PIA - Mystery Creek 2024

Day 1 Mystery Creek 10 June 2024

As the alarm goes off at 3am, Team Leader unanimously votes herself a pay rise. Our intrepid travellers start convening at 4:30am and it's a quiet drive through to the airport. Clearly, we are not morning people.

Our arrival at the domestic terminal can best be described as chaotic; breath is held while weighing bags. The largest being 23.1. Team Leader's shoes are heavier than first thought. Our check-in lesson is short-lived as its discovered that parent #1 had 13 tickets issued to her. Fortunately, there is a wee man hovering to save the day. 

Our check-in experience complete there's time for a quick lap of the airport and sighs of relief as it is confirmed that we are on a wee plane so no undressing or bag searches are required: perhaps Air NZ has learnt from previous PIA experiences and somewhere there's an alert attached to all our future bookings.

Our entry to the plane is somewhat reminiscent of a Milan catwalk as other passengers watch in awe of the mullets flowing in the breeze. Add in Lachie’s Mo and he could probably have enough lift-off to make his own way to Hamilton. The inflight experience continues as the big hair is calmed. “I need a mirror", a wee voice laments.

The lads' eyes light up as the inflight service commences. Hot drink, cold drink, popcorn, biscuits, not quite the smorgasbord we were hoping for and its high time PIA scored itself a Koru membership.

Arriving in Hamilton, bags are collected. 

"What sort of car do we have?"
"4 WRX STi, lowered with a big bore and tints" is the reply….. Unfortunately, Budget doesn’t stock these in red so it's a hiace for today. Several moments pass in silence as this is processed.

So PIA has popped up to the National Field days for the week. We have 2 pairs entered in the U21 Silver Staples finals on Wednesday and are working for NZ fencing on Monday and Tuesday in between receiving a bit of tuition from a few fencing superstars and seeing NZ's top fencers in action.

Today we arrive in time to see the Golden Pliers (singles) and Silver Spades (doubles) heats, reacquaint ourselves with our posh friends, learn heaps and do a spot of volunteering.  Working away in the dark, plans for tea are abandoned. 

The lady at New World remembers us - potentially not a good thing? A grocery list is compiled, a true team effort and a team is dispatched. Quinn declares himself in charge of the school credit card and a tense 10 min is spent with Team Leader roaring around the supermarket after him retrieving items from the trolley. 

On leaving the premises Team Leader and Josh complement themselves on a job well done, turning to see they have been abandoned. Turning the corner all our good work is undone as locals watch the antics of the trolley being unloaded.

Highlights

• There's a dishwasher- its name is Jackson
• Adults don’t do dishes - Quinn declares himself an adult - proof that miracles can happen.
• World War 3 erupts over who gets the cherry in fruit salad
• Did you know a full shopping trolley fits in a Hiace?
• Team Leader fires herself from navigating
• Boy Bands 'R' Us, as the boys warble in the shower
• Lachie is in awe that the drama class is off to Greece
• Cullen does an awesome goat impersonation
• Cullen Bolt fits in the well side of a Navara.
• How many laps can a bag do around the carousel? Ask Josh

Day 2 Mystery Creek 11 June 2024

Well, today has been a bit posh. Yesterday we hung out with Paul Van Beers GOAT: 14 x winner of the Golden Pliers and Nick Liefting. Today it's been Shane Bouskill’s turn to meet us - one of us has been lucky!

Again we have been spoilt by the generosity of NZ Fencing and we continue to be in awe of the fabulous fencing community who are always so willing to give up their time to teach us. It's been another huge learning day and barely halfway through our trip has exceeded expectations and experiences.

Away at 7am and back to the fencing venue, it's a lesson in digging holes and laying breast blocks. We are loving the ground up here. In mere minutes our spades have dug a metre a far cry from the rocks and clay at home.

For the rest of us, it's a happy 5 hours filling and ramming all the competition holes from yesterday's session so the paddock can be used as a carpark for the field days. Then we move across the road to the Mystery Creek site navigating the packed streets full of hi-viz and hazard lights. The crew are thankful they are in the capable hands of a superior driver.

Down at the fencing finals venue our team puts up spectator fencing, washes diggers, erects the “Hall of Fame”, has some more lessons and in general tops up our brownie points.

Our tools are all triple-checked, measurements marked and plan of attack finalised. It's the National U21 finals tomorrow for the cadet fencers. Training is a challenge for us as despite frolicking at the beach we really hadn’t been able to authentically dig in strainer posts and intermediates. Something that will always be a weakness coming from the South Island and our soil conditions. As a first for both us and the competition we are the first school to enter 2 teams for this competition and with the help we have had from our fencing royalty over the last few days we are ready to do the Mahi and go hard knowing that we are ready for the pressure.

To our competitors:

Tom Batty & Lachie O’Connell

Jackson Marriott & Cullen Gordon-Wilson

Massive Hi-5 for getting this far. We are super proud of you.

As always PIA is a team effort largely built on batting eyelashes and smiling nicely.

We have people to thank:

• Struan Moore and the team from Strainrite
• NZ Fencing: Owen Peterson, Leanne Stanger, Nick Leifting, Paul Van Beers.
• Kylie Marriott & John O’Connell our boomerang parents
• Quinn Foley-Smith our coach
• FCANZ ( Fencing contractors association nz)
• Geraldine Lions
• John, Ian & Sarah Smith
• Stoney Creek
• Point Lumber
• Four Peaks Transport

And everyone in our community who has supported us at our quiz night, purchasing potatoes and generously sponsoring us we are so grateful.

Rock Paper Scissors sees Team Leader head to the pool with all her favourite people. Even the realisation that all the “babes” are Learn to swim Under 10 doesn’t dampen enthusiasm as the sauna and spa are given a workout. Unexpectedly an hour in these venues are evacuated. Hmmm, thinks team leader. Ahhhhh there’s a vision in orange in the lanes - swim squad has started.

Highlights

• Team Leader fires herself from navigating

• Mullets do not act as flotation devices “Oh you’re coming back”? The panicked-looking receptionist asks

• Team leader signs the teens up to Learn to swim

• Taking the egg order for team Quinn is grateful for the extra digits his proud Waimate heritage has given him.

• Awkward moment on entry to the pool as the lifeguard asks Team Leader to remain within arm's length at all times. ID is produced and it's official we are all over 8.

• Team Leader uses up all her brain cells at the pool counting to 10 - its exhausting being a parent.

• Based on Batty’s pool technique he's writing to Father Christmas for a pool this year

• Quinn and John, when sent to collect our fencing gear, burgle the wrong tent- security. Alerted as adult and child seen crawling under the tent sides and sneaking around.

• “I never knew having a shower was such a team activity” (from one of the boys)

Day 3 Mystery Creek 11 June 2024

It's up at 5am out the door by 6 to the Silver Staples U21 Fencing Final.

This is the moment.

Various posh people wish us luck and offer last-minute tips. A small hiccup as the bulk of the support team is stranded in the car park and the wee officials won’t let them in until 8 am. No amount of smiling and eyelash batting can save the day. An emergency call-in of favours sees the coach leaping the barrier and navigating his way in like a ninja while the rest distract security.

We are well prepared and the boys are in good shape. Go! In just over 2 hours our teams: Tom B & Lachie O’C; Cullen GW & Jackson M dig in 2 strainers, 7 posts, and erect a 3 wire electric and bungy gate to the correct tension. The lads look right at home, they have a plan and stick to it. A job well done. On completion, we are unanimous, “Bloody well done”

It's lunch with our posh friends then off to Stoney Creek to meet our sponsors. Clad top to toe in product we certainly look the part.

A spot of shopping interspersed with popping in to see sponsors. Team leader manages to set up another fencing comp back home and sort a fencing exchange to America.

Back at the fencing, it's time for results: On paper, we should come in 5th & 6th But no! Boom! It's Jackson & Cullen 3rd and by one point Tom & Lachie 2nd. How proud are we? Exceeding all expectations we have produced an outstanding result.

Out to tea we go, followed by another pool session for the tired bodies where the blog strikes gold! In particular:

• Teaching Batty to get any part of his body other than his belly button to enter the water first

• Bolt finds his inner monkey

• “He’s not with us”

• Batty dives in - "quick someone bring him the steps".

• Well this is the race of the drowning - team leader observation of the days doing a length freestyle

Highlights

• Tense moment as the lads pop up to the counter to pay for tea with the school credit card

• Scrambling in the van in the dark to find something to write on Emily throws her toys in discovering the tea order has been written on her cadet application

• Team leader is thanked by a random for being young and enthusiastic

• What does it take to clear the pool-the entry of lads on tour

• The lifeguard appears points, laughs, leaves, and returns with more lifeguards also laughing and pointing - the lads have overflowed the spa in their haste to join the local girls for a “good” chat

• It’s time to go home - Josh wins the handstand comp

• Quinn fits the geriatric aqua class’s flotation device

• Stoney Creek has to restock - the Marriotts are in the house

• Julie multitasks being able to have a massage and talk to Chris Luxon

• Who’s Chris Luxon? Answer the one just above Team Leader on the food chain.

• Making friends with Ollie and Jacob Norris

• Who?

• Mrs Batty has made fudge- a unanimous decision to upgrade the Team Leader

• Previous Team Leader sulks

• On spending 3 days with Cullen Bolt we understand why Dad is staying with friends.