Get off the water!

Morning red, Cannibal Cove

Morning at Cannibal Cove

View to ocean after leaving Cannibal Cove

Crossing to Motuara Island

Mike was nice enought but I’m a little disappointed that I didn’t have that magical place all to myself - I probably wont get another chance like that on this trip. The rest of Friday evening remained fine - Mike and I both kept to ourselves, he read a book and I wandered around the place, admiring the views in the evening light. I tried to work out what to do next. Went to bed at sunset, 9 pm and slept well enough. I woke in the middle of the night and got up briefly to admire the "wondrous glory of the everlasting stars". I woke pre-dawn the following morning, with the eastern sky a menacing, deep red. Great. Had breakfast, packed up, said farewell to Mike and set off - aiming across the channel towards Motuara Island, a bird sanctuary. As I paddled further out eastwards into the open water, things got increasingly unpleasant - a moderate swell from the northeast, strongish wind (around 15 knots) form the northwest, whipping up little choppy waves at right angles to the swell. The sun disappeared and I started feeling rather small and vulnerable on the high seas! Eventually I decided to play it safe, so I turned southwest and headed for Ship Cove. Once I was past the head north of that cove, conditions improved dramatically. I landed and found I had the place all to myself. I walked 15 minutes to the waterfall - beautiful, and easy to imagine that the first Europeans were just pulling into the cove behind me in their great tall ships. 

Ship Cove waterfall

View from Blumine track

WWII gun emplacement

 I continued on around the shoreline and decided things were calm enough here, a bit further in from the open ocean, to consider crossing the sound to Blumine Island from Resolution Bay. Things ended up being, predictably, much rougher out in the channel than they’d looked from a distance, and rougher still at the north end of Blumine. I made it, though, and paddled into the relative shelter of the northern-most cove on the island - and found the iron posts that Mike from Blenheim had described, marking an abandoned campsite and a track to the WWII gun emplacements. I landed, tied my kayak to a tree, and walked 15 minutes or so to the gun emplacement - there were wonderful views of the wind whipping the waters of the sound from where I’d come. I decided to play it safe again and not paddle back around the northern end of the island, so I continued down the shoreline heading south to the campsite - a lovely spot with a tent already pitched. It turned out to be a lesbian kayaking couple I’d spoken to at Camp Bay and who’d lamented the awful conditions that had kept them there for the previous 3-4 nights. The conditions at the campsite were just stunning and made a mockery of the struggles I’d had during the morning getting there. I don’t understand how it’s so sheltered there but perhaps it faces west enough to avoid the NNW winds. I walked around the new, ugly scar of a track to a viewpoint further north but shouldn’t have bothered - my earlier walk had been better. I had a leisurely lunch accompanied by a weka trying to pinch my food and got ready to head off as the couple got back from paddling at the north end of the bay. 

Lunchtime on Blumine

I still wasn’t sure what to do next, I’d been considering the options: 1. paddle around the south end of the island to Wharehunga as planned, 2. paddle back across the channel and stay at Schoolhouse Bay campsite in Resolution Bay for the night, 3. paddle back to Punga Cove and get off the water. I chatted to the women when they landed and they said they’d just heard a marine forecast - wind increasing to 35 knots for the rest of the day, then 40 knots tomorrow, Sunday. That forecast decided it for me - paddle back now or be stuck out here for 2 nights, unable to move and probably stuck in my tent due to miserable conditions. My fourth possibility had been staying at the Blumine campsite but only if the conditions were so obviously poor that I doubted I’d be able to get anywhere else safely. So, I set off NW to the entry of Endeavour Inlet. Boy, did it end up being tough. The NNW wind was extremely strong - gusts were certainly well in excess of 25 knots. The swell from the NE was moderate and often confused. And it didn’t improve when I got into Endeavour Inlet - in fact it got worse. I battled my way slowly around the shoreline and landed at Mahana lodge because I noticed vehicles there and thought I might be able to get my car down to the water. I shouldn’t have bothered. John, the owner, in a long-winded and at times illogical spiel basically said he couldn’t/wouldn’t help me cart my kayak up to the car park. He said the road down was only suitable for 4WDs … a 4WD with a trailer was parked in front of the house. If I’d been in a group and there’d been something in it for him, it would’ve been different. He didn’t say it in so many words, of course, but that was his meaning. So, I continued the battle around the corner, finally landing, relieved, at Punga. I ended up asking one of the workers there if I could pay to have my kayak and gear carted up to the top car park. He, dreadlocked and with a Swiss accent, said they could do better than that and do it for free. I left notes at Camp Bay and the desk at Punga Cove resort to say I’d returned early then followed the Swiss Bob Marley as he carted the kayak up to the car park. Awesome! 

I headed off in the car, feeling so safe and dry and warm and cosy - so easy, just steer and apply brake or accelerator. Often, on the water, I’d thought about our little home together in Bonbeach and wondered what the hell I was doing out there! Away from the water, it wasn’t a bad day, albeit still very windy. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do next, so I planned as I drove the long, windy road back towards the main highway. I decided to park myself in or near Havelock for a couple of nights while the worst of the weather blew through, then to drive to Marahau, via brief paddles at Cable Bay and Nelson Harbour, and paddle in to Bark Bay in Abel Tasman National Park, where Mark, Tracey and George were now moored. I’d stay there a couple of nights, then paddle out and spend a final night either back in Kaikoura, or at one of the mountain lakes, Rotoroa or Rotoiti. Then drop the kayak back on Thursday morning, before heading south, way south, for the next part of my trip - some family history exploration in Otago and Southland, followed by the drive through to Queenstown in time to walk the Routeburn Track. 

Car and kayak in Havelock

So, I arrived in Havelock just before 6 pm, rang around a few places and ended up at Ligita’s Homestay - a lovely little self-contained flat owned by Ligita and Bob who were the friendliest and nicest hosts imaginable. Shortly after I arrived, they invited me to join them for a BBQ steak and a beer. And it was a leisurely start to the day today - coffee and cereal for breakfast, then organising my stuff, followed by a walk into town.

Misty mountains from Havelock

The strange thing is, New Zealand is perhaps even more beautiful in the rain (as long as there’s not too much wind!). Misty mountains, bird calls, patter of drops on leaves. I’ve loved my little break here - really peaceful. I drove to Pelorus Bridge this afternoon and didn’t end up putting the kayak in anywhere. Gave a hitchhiker a lift - a local guy who just decided to spend a few months travelling around NZ. Had a cuppa with Ligita and her local friend Silvia, then Bob joined us. Really nice. I walked along the Motuweka trail then into town in the afternoon. Made dinner for myself - pasta with veggies, plus I got a nice yoghurt from the supermarket and an excellent local porter ale and sat and watched Kevin McCloud’s cabin in the woods program.

Cannibals and Mussels

Click here for a GPS track of the day's kayaking

Approaching Cannibal Cove

Well, it’s official, I’ve arrived in paradise … and it’s called Cannibal Cove! I’m alone here and it really is perfect - helped by today’s unbroken sunshine. The wind has picked up since this morning and is currently NNW - will shift to NW for the next 2 days and continue to increase. The paddling today was great - pretty easy and no swell, chop or waves of note - except from passing boats. I saw numerous penguins - cute! Ship Cove was really interesting - a well-balanced account of human history there. It was less than 30 minutes paddling from there to here.

Cook memorial, Ship Cove

Maori carving, Ship Cove

Penguin

Company in the outer sound

So, I’m planning to enjoy this place today … and maybe just stay here. If the wind shifts NW and strengthens, Wharehunga and Blumine Island will likely be exposed. I’ve just checked - Wharehunga is north-facing, as is Blumine. It’s a difficult decision - things mightn’t be much fun here either, if it rains and the wind gets really strong.

The cicadas here are really loud! It’s nice though. It’s now 3:15pm - I’ve just managed to get a radio station using my phone’s FM receive - there’s a forecast at 5pm. If the forecast is for light to moderate winds tomorrow, I’ll probably go. And perhaps the other campsites are as nice as this.

I don’t have anything else to write right now - no philosophy, no feelings, no spritual epiphanies. I feel quiet, at peace, untroubled. A kereru’s wings beat as it flies away.

Cannibal Cove

Cannibal Cove

Happy times at Cannibal Cove

Tent site, Cannibal Cove

Afternoon, Cannibal Cove

View from Cannibal Cove to Arapawa Island

A couple with 2 dogs in a speed boat parked at my beach here earlier but left after a few minutes. I’m sharing this place with 2 sooty oystercatchers.

I picked some humungous green-lipped mussels from the rocks here a little while ago - the biggest one was about 12cm long! So that’ll be dinner, or perhaps just an entrée.

Just for the record - even on the final leg around to here, there was no noticeable swell coming in from the open ocean.

Dinner!

It's 6 pm now and I’ve just eaten the mussels - boiled them in salt water - without a doubt, the best I’ve ever had. Another kayaker, Mike from Blenheim, has just arrived from Waikawa for an overnight weekend trip, so I wont be alone.

Camped at Camp Bay

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. 

Kaikoura range from Nga Niho Pa

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. 

Nelson by night

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. 

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. 

Paddling around Kaikoura peninsula

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. 

Damp evening, Camp Bay

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!