The Bounty Of The Sea

Who: Annette and Shirley in Ciao
Where: Near Duders Beach, Maraetai. We put in opposite Umupuia Marae.
When: On the only grey day between two sunny ones - Saturday 22 August, 2015.



The Bounty Of The Sea

'Twas Saturday, hip hip hooray

And both of us were free

What better way to spend the day

Than heading out to sea?

Behind the clouds, the sun was bright

(We think, we couldn't see -)

But what the matter? Waitemata

Called us out to sea.

The wind was wailing, time for sailing

But it was in our faces.

The orca swam and milled around

- In other, far-off places.

We turned around to hoist the sails

To meet a sudden calm.

Oh well, to bob in still, no swell,

Has never done us harm.

Then to our favourite mussel spot

To harvest for a feed

Beneath the scunge and grimy gunge

Our bounty of the sea!

So all in all, a splendid day

Of orca, wind and sun

What we don't know is quite why no

More of our friends will come.


So, in a nutshell, the weather wasn't great, the orca stayed ever-elusive, the mussels in our favourite harvesting location were covered in gunge, (but they cleaned up well and tasted great,) and the wind died as we turned to sail with it. BUT we got Ciao on the water for the first time in a while, enjoyed lunch on an isolated beach and loved being outside on the water. It's very hard to have a boring paddle. :)

Duders Point up ahead

Good spot for lunch and a spot of tea

Socks are great for keeping cold feet warm. That's how they're used, right?

ArTEA farTEA shot

Orca!! Down there - somewhere - maybe. Dang.

A misspelt name and a misleading website...

Lake Rototoa, South Head, Auckland 
When: 31 May 2015
3 hours easy paddle (including lunch and numerous stops for photographic endeavours). 

This beautiful lake, about an hours drive north of Auckland, has been missing an R for many a year. Lake Ototoa is now known by its correct name - Lake Rototoa. This is a change however that locals and Google maps hasn't caught up with.

Lake Rototoa is the largest and most pristine freshwater lake in the Auckland region. And on a rather wet and miserable day it called out to us. A website I consulted said it had easy access to the water for kayaks. So, with this knowledge we made our way to the end of South Head.

Well, the website wasn't exactly correct, unless you call "carrying your kayak along a paddock and then down a path through the bush" easy access. However, we haven't been kayaking for such a long time, we were determined! And it ended up being easier to carry down than we thought. Tip: bring a small light kayak, or a strong muscly person... although we are evidence that it can be done.

Can you tell we are a bit happy to be back out on the water?

The first thing you notice out on the lake is the quality of the water. And it is deep, around 23 metres. The water is clear and dark. Stunning! What a fabulous find, and so close to Auckland.

We took our time, meandering around the edges, taking many photos of the reeds that hem the lake. 

The expected rain didn't show up so we were able to paddle around to the other side and find a great spot for lunch. As we paddled into a sheltered beach we heard a noise, and two wild fallow deer skipped through the forest and disappeared from sight. The thing that never ceases to amaze me is the surprises that kayaking brings. It truly is the greatest way to go exploring.

After lunch the rain set in for a bit, but it just adds to the beauty. Water drops on the surface of black water. The swaying of the reeds in the wind. Not a bad way to spend a day if you have the right gear to keep you warm... and a thermos of hot chocolate.

And then there is the climb back to the carpark to warm one up! 

This is a great day paddle. Be prepared to carry your kayak down... and then back up from the lakes edge. But, it is worth the effort.

Tips: 
Paddling in winter requires good warm clothing. Invest in good gear: beanie, thermals and a waterproof, wind proof jacket.
A thermos of hot drink is priceless.
Lake Rototoa is battling the invasion of water weed so check that your kayak is clean.


Extra important tip:
Bring snacks to recover your energy after lugging your kayak up the hill :)

Good Friday Night Yak Photography

After my point and click waterproof camera died a sad death on Abel Tasman in January, I decided to upgrade to a Nikon 1 AW1 - waterproof, shockproof, freezeproof, dropproof and hopefully idiotproof too.

We'd recently seen some photos that inspired us to get some waterproof, flashing LED lights, tape them to Bluey's paddle and head out with the new camera to Maraetai under the full moon.

With a range of shutter speeds from about 10 to 30 seconds, we took turns paddling and photographing. Enjoy the results. I think the new Nikon camera is a keeper!

Rangitoto - views and nudes

One of the most iconic features of the Auckland skyline, Rangitoto Island, has drawn visitors for years. It's a must do, but one that neither of us ever did - until yesterday.

On the first day of Autumn, we packed Bluebell with bakery lunches, swimming gear and lots of water. Starting at St Heliers beach, with blue skies and a light breeze, it only took us about 40 minutes to reach the jetty at the island.

Not wanting to pull in at the main jetty, we paddled further into a small estuary, where we met an older man, paddling with a Greenland paddle. After chatting with him for a few minutes about the advantages of the paddle, (I'm interested in getting two for Ciao,) he proceeded to tell us that because he had wet his trousers, he was not wearing any pants. On such an unusual note, we quickly parted company as he paddled out towards the jetty again.

We soon realised that there was no way to pull ashore without getting covered in mud, so we turned back to the jetty as well. There is a ramp leading to the water that looked like an easy place to pull up at, but we meandered and suddenly found rocks in the opposite direction fascinating, as our Greenland paddle friend had pulled in and, on exiting his boat, we discovered that he was, indeed, very pantless. Kayakers are a funny bunch!

Ferries bring the crowds to Rangitoto throughout the day and the island welcomes them well, with a big shelter by the jetty, information placards and well-maintained tracks. We pulled Bluebell up beside the main shelter, hiding the paddles and PFDs behind a shed for security. With all the visitors lounging in that area, it did seem like an unnecessary precaution.

The track to the summit takes just over an hour to walk and we detoured to explore some lava caves - well worth it. If you go, take a torch and ensure that you go to the end of the track instead of stopping at the first rocks you see. We nearly missed two long tunnels until someone told us to keep going!

The crater of Rangitoto is large and forested. It is difficult to imagine it active, about 600 years ago, but the lava rubble along the path at the base is a testament to the force it had. Some old army lookouts are at the top and the view is fabulous.

After a much faster walk down Rangitoto than up, a quick swim where we had brought the kayaks in was a great refreshment.

Paddling back to St Heliers, we followed Rangitoto's shoreline towards Motutapu for about half an hour, hoping to catch the wind in the umbrella sail on the way back. The paddle became rather boring, with no real change in scenery.  True to form, the wind died as we made our move, so it took us about an hour to return.

Today was our day for pantless people. We seem to have found a nudist beach just south of St Heliers beach on the way back. Didn't stop!

Rangitoto Island is well visited for good reason and makes me glad to be an Aucklander. Another visit is needed.

Sensational Summer Adventure!

Abel Tasman and Marlborough Sounds 11 - 22 Jan
We have just returned from exploring Abel Tasman and Marlborough Sounds! There are a host of blog posts in the process of being written, so this is a taster of some of my (Annette) favourite photos. We have a great menu and camping recipes to share, helpful tips on planning and packing, as well as plenty of stories about the magnificent things to experience at the top of the South Island of New Zealand.

With nothing else to do but watch the day melt into night...

Heading to sea

Water level

A perfect morning at Mosquito Bay

A perfect evening at Mosquito Bay

To the sea...to the sea...

Time to reflect

 

Marlborough Sounds magic

Stormy seas

Home sweet home

Watch this space...