It is a was an early start, my alarm went off at 3 (am) and I was plagued by the wind in the pine trees and thoughts of the day to come. I am still not as happy as I would like and there's a niggle...
I lie in my sleeping bag untill it gets light. It is not the outlook outside I was wanting and the day dawning puts me back a step or two. I wait and I look for wind to warm and drop. 5 am and we sort of head to the beach. The past few days of the 4 “W's” have not impressed me. When they finally start to drop but then the sun drops too... that old saying, "Tougher than you can even begin to imagine” rings in my mind. If I could I would probably like to have a punching bag right now and hit it hard. Hit it until I was exhausted. It would make me feel better physically, mentally it is a little difficult right at this moment. Just a bit like life for most of us really, some days it is frustrating!
We head up and check the weather forecast, 10 knots. Whatever, I am not believing it, in my world it is more. I wait till a smaller boat is launched and then the crayboat fishermen head past and out in their massive boats. I watch them in the short swell going up and down and I look and I look...I actually do not want to join them today! Shock horror! I do not want to get wet, I do not want to feel cold. I am someone Nat has never seen before, normally she has to stop me from being released and smashing it out.
She tries a couple of different angles, just go for a k and then come back, just get the feel for T2, just do some practice stuff in your new kayak. I was not a charmer or an easy person this morning. I went for a walk in the long grass and sand dunes, the chill from the air was not helping me smile, even if it was a tail wind. I was feed up with looking at wind arrows and basically in a bad fickle Red mood. We got T2 down, I packed her and placed her on her wheels while Nat made me coffee to help my mood. Then you know what, I stayed dry. I just sat on a section of sand and grass while we talked. I was pleased there was no cell phone coverage or internet.
I talked about shit that was bothering me and Nat put a new spin on things. We sorted out a plan, decided let's check out the coastline ahead, let's see where and who’s land we can access and let's cut this next section into sections so if you wish to bail you can. A hedgehog stumbles across our path and then is an instant camera star in Nats eyes. Images a plenty are taken. He scuttles off quickly and poor Nat then has to return to the grumpy red head sat on the sand...
We watched a small light aircraft take off and land, it is a dream of Nats to fly something like that, and she will I am damn sure. We then talked with John McGuinness the pilot when he had finished and wandered down to chat to us. He said, "Gosh, you will get blown straight to your next destination with this tail wind!" I explained I was not heading out and we asked for directions to the other station owners and off we set to look along the coastline. We thank the lovely team at Glenburn station for allowing us onto their land. We then drove all the way to Pahao and there is a possible landing spot there as well.
We have driven lots today, we and Cuzzie are covered in a thick layer of dust, and now I have seen this section of Coastline from the road. I will be back on the water when the arrows are blue and purple, perhaps with a couple of green in the mix.
I have been told many times by a wise man in Snells Beach, if you don't want to paddle don’t paddle. Please be proud, and I Thank You from the bottom of my heart. I have listened to this wise man, really listened. It was and is tough to do, I am trying to listen to the wise and if anyone knows me then that is really not the old Red, it is something I am developing.
Nat has seen a side of me today many have and will not. When the blooper edition appears it will be well worth a read.
If you are in a mood or a weird head space remove yourself from the environment and do something different. We did just that, we got covered in dust and have seen already many new and amazing beach locations we will be recommending to others, our top NZ beach favs are changing daily.
We are currently in a park far away from the sea, but she will be calling us back in the morning...
Red
