronet Peak then at the Remarkables and the wait for the chair lift took between 10-15 mins (though got better as the day went on).

My first run was somewhat of a challenge trying to negotiate my way down the mountain as slow as possible I got stuck on the outside of the first bend of the “Big Easy” run with the slope running the across the run I found it hard to get moving in the right/safe direction again… A story that I am embarrassed to tell but I am sure most people will hear a grossly exaggerated version (mostly probably from Pukey or “All Star” Haynes)! Once I got moving again I was a bit reluctant to stop and when a little girl age all of about 6 years old complete with a pink jump suit appeared about 10 meters in front of me I made a poor decision to take evasive action rather then wipe out…

The facts of the incident ARE THESE:

- I never actually hit the girl, rather “clipped” the rear of her skis

- The accident (which may or may not have been due to the clip) was exaggerated by the girl performing a perfect star shaped face plant complete with resulting snow puff rising after minor impact (or disaster???)…

- There were no witness, other then Pukey who is as blind a bat without his glasses (which he did not have) and Haynes and as anyone who has spent anytime with him would know he is completely preoccupied with “other” maters too pay any attention to anything other then himself and any members of the fairer sex in the immediate area…

In light of the above facts I have come to the conclusion that I was victim of a conspiracy between the little mumpskin, the mumpskins parents, the mountain staff and the forces above (possibly including God himself!!!) to make poor innocent Murph look like an evil ass…
May I put forward the theory that the slope of the mountain (shaped by the mountain staff and “forces above”) made avoiding the collision impossible then the mumpskin (trained by the parents) launched into an Oscar worthy dive/performance completing the attack! Any testimony from Haynes or Pukey should be omitted for reasons outlined above… No further comment is required or will be made on the matter, other then to say that as I was/am bigger then the girl, she should have gotten out of the away! :op

Over the course of the day everyone improved linking heal and toe side turns together and as confidence began to build we were riding up the walls of the slope and even took on “The M1” blue run! Meanwhile at the end of every run the group reconvened in the line waiting for the chair lifts and we took a few shots (shots 2, 3 and 4). The chair lifts at Coronet Peak were social with just you and one other lucky person to share the 7-10 minute ride with and take in views (shots 2, 3 and 4)!

In between runs Steve D, H and I found time to create a snow woman! She had a curvy figure but a bit of a icy personality!!! Ha ha… The new group member put some tension in the group first between Haynesy and myself and Haynesy and Al before Al stole a kiss and I snuck a huge!

At the end of the day we return to base for group and funny photos. Haynesy had a creative method to get back to the car park!

In the evening we returned to you guessed it Altitude for Karaoke night! We sang along to a few warm up tunes (shot 2) before hitting the stage and sing as a group “Summer of 69” and attempt a effort at “Mambo No. 5” both receiving a good reaction from the crowd. Andrew joined us out again and done a rather impressive solo version of “Proud Marry” or as I know it “Rolling on a River” that won him a $15 drink card! Thanks for a free round from Andrew!