Yes folks this is a new look web style for Shardae.com. Got a little bit bored with the old one. I recently spent 9 days back down at Manapouri, leaving Shane in Sumner, house sitting and being chief slave to Gus, a big grey cat with quite an attitude, everything done on his terms and conditions. Me thinks they got on famously. Also Shane was entrusted to release the Monarch butterflies as they hatched, 12 released whilst I was away. Arriving in Manapouri to a very wet day was rather disappointing as I left Christchurch on a beautiful autumn day, oh well that’s the nature of southern weather. The following 3 days were grey and rather cool, I managed between rain showers to do a couple of walks, the first being on the new section of the Manapouri end of the bike trail to Te Anau , to Supply Bay a lovely 9.5 km return hike, well worth the effort and cursing the intermittent squalls coming across the lake.