Tuesday February 16

The weather report seemed bad today, but the bay is calm, so I went walking along the beach. I stood in the sunshine and looked at the ocean, beautiful after a night of rain and wind. I put an extra layer over the tent to protect us from the elements, I was really pleased I did a we stayed warm and dry.

I talked with some of the trampers this morning, Nathan, who hunts with a crossbow, his girlfriend Maria and her mother Patricia are a way cool bunch. I hope we meet again somewhere along the way. It was so nice to meet people with such positive energies, it made my day.

The caged tiger is back today, I took T2 out for a paddle to try and fish and check out the swells out of the bay. After that unsuccessful trip I thought I would try out at the island, so we walked all the way to the far end of the beach. I swam across to the island and went searching for paua. It was not my turn today, I found nothing. Maybe I am not as skilled as I thought, I said to myself as I walked with Nat. She was busy snapping photos of the landscape (and me), throughly enjoying her time here.

Back at the DOC hut the hunters had had a successful morning, four cod had been caught. New trampers have arrived, two flown in by plane and some more who had made the arduous trek over the hill. It is fun seeing the tampers arrive each night, but it is hard to see them go, especially when I have to stay put! Maybe walking New Zealand would have been easier? Nat will head over the hills tomorrow for Mason Bay, and I hope I can head further south. I think I will try for even a short paddle tomorrow, inch my way further around the island.

Dinner is basic tonight, we need to make the food last. The hunters were very kind, they cooked us up a piece of cod each, but unfortunately as neither Nat or I can eat flour we had to say no, bugger!

While clambering over the rocks today I slipped and fell on my bottom, quite hard and now I have a bruise developing. It is going to be so fun to sit on while paddling! My tracker and phone have been plugged into my solar panel, and everything is charged up, ready to go tomorrow. As I sit in my sandy tent looking out at the ocean, waiting on the right words to come to me, I have to day I am truly happy. The sandflies, sand everywhere and weather have not upset me just yet. Well, the sand flies only because they are outside my tent!

My smiles today:
Wood pidgeons in the trees by the hut.
Kiwis calling to each other at duck
Paua hunting and fishing on the rocks.
Swimming out to the island.

My thoughts today:
Real positive people make me happy. Nathan you made the most sense today when you said "Don't listen to the people who call you crazy, they are the boring ones." Thank you.

Red

PS: We have a bumble bee stuck between the tent and the fly sheet, will be a buzzing lulling us to sleep tonight.