We did not even need to look out the window this morning to know there was no paddling today. The spot we have at Castle Point Campsite is only metres away from the beach and all night we heard the wind and the waves. The sound did not lessen it just got more intense, so even before light I knew that it was going to be a day off the water and I was totally fine and accepting of this.

I had promised to be the breakfast chef last night, making the morning coffee for Nat, she had the cheek to complain that I had not delivered her coffee in bed this morning! (ha the jokes and ribbing had already started for the day) As we are both rather gluten intolerant I had decided on creating breakfast pancakes from chickpea, coconut and breadfruit flours. This was going to be interesting, fortunately it was a bloody great success!

I made the pancakes, sprinkled them with coconut sugar, caramelised a banana for Nat and topped it all off with yogurt, honey and grated dark chocolate. Followed with a hot dark coffee it set us up well for the day. Tucked up warm and toasty in Cuzzie we started on the list of emails and people to contact this morning. After the lists got completed we then did some brainstorming for ways to encourage you all to help this charity I am paddling for and boy do we have some ideas, watch this space! Who wants to win Thelma 2 or Louise? Who wants a limited edition T shirt or sweatshirt, a BBQ dinner with the team and Red?

Anyway I have diverged, back to our day. I spent time this morning trying to clean my sand and sea soaked Sharkskin Quick dry tops. My OCD personality was kicking in and I finally had time to drag out this crazy washing bag we have and return these items to white instead of the bad grey state they where in. Tim we are just now waiting for the sunshine to send you some smiling pictures!

Nothing was changing with the weather so after lunch we rugged up in our black leggings, even Nat was in a pair today (mine have become my total faves off the water, XXL for comfort!) as it was not short's or bikini attire today. We headed off down the beach to climb to the top of the lighthouse point, it was damn windy! We jumped from seats, stood at the tip of the cliff faces and generally blew the cobwebs out of brains. As we were walking back along the calmer inlet to the back of Castle Point lagoon, Nat looked at the large peak in the far corner and said, "Wouldn't it be great to climb to the top of that." So off we headed to the end of the beach to look for a track. We walked past a car that was rapidly getting more and more stuck in the sand, as his wheels kept spinning and digging deeper holes. We did offer to help but this man was taking no help from two small 'mere females'. Really and truly he was very stuck, (two hours later he was still stuck) sometimes men's masculine egos just can not take assistance from females (ahh well) but by now the sea will have assisted in the demise of this poor mans car and dampened his ego, honestly we did try and help!

At the end of the beach we came across a gorgeous large seal, he was in a sheltered spot sleeping, we got really close, took a few pics and videos and he did not care at all. Others must have wanted to climb this hill, as at the end of the beach there was a track. Up and up it went, we climbed to the top and found a new strength of wind up there. We did crazy hand stands, selfie pics and some mad yoga positions. Even humans go a little crazy in the wind, just like animals. We lay on the cliff top laughing at ourselves, it was good to be out, great to be enjoying the wind and great to be laughing, it is true. It is so great for the soul, actually, this quote is sounding in my head...

"Whatever's good for your soul, DO THAT"

Nat skipped along the track. I can not quite get the skip happening just yet, maybe by the end of the trip we could be the girl version of "The Two Ronnies". There where heaps of cool pics taken and the creative side of the support team was shining today, she was having fun and smiling. No stress today with the crazy paddling lady out on the water, we could all breathe deeply. We walked and talked, watched a school group surfing, (they where coming off the water shivering and there where many surfboards flying into the air as their riders fell off into the boiling and tumbling surf, I was not wishing to join them today) it was nasty out there and tomorrow there is more of the same.

Coffee and brownie on our return to Cuzzie, an early blog writing session and a laugh at the video of us doing yoga posing on the cliff top (Instagram footage for the morning, maybe join up and follow us and other interesting people, it is an entertaining, fun social media and I am an IG fan these days). Thelma 2 is well underway, she should be back with me and ready for her maiden voyage, the Cook Strait crossing.

Well that is enough from me, sorry nothing from the water today but we had and did some fun stuff and that is what my Redz NZ Journey is all about.

Red.

(Veni Vidi Amavi... "We Came...We Saw...We Loved...")