New Zealand Diary, Day 10 morning

Day 10, morning: This is Summer?
We awoke hungry for a "cooked breakfast". We asked Robyn about a good place to get it, and she recommended the Dolphin Encounter's café, just about a block toward West End on The Esplanade. It was just over 200m, but it seemed like a long block. While waiting for our brekkie, we looked over the brochures for local activities. We learned there was a walking track around the end of the peninsula, with one across the middle to form a loop. We decided to give that a go after breakfast.

After stopping back by the hotel to put on sunscreen and pick up the camera, we set off down The Esplanade, and the boardwalk along the beach, away from West End and toward the end of the peninsula. After a short way, the boardwalk ended, and we climbed back up to walk along the road. Along the way we passed a council park with a playground, where a family was unloading supplies for a picnic. A couple of people were walking or running along the beach with their dogs. After about 1km, we passed the old commercial pier, and the Pier Hotel, with its large, glass-walled café half-full of patrons enjoying a late breakfast while watching the surf roll in. The road continued past a small residential area and around Fyffe Point, on the upland side of which sits the historic Fyffe House. Onward we went, past fishermen, past fishmongers with their steaming pots of crayfish, past signs advising people of size restrictions on the fish they catch. At the end of about another 1km, we reached a small carpark for the Kaikoura Peninsula Park, where we found the trailhead for the Peninsula Walkway.

The first few meters of this track didn't thrill me--a half dozen switchbacks up the side of the cliff. Once on top, though, the vista was worth the climb. Not only was there a majestic seascape with mountains behind the houses on the peninsula, but the top of the peninsula itself was a wide expanse of meadows and knolls, with rows of trees along the property borders. The meadows were populated with cattle, some adults, some yearlings. The knolls were populated with farmhouses and mobile phone towers. In the distance, we could see the “upper crust” neighborhood on the spine. The track crossed a couple of stiles where the pasture fence went all the way to the cliff's edge, and passed along the precipice where there was room.

Just before we reached the first stile, this little bird was sitting on a fencepost singing. He seemed unconcerned with us as we passed. Just like when I sing in the car.

About halfway around the walk, there was a small area with benches and a spur track that descended to a seabird colony. DW has more energy than I, so she took the camera and went down to the beach. She took a few photos before the birds decided she was lingering a bit too long and began to act a bit aggressively.

After she returned to the top, we continued on toward South Bay, passing more cattle on more rugged hills, and a small view point from which we could see kayakers paddling out to see if the dolphins would come around. From that point, the walkway was paved (for wheelchair access) down to the South Bay carpark.

Then it was back along neighborhood streets by the waterfront until, with the aid of the tourist map from Encounter Kaikoura, we found the track that went back across the peninsula toward our hotel. As we climbed the spine, we passed through a forest with small rivulets, finally emerging on top again between two pastures. At the end of a 150m alley, we crossed the road that rides the ridge, then went back down through another bit of woods until we got to the street above The Esplanade, just at the intersection of the street our hotel was on.

It's a good thing we didn't have far to go, because ever since we'd reached South Bay the sky had been growing darker. Just as we crossed the street and started down the block to our hotel, it began sprinkling, and we crossed the courtyard to our room under a steady drizzle. By the time we'd eaten lunch, it was a regular rain, but not windy. We decided it was a good time to take in one or two of the more touristy attractions we'd read about, and I'll tell you all about it—in my next post.

New Zealand Diary, Day 9

Day 9: What now?

We awoke with clean(er) clothes and a thirst for adventure. Blenheim is the tourism center for the Marlborough wine region, so we set off looking for the wineries and maybe some bicycles to ride between them. We traveled north from town a few km into Spring Creek, back to the east end of Rapaura Road. This road is similar to Highway 12 through Napa Valley with its acres (hectares) of wineries and the occasional small inn, but only about 10 km long.

About a mile--it appears the roads were laid out in miles before the metric system was adopted--down Rapaura Road was our first destination: the Boutique Chocolate Factory. We learned of it from one of those tourist maps, and thought after brekkie that would be a good place to start. Indeed it was. We sampled a few of their many creations, and ended up with a box of chocolate-covered toffee with crushed macadamia nuts on top. It had been made no earlier than the day before, and was slightly soft and chewy. Much better than any Heath bar I've ever had.

On down the road we went, looking for a winery with reds, rather than just whites. We found the winery we were seeking, and spent some time in their reception area perusing the literature they had for the region. I tasted a few of their wines; DW tasted one. The experience is not unlike the California wine trail, except that in California nearly all the wineries have started charging for tasting. But we had come to New Zealand to see things we could not see at home. So what were we to do?

We decided that vineyard tours and wine tastings were not what we wanted to do. We had heard of a Mecca for whale, dolphin, and seal cruises—Kaikoura—and we decided to go there. We figured we'd get there around 5pm, and since the holiday was kicking into full gear, we wanted to make sure we had accommodation before we arrived. We took the loop back into Blenheim (since we had to go there on the way, anyway) and stopped at the iSite in the old train station. A lovely, friendly, and competent young woman found a room in a hotel near the beach, in an acceptable price range. She said the hotel used to be called “Maxton's on the Shore”, but had just re-opened under new management as the “Kaikoura Boutique Hotel”.

Having stayed at the “Blenheim Boutique Hotel” the night before and being unimpressed with the room itself, we had some trepidation about the “Kaikoura Boutique Hotel”, but it met our other requirements, so we booked it. (The nice thing about booking things at an iSite is that they can generally convert the charge currency, so avoiding the foreign conversion charge from the card issuer.) Off we went again, this time south on Highway 1.

For about 50-60 km, the highway stays inland. This region, though, is not as green during the summer as the northern coast, with the way the storms get channeled off the Tasman Sea. In fact, it was downright brown. Not dead, like Nevada, but brown like the dried grass of the Texas panhandle or the plains of central Kansas. It was at first quite hilly, and we soon crossed a mountain pass with nice tight little curves. After that, though, the valley became wider and flatter, and DW took a nap. Since I was driving, there was no one to take pictures.

After a while, the road emerged onto the coast, along with the railroad, and we traveled together past beaches used for both recreational fishing and commercial sales of the local fish and “crayfish” (lobster). We passed the small communities of Wharanui, Kekerengu, and Clarence. DW awoke. Presently we came to Okiwi Bay and the Ohau Fur Seal Colony.

Viewing these seals from the lookout seemed better than when we were in the kayaks. We weren't any closer; in fact, we were probably quite a bit farther away. On the other hand, we were on solid ground, and it was much easier to work the camera without worrying about dropping it in the sea. Also, there were a lot more seals, including quite a few pups. We stayed there about ten minutes just watching them romp around on the rocks, and dive into and jump out of the sea. (Warning: If you don't turn the sound down, you'll hear my voice at the end of this video.)

After Okiwi Bay, the road goes through a small coastal plain with a deer ranch, then comes back out to the shore at the township of Kaikoura. Just at the north edge of town, there is an intersection with two roads that go out toward the shore. One goes back north for a short way, and leads to the docks for the whale- and dolphin-watch tours. The other is The Esplanade, which passes through West End where a good many shops, restaurants, and bars are, and continues south down the shore. It was down The Esplanade we would find our hotel. It was quite easy to find because their café is called “Maxton's”, and they have a sidewalk sign with that name on it on display during business hours.

I found the proprietor, a woman named Robyn, and gave her the booking voucher from the iSite. We learned they were in the process of remodeling all the rooms (of 10 or 12 total, I'd guess), and ours was one of the recently completed ones. She showed us to our room, and we were still not quite sure this was such a great place. But the bed was comfortable, and the hotel is literally across the street from the beach. In addition to the usual china cups, thin stainless ware, and hot water pot, there was a French press and coffee for it. The towels were thick and soft, and the toilet-shower room was of an ingenious design, so that it was fully ventilated without need for mechanical fans, but with no danger of rain getting in. Not that it was raining…

After unpacking a bit and freshening up, we started thinking about supper. There was a helpful restaurant guide on the small cork-board in the room. We decided to head for the Indian restaurant, but keep our eyes open on the way. Back up The Esplanade to West End, and then out onto Highway 1 again to the Indian place. When we got there, we had a look at the menu and the atmosphere, and decided to go somewhere else. I'm sure the food was good, but it wasn't really what we wanted then.

There was a pizza place next door, but that didn't sound good, either. We wandered back into West End and parked on the street to walk. We asked a young Australian hawking wine where we might find a good steak. He pointed down the street, and said our best bet was “the brewery.” I didn't understand what he'd said at first, but looking where he was pointing I saw the biggest place on the block, called “The Whaler”, a sort of outlet of the Monteith's brewing company.

We walked in to the bar and placed our order. I saw that they had apple cider on tap, and got a pint of that. DW ordered fish and chips, and I ordered the steak special, and we sat at one of the empty tables. And sat. We ordered at around 6:30. At around 7:15, we heard someone say they were going to start cooking. I'm still puzzled why they ran the kitchen that way, but the food was worth the wait. The cider complemented the steak, onion, and mushrooms perfectly, and the mashed potatoes had just the right amount of garlic in them. DW got two large pieces of fresh fish, and enough chips that she couldn't quite finish them all.

Hapuku head

Kaikoura peninsula

After driving back to the hotel we decided to walk along the beach boardwalk. We even took a couple of photos in the waning light. We liked this beach very much, and the peninsula to the southeast promised even better walks and views. Besides, we already had our room for the night. We'd decide tomorrow whether we liked it enough to stay.

New Zealand Diary, Day 8

Day 8: Time has Come…

We started out from Torrent Bay Lodge, and paddled past a largish bay called The Anchorage to the south. We then paddled around the head to the east and into Te Pukatea Bay, with a beautifully round beach. Whitey took Team Extreme on a short hike up to the site of a pa, or Maori fortification.

When we got to the site, the first thing Whitey pointed out was "a ditch." He explained that on one side of the ditch would be a wall about 8'-9' high, with a platform on the inside for the defenders to stand on to "chuck things" at the attackers. The pa was not intended for everyday occupation; it was a refuge for the residents of a village under attack.

From the position of the pa, which was logically the highest point on the headland, we could see our kayaks in Te Pukatea Bay, and the sandbar of Torrent Bay. There was a tight loop at the end of the trail, with a couple of tall trees in it. In one of the trees was a bird that made several loud calls. We strained to see it, but it was so well camouflaged we never did.

Back in the kayaks, and we started paddling around the lower part of the small peninsula, and south toward Adele Island. Whitey was hoping to be able to sail a bit, but the normal sea breeze did not blow. Instead, there was a bit of wind blowing in toward shore, creating just a bit of chop. Today those skirts were doing their job! We paddled down to Adele Island for a few more glimpses of seal pups, then paddled back toward shore and Apple Tree Bay.

If Whitey told us why it's called Apple Tree Bay, I didn't hear it, but I recognize the layout of it on a map. We had lunch there along with some gulls, and some ducks that flew in to greet us. After lunch, we paddled back out and along the coast. We paddled past Coquille Bay and Tinline Bay, and on into Sandy Bay, where we were encouraged to paddle into and backward out of a couple of shallow caves. We also had a bit of fun paddling around a couple of rocks jutting from the water just off the main cliff face.

To get past Sandy Bay, we had to paddle across a boat lane marked with buoys, careful to make sure no motorboats were traveling through it. We paddled on past the Otuwhero inlet, paddled past Towers Bay with its luxurious homes and condos on the cliff high above the sea. We paddled past Honeymoon Bay, where Split Apple Rock is. We paddled along Breaker Bay. We paddled through the channel between the township of Kaiteriteri and Kaka Island. Finally, we paddled up onto the beach at Kaiteriteri!

I guess my point is, we did a lot of paddling that day.

From there the bus took us back to Wilsons HQ, where we exchanged email addresses with our fellow members of Team Extreme and said our farewells. DW and I got back into the car and drove east--along the main coastal highway this time. We passed through Richmond and Nelson, knowing we wanted to spend some time in the Marlborough region, but unsure where we wanted to make our base. When we got to the intersection with the Rapaura Road, where we had turned toward Nelson five days before, we followed the signpost pointing to Blenheim (pronounced blen-əm, not blen-hyme as one might think).

Blenheim is a charming little township with a vibrant downtown. After driving around a bit, we found a room at the "Blenheim Boutique Hotel", the building probably about 35 years old, but with a lobby and restaurant fully updated to the 21st century. One bonus was that laundry facilities were available to guests at no charge, and the washers even had soap-dispensing machines attached! This helped greatly to eliminate the sea-scent most of our things had picked up. After a pleasant meal at one of the restaurants we had driven by, we had no trouble falling asleep in short order.

Even if we hadn't quite decided what to do the next day…

New Zealand Diary, Day 7

Day 7: Top o' the Track

We would be spending the day around the Torrent Bay area, doing some more river kayaking and hiking. After another hearty breakfast, and packing our morning snacks, we were back out at the beach hauling our kayaks down to the water. The tide was just coming in, and as we started around the somewhat massive sandbar, staying close to the shore to avoid the main boating channel, we paddled across some shoals in the lagoon that were shallow enough for our paddles to touch bottom with a normal stroke. We got past the mouth of the river--barely more than a creek--and paddled on up. Just before we reached our destination was another shoal. This time the kayaks' draft was just too deep, and our guides Whitey and Sophie assisted most of the group by dragging the boats across the 5 m length of gravel bed.

Paddling our boats around the bend, we found a shallow beach area surrounded by trees, with a small track visible. We drove our bows up onto the beach, and Whitey tied all the kayaks together and to one of the trees, so they wouldn't float back down the river unoccupied. We started up the track, which followed a small creek and in places was very wet and muddy. Suddenly the track seemed to dead-end, and Whitey led us across the creek and a small pile of boulders to Cleopatra's Pool (which appears on Google Maps).

Cleopatra's Pool is actually a pair of pools near the bottom of the stream it's on, which flows into the creek we had just walked along. Between the upper and the lower pools, the water flows down a crack in the rocks across the face of the wall separating them, creating a natural water slide. Unfortunately, I have no photos of the adventurous ones who went down the slide, but one of our group took some video, including DW. If that video turned out, and I can get it emailed to me, I'll update this post to include it.

When we got back to the kayaks, we could see why Whitey tied them up: the rising tide had caused the beach to all but vanish. As we rounded the bend, it was easy to see that the shoal that we'd been dragged across earlier now had plenty of water to carry the boats. Since we were going downstream, we all took it easy and took in the scenery. As we crossed the lagoon again, we caught an occasional glimpse of the rays, coming up into the brackish water to feed on the mollusks that teemed there.

After a sumptuous lunch of leftover ham sandwiches, leftover cucumber salad, and little tortilla-bowls filled with a sort of custard made with the leftover mixed veggies (they were very good; I had two), we all got our day-packs and hiking boots ready to head up the Cascade Falls track. This is where Whitey had promised us a surprise at the end.

Crossing the creek

We started out by crossing Lagoon Street and walking along Manuka Street, past residences and rentals, and at the inland end of Manuka Street a Department of Conservation (DOC, the agency in charge of National Parks in NZ) campground. We then started up the hill. Whitey assured us that it would be steep for a while, then mellow out. We kept waiting for the mellow part. After a few sets of stairs--some made with boards and posts, some made from the rocks--and a couple of creek crossings, we came to the path that led to Cascade Falls. But that wasn't our destination. Whitey said ours was "just around the corner."

Solitude on the track

Oh, my, but that was a big corner! We climbed some more, and when we got to the top of that hill, Whitey explained a scheme whereby each of us could have about ten minutes of solitude on the track, just to admire the sights and sounds. He had to explain it three times, but eventually we all understood, and Team Extreme was off down the track, losing a member here and a member there until we were all all alone. I took advantage of the first couple of minutes to take a few photos and have some water, but then I just stood there looking, then listening with my eyes closed. It really was a grand experience.

From there it was up the next hill for a ways, until we came to the top of this track--there was a sign informing us that it was maintained no further. We had arrived at another set of pools separated by cascades.

These were larger even than Cleopatra's Pool, and probably about 300 m higher. We decided this was a good spot to have a snack, and for some of us, a swim.

After a few minutes, Whitey picked up a stone and banged it on the rock near the water a few times. It took a little while, but eventually his surprise for us appeared.

That's right, there were eels way up here at 400+ m above sea level! These, as you can see, are very accustomed to humans. They allowed us to stroke them in return for feeding them slices of roast beef. They even raised their heads out of the water to get it.

After feeding three eels what I estimate to be ¼-kilo of beef, we started back down the track. In fact, we were running a bit late, as one of the lodge staff who needed to help prepare supper had come with us. We spread out, and for a while I was again alone on the track, but with the knowledge that our guide was behind me, so as long as I stayed on the track I would not be lost.

I had no trouble making it back to the township, but when I got to the intersection of the two streets, I found that I had not paid attention to which driveway belonged to the lodge. Fortunately there aren't that many, and I only made one wrong guess.

After supper we sat in the great room talking, realizing that this was Team Extreme's last night together. Shortly after dark, Whitey came in and asked if anyone was interested in going to see a glow worm cave. For those who haven't heard of this, allow me to explain that there is at least one major tourist attraction on the east coast of the South Island that offers a view of these creatures. We were being offered a chance to see the phenomenon at no charge. Some of the group had already seen them, and opted to stay at the lodge. DW and I had not, so we joined the group of 8 including Whitey and Sophie.

Armed with flashlights, we walked northward up the beach, past the tree swing, and across a muddy flat that would be wet at high tide. There we found a small worn track that led up and over a hill and back down to a beach on the other side. This one was separated from ours by a pile of large and small boulders at the bottom of the hill, so that we could not simply walk around the beach even at low tide. Once on the beach, we turned and walked a few meters, and saw the opening to the cave we were after.

Whitey went in first, and shined his flashlight on the entrance so that the rest of us could find our way in without using our lights. The cave was just about large enough for the 8 of us, not quite tall enough to stand upright. Whitey cautioned us to stay low and not touch the top of the cave, because that's where the glow worms were. Once we were all in and seated as comfortably as we could be, Whitey turned off his light, and we were treated to a clear, starry sky on the roof of the cave. In fact, Whitey even facetiously pointed out (verbally, since we couldn't see him) a couple of constellations.

(If you read the Wikipedia article linked above, you'll understand why I was unable to get any photos of this scene with my cheap point-and-shoot digital camera.)

Whitey told us about the glow worms, how they were the larval stage of on insect that dangled silk snares to catch the prey that was attracted by their bluish glow. He also mentioned that there were in this cave some wetas, a type of cricket, which some people dislike. He turned on his light to show us a couple. They were brown, about 3-4 cm long, with longish legs, but they don't jump or fly.

Once we were done at the cave, we made our way back over the hill and down the beach. A few of us stopped at the lodge, while the rest of us went on to the lagoon side of the sandbar to see the phosphorescence I mentioned in Day 6's post. This is a somewhat more common phenomenon, but for those unfamiliar with it: There is a type of microorganism that lives in the sea water, that emits a bit of greenish light when excited or disturbed. This behavior can be elicited by tossing a bit of sand into the water, thus disturbing a relatively wide swath of the wee beasties. The higher the concentration of the little buggers, the brighter the light. It was only about medium on that night, but still quite an entertaining effect.

After a few minutes, we'd all decided it was time to retire for the night, so back to the lodge we went. The next day we would be paddling our way back to Kaiteriteri to catch the bus back to HQ. I think I was asleep before my head…

New Zealand Diary, Day 6

Day 6: Tidal Timing

Arawoa Bay & wetland

Christmas Day! This morning we packed our lodge bags to be moved to Torrent Bay, and got ready to walk over the ridge to Tonga Bay, where we would begin our sea kayak trip. We started down the beach in the same direction as the day before, but took a right turn into the bush before we got as far. This track took us up fairly quickly to a view about 100 m above the wetland, then up another 50 m or so to the saddle of the ridge.

On the way, Whitey pointed out a "Honeydew tree", and encouraged us to sample it. The trunk of the tree had thousands of tiny translucent filaments sticking out of it, each with a droplet of clear liquid. Whitey instructed us to gently gather a number of the droplets on a finger and taste the liquid. Some of us did, and declared it very sweet. Whitey then told us that it's "bug feces." There is an insect which females eat a burrow into the tree's trunk, and the only substance they don't use is the sugar. The filaments are their waste elimination channels, where all that sugar goes.

Tonga Bay and inlet

From the top, it was down a winding track to Tonga Bay, where we faced a rising tide. We could have avoided it--by leaving at 5:00 am. But Team Extreme was undaunted, and we proceeded to remove our shoes, lift our packs over our heads, and wade across the inlet! It was only about 40 m total to cross, after all. Whitey and a couple of the taller guys spread out and found the shallowest parts for the shorter members of the group to use.

Team Extreme!

After crossing and putting our shoes back on, or not, we walked down the beach to a campground for lunch and coffee. We also met Sophie, the second guide who would be joining us for our ocean kayak experience. We got our gear and packed our chosen kayaks, adjusted them to our legs, and received instruction on how to use the skirts. We would be more likely to need them on the ocean, as the waves (and boat wakes) could splash over the kayak.

Once we were all ready, we set off paddling past Tonga Island, where more New Zealand fur seals were lounging around or playing in the water next to shore. Whitey told us that the pups were still young enough that they wanted to stay close to mom, but in another month or two they'd be jumping up on the kayaks.

Sailing, sailing

After paddling past Mosquito Bay to about Bark's Bay, Whitey had us "raft up" (where all the kayaks come alongside each other and the occupants hold them together by hand). He broke out a sheet of parachute nylon, and had the two outside rear paddlers tie a corner to each of their paddles. He then gave the other two corners to the outside front paddlers, and after a brief instruction, had the mastmen raise their paddles. Lo and behold, we were sailing! The sea breeze blows southerly along the Abel Tasman coast, which happened to be the way we were going. After 15 or 20 minutes, we had passed Sandfly Bay, and Whitey decided we needed to resume more control of our heading, so we put the sail away and went back to paddling.

We stopped for a snack and toilet break in Boundary Bay, a nice large crescent of a beach. There were a few other people, there being a campground, and some cruisers and sailboats moored, but the closest living things to our group were the gulls and the sandflies.

From there, it was just a short paddle further to Torrent Bay, one of the two planned communities on the Abel Tasman coast, with actual named streets (two). The Wilsons Torrent Bay Lodge is on Lagoon Street near the corner of Manuka Street--not that we could see that from the bay as we paddled in to the beach.

We cleaned up and gathered in the great room of the lodge, with dining tables in the center and a large seating area along the windows. We discovered that we would be joining two other guests already there. Once everyone was there, the staff brought in a huge chocolate cake with a candle on it. Not only was it Christmas Day, but one of Team Extreme's birthday!

One of the new members of the group was a former rock guitarist who now ran a concert equipment company. He told us of a poster he had for one of his old bands' concerts, with the phrase "Special Guest Van Halen" on it.

After cake and some conversation, it was time for supper. The staff brought out a huge whole ham, accompanied by a pasta salad and mixed vegetables. It was served buffet-style because the ham was too large to put on the table. After that, none of us thought we could possibly eat dessert, but we were served Pavlova, which thankfully is very light.

After supper, DW & I took a walk toward the south end of the beach, which wasn't very far. On the way back, we decided to walk to the north end, which is only a little farther. There we discovered a small community park with a rope swing, and took turns pushing each other on it. With darkness growing, we headed back to the lodge, where we met a few others coming out to see the phosphorescence of the sea. We were exhausted and still full, so we went to sleep looking forward to the next day--Whitey had promised us a hike with a surprise!

New Zealand Diary, Day 5

Day 5: Team Extreme

We arose to the aroma of bacon and french toast. Fuel for the morning's activities! After breakfast, it was out to the front yard to get our gear and familiarize ourselves with the kayaks we would be using that day. They were of a traditional sit-in style, rather than the sit-on-top that DW and I had used before. For today's activities, though, we would not use the skirts, as we would not be in waves. After gearing up and adjusting the foot stops, we carried the boats down to the beach, and set off up the inlet.

After about a half-hour of easy paddling, we beached the boats on a small beach at a bend in the river. Whitey said we could make coffee and have a snack, but he knew of an old grave in the area if anyone was interested in seeing it. Anyone who didn't want to go could stay and have their snack. Nobody wanted to miss this, though, and off we went into the riparian woods.

This was real bushwhacking, and some of the bushes were rather prickly. Whitey told us they were gorse, planted by the European farmers for their cattle to eat. On a future day, he would tell us that gorse was considered an invasive species, but it was much less of a problem than others. One reason is that it rapidly grows on cleared soil, such as is caused by logging or forest fire, thus preventing erosion. A further reason is that once it's there, it repels birds that would eat the seeds of native trees and shrubs, and allows those larger plants to establish themselves more readily than if there were no gorse. So it is not hated nearly as much as, say, foxglove (one of which at one point Whitey disgustedly pulled from the ground and threw off the track). But I digress yet again.

After a few pauses to make sure we were going the right way, Whitey announced, "There it is!" We all gathered 'round a roughly 10' x 10' square of rusty iron fence, with a slender tree in the middle of the enclosed area. Leaning against the tree was a 10" x 12" slab of stone with a cross carved on the face. From there, we walked back toward the river about 20 m, where Whitey pointed out the moss-covered bricks of a former small fireplace. While we were talking about the disappearance of the house that was there, one of the group exclaimed, "Look, a skull!" It was an animal skull, about 8" long, with one horn still attached--probably a goat. Whitey then led us on to the other end of the house, most likely the kitchen, where a much larger fireplace had stood.

Then it was back to the boats, but on the way out we passed where the workshed had been; a sheet of steel and an old log-saw blade leaning against a tree attested to that. When we got back to the boats, we discovered that the tide was going out, because there was much more beach exposed than when we arrived. We shoved our boats back into the river and headed downstream. Not quite halfway back, we stopped at a place where there was now some sand exposed. From there, we could see a dilapidated two-room clapboard house about 150 m across a grassy field. As we approached through the gate and made our way up the trampled grass pathway, Whitey explained that this was the site where one of the Wilsons' extended family settled for farming in the last years of the 19th century. Since the area was made a part of Abel Tasman National Park, the homestead was frequently used by backpackers as a hut to sleep in. The tin roof was amazingly still mostly intact. It appeared that the old spring bed had been moved into the front room, and there were magazines and books from the period of the 1920s and '30s when the farm was abandoned.

After spending a few minutes in reverie over the pioneer spirit, or the antiques in the bookshelf/pantry, or the tenacity of certain bits of wallpaper, or the ravages of time, Team Extreme (as Whitey had begun calling us because of our willingness for adventure) headed back to the boats and on to the lodge, where we had to port the boats a bit further to get them up to the yard than to bring them down that morning.

After a delicious light lunch, Team Extreme was off again, this time (now that the tide had gone out) down the beach and around the spit (ack-ptui!) to another, public lodge in the community of Awaroa. This lodge is situated in the small rise of land between the sea and a wetland, which is protected there much as they are in the American West. We were given the opportunity to freshen up at the lodge, then we took the track in back of the lodge to a small deck in the wetland. Whitey leaned down and pattered the water with his fingertips, and soon one, then two sleek, dark shapes appeared in the shallow water.

Eels!

Whitey explained that these eels didn't live in the salt water of the sea, but in fresh water, going to the sea to spawn. Once returned to fresh water, they could live there for 50, 75, maybe as many as 100 years. He estimated the two we saw were 50 or 60 years old. They detect prey--mostly insects and the fry of other fish--by vibrations in the water, which is why they came out when he disturbed the surface. I also suspect that these eels were quite accustomed to humans, and probably to being fed, because they were quite docile when we reached down to touch them. Well, some of us did.

From there, we went back to our lodge via a track that overlooked the wetland. Supper for most of Team Extreme was a hefty, fresh salmon steak. There was one member of the group who is vegetarian, and I don't eat fish; we had "stuffed capsicum" (bell pepper). That happens to be one of my favorite meals, so I was not at all disappointed by my choice not to partake in the regularly planned dish. Dessert was a homemade cheesecake with strawberry sauce. There was actually enough for me to have two slices. I shouldn't have done, but I did.

After supper, some went out to the seaview deck or even the yard for wine and conversation, a bit of exploration, or even just watching the tide come back in as the sun set. Others found a newspaper and began doing the crossword puzzle. Soon the excitement of the day's activities was overcome with a happy fatigue, and we headed off to sleep and dream of tomorrow.