Nadia and I had spent a wonderful fortnight together in the northern parts of the South Island, so it was with a heavy heart that I drove away from Christchurch airport, having seen her off on her flight back to Melbourne. I was staying for another 2 weeks to do some kayaking and hiking, so headed straight for the kayak shop I’d been in contact with on the south side of the city. Eventually, things were sorted out and my rental sea kayak was safely strapped to the roof rack of my car, with all the necessary gear thrown in the boot. I headed off north in the middle of a warm, sunny January afternoon - my stop for the night, Kaikoura.
Nadia and I had spent a couple of nights in Kaikoura when we first arrived. I remember feeling it was almost the perfect place for me - mountains, sea, marine life, interesting coastline, Maori history and culture, friendly people. Finding myself suddenly back in New Zealand after a 9-year absence had generated such a wellspring of emotions. Even though I grew up on the North Island, so many things in the south are also so connected to my childhood - the blooming pohutukawa trees, skylarks, the soft accents and kindly sense of humour, the cabbage trees, road signs, toi toi bushes, iron sand beaches, the mountains, the coastline. It’s all been such a strong reminder of how life has continued on and of how what’s in the past can never really be regained. It leaves a sense of yearning or longing, a heartache, a melancholy.
But then, I’ve also felt such excitement, happiness and deep peace at being here. I remember sitting at the Nga Niho Pa above Kaikoura the second morning we were in New Zealand - looking out to the mountains and the sea. Then later, wandering around the market in the school grounds while a local singer strummed his guitar and sang. Looking for seals around Kean Point on the Kaikoura Peninsula. Eating seafood. Sitting, having breakfast on our balcony with the million-dollar views. I wondered whether, if we lived in Kaikoura, I’d miss Melbourne … people, certainly, but the place? Perhaps that too - I’ve grown fond of our local beaches and wetlands and places like the Mornington Peninsula and Phillip Island.
The feeling of melancholy I’ve had here in my country of birth is something I’ve felt in other places too - at Wilsons Prom in November last year, whilst walking in the Wonnangatta area before Christmas, even on day trips. Having time alone like this means I’m more aware of deeper feelings and that’s OK. They’re ultimately good feelings that foster love and kindness in me - I don’t want them to go away. And at the same time, I get to experience all this beauty and wonder.
As I drove north I went over in my mind what we’d done over the past 2 weeks. Following the 2 nights in Kaikoura, we drove through to Nelson via the Marlborough Sounds. We spent 6 nights in Nelson and visited Mapua and Ruby Bay the first day, before going to see The Hobbit at Nelson’s lovely Art Deco cinema - in 3D and at 48 FPS! We then had a couple of lazy days around Nelson, before visiting my cousin Mark, his wife Tracey and son George on their trailer-sailer yacht at Torrent Bay, in Abel Tasman National Park. Then another day in Nelson, including a visit to lovely Cable Bay. Then we were off again, via the Nelson market in the morning and a few hours of driving through the mountains to Hanmer Springs for 2 nights. On our full day there, we visited the springs, enjoyed some woodland walks, ate at a gluten free cafe then left the following morning for the short drive back to Christchurch, where we stayed at a B&B in Redcliffs near the beach, with stunning views of the city, coast and distant alps.
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| Kaikoura range from Nga Niho Pa |
The feeling of melancholy I’ve had here in my country of birth is something I’ve felt in other places too - at Wilsons Prom in November last year, whilst walking in the Wonnangatta area before Christmas, even on day trips. Having time alone like this means I’m more aware of deeper feelings and that’s OK. They’re ultimately good feelings that foster love and kindness in me - I don’t want them to go away. And at the same time, I get to experience all this beauty and wonder.
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| Nelson by night |
Click here for a GPS track of the day's kayaking
I stayed at a motel for the night in Kaikoura, right opposite the grey, pebbly beach on the north side of the peninsula. The next morning, I drove to the sheltered south side and put the kayak in the water for the first time - I spent an enjoyable hour or so paddling around the rocky shoreline towards Kean Point and the seals and penguins. The Seaward Kaikoura mountains looked spectacular from the water and it was topped off when a lolling seal surfaced not far from me.
For safety reasons, kayaking is generally a pastime best enjoyed in the company of others, a bit like hiking. But sometimes, I feel it’s worth the additional difficulty and risk to do it alone. It means one must be extremely well prepared and also very conservative in one’s decision-making. So, when I noticed that beyond the point, the seas were much bigger and the wind stronger, I turned back instead of pushing on. I’d also invested in a PLB (Personal Locator Beacon) before Christmas - one that is waterproof and floats! In a worst-case scenario, I would be able to call for help.
My next stop was the Marlborough Sounds, more specifically Queen Charlotte Sound, where I was planning to do a 4-night kayaking trip, mostly in the outer sound, where most of the places of interest are. Kayaking is a pastime that’s very weather-dependent, so I listened to forecasts on national radio and checked the internet whenever I had access. The outlook wasn't good. Extremely high winds were forecast for the Sounds, which are the bane of the kayaker. Rain is almost incidental - one tends to be a bit wet when kayaking anyway! High winds can lead to bigger or confused seas, even in relatively sheltered waters like the Sounds. And for every 5 knots of headwind, a kayaker tends to slow down around 1 knot, which means, if a typical kayaker paddles with a top speed of around 3 ½ - 4 knots, that any wind above 20 knots is going to be extremely difficult to paddle into. The forecast was for 50+ knot winds!
I did the smart thing and got a cabin at a camping ground in Waikawa for the night - not relishing the idea of being in my tent with the wind trying to blow it flat. I managed to get internet access there and spent some time trying to work out what to do. The forecast improved for a day or so, then went bad again for a couple of days, then improved again. Talk about 4 seasons in one day - I was discovering that the weather in New Zealand was more volatile than in famously fickle Melbourne. So I settled on a plan - rather than starting the paddle in Picton/Waikawa, I would drive on the narrow, windy road out to Punga Cove, which is towards to outer reaches of Queen Charlotte Sound, work out some way of putting the boat in the water there, camp the first night around the corner at Camp Bay, then paddle out to the wonderfully-named Cannibal Cove while the weather was good, paddle the next day south and east to Wharehunga on Arapawa Island, batten down the hatches there for a couple of nights while the bad weather blew through, then paddle to Blumine Island for the last night, before paddling back to Punga Cove and leaving.
The next day was pretty miserable - strong winds and lots of rain, so I hung around Picton in the morning and checked and double-checked the weather forecast. Eventually I decided my plan was doable and set off on the 2 hour drive to Punga Cove. I ended up having to carry the kayak and all my gear from the car park above the resort down to the water in a number of trips and in pouring rain. I was well-and-truly soaked by the time I was all packed and ready to go and to top things off, my phone slipped out of my pocket and its screen smashed just before I was ready to set off. Luckily it still worked because I was planning to use some digital marine charts I had stored on it to help with my navigation. Being soaked was fine - my thermal-lined kayaking clothes kept my warm, if not dry.
It was only a couple of minutes paddling around to Camp Bay campsite for the first night. I arrived to find the cooking shelter packed with sorry-looking walkers doing the Queen Charlotte Track. The rain didn’t let up but I pulled my kayak up above the high-water mark and started sorting out my stuff. Eventually, I put up my tent in the rain and got changed into dry clothes and a waterproof jacket. The rain stopped a couple of times but then started again - so annoying! But at least the winds died down totally by the late evening, which meant I’d hopefully be OK to set off. Huddling in a tent, trying to stay dry wasn’t much fun …
So, tomorrow, I’m paddling to Cannibal Cove - a bit under 20km by the looks of it. A similar distance the next day to Wharehunga, but I’ll see what the winds are doing. I’m feeling somewhat daunted by this and am feeling like a bit of a novice. From what I saw today, though, even when there are very high winds, the swell and chop in the sound is still relatively small. It may be different further out, though - will see tomorrow!
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| Paddling around Kaikoura peninsula |
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| Seal, Kaikoura |
For safety reasons, kayaking is generally a pastime best enjoyed in the company of others, a bit like hiking. But sometimes, I feel it’s worth the additional difficulty and risk to do it alone. It means one must be extremely well prepared and also very conservative in one’s decision-making. So, when I noticed that beyond the point, the seas were much bigger and the wind stronger, I turned back instead of pushing on. I’d also invested in a PLB (Personal Locator Beacon) before Christmas - one that is waterproof and floats! In a worst-case scenario, I would be able to call for help.
My next stop was the Marlborough Sounds, more specifically Queen Charlotte Sound, where I was planning to do a 4-night kayaking trip, mostly in the outer sound, where most of the places of interest are. Kayaking is a pastime that’s very weather-dependent, so I listened to forecasts on national radio and checked the internet whenever I had access. The outlook wasn't good. Extremely high winds were forecast for the Sounds, which are the bane of the kayaker. Rain is almost incidental - one tends to be a bit wet when kayaking anyway! High winds can lead to bigger or confused seas, even in relatively sheltered waters like the Sounds. And for every 5 knots of headwind, a kayaker tends to slow down around 1 knot, which means, if a typical kayaker paddles with a top speed of around 3 ½ - 4 knots, that any wind above 20 knots is going to be extremely difficult to paddle into. The forecast was for 50+ knot winds!
I did the smart thing and got a cabin at a camping ground in Waikawa for the night - not relishing the idea of being in my tent with the wind trying to blow it flat. I managed to get internet access there and spent some time trying to work out what to do. The forecast improved for a day or so, then went bad again for a couple of days, then improved again. Talk about 4 seasons in one day - I was discovering that the weather in New Zealand was more volatile than in famously fickle Melbourne. So I settled on a plan - rather than starting the paddle in Picton/Waikawa, I would drive on the narrow, windy road out to Punga Cove, which is towards to outer reaches of Queen Charlotte Sound, work out some way of putting the boat in the water there, camp the first night around the corner at Camp Bay, then paddle out to the wonderfully-named Cannibal Cove while the weather was good, paddle the next day south and east to Wharehunga on Arapawa Island, batten down the hatches there for a couple of nights while the bad weather blew through, then paddle to Blumine Island for the last night, before paddling back to Punga Cove and leaving.
The next day was pretty miserable - strong winds and lots of rain, so I hung around Picton in the morning and checked and double-checked the weather forecast. Eventually I decided my plan was doable and set off on the 2 hour drive to Punga Cove. I ended up having to carry the kayak and all my gear from the car park above the resort down to the water in a number of trips and in pouring rain. I was well-and-truly soaked by the time I was all packed and ready to go and to top things off, my phone slipped out of my pocket and its screen smashed just before I was ready to set off. Luckily it still worked because I was planning to use some digital marine charts I had stored on it to help with my navigation. Being soaked was fine - my thermal-lined kayaking clothes kept my warm, if not dry.
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| Damp evening, Camp Bay |
So, tomorrow, I’m paddling to Cannibal Cove - a bit under 20km by the looks of it. A similar distance the next day to Wharehunga, but I’ll see what the winds are doing. I’m feeling somewhat daunted by this and am feeling like a bit of a novice. From what I saw today, though, even when there are very high winds, the swell and chop in the sound is still relatively small. It may be different further out, though - will see tomorrow!
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