Day 2: I Love The Smell of Petrol Fumes In The Morning

Unfortunately the prediction of strong winds saw the mountain being closed today. As a result we were afforded the luxury of a 'late' start this morning which was very much appreciated by all. We boarded the bus and headed back to Christchurch for a brief guided tour of the town. Our bus driver, Robin, talked us through the experiences of the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes as we passed various sights in various stages of repair,  before we stopped at the Cardboard Cathedral and the 185 White Chair art installation. Each chair in the installation represents one of the lives that were lost in the 2011 quake, a sombre and moving tribute.

Karting action

From here we made our way to the go kart track for the day’s main event: the annual Grammar Grand Prix. Last year, the staff were pipped at the post and were certainly out to redeem themselves, but it was never going to be an easy task. A few students, such as Hedy, had never been behind the wheel of a car before, but quickly improved during practice and grew in confidence with every crash free lap. Other licence holding members of the tour took to the track eager to test out the accelerator and it wasn’t long before we were off and racing in the 150 lap endurance event.

Patiently waiting for repairs to finish.

Though speed was useful, skill was necessary to navigate the tight bends of the course and out manoeuvre slower drivers. Some did this more successfully than others. Cyrus collided with Isabelle, pushing her through the barrier, bringing the race to a halt whilst emergency track repairs were conducted. As the laps ticked down, various strategies were tested, but there could be only one winner. 

Winners are grinners!

The mighty staff team finished on top of the podium, but were well and truly pushed to their limit by Team Yellow (Caitlin, Ruby, Qingyang and Lewyn). The Green Machine (Sophie, Jess W, Moe, Adam and Roan) finished strong, moving up into third position, despite incurring some serious penalties! 

After such an adrenaline filled day, this evening called for some free time to explore Methen and enjoy the recreational facilities of the lodge. The beginnings of some serious table tennis rivalries are forming in our conference room, while others are choosing to hone in their snooker skills. Stay tuned to see how these play out in our up-coming competitions. For now we are having an early night and a little prayer to the weather gods in preparation for our first day up on Mount Hutt.