week 1

A week full of ups and downs!!

Day 1: A small evening paddle from Sumner onto the banks peninsular, lovely start!

Day 2: A long 56km to flea bay! great scenery and dolphins everywhere! the only downer was Fi was sick all day, throwing up all over the kayak, unable to land all day! we got there though!

Day 3: A 35knot southerly blowing like mad!!! we got out at 4pm ish whenit died down in a big southerly swell and made 16km to long bay. A rocky surfy landing onto a beach with seals fighting each other!

Day 4: After a rocky surf launching, another long 58km day all the way finishing the banks peninsular and onto the canterbury bight. This is the crux of the east coast, over 130km of steep gravelly beech with horrible DUMPING SURF along the whole coast. We saw 2 sharks with big fins today and it scared us .....A LOT! lost our lunch appetite instantly! We maanaged a landing that evening without too much drama, times it fairly well.

Day 5: not the best day. Our radio couldnt pick up any signal so we had no idea what the weather was doing. We set off early ... through the dumpers. As i (fi) launched, the retreating surfge turned my boat sideways right in the breaking zone (BAD TIMES) ... lukily james ran to the rescue tunred my boat around and launched me forward... right into a big dumper!!! I paddled like mad into the breaking dumper .. it broke and pinned me on the back deck ... i made it through.... another one was coming and broke on me again!!! Again the huge force of it pinned me on the back deck but I made it through!! paddled like mad and i was safe at sea. James go to launch was hard ..... he got flipped 360degress backwards to the beech... there was nothing i could do!! Eventually he made it out! we lost a big water bottle and a pump.

Shortly after we passed a fisherman who warned us a big southerly was imminent. The black clouds to the south and freshening wind certained this. We paddles only 6km to the rakia river mouth where we decided we should land in case this southerly gets horrendous. An interesting land through the breakers, creating a show for the fishermen, and we were on land. built a camp to hide form the winds.

Day 6: 35 knot southerlys ... not good sea was a mess.

Day 7: THings may get going soon ...... the winds have diead the surf is still HUGE 9 foot breakers not good!!!!!!