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Day 10 www.manlyfire.org.nz FINAL DAY
Last 5am wake-up, last challenge, last day no alcohol – this was a little earlier start as the boat was due to leave at 5:30am. As you guessed I was ready pretty early and only 1 other person at Z-pier 5:30! People, this is fishing, time to head out – the later we get out, the less time fishing!! Finally all arrived and out just after 6 – 30min wasted time!!!
Can’t call the boat we went out on a boat but a sea bearing … 155tons of steel. This is the vessel that they use for deep diving with de-compression chamber on board, crane for mini-sub & pipes+more pipes to feed oxygen to divers. Also the vessel they use for recovering people after accidents at sea – and they’ve seen a few. The chamber is the length of a baby mattress and housed upto 6 people for 4 days in decompression! Deck hand spent last Christmas inside for 11 days after a burst lung – nice one.
Morning was perfect for fishing and headed out towards Tiri. Overcast with same sea and sunrise = perfect. No, not a thing – for me anyway. Not everyone caught but there were a few baby snapper, one baby travelly and one nice size gurnard. Other than that, not much. I never got a nibble – getting too used to it!
So, the 10 days are all finished. We’re all a little bruised and battered with a few injuries but we did it! Hopefully we raised a decent some of money and have a final 2-5pm big day out at the Gulf Harbour Reserve tomorrow with fire demonstrations etc to end off the campaign. A bourbon on the cards for the afternoon and a nap! Thanks for all your support out there around the world – this was a brilliant experience.
Day 9 www.manlyfire.org.nz 10 day challenge
Ballet! I’ve got the benefit of writing this after looking at the pics & watching the video’s on Manly Fire Station’s Facebook page – all brought tears to the eyes. Absolute grace, absolute poise and absolutely hilarious. I got the ok from physio to do light ballet with the slight tear between the back of my knee & calf which has caused some type of cyst or fluid from ? caused swelling. Ice, anti-flams & physio for a week and then assess _ hopefully clear in two weeks. In a week if there is little improvement, then more tests to see if there is any cartilage damage but don’t think so.
Back to the ballet - ’intermediate” ballet is what we were going to be shown - all I know is that if my body wasn’t meant for Zumba, ballet was a galaxy away. Trying to do the jumps, twists – down & up – and down and up – and down for 2 and up – arm out to the left over and around, leg to the left, around and into 2nd..
Cindy’s knee is in a bad way which meant she couldn’t make it - really sore but felt in part a little relieved as she had the tutu’s! So the humiliation was left only to the grace of our movement, and not the pain of being in silk [or whatever] ballet gear.
Get onto Facebook – look for Manly Fire Station – like – and enjoy but WARNING don’t be eating or drinking when you watch!
Day 8 www.manlyfire.org.nz 10 day challenge
SAS Training! Today’s training was at Big Manly on the beach, perfectly flat sea and lucky for us, high tide was 5:05am so by 5:45, the beach was still pretty hard from the out-going tide. When they said SAS training, they meant it and a trainer from the base in Papakura came to train – two teams, 12 sandbags each and 6 tyres – hit the beach.
You could tell from the start “nice guy” but knew something about training – and I should know although now [almost needed a calculator] 22 years since the army training days. Instead of the beach we had river beds, either way it was going to be a challenge.
Few warm up exercises then competition time between teams.
First getting the bags filled – losing team 20 pushups - ha, we won. All gear down to the end of the beach, think around 300m. Sandbags must have been 20kg’s at least – we had 4 guys, 3 ladies and 4 kids – so moving 12 20kg+ bags and 6 tyres meant we had to work pretty hard. The idea, get 1 bag& 1 tyre to the end quick-get back to last person & help. Lets just say everything we did included sandbags and tyres, oh and also carrying somebody sitting IN the tyre.
Halfway through my calf decided to “ping” right at the top but this is SAS training, no tears boy! Ok, that’s what my head said with a flashback to second phase training in Hoedspruit [training camp northern part of South Africa for non-saffa's]. Got literally pushed in the last showoff which kinda hurt, so we’ll have to see how it acts up later today. Couldn’t resist a swim in our swimming pool in between some boats heading out for the morning, one going for a family ski.
Now this training I could do often_body going to be pretty stiff for ballet [yup, I know] tomorrow morning – sure hope no camera’s or video
Day 7 www.manlyfire.org.nz 10 day challenge
I was looking forward to this one _ a challenge that well, wasn’t really going to be a challenge and a chance for a little relaxing on the bike. Took a early ride down to the marina at 5:30am and to look for my launch again – alas still on it’s way but I’m a very patient person. Cycled a little on the walkways in between the launches just for a nosey – only one charter getting ready for this morning that I could see, Diversity all closed up – Chris having a sleep in?
We had Driving Miss Daisy as the front vehicle and Manly Fire “assisting” all on route. I had a distinct advantage over everyone as my bike had racing slicks on while the others were all fat-tyre mountain bikes, many I could see under-inflated tyres which would be great on the beach or parks, but not great on a road trip. Took the opportunity to ride in front-middle-back just really pottering around between people. Lead group went on and sat for a chat with Max Brown, Keagan’s teacher – we assisted a mini-breakdown and left them at the hill to go off to take a pic or 2.
All in all a calm, warm & sunny 16deg morning and just perfect for a 10+km cycle
Day 6 www.manlyfire.org.nz 10 day challenge
Day 6 and got to sleep in a little later than the past few days _ Tamati from Tv1 Breakfast was due to join us for a live feed but the outside crew got called away at the last minute, so no fame and fortune for us.
Starting time was set at 6:15 and had a nice morning cycle to Z-Pier at the Marina around 5:30 just to see if they had delivered my new launch, apparently it’s still on the way. Two engines this morning from Manly and [I think] Silverdale, bundles of hoses, hard hats and gloves all set out for us. Fire crew got into full battle gear which started some concern amongst the “civilians” as we soon to learn. The full crews had their opening morning drill and the civilians then joined into formation.
First order of business was fire-hard-hat, gloves and 75m hose – time to learn how to roll out a hose. Drop the nose down, foot on, roll up in the air and go.Nose is supposed to stay and roll unfolds as you go – except when I did it the nose followed, not just once! Got the hang of it eventually – not so fun part is having to roll them up again. Few more training bits then onto the fun part of holding a 75kg hose with a water weight of 100kg’s, spraying into the open – boys will be boys..
We had 1 hose to contend with – at last week’s fire, they had 6 hoses combined for a fighting time of 6 hours at the brush fire = respect. Loads of fun and last one was a “joint assault” where we have 5 teams, each on a hose literally shoulder to shoulder joining water streams. This is one tactic when heading into a blaze and teamwork so important – getting low, advancing step by step with soaked grounding as we advanced – Mr Fireman!!!
…and if you live in the Gulf Harbour-Manly surrounding area, please donate to the challengers – $2 is affordable – don’t have a credit card I’ll come around and collect!
Day 5 www.manlyfire.org.nz 10 day challange
Half way!! None of us really knew what to expect from one of David Tua’s trainer’s and I did see some gloves come out when we arrived for the 5:45am start _ conditioning trainer! At the Gulf Harbour reserve again with the boom box for inspiration _ apologies once again Nigel [Dynamic Sport] and Debbie [MorArt] as there house gets the full blast from the speaker, what a great way to wake up the household.
All started off nice and easy, few straight punches, some uppercuts and jabs – hey, this is a boxercise, easy as.. yeh, easy as running into a brick wall. Speed bursts 25m-touch ground-25m back only 10 times; 20 squats + speed bursts again; start on your tummy-burst & instead of touch, onto tummy, burst back-tummy – only 10 times and on we went. Mike managed to suck up a blade of grass into his throat which was not funny lol
Round the poles – wrong, that means round the tree, 50 push ups – round the tree, wrong, that means round the poles – 50 pushups. Then he starts playing tricks by whispering a command before ”poles” – get back & punished for not listening. Later “poles” and whispers “then tree” which I heard as I ran past but I was the only one and after the tree, I was off to the poles alone & everyone else back to the start – “right, only one person listened but this is about teamwork, not about yourself, 50 pushups for all” – right Modlin, nice going – army days came flashing back!
Leap frog with partner static & “jump over-turn-down back through legs-turn-jump over-turn…” only 10 times each!
Can’t even remember the others we were go-go-go. There were a few allowed water breaks “quick water, not a time for talking, lets go..”
The trainer was brilliant, joking around and playing / pushing us all. If I was stiff after the Shakespear park 15kg backpack run, tomorrow is going to be fun _ especially that tomorrow is Firefighting training.
Day 4 www.manlyfire.org.nz 10 day challenge
After yesterday’s challenge, soccer coaching and olympic style shopping, I was smashed by 5pm yesterday and feeling the last few days of 5am starts. BUT, this morning was 
”paintball” with lasers at Peter Snell Village, Army Bay. I wasn’t the only one feeling the past few days but give some kids “laser guns” and eyes light up. First instruction once the lasers are activated, hand off the trigger _ what’s the first thing we do, PULL THE TRIGGER>>>
We played a couple of games starting off with 4 zombies against the humans, team wars, then individual rapid shoot. The area we got to “play” in was surrounded by some dense bush with some paths and open spaces. There was the direct Mike approach of kill or be killed [1/3 ratio the other way meant not the greatest idea but the most fun], stealth of Jason who brought his paintball guns just in case he was allowed to inflict some real pain, tactical Cindy who sent out the fall guy to be nailed while attacked from a hidden location and others.
How does it work - laser gun has a sensor on the top with a cable to other sensors which attach with velcro to a cap. The laser are pretty damn accurate over quite a distance and with a laser scope, can hit a target without them even knowing where it’s coming from. Hiarious shooting someone and their faces in disbelief _ where’s this coming from!! Rapid fire and 20 lives can go in a flash..
If you want to have some great competitive fun, this is perfect and easy enough for kids to join in. Tomorrow boxing time..
Day 3 www.manlyfire.org.nz 10 day challenge
This was awesome! Collected a 10kg & 5kg plates from Ultimate Fitness last night and used a padded backpack to house the weight. Mike led the charge for the firemen in full gear & mask, while others just gear. The oxygen bottles & webbing weight around 15kg’s, so a couple of the challengers became firefighters for the morning.
Off once again at 5:45am – see the pictures for yourself – our big swimming pool. We did the reverse track to the lookout and a hard push up some steep sections which got the blood flowing into the muscles. Very impressed with Caryl Haley who at age 71, apologised for only having 12kg in her pack! Real gutsy lady and cruised up the hill with what seemed like little effort.
From the lookout it was pretty flat and down back to the start at Te Haruhi, so had a nice & quick run down. With the additional 15kg’s helping me, it seemed like a pretty easy run and felt so good at the end, tempted to carry on for a little longer – no, not normal I know..
Tomorrow laser “paintball” – thanks again for supporting www.manlyfire.org.nz
Day 2 – www.manlyfire.org.nz 10 day challenge
Was quietly nervous about this one as the only time I’ve been around Frenchman’s Cap, Matakatia was with the kids on the kayak and a little fishing. Now we had to walk-wade & possibly swim around..
5:45am start and welcomed by a glorious morning. Low tide 0.6m was 6:35 so organisers planned this one well _ all in good spirits and kayak support on the water by Coast & Kayak. With the tide so low there’s wasn’t going to be much swimming and shoes needed for the walk around the rock. I was thinking of wading through the water then put my shoes on when we get closer but everyone had shoes on at that start, so they went – my well worn Asics Cumulas fishing shoes. ever tried walking waist deep in running shoes, yeh right. They acted as parachutes and what I thought was going to be a stroll, soon became quite an effort.
Around the rock and heading back, off came the shoes as soon as we hit the sand which made the wade back so much easier. The water is well warm now and crystal clear. Well done to Cindy for pushing herself, completed a little more wet than most.
Thanks to mom-dad, Roxy and my love for the donations_to others reading this, please donate even $2, it will make a difference. www.manlyfire.org.nz and go to 10 day challenge and look for my name.
Tomorrow offroad walk in Shakespear with 15kg on my back= easy as..
