We thought we had escaped the rain but it returned again and we heard it most of the night, as well as the thundering crash of the swells as they hit the caves and beach below us. Even our lovely, quiet little campsite couldn’t avoid the storms. I read for a while, then pondered the weather before eventually going off to sleep. But, by 5am, I was again staring at the forecasts and resigning myself to another few days off the water. It’s not only still raining but blowing as well. Optimistic as ever, I had dared hope that a weather window would appear over the next day or so but, already, it has started to disappear.

We make some grand plans to remove ourselves from this location and, hopefully, the rain and do a little more driving. Eventually, we get on the road and believe it or not, it is still raining lots. Anna giggled as I said the most ridiculous thing "Gosh, this rain is really wet!” “Um, yes, Red, rain is usually wet!” she replied. This off-the-water torture is really getting to me at last. My brain is turning into mush. We decide to drive until we see an okay location to stop. Being time for lunch, we try hard not to park on a slope as it can get a little tiresome trying to move around in Cuzzie and having stuff fall out of the cupboards onto our feet; it's not great for anyone!

After our lunch break, we just keep driving towards the lighter sky in front of us, desperate to have a calmer, dry beach and to get away from the "wet rain"! At last we find a rare patch of sunshine and decide to go for a well-deserved walk through a little beach-side market where we watched some really brave kids running in and out of the ocean, swimming in very cold water. But, then, kids never seem to feel the cold.

Tonight Anna found a sheltered spot and got out her hammock to watch the sunset. I sat in Cuzzie and looked and looked at my weather forecasts. Did they change for the better? Absolutely NOT! Where we are at the moment is calm but this is not the section of coast on which I need to paddle. I sit and wait and get frustrated and wish I had never even bothered to write up a plan! Will I ever learn? No, probably not. But it seems to be entertaining for everybody else to see and hear my continuous frustration. Endeavouring to put these thoughts aside, I go out into the kids’ playground to do my push-ups for Day 18 of the 22-day Challenge. By the time I was done, so was daylight.

Dinner cooked, laptop stuff successfully updated. The totals look like 4453kms paddled! For your information, that‘s about 2.2 million paddling strokes (500 per km give or take.) Yes, I have counted every single one of them on a regular basis!

My smiles today:
People-watching. Now that always makes me smile.
Coffee and chat with Anna.
Whittakers dark chocolate. Truly the best!
Anna relaxing in her hammock under the trees.
Weather forecast. Do I smile or cry?

My thoughts today:
Sometimes you are delayed where you are because your angels know there is a storm where you are headed, so best be grateful.

Goodnight from Red and Anna. Ma Te Wa.