Thusday 3 November 2016

Low tide as I strolled along the beach this morning. Then barefoot sprints as my poor running shoes are still trying to dry out from the removal of all the mud from yesterday! I mark and set up the sprint section on the beach but, before I start, I go for a wander. I have discovered a new challenge that could keep me occupied, something that Nat mentioned yesterday! GeoCache?! If you don’t know what I’m talking about, head to Google for an explanation. All I can say is that it’s like a giant worldwide treasure hunt!! I’d been told about it many moons ago but really hadn’t absorbed the concept. Although I was at least determined to locate one hidden item, leaving my name signed in the book and feeling satisfied. I hunted for a while but felt a little bit crazy walking around among the trees and in the sand dunes, staring down, looking for a small metal box! I stopped and re-turned to get on with my morning training.

Once done and dusted, I returned to my treasure hunting and, to my utter delight, I soon located the hidden box, opened it and duly signed the book. Wow, that was pretty cool! It gives people a reason to go walking and hiking each day, not that I need any such reason, but in my area alone, there are 59 Geocache items, each with a different degree of difficulty, from small to large items. Huh, the Pokemon treasure hunt game didn’t appeal to me but, maybe this could be a catching!

Back at the campsite, I got chatting, sharing stories and just doing what everyone normally does at campsites, talking and listening. Perhaps because everybody seems to have more time than usual. The sun came and went today which was great if and when I was tucked away from the brisk, blustery wind and when there was no cloud cover. But on the whiteboard I had a list a mile long of things to do, so I knuckled down and got stuck in, trying really hard not to get distracted. But as it hit high tide, there were a couple of reasons to get out on the harbour:
1 - Just to paddle and get my arms moving;
2 - I had located couple of Geocaches that I could go out and hunt for on the edge of some of the harbour beaches, and
3 - To see if I could brace myself enough in the cool water to force myself to do a couple of rolls!

At last, I winched Louise off the roof racks and got kitted up, then pulled my kayak down into the water and off I paddled. By this time, the tide had turned and the water was rushing back out to sea but, where I was paddling further up the harbour, it was fine to be racing into the current then turning and paddling with it. It was rather nice out on the water and I went and looked and found another Geocache (crazy game!). As I paddled back and under the walk bridge to town, I made the decision to head towards the boat ramp and my original launching location. The current was running pretty strong by then but, once out of the current, the water was really too shallow, so no rolls today. However, I’ll paddle further on an incoming tide another day, to a sandy bay and then get wet with some rolls! I’m hoping like heck it’s like riding a bike, that it’ll come naturally to me again, as I haven’t been all that committed these past few months, and there’s no-one to blame but myself!

Tonight I’m off out to catch up with some wonderful people Nat and I met in Doughboy Bay, Stewart Island way back in February this year. It was such a nice surprise to hear from them, especially as both Nat and I had been hunting for their details in an effort to try to call them as there are lots of stories to be told.

My smiles today:
Mr. Paradise Duck has a somewhat incongruous name: "Angry Duck!"
A small boy in his tiny little red-topped gumboots.
A first: paddling on Raglan Harbour.
My first GeoCache located, and then some others.
Clean-washed Cuzzie curtains.
Catching up with people from Stewart Island.

My thoughts today:
I just want to live on a beach, walk it at night and then fall asleep with the windows open, listening to the waves.

Until tomorrow and perhaps more treasure hunting. Goodnight from Red and Cuzzie.

Ma Te Wa.

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