Welcome to this week’s casual kōrero thread!

This post will be pinned in this community so you can always find it, and will stay for about a week until replaced by the next one.

It’s for talking about anything that might not justify a full post. For example:

  • Something interesting that happened to you
  • Something humourous that happened to you
  • Something frustrating that happened to you
  • A quick question
  • A request for recommendations
  • Pictures of your pet
  • A picture of a cloud that kind of looks like an elephant
  • Anything else, there are no rules (except the rule)

So how’s it going?

  • MadPsyentist@lemmy.nzEnglish
    4·
    13 days ago

    Looks like an amazing time! And both of those outcrops look like a harness and belay situation to me, great job getting to the top even if the clouds rolled in to obstruct your view.

    How was the temperature? Hot and humid im guessing. With so many of you did you book out a house or a resort?

    Good advertisment. Im going to have to try a trip to Raro i think! Loved Samoa when i went.

    • Dave@lemmy.nzM
      4·
      13 days ago

      And both of those outcrops look like a harness and belay situation to me, great job getting to the top even if the clouds rolled in to obstruct your view.

      It was not the top one we climbed, but the short bit on the side. It comes about 1/4 of the way up on the right, not close to the top at all. There were ropes and chains along the path, and only one really nerve wracking part (not so bad on the way up, only on the way down after it rained and the rock was wet).

      I didn’t get a good shot of it but found this online. This is at the bottom, it gets steeper further up with ropes and small foot spots cut into the rock. This photo doesn’t show it well but this is the most nerve wracking bit, where you’re sorta on the edge of a cliff. The bit further up has some dirt and vegitation on the outer edge which made it feel a bit safer, even if only because you couldn’t see the cliff below you.

      Chain for holding on to

      photo showing rock face, with track lined with a chain for holding on to. The chain is in the side of the rock face on the left, the rock face goes straight up. On the right the track drops away, but you can't really see it from this photo

      Here’s another I cut out of one I found online that shows that first bit that drops away, you wouldn’t want to slip…

      North face track

      Drone shot of the side of "The Needle" that shows a big rock, with a track up the close side. You can see the lower bit is exposed but the higher bit has vegetation on the outer edge

      How was the temperature? Hot and humid im guessing.

      Definitely shorts and T-shirt weather but not too bad. It was cloudy most of the time we were there, and a little wet at times. I think it was probably mid 20s most days so it wasn’t uncomfortably warm, and never cold.

      With so many of you did you book out a house or a resort?

      We stayed at a resort. Booked a bunch of villas at one of the bigger resorts. All up we had about 20 people.

      Good advertisment. Im going to have to try a trip to Raro i think! Loved Samoa when i went.

      I’ve never really been interested in the islands because they are normally hot and I thought people went to sit around and relax. But it turns out it can be a nice temperature and there is heaps to do. The one thing we didn’t get to do is whale watching. It’s the end of humpback whale season, but while we were there the conditions weren’t great. We were rebooking things a lot around the weather and sea conditions.

      One tip is to avoid the school holidays haha (both NZ and Australia). Most of the stuff didn’t have many booking spots available.