Well, three things. I guess that counts as "many". As revealed at the training session I just got back from:

First: The Olympic torch relay goes through Auckland on June 7. It goes across the Harbour Bridge to Devonport at 3.30, and the sailing ship Spirit of New Zealand takes it from Devonport to the Marine Rescue Centre at 5.30, and then guess who gets to take it up the harbour to Westhaven!!! YES!! AR-Alpha! (The Coastguard boat I crew on.) Unfortunately I'm not rostered on that day, but those of us who miss out can either squash onto the boat until there isn't any room left, or go on one of the other Coastguard boats and accompany it.

Second ruling thing. May 20, I get to go on an AWESOME training course all day and do some REALLY scary things. I mean REALLY scary. This is going to rule so much you almost need a whole new word for it.

Third thing, SAR Wars! (Search And Rescue.) All the crews here are going to compete in various SAR related things against each other, then the best crew gets to compete against the best from the other regional units, and eventually a national one. I'm not sure when this is happening but we've been told to start practising. (They haven't told us *what* to practise yet, so one can only speculate.) Best of all, the eventual NZ winning team then gets to go kick the butts of the Canadian coastguard, who proposed it in the first place. Or vice versa, as the case may be. Sounds like fun, anyway.

Brunnen-"probably won't even make it to the Auckland finals ;-)"G