Epilog

Well that’s it for now. I hope that for those of you that have followed this story though the end that I was able to impart to you some of the beauty and wonder that I experienced. I really didn’t take a lot of time doing editing so I apologize for some of the spelling and grammatical errors but it is what it is.
Now that I am back home in California and looking out at the Pacific Ocean from my window I am struck with a sense of peace. I was able to resolve several conflicts in my heart. I was able to spend a nice block of time with only myself to worry about. I met many wonderful people and had a really good time. One day I will return to the Land of the Long White Cloud maybe just for another visit maybe for longer

If you enjoyed the few photos of my trip that I included and would like to see more go to the following link:

http://photos.yahoo.com/coastsidekayaker

Things I would have done differently:
I would have waited and looked around for a van one I arrived
Flown directly into Christchurch
I should have brought a US multi-plug extention so I could have charged many things at once.
I brought more Clothes than I really needed and bike toys didn’t get much use.
I wish I had about 2 more weeks to spend in the South Island.

Things lost:
Gerber folding Knife
Mini Mag flashlight with the cool triple led light
Water bottle with cool sipping top
Smiths Sunglasses

Things Given Away:
Homey the Van
Jet Boil Stove
cool sipping top
several pairs of clipless bike peddles
Several T-shirts
Lots of love and laughter.

The Last Day: April 18th 2006

Andy has to go to the Great Barrier to start his gig with the Outdoor Pursuit Center. He will be there for a couple of weeks. We are going to give another guide a lift to the airport and we all cram into Andy’s Subaru. Everyone says their good byes and off he goes. Angela, Nathan and I drive into the city so I can do some last minute shopping. I take them out to a great Chinese dinner that possibly cost more that their weeks grocery budget. But Angela and the kids have given up time with Andy while he was tramping around with me and I figured that I need to say thanks to them as well. I had arranged to get a bunch of New Zealand wines to take back to my girl and then we head back to the Ranch. I give Paul Hayward a call and arrange to meet them for dinner on this last night. I give them a bottle of wine and have a wonderful time with them. Thanking them again for all their support. I get lost driving there and back. It’s not too bad and I enjoy the streets of the North shore at night in the moon light. I finally return to the Ranch and have a quick word with Angela before I spend my last night in Homey. I fall asleep with my mind swirling with all my adventures. I’m awaken with a gentle rap on the van window as Angela gets me up and we head to the Airport. Both Nathan and Stacy get up to see me off. I am very touched. And as I give them all hugs and say my good byes I can’t help but think how lucky I was and how much this will affect my life.

Packing up to go

Well I have a day or so left in New Zealand. Today is dedicated to getting all my gear back into the two bags I started with. I’ve taken pictures of the Boat for Andy to use for sale. I’ve taken pictures of the Family Smythers. I sign over the Homey Van to Andy as a my way of saying thanks for all the guiding he did. I clean out all my sea shells and sort out the stuff I am going to leave behind. The sky threatens rain but it never comes. I’m ready to leave. It’s either go now or don’t go back at all. I start to think more on all the things that I left undone back in another place on the other side of the world. I have spent much time trying to sort out all the things that weighted me down before I left 50 days ago. I don’t know what will await me when I return. But then life is what it is and I will cope with it as it comes.

Kawau Island – Last adventure

Our last trip will be a day trip around Kawau Island. This trip we will be joined, in part, by Lance and Gregor and his wife whom I meet at CoastBusters. Gregor, who was a member of my pod and a former student of Andy is a Maori bloke and a really fun guy. His wife who is European was also delightful. Lance was Lance which is to say he is a funny guy. It turns out that Lance is a Neil Young fan. I discover this when he spouts out a line from Tonight’s the Night. Only a true Neil fan would know what it was and what its context was (which I am and I did). But I am getting ahead of myself.

We meet up with the rest of our group at Martin’s Bay which is part of a peninsula that makes up Mahurangi Harbour. There are several other kayaking groups going out today. This to me is unusual as I have become accustom to have the water to myself, but I remind myself that this is a three day weekend and that I’ve been paddling mid week most of the time. It different paddling with other people, different pace different objectives. Andy and I split off to look at a Beehive Island. Which is a very small island that looks just like, you guessed it. Well it did until the trees got bigger as Andy informs me. We take a few quick pictures then head over to Kawau to join the rest of the part at the old copper mine. Well all that is really left is the chimney stack. We turn south and take a peak at the back side but we soon discover that the water is a little too rough for our companions so we turn and head north to Mansion House Bay.

Mansion House bay is a favorite stopping spot for boaters and we find the little harbor and beach crowed with pleasure craft. We thread our way through the mob and land up on the beach to have lunch. After that Andy and I head north to begin our circumnavigation and Lance, Gregor and his wife head for the pub at the local.
Andy and I carry on north around to the back side of the island where we hunt for rock gardens to play in and cave to explore. We actually scare some sharks that were basking near the shore. So now we are paddling in shark infested waters! A new element! Not that I haven’t paddled in shark infested waters before, its just that I never had to actually look at the sharks so it made it less scary some how.

Once around the back side we shoot south for Motuketeketa Island and Moturekaraka Island. This we do in the failing light. We have donned our lights and markers. Gee I’m sure glad that my girlfriend bought me this light marker for our Baja trip. It really is coming in handy now! By the time we reach the Islands it’s full on dark. And the waning moon lights up the surface of the water. There are a few boats on the water but they are anchored and hail us to make sure that we are OK. We reach the island and land up to have a light dinner. Then we push off to the final Island in this long strange trip.

Our final destination is Motoroa Island, a Kiwi sanctuary. We land up in the dark and stow the boats high up on the beach. We take off our paddling gear and grap our headlights and head over to the DOC ranger site and Andy talks to the ranger about the best place to find the elusive bird that only come out at night. He gives us some red cellophane to put over our lights to prevent the birds from noticing us and we march out into the bush. We can here them rustling in the bush and finally Andy sees one but by the time I turn to look I can only see a blur heading deeper into the bush. But it’s enough for me. We head back to our boat and make the night crossing back to Martin’s bay and home. It is about 11pm when we return. We left the beach at 10am, returned to the beach at around 11pm and covered 47km. A great finally to a most excellent vacation!

Circumnavigate Waiheke Island. – Day 4

The next morning early I get some sunrise photos but I miss the chance to get a shot of the setting moon. After an early breakfast we pack and launch out before the park ranger gets a chance to ask us if we paid for the camping, which of course we didn’t. Now it’s the long paddle back to Auckland. It’s now Good Friday and a national holiday. There are hundred of boats in the Tamaki Straits making there way to their favorite spots around the Haukier bay. It the first time I have had to deal with boating traffic since coming here and it is a little unnerving. It’s a beautiful day and we and we pass around the back side of Motuihe Island and then land on Brown’s Island. We walk to the top of Brown’s Island and from there we take in the view of Auckland, Rangitoto and Motutapu islands as well as Waikeke. We walk back to the boats and find that our once deserted beach has been invaded by several power boat families and a couple of sail boats. We break out what’s left of our supplies and make ourselves some lunch. Then is a leisurely paddle back to Ferg’s and home. Once we have the boats and gear secured Andy suggests that we take a quick visit to One Tree hill.
One Tree hill holds the memorial for Sir John Campbell who incidentally owned Brown’s Island. Sir John was at one time the mayor of Auckland and is known as “The Father of Auckland”. He donated Brown’s island and One Tree hill where he is now buried. There is a large obelisk. Again it has great view of the surrounding areas. But oddly despite its name there is no TREE on top of the hill! Apparently there have been several trees on top of this peak. The one that gave the hill its name was cut down my European settlers in the 1800’s but one was replanted by Campbell that was cut down my Maori activist in 1999. Now there is this dirt patch where the tree would have been. So much for history, we return to Andy’s place and decompress for a day.

Circumnavigate Waiheke Island. – Day 3

We break camp and turn the corner and head down the southern coast of Wiaheke this is the last stretch that has that remote uninhabited feeling. After we turn the corner again and start heading east the coast line is dotted with bays and little fleets of sailboat and people. Today will be a long paddle. We need to cover about 35 kilometers to reach our next landing site at Rocky Bay. Instead of following the coast we head west and visit a series of islands that will provide us with a bit more interesting scenery. Pakatoa Island is for Sale. That’s right for sale. You get the whole island and all the building there in. Rotoroa Island is a drug and alcohol rehab and is posted no trespassing. So of course we have to land there and have a drink(yo ho ho and a bottle of Monte Gay Rum). On the back side of this island we find a rough rope hang over a cliff. It’s made up of all sorts of things. It makes you think of bed sheets tied up and escapees. We think it’s to allow someone to pass contraband up to some naught resident of clinic. We are about 6 kilometers away from Rocky bay when night falls so we have to cove the distance in the dark. We have all the lights we need and it’s just finding the place in the dark. We land at a small regional park and camp under a large tree on the manicured lawn. We cook our dinner on a park bench. A very different setting from the last two nights.