Thursday 29th September 2016

You might all be thinking that I would be curled up in bed for hours this morning but, I’m sure you all realise that sleeping late is not a skill I possess and in any case, really early this morning, I heard a rather loud “thump” as Anna fell from the squab she was sleeping on! Then as usual, it was weather forecast time and a message and text or two to say it was a “no go” even attempting to get to and past Cape Egmont today. It was blowing really hard early on and, with Cuzzie rocking in the wind, it was obviously not going to be a Red paddling day. But, even so, I still lie staring at my weather app in the dark, hoping for a miracle. Just in case I may have missed something with my blurry eyes!

Once everyone was awake, we laughed about Anna falling out of bed in her sleep, we ate breakfast and focused on the day’s alternative plan; to drive to the next couple of checkpoints, locate them on the navigation app and then work out an A B C plan for the next day out on the water. The drive was good, the locations easy and a pull-out plan in place. Then, as always, it starts to niggle me. “It’s not that rough, honestly Anna, maybe I should try to get on the water today and do a short 30 km section! Let's grab some lunch and get my gear a little drier and...” My brain was racing way ahead, working overtime! Anna nods in agreement but says nothing and, as we drive back to Opunake, I add "But maybe I should make just one call to check out that I’m thinking straight!” She nods again and says "Yes, I was thinking that, too!”

We pull over by the surf club and have a conversation on the speaker phone with a third party about the pros and cons of my crazy thoughts of paddling today. But, once the logistics have been discussed, together with timings etc., it became patently obvious that it wasn’t such a great plan after all. More about me eating, drinking and repeating for the rest of the day and adding in the paddling part back another day. My hair-brained scheme was cleverly averted and we’re back to something like normality. “Phew!” Anna probably thought “a near escape!”

We hook into the local library, watch as the local kids terrorise the librarian and eventually, they get evicted for the rest of the day. I seem to spend way too much time on e-mails and now have a brain that’s only functioning on one thing at a time! Rain starts falling heavily now, far more than earlier, the wind is up and down, speeding across the land and off the cliffs onto the ocean. It’s probably best that I’m not on the water today!

Jobs done, gear washed and kind of rinsed, bags still to tidy but not now. Perhaps another day. A new pot lid sourced as the old one was damaged and broken. Items that I don’t need any more delivered to the local op shop. I am forever chucking out what I no longer need in Cuzzie. For me, it seems that nearly everything has a “not needed anymore” limit. We escape back to our cliff-top location for another night of looking out over the Opunake surf beach and settle down to read, write and then cook dinner and wait for a better weather forecast! I was being hopeful but think my next day paddling will most likely now be in October! Opunake is nice. Actually, do you know what’s really nice? The fact that we are nearly in New Plymouth, by which time we’ll be able to celebrate getting past another Cape!

My smiles today:
Anna falling off the bed. Oops, sorry, Anna!
Opunake, it feels kind of good.
Another boat ramp located.
Libraries and school holidays, despite delinquent kids!
A wonderful couple stopped and gave us a cash donation for MHFNZ. THANK YOU!
Rain, clouds, and wind then calm! You either have to smile or sit and cry!

My thoughts today:
Success is the sum of small efforts repeated day in and day out.

Until tomorrow. Enjoy, smile and big hugs from the team.

Ma Te Wa.

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