Feb 12th; Go Away I Want To Swim Naked

Log

Date: feb 12

Weather: sunny

Swell: 1 meter east

Wind: light east wind

Distance: 10.3 knm

Camp: north Takerau bay

Blog

Woke with and effort this morning, the end of first week fatigue was on us hard, wind ruffled the tent, making it easier to say let’s just sleep, as It may be a gale. Still we dragged our sorry asses out of bed, packed up camp, got some more water from a nearby rain water tank at an old cabin, and paddled out into the calm bay. As soon as we came out of the bay we where into the east swell. It punched up Against the cliffs and made some awesome explosions, a very impressive back drop, that got better once the cliffs became east facing, and we bobbed and ducked all over the place. Each of us dropped out of sight of one another many times as the swells rose and fell. The water was prickled and pulsing like and snake covered in spikes.

We got to the mouth of doubtless bay and made the choice to paddle across the mouth and find a beach to camp, hoping to average 10 knm for the day. The day was a stunner, the sun came out the wind was light and constant and we chewed up the distance easily, coming into an awesome little pebble beach. We hoped out for a stretch, a pee and to eat some lunch, when out of the trees, strolled a very sour faced lady. We smiled and said hi, she didn’t flinch, I walked up and she said quite plainly, other beaches are uninhabited please go to them, I appreciate my privacy and I was about to go swimming naked, sorry and thank you. She then left. Hmmm and so did we.

Other people we meet where also not very friendly and all the beaches had, private property no camping, hmmm getting closer to Auckland and so the grump’s start showing up it seems.

Eventually we found an awesome steep pebble beach with big Pohutakawa trees to give shade and camp under. We enjoyed the short day and the freshwater stream and rinsed and dried gear.

I had a go at fishing again, but no luck, had a great back country cuisine meal of Mexican chicken enjoyed the sunset and then hit the hay. The week 1 blues and fatigue are re energized by a stunning day and a great camp. Bring on tomorrow, we will get some more miles done before the bad weather comes in a couple of days.