How much we love the natural ice!

Some bits of unused video from last season on the Manorburn Dam. 2 Daves having fun on the ice.

Because I could...

Had a quick look at the dam on the way home to see how it had fared over night.  It was in fast meltdown with warm winds eating into what was left but decided to put the skates on one more time...... because I could!  30th of Aug is the latest I can remember having skated on natural ice in NZ.
Ice was a bit limited and needed careful checking but was able to have a small skate and pull a few very careful turns!

bit dodgy.....

hanging up the skates for this year....

...another chip of the ice block……. I am sure it is the last this year!…..

Well what a surprise!  Headed up central for work today and dropped by the Lower Manorburn at lunchtime just for a look. What a  surprise to see a big pad of ice, despite the warm temps,  in the shade at Rushcutters. 

Luckily I had thrown in my skates …. just in case…… Had to pick a spot to get on and found enough smooth ice to put in a few turns and have some fun.  Surface varied from soft rough to smoother hard ice.  What a novelty to skate in shorts and no winter gear!  

Some bad old ice too ice but hey!

needed careful checking......

Rushcutters

Bad old ice!

Maybe one day...

I followed up a comment on one of my posts and was treated to this set of pictures

Great shots from nordic skating in the north!  Link HERE

The natural ice looks great.

Maybe one day.........

one more for the road....

Managed to fit in one more skate early this morning - the last for this season as temperatures and wind are expected to rise over the week.

Skated from the gorge down to the main basin but wasn't willing to go out very far as the snow ice did not feel that stable.  Ice was hard and a little bumpy in places -  but already going off after a light frost.

Season has been better than expected despite the late start and the snow dump!

Last sunrise on the ice...

Golf- not snow - balls!

Early this morning was treated to a good skate on snow ice on the Lower Manoburn.  Skated from the gorge, down into Rush Cutters and  surprisingly good considering the warm weather.
Someone had been having fun hitting golf balls out into the main basin!  Quite a collection out there.

Some new black ice in some places but not thick or strong enough to skate on.  Bumpy in the shade but smooth elsewhere.  Wouldn't try it without a good frost!
Think this will be pretty much it for the season.   Longer days and warm temps are here and the snow ice becomes soft and weak in the sun.

Not snow balls.......

Out into the main basin

Bumpy skate!

Checked out the ice on the way home this afternoon.  Lower Manorburn had snow ice on top of what was left of the ice in the shaded areas.  Some new black ice but not thick enough for a skate.  Snow surface had gone off in the sun but would have been an ok skate early in the morning.  Had a skate in some of the shady patches (Gorge and upper basin).  Surface bumpy but hard and dry.

Decided to come back via Coalpit for a look.   (note - a lot of snow in the hills around Poolburn).  Coalpit was more like snowpit!  Snow ice over the whole pond and still hard enough for a skate on the shady side. Good fun though a bit bumpy.   The ice would be risky in the warm  - made that hollow rumble and particular cracking that thinner snow ice makes.   Track in had about 15cm of snow.

Gorge with old ice and new black ice

Looking down to the neck

Fun skate on Coalpit

Snowpit!

Diving anyone?