Progress Report 11/03/07 Saturday – updated by Freya 04.11.07

 

Weather Update from Karel Vissel:
http://www.kayakweather.blogspot.com/
sat mrng ne 3 bft noon ne 3bft aft ne3 to4bft seas 0.80mtr from se
sun mnrg nw 2bft noon sw 3bft aft s 3bft seas seas from sw and s

 

Satellite Text Message Received from Freya:
I’m in CC having a day off. I will update my blog tomorrow!

Update by Freya 04.11.07:
The paddle along the coastline of the Banks Peninsula promised to show a lovely coastline with some impressive high cliffs.
A I planned only to paddle 55 km into Te Oka Bay, I started late again launching at 9.30 am.
I was thinking about having a day off at Christchurch after 7 days of consecutive paddling, updating my blog and doing some other "buisiness" stuff (no, my body never needs a rest…), but couldn’t make up my mind until lunchtime…but when I passed Akaroa Harbour entrance I thought I must be within cellphone range again!

I managed to give John a call, as we were talking about that already on Friday morning. He arranged a pick up be Martin and Fiona Frazer, a nice kayaking couple from Christchurch.

Before the last corner, a guy on a sit on top kayak was floating around dangling some fishing lines into the water, and I thought no, that can’t be Martin expecting me…waved at him and passed…but still I thought if it was him making fun out of me coming in later then???

Coming into lovely Te Oka Bay, Martin and Fiona were already standing in the water and expecting my landing! Some small surf got my top wet again, but – this time I guessed I didn’t need to put on my helmet for landing as there are people expecting you…and the surf is small…and the loosely attached helmet got washed off the back deck by this small wave!…never get out of your planned way…

We unloaded the boat completely, dragged it up the sandy part, but then I thought how could I have managed to carry the boat up this steep boulder beach on my own? No way of dragging a kayak up that one without cracking the hull…I would probably have taken it apart then!

BUT – this time a lovely "support team" was waiting for me, having a pickinick dinner ready spread out in the trunk of the car! What a warm welcome! Thanks Fiona and Martin! I thought when Paul Caffyn 30 years ago with his support crew had every night such lovely hosts and dinner served in that way…


An hours drive to their house in Christchurch, where I’ll spend the next day "recovering"…and typing my updates.