New Zealand - 20th Nov 2008 - Day 28

Kayaking is beginning to get into our blood! We had seen a few kayakers yesterday as we walked along the Queen Charlotte Trek.

So, this morning, after breakfast, we drove to The Sea Kayaking Company to pick up our two man kayak for a day in the sound.

We met with our guide who was just there to take us through the safety stuff, as we had opted to kayak on our own today, such are our confidence levels!

After driving to the launch site, we donned all our equipment, Fiona popped herself into the front, John in then back (so he has to steer as well) and we were off. The sun was shining and the wind was gentle, so we felt good. However, after just half an hour, the clouds began to gather and the wind increased. After an hour the wind was whipping the sea into white horses and was blowing into our faces. We kept ducking into bays on our way up the sound to our destination, a resort called Lochmara Lodge (see: http://www.lochmaralodge.co.nz/) in Lochmara bay.

It took two hours of hard paddling to reach our lodge and Fiona had became quite cold as she kept getting sea water blown into her from the wind and wild sea’s.





The clouds were still with us when we reached the lodge, so we had a cuppa and some cake (which was wonderful) and then went outside to warm up in the sun which was beginning to peep out.



After half an hour, blue skies returned and we joined another lady on the sun bed terrace where wed all chilled and chatted for a couple if hours. By the time we left it was hot and very sunny. On the way back, the wind was behind us, so the journey back was easier, we reached base in good time. We met our company rep, helped her to load up the kayak and then drove back to our Motel in Picton. The weather is looking to break down again this weekend (late on Saturday), so we decided to walk nearly all of the Queen Charlotte Trek in a two day event, staying at the Lochmara Lodge overnight on Friday night. We booked our water taxi to Punga Bay tomorrow morning, the lodge and a water taxi back from the end of the trek (Anakiwa Beach) back to our Motel in Picton. The Queen Charlotte walk is really something (See: http://www.queencharlottetrack.cp.nz/), a joy for anyone who likes hiking.





We will be off tomorrow for two days hard walking, day one will probably take 8 hours and day two about 6. Fingers crossed for good weather! We will not be taking the laptop, so for those reading this on a daily basis, we will not upload anything for a couple of days.