Andrew & Sarah

Well im writing this as im sitting in Vancouver airport waiting to board my flight home at 8pm 12th. Im flying home with Air New Zealand, on their new direct flight to Auckland, its a 14.5hr flight but hopefully i will be comfortable.I finally arrive in Auckland at 6am on the 14th (Hmmm somehow a day does missing).

I have really enjoyed my time away but looking forward to getting home and seeing Sarah and catching up with friends and Family. Not so much looking forward to going back to work however, but guess i have to pay for my next trip somehow!

Highlights of my trip:

• Catching up with Matt and Kat in Dublin
• Road Tripping around Ireland
• Catching up with Chris in Whistler
• Snowboarding and Snowmobiling in Whistler!

Well the last few days have pretty similar. Have been snowboarding most days with some pretty awesome powder the last few days. Been to a few snowboard events. The Showcase showdown on Saturday night, this was slopestyle event which saw snowboarders competing for $50,000 in cash and prizes. On Sunday night we went to the Fire and Ice show which is a weekly show put on by WhistlerBlackcomb. This show is basically a display of skiiers and snowboarders jumping through a ring of fire. Then finishes off with fireworks.

Other than snowboarding I have just been hanging round whistler. Been out for dinner a few times.

• New photos in gallery

Well as you probably know i arrived in Whistler, BC, Canada on the 26th. Chris picked me up from the bus stop where my bus from Vancouver airport dropped me off. I made my self at home in his humble abode, met some of his friends and caught up with the ones i meet where I was here last year.

Wednesday I had a fairly quite day, I just sat round most of the morning. Then in the afternoon went down into the village to do a spot of shopping. As i had not brought my snowboard over to Canada due to the weight restrictions on baggage through the UK, purchasing a snowboard was my main priority.

So now I have an awesome new board it is a 2008 Burton Custom with Burton Cartel bindings. I’m pretty happy with it. After dinner I went to the Coca Cola Tube Park with a few of Chris’s friends (Chris was working) which is just a short walk from Staff housing where Chris lives. Basically the tube park is a steep hill of snow which has channeled lanes which you slide down in a round tube. Going down it last night I got clocked traveling at 59km/hr!

Today I took my new board out for a spin, and am happy to say it lives up to my expectations! In fact it is better than I thought it would be. Will probably head up the mountain with Chris tomorrow as he is not working which is good as he will be able to share some of the locals secret spots!

Few more photos in the gallery…