Week 4- Does a can of beer in the fridge cool faster in the prone position?

Half way to mid-semester break and the work begins to come thick and fast. Assignments start to pile on, labs to be done and course work becomes that bit more interesting. My group research for the breathalyser project is coming along nicely and we’ve just about built up enough theory and derived enough formula to design some wind turbine blades. Outside of lectures the madness continues! Monday saw early morning coaching, indoor Frisbee and regular hockey training in the evening. The standard seems higher than at home for whatever reason. Perhaps less is more. On Tuesday I went for afternoon tea with the Study Abroad society before headed to another fun filled kayaking session. With the first trip only a couple of weeks away it is important that I get the hang of rolling the boat when capsized. I’m getting very close, although it is still very discombobulating being upside down underwater (I’m told I have quite a good hip flick though). Hopefully I’ll have it sorted by next week.

Wednesday morning is for Frisbee in the Domain. The drainage in the domain would be considered somewhat sub-par so I returned quite mucky. That afternoon St. Peter’s College (the team that I am coaching) had a match. We ran out comfortable 4-0 winners and I definitely feel as if I’m having an input already which is wonderful to see. I then joined some neighbours for dinner as we planned our south island trip for the mid-semester break. I will be playing Frisbee in Christchurch, skiing for two days and then flying to Nelson where I will meet with the group of 8 for some touring and a five day hike. More on that to follow!

On Thursday I tried a sustainable vegan lunch. Essentially it is a $5 all you can eat vegan meal. I brought my massive tupperwear along and enjoyed a very filling vegetable curry and banana dessert. At the end, they had food left over so I was also able to grab food for dinner. After dinner, I attended a Canoe Club pub quiz but being on a distinctly international team we didn’t fare so well on the New Zealand based questions. It was not here that I learnt the lesson of the week, however. Does a can of beer in the fridge cool faster in the prone position (as opposed to standing up)? This was the question posed by my thermal engineering lecturer. The answer? Nobody knows! Though he did say he’d happily take a student on for a masters or PhD to find out. Food for thought.

The weekend was then suitably hectic. A quick cycle to the Asian supermarket, the location for cheap vegetables followed by 3 hours of Frisbee training and a hockey match. Again helping out a stuck team, they were great fun to watch and play with and ran out comfortable winners. My adventure of the week took place on Sunday when I decided I wanted to go swim in a waterfall. At first glance the one 30km away seemed like a great idea but with tired legs and a bike past its prime we (Julian and I) decided upon Oakley Creek, just 10km away. We set off bright and early to discover that the route comprised of what I’m assuming is the only level path in Auckland! We arrived at the creek and disappeared into the woods, down a narrow track that meandered back and forth across the river until we found the waterfall. At just 6m high it wasn’t the most impressive waterfall but it had its own beauty about it. As intended, we stripped down to our underwear and headed for a swim. The water was brisk to say the least but extremely refreshing. You can see the video here. We enjoyed the swim, in the surprisingly deep water, in peace but as soon as we got out about 15 people arrived to view us standing there dripping wet and snacking in our underwear. Once fully dressed we headed for home, stopping on the way for a lemon and blueberry scone to round off our little adventure.

That evening was the first edition of winter league Frisbee. To my relief, it was on astroturf so I didn’t return covered in mud again. It was our first competitive game as a full team so it was great to come away with a comprehensive 15-2 win even if some of my teammates have no idea what I’m talking about! I was then able to go home and cook my first roast dinner solo. I had roast potatoes, pork with crackling, gravy, courgette, leek and peas. A definite success! I haven’t looked forward to lunch so much in a long time.

You can see all the photos from Oakley Creek here.