Thursday 30th of Jan uary to Monday the 3rd of February
Thursday 30th and Friday 31st : Wind warning for the afternoon, we’ve got to get off sea before 14:00. Passing Nugget Point in big swell is impressive but quickly over. We encounter the first primary forest of our trip.
We land at Purakaunui Bay, a famous surf spot, where we will be stuck for 36 hours.
We admire experimented surfers looking for the 2-3 meters swell tubing, blown away with long white horses by the 70 km/h offshore wind. But sea lions are also enjoying wave surfing in front of our camp base.
Saturday the 1st : We have to move quickly as pressure is going down quickly. Hard job for the last hour, entering into Waikawa river estuary with facing wind rising. We find wind shelter in between sand dunes but sand sneaks in all our stuff. Happy crunchy dinner!
Sunday the 2nd : Breakfast under the rain, all wet but our sleeping bag and a few clothes. A sea lion moans while we launch, maybe we’ve occupied its favorite spot for the night?
Heavy clouds, dark damped cliffs and choppy sea is on our routine since we paddle in The South!
Monday the 3rd : Max catches a barracuda, as our paddling day is shorten, we won’t have time to reach Bluff before the wind gale arriving. We stop at Fortrose and reach Invercargill by inland to buy food before Fiordland. Agnes as expected is a determined and wise leader.
Funny! It starts raining again…
