Decisions to be made.

We arrived back in Omokoroa and backed the rig up the drive to spend some time on maintenance at the house.  The tenants had moved into their newly built home in bethlehem and we had some decisions to make regarding continuing to rent or to sell and take advantage of the real estate boom in the Tauranga area.
  It was disappointing to find cleaning obviously wasn't a priority when the tenants left.  Luckily everything had been photographed on them moving in so we had the evidence that they had to adhere to.  Cleaners were employed to do the basics and Jocelyn and I knuckled under and did the rest.  We were to get stuck in over the next 10 days and the house and grounds had a major make over.  At the end of it we were both happy that we had the place back where we would be happy to live there ourselves.

  The next thing was a real brain strain.   What to do with the property?  One day we decided we were definitely selling and the next we were going to rent again.  We got three different agents in for advice and did a bit of research ourselves.  In the end we decided we would rent it out again.  We didn't advertise.  We heard of two different people that might be interested and approached them.  It turned out that both of them wanted it so we had to decide who,  and in the end went with a tenant that I new back in my farming days.  So hopefully everything goes well.
   We moved out of Omokoroa and back to Mclaren Falls to brother Kens place as they had sold their property and needed a hand to pack and clean.  But before helping with that  Jocelyn was off to Aussie with granddaughter Monique and Vicki,  while I was off into the Ureweras for 5 days hunting the wily red deer. I hadn't been back into our family spot in the Ureweras since before my operation so this would be the first time I had had to carry a heavy pack since then.  Still I was really looking forward to it and the morning finally arrived and myself,  Mick and Beans arrived at Sue and Brians in Rotorua.  Sue was to be our taxi driver again as in this day and age unfortunately you can't leave a vehicle unattended on the side of the road anymore.  I must admit the old legs were starting to go a bit wobbly by the time I reached our campsite.  But we had taken it slow and steady and we soon had the camp shipshape and a brew on.  It was great to see the camp in such good repair and all of our gear that we leave down there was still where it had been hidden.  It was such a great feeling to be back.

Mick by the Happy Valley waterfall.

Beans wolfing down a bacon buttie after a big day.

 I took a bit of a spill on my first hunt and tumbled head over heels down a steep face.  Lucky I crashed into a tree which stopped my rapid unplanned descent.  Unfortunately I had a pretty decent cut to my head where I had banged it on a sharp rock.  There was a lot of blood streaming down my face but I managed to stem the flow after about ten minutes.  I also had a very tender hip where the tree had impacted me but luckily stopped my fall.  It was only about an hour to dark so I carried on hunting but didn't see any animals.
  Back in camp the others had had a quiet hunt as well with nothing being seen.  The next day was also quiet but Mick and I saw a hind move into the bush but it was a fair way off and not worth a shot.  The next morning Beans got on the scoreboard with a yearling stag and it was to prove his day as he shot two more deer after a good hunt into some of our old spots.  Mick and I had a great hunt down stream seeing a lot of sign but no animals.
  Sunday morning came around and Beans was heading out so he loaded up early and we waved him off before 7am.   He had a fair bit of meat on board and his mate was arriving at 10am to pick him up out at the road.  This should have left him plenty of time but as I found out later on he strayed off the track and couldn't find it again so he ended up staggering out onto the road about 4 1/2 hours later.

Our last nights fly camp.

 Mick and I decided we would shift camp closer to the road so we made our way up the creek.  Just before we got to first camp we dropped our packs and climbed up towards a clearing I new about.  We were nearly there and I heard  a bit of a rustle in the scrub and a little ginger and white pig popped out and checked us out.  He did a couple of little grunts and trotted off back into the bush.  Then we saw him moving up ahead of us and he had two little black friends with him.  Mick and I carried on up to the clearing trying to keep quiet in case a deer was out feeding.  Just as we came onto the clearing the 3 little pigs appeared at the bottom and moved out into the open.  Mick and I were in full view and over the next 20 minutes we were entertained by these little characters as they fed and grunted and played.  Occasionally one would approach us for a closer look and come within about 5 metres of us then it would turn tail and scamper off grunting and squealing .  We found them so entertaining and this little interlude was the highlight of our trip.  Unfortunately we had left the camera in the packs back at the creek.
   After picking up the packs again we carried on and set up a new camp at our initial entry to the stream we hunt on.  We had an interesting afternoon hunt and saw plenty of sign but as the evening approached I took Mick up to what we called our meat safe clearing.   This is where we come if we want some more meat to take out with us.   And again it didn't let us down as a nice spiker came out to feed around 6.30pm.  Mick took the shot and it wasn't long and we were loading legs of venison into our packs for the short trek back to camp.  Next day it was back to civilisation.

The meat safe clearing.

Micks spiker.

    Jocelyn had a great time with Monique over in Aussie.  Spending time with Jenny and Stan is now always a treat as we don't get to see them as often as we would like.
   After she arrived back we spent the next ten days helping out Ken and Vicki and then loaded the truck and moved them down to Papamoa to their previous rental property.
  After this we had a few days to spare before I had to show up at court for jury duty.  So we decided a few days at lake Rerewhakaitu might be nice.  The DOC camp on Ash Pit road was looking a bit neglected.  It definitely needed a mower going over it and the toilets were overdue for the sucker truck.  Nevertheless it is still a very pretty place.  We were getting a fair bit of wind with a few good showers thrown in but it was getting warmer when the sun was out.  I even got a bit of sunburn one afternoon.  John and Margot came out for dinner one night too.
  One afternoon we were sitting in the sun reading and we noticed a ute and caravan drive past our site.  They then did a U turn and went down the other end about 150 metres away and set up camp.  We didn't think much more of it and a bit later on I decided to chuck the togs on and go for a swim then I wouldn't need a shower later on haha.  About half an hour later we see this couple coming our way and realised it was Henry and Debbie Blyth.  The last time we had met up with them we had been camping on the beach at Kaikoura.  They said they had been looking our way for a while wondering if it was us and when I went swimming Henry thought he recognised me but wasn't sure.  In the end curiosity got the better of them so they came for a look.
  It was a really nice surprise so we ended up having a very pleasant evening.  I had a lamb roast cooking on the webber so we all got together for a few drinks and a good meal and a good catch up.  Henry and I always have plenty to talk about as he is just as keen as I on the outdoors and hunting and gathering.
   I had been out in the kayak a bit chasing the trout with mixed success.  Casting with a fly I found the fishing hard,  but trolling with a small smelt lure was proving successful.  Henry also had his kayak and tried a bit of fishing.  We moved to their caravan for dinner the next night and met up with another couple who were parked near to them.  They had spent a lot of time as caretakers of a number of the DOC camps around the country and seemed to really enjoy it.  They said they get to meet a lot of really nice people from all around the world and stay for free at some spectacular places.  Maybe at a later date Jocelyn and I might be ready to give that a go.
  Next day was pack up day and we headed back to Omokoroa and parked down at the reserve in the boat trailer park.  We were lucky enough to score an afternoon baby sitting lovely Luca Saturday afternoon and we picked her up and collected James as well as he was starting work for Ken Monday morning.  Back out to Omokoroa we had a great day spoiling the two grandkids especially Luca who just loved going down that slide in the park.  Jocelyn's mum came out for the afternoon also.

See ya. I'm off to kindy.

Luca and James.

  Sunday night the big earthquake struck Kaikoura and Monday morning on the news we were watching in shock.  Having Rod,   Catherine and Gracie on the farm there we were very concerned.  We couldn't get through on the phones and the news reports were going over things again and again and getting Jocelyn really wound up.  I was due to show up for jury duty at 9am so rolled up at the courthouse on time and found my name drawn in the first 30 jurors.  At the first recess I approached the staff saying I needed to keep my phone turned on as I had family in Kaikoura.  At this news they pulled my name out of the next ballot and told me to take off.  They were very good and I was extremely happy to get back to Jocelyn and support her as she was getting pretty upset.  Luckily not long after this we heard from nephew Sean that he had found out from neighbours that Rod. Catherine and Gracie were fine.  They had got through the main shake well, with minimal damage to them or their buildings.  But they did find it a terrifying experience with the house shaking like crazy and things crashing to the floor around them.
  So after a couple of days waiting around to make sure our Kaikoura family were going to get by alright we packed the rig and headed off to Fantail Bay.   We really enjoyed Fantail again but the first week was so windy there was no fishing or snorkelling.   We got to know some more campers quite well but a lot of the time the camp was still virtually empty.  At last the wind eased and we had 4 beautiful days. I was in the water with the spear and straight away got 5 butterfish.  The next day in the kayak produced a couple of nice snapper and also some more snorkelling so there was enough fish for us and the neighbours.

Fish back on the menu.

 On the last day I jumped in and shot 6 butterfish to take away with us and then it was off to Whitianga to drop the rig off at Ken and Vicki's new section on the waterways.  Then off to Tauranga as the next morning Ken, Mick and I were bringing Kens boat up the coast to Whitianga to park it at his new section.
   We had a smooth trip up the coast and the boat performed well. Vicki and Jocelyn were there to meet us and we celebrated with a few bevies that evening.  So next we will probably head back over the hill to Coromandel again for a few days.
 

Papillon arriving at her new home.

An excellent time up North.

  We had been having a lovely time at Otamure Bay but we decided we had better move on and check out some other spots.  We hitched up the rig and headed off towards Bland Bay on the Russell road.  It took us about an hour and a half with the rig on and we drove through Bland Bay itself and climbed up the hill and over into Puriri Bay which is another DOC camp right on the beach.  There were two other campers there, both from Tauranga and travelling together.  One of them had a 5th wheeler as well.

Waterside at Puriri Bay.

   We set up about 5 metres from the water and felt right at home from the start.  This is my sort of place.  It was very sheltered so it was great for getting the kayak out for a fish.  The facilities were well maintained and were being managed by Craig and Paulette who were running the Otamure camp. The camp was situated inside the Whangaruru harbour so there was no swell but it didn't take long for me to find out there were some nice fish to be caught very handy to camp. Also the rocks at either end of the bay were absolutely covered in oysters by the thousands so they received a few visits by me while we were there.
   The weather was starting to get a bit milder as well so it was really nice to get the chairs out and sit out in the sun in front of the rig. But as you know I can't sit around for too long without getting bored so I was into the kayak with a softbait tied on and off up the harbour where there were a few gannets diving.  It wasn't long and I had the first snapper on board and then over the next hour or so I had a lot of fun with fish on and at least 3 good fish lost after the hook pulled.  There were some very good sized snapper out here in the shallow water.
 And on day two we were entertained by a pod of orca who came in on the tide to feed.   They spent 3 or 4 hours cruising the upper reaches then came back down on the ebb tide. There were 2 large males with the high dorsals and were very impressive to watch when they surfaced to breath.

Quality table fish.

They don't come much fresher.

 Over the next few days I really enjoyed the fishing.  The fish were sometimes hard to find or they weren't biting but then out of the blue you would get a strike that would turn the kayak and have you being towed at a good speed through the harbour. Being so shallow, the snapper didn't have any depth to fight in so they just took off and towed you. It was great fun.  And the bonus being we always had fish to eat and I supplied the other campers as well.  Jocelyn also came out for a few paddles and saw a few snapper landed while we were out there.  I never could leave my rod behind.
 

Getting to like my kayak.

Hard fighting snapper.

  The camp itself is very picturesque with a fair bit of wildlife thrown in to the mix.  There were rabbits everywhere.  A short 20 metre walk to the loo you could see 7 or 8 rabbits.  Also there were quail and ducks almost under your feet and the seagulls would wake you every morning with their squabbling. And there were tuis all through the bush as the kowhai trees were in flower. Also after a day of rain the beautiful white clematis flowers appeared all through the bush.  With the bright yellow of the kowhai then the white spray of the  clematis it was visually spectacular.
 

A small clematis.

The lovely kowhai.

  There is two good walks you can access from the camp.  The first one I did was when I already had plenty of fish in the fridge and the neighbours fridge as well so I couldn't really go fishing.  It was a lovely bush walk that started off through farm land then climbed up through the bush to the other side of the peninsula.  I arrived at a cliff top overlooking a lovely bay with the waves breaking on the rocks below.  Then the track headed off up a series of steps through the bush and climbed up to a high point then back around onto the farm again and back to camp.     Probably about an hour and a half all up.  I did this track twice more over the next few days and then Jocelyn joined me and we did the other one around to the Bland Bay lookout which also took about an hour and a half.
   We really enjoyed Puriri Bay but after about ten days, the last couple with a fair bit of rain we decided to move on again.  We continued on the road to Russell then turned off and took the ferry over to Opua.  It cost $35.00 all up for the ute and rig for the short crossing but it saves a lot of driving.  After following the road to Paihia we decided to stop for a late breakfast or early lunch.  Paihia is a pretty little town very much set up for the tourist trade.  The Bay Of Islands have so much to offer with the sandy beaches,  islands dotted every where you look and just the natural beauty of the area.  There are all sorts of tours to take on water or land and of course there is Waitangi, where a lot of our early history stems from.
  Jocelyn and I carried on to Kerikeri where we set up by the RSA for a while.  We met another couple there with a 5th wheeler who had just bought a section in Paihia to build on.  Pete was a builder so he was going to be busy for a while and probably not going to be travelling much.
    The next day dawned fine so we decided to head back to Waitangi and have a look around the treaty grounds.   We ended up joining a guided tour for $20.00 each which we found very informative and entertaining.  The weather was great with the sun shining and the outlook from the treaty grounds is amazing, looking out over the bay towards Russell and the islands further out.   You could feel the history of the place even though we are a relatively young country, and the more information we took in the more we could feel it.  After the tour around the grounds we went back in and went into the museum which we also found very interesting and informative.  Arriving back in Kerikeri we both thought we had had a good day.

The flag pole at Waitangi.Russellin the background.

Jocelyn outside the Waka shelter.

    From Kerikeri we decided to cross over to the west coast and go and look at some real big kauri trees.  We were't to be disappointed.  First we travelled down the Hokianga through Opononi and Omapere heading for the Waipoua Forest and eventually  onto the Kaipara Harbour district at Matakohe.  We first hauled up at Opononi and had lunch and a coffee on the side of the road.  The harbour here is beautiful looking across the water at the huge white sand dunes.  Opononi was made famous in the summer of 1955-56 when a friendly dolphin arrived to swim with the children in the shallows of the harbour.   This dolphin appeared every day right through the summer and was called Opo by the hoards of visitors attracted to the area.   Sadly it wasn't to last as  at the end of summer Opo was found dead on one of the beaches along the bay.

Opononi

   After lunch we went for a walk along the harbour then back in the truck and off to see Tane Mahuta in Waipoua Forest.   This famous kauri tree is a few minutes walk in from the main road and it is such a majestic sight.  I'm sure I could sit for an hour and just stare at this tree in wonder.  Stately only begins to describe this monolith.  It is estimated to be around 1200 years old and stands around 52 metres tall with a girth of around 14 metres.  Just amazing.

Tane Mahuta.

  After this we were keen to see more so we went to Trounson Kauri Park to stay the night which is a small Doc camp about 8 kms off the main road.  The book says not suitable for large vehicles but the locals reckoned she'd be fine so off we went.  When we got there it was just angle parking for vans and motorhomes but we got inventive and managed to squeeze in across ways at one end and hope not too many other campers arrived.  There is a loop track leading into the bush from the camp and after we set the camp up I headed off for a walk.  It wasn't long and I was coming across very impressive trees that had obviously been around a long time.  Not far in there is a tree there that is considered the oldest in New Zealand at approximately 2000 years old.  We were to find out later that there were older and larger ones around in earlier times but they were now gone.
   Trounson Park apparently has around 40 pairs of brown kiwi living in it's environs so you can go for night walks and see if any can be seen.   It was raining when I left the camper later that night and after about an hour and a half of  sneaking quietly along with the red filter on my torch I had seen nothing although I may have heard a couple moving around.  It was quite hard to see through the undergrowth in some areas.   I was up early and off for another walk and later before we left Jocelyn came for a walk  as well.   Kauri dieback disease is a real problem in these forests and is killing a large number of trees.  Steps are being taken to protect the kauri but time will tell how effective these steps will be.
   When we left Trounson park the plan was to head to Matakohe and check out the Kauri museum there.   But about 8kms down the road we stopped for a look at a business selling all sorts of kauri products from bowls to sculptures and then a room full of very high end furniture that was just stunning.  The prices were right up there too and out of our price range but really lovely.

Stunning sculpture at kauri museumAdd caption

Joc inside a kauri stump.

   So back on the road again and we arrived at Matakohe around 3pm.  It cost $25.00 each to enter the museum but we were told we could overnight out in the parking lot as we would need more time in the morning to cover everything inside.  And we could get back in on the same ticket.   The whole museum was fascinating and we were buzzing after our 3 hours that afternoon.  It covers a lot of history of the early days of milling and gum digging and the hard men who worked back in that era.  The trees themselves were highlighted in many ways and also a lot of the early families who settled in these areas and made a harsh living either from the farms or the bush.
  We were parked right outside the door so we settled back in with a wine and a beer and got the webber out and cooked a couple of nice steaks with a lovely salad and had a very pleasant evening.  Next morning I was up early and wandered through the cemetery across the road, and met a lot of the names I had been reading about in the museum.  After breakfast we were back inside again and wandered around for another hour and a half.
   We got back on the road again and headed across to leigh and booked into the Whangateau camping ground for one night.  This is a pretty little camp right on the estuary although it was raining again.  The facilities were first class and immaculately maintained.  The plan was for me to go snorkeling at Goat Island marine reserve.  The weather wasn't great but I expected to get wet anyway so away we went.  The snorkeling turned out really good although the visibility wasn't great.  I was being escorted around the bay by a group of nice size snapper and then you would see a large shape appear out of the gloom and a snapper I would estimate around 25lb would be cruising across in front of you.  Red moki were everywhere and when I dived down I found a number of large crayfish in the cracks and crevices.  All totally safe being a reserve.  Sometimes it's nice to just look.   Next it was off to Auckland to meet up with Dane and Laurie for dinner as the next day Dane turned 34 years of age.  We had a lovely evening catching up and seeing all the work that they had been doing around their place.
  Well we have had a great trip to Northland and now it's back home to do a bit of work around the house.
 

A tough month.

Jocelyn and I were parked at Miranda and had been for a swim at the hot pools. We intended staying a few days but we got a call from brother Ken that Joe (dad),had had a fall and was in hospital.  So we were packed and on the road back to Tauranga where we parked at Kens.  Then we were off to the    hospital in Rotorua to see Joe. He wasn't looking good at all when we got there and it turned out he was going to be in there for a while.  Over the next couple of weeks I got to spend a lot of time with Joe as when I got up in the morning I would have breakfast then head to Rotorua and spend the day with him.  Ken and Pip also came when they could but with me not working I was able to help out every day.  We also took turns staying the night when we thought Joe wasn't doing too well.  Then early one morning he had another fall by the bed and that set him back again.

  It was a tough time seeing Joe like that but it was also a good time as we got to talk about a lot of things and to reminisce about the early days when we were a tight family and growing up.  We talked about our first trips into the Ureweras where we would pack in and Joe would teach us our bush skills and setting up a comfortable camp for all weathers.  We talked about our camping holidays to the Coromandel and our love for fishing and snorkelling.  We also talked about getting out and doing things as nothing is forever.  Joe retired at 47 years old and got to do a lot of the things other people only talk about as people believe they have to keep working a full week long into their later lives.

  Joe rallied a bit after about 12 days and the doctors thought they would send him home.  He had a weak heart and he was having trouble with fluid retention on the lungs but he was looking much better.  I got to the hospital about 9am and Joe was already dressed and raring to go. Unfortunately hospitals don't take into account how keen you are to get home and it was about 1pm before all the paper work was produced.  Joe wasn't up to returning to his unit in the retirement village so I was taking him to Kens where it was going to be easier to keep an eye on him. Joe was very happy to be out of the hospital and Jocelyn and I had taken on a house sitting Job for Ken's neighbours so we were going to be right next door.  Joe sat up watching TV after Ken and Vicki went to bed then got into his PJs and went to sleep.  He died in his sleep sometime in the night.  It was unexpected as we thought he had come right to some degree.  But he had told me in one of our long talks in the hospital that when the time came he didn't want to hang around being ill but to just drop off quickly.  And that is just what he did.

  So to skip all the grieving and funeral bits you don't want to hear about within 5 days we had his unit totally emptied and cleaned. We had the family around to claim any possessions of Joes that they might like.  And at the funeral caught up with a lot of people we hadn't seen for a good number of years.  Joe was a well respected person and his service reflected that.  With Mum passing about 10 years ago and now Joe gone there is going to be a bit of a hole in all our lives for some time to come.

A bit of pest control on the house sitting job.

  Our house sitting job came to an end and it was a nice interlude for us.  It was quite nice to live in a house over the colder days of August.  And I also got to do a bit of stock work shifting 5 cattle onto their new breaks and feeding out a bale of hay now and again. But we are now back on the road.  We first went back to where all this started, to Miranda and back for a soak in the hot pools. Next we passed through Auckland and stayed at Uretiti DOC camp just south of Whangarei.  A very nice long sandy beach and nice camp.  But we are now back at Otamure Bay just north of Whangarei.  You go through Whananaki North then carry on over the hill and you come to lovely Otamure beach.

 Already we have butterfish and snapper back on the menu.  And we have been for a walk along the longest footbridge in the southern hemisphere we have been reliably informed.  It crosses the estuary between Whananaki North and Whananaki South.  493 paces.

some nice snapper from Otamure Bay.

Whananaki walking bridge.

  I went for a kayak one morning and when I pulled the kayak up the beach afterwards I found it was really heavy.   Turned out I had a hole in the keel and It was about half full of water.  A bit worrying seeing as I had been out over a km from shore.  It seems that where I had been dragging it to the water the sand had worn the plastic away.

  So we went in to Whangarei to a kayak shop where I bought a set of wheels so I can now wheel the kayak to the sea.  I also went to a plastic welder who welded a new bit of plastic to the keel.  We had a nice lunch at an Israeli cafe and went for a short walk down around the yachts at the Town Basin.
  Next morning I got to try out the new wheels for the kayak which work really well and managed to catch a couple of nice snapper for tea. And no more leaks so am definitely back in business.

The new wheels.

Joc on the beach at Miranda.

Fantail Bay

Jocelyn and I finally had the rig packed and hitched and we definitely had a sense of excitement as we rolled out of Ken and Vicky's driveway and finally pointed the truck towards the Coromandel Peninsula.  It was the last few days of June and the weather was getting colder but that just didn't seem to matter.  We had missed living in our mobile home and were keen to check out some more of our lovely country.
  The weather was looking a bit grey as we drove through the Karangahake Gorge on the way to Thames.  We had a technician organised for the following morning at Kopu just short of Thames to check why we couldn't get our heater to work on board.  I had tried a number of places in Tauranga but they either weren't keen to take it on or there was a ten day waiting period before they could get a chance to look at it.  So we stopped overnight at the golf club parking area and met the technician at 9am the following morning.  Unfortunately after checking everything he still hadn't come up with a solution.  He was very knowledgeable and put in a fair amount of time but couldn't come up with a reason why it wouldn't keep going.  Well we weren't going home again so we thought we would just persevere and keep trying to start it if we needed it.
   You wouldn't believe it but again I was starting to develop another infection in my leg so decided to get it checked before we headed up the coast.  All the doctors were too busy so we ended up at the hospital in Thames.  They decided to put a intraveinous antibiotic in to me which took about an hour and a half and gave me a prescription for two more antibiotics for ten days.  So hopefully that would keep me out of trouble and we could just carry on with our trip.

Waiomu Bay.  Thames Coast.

 That night we stayed at the reserve at Waiomu on the Thames coast.  It was a lovely spot with the sea right there and Pohutukawas spread through the reserve.  The weather still wasn't great with a few showers going through but very little wind.
  Next morning despite the doctor saying I should stay close for a few days we decided to take off for Coromandel town.  It's quite a windy narrow road along the Thames coast but very picturesque.  With the rig on, as long as you didn't rush things it was all very comfortable.
  We reached Coromandel and found the NZMCA park which has a driveway right beside the BP service station.  The grass areas were very wet after the rain so I backed it off the end of the metal area onto a slightly raised area of grass which was quite firm and dry.  We unhitched and had a bit of lunch then went for a drive. First we went up past Papa Aroha for a look.  The sea was fairly settled looking out to the many islands off shore.  Then we came back and went through town and along to Long Bay.  There is a motor camp there but you can drive in and use the public picnic areas and the boat ramp.  A very pretty spot with a lovely sheltered bay.
  The next afternoon I came back here with the kayak and paddled out for a fish.  I ended up at a mussel farm quite a way out and the wind was rising but first cast I hooked a very good fish.  It was stripping a fair bit of line from my reel but being inexperienced with kayaks in mussel farms it was all to come unglued rather quickly.  The pull from the fish dragged the kayak into the mussel ropes and then straight across the ropes into the next open area.  Unfortunately the fish was still on the other side and proceeded to wrap the line around the ropes.  That was curtains for the line and freedom for the fish.  It was starting to get late and the wind was up a bit so I started paddling back but stopped for a quick fish on the way.  I managed to catch quite a nice snapper so wasn't going back totally empty handed.
  The next morning dawned fine so I took the kayak around to Oamaru Bay and paddled out past the first island to the closest mussel farm.  I wasn't getting much action on the softbaits so I grabbed some mussels from the bouys and started using those for bait.  Straight away I hooked up on a good fish but again I ended up tangled in the lines with no fish. Bugger. I think I'm going to need a bit more practice in these mussel farms.
  Coromandel is a quaint little town that hardly seems to have changed since I was a kid.  I grew up in Thames and got to know the Coromandel Peninsula well in my early years.  Our family was always into camping and the outdoors and both sides of the peninsula became our playground.  Coromandel itself seems more geared up for the summer tourist trade as a number of the businesses  close over the winter months. Of course the mussel industry has grown and Coromandel mussels have made a big name for themselves.  It must be the biggest employer in the area. There are also a number of large oyster farms here as well.  I couldn't resist calling into the smoked mussel shop by the BP and sampling some of their yummy smoked chilli mussels and smoked garlic mussels.  Recommended.
  The plan was to carry on north of Colville to Fantail Bay and then onto Port Jackson and Fletcher bay.  We packed up after 2 days in Coromandel and followed the road to Fantail Bay.
 

Picturesque Fantail Bay.

A peek along the bay.

Rounding the last corner and pulling into the DOC camp at Fantail Bay I felt a strong feeling of nostalgia as my family had spent many weeks here when we were growing up.  This was one of our favourite places to camp for the summer holidays and it held many happy memories.  Of course in those days it wasn't a DOC camp.  Back then you could find an open area of ground anywhere along the coast and just stop and put your tent up.  There was only one other campsite occupied by a guy and his son who were hoping to get out for a fish the next morning.
   By the time we had got set up it was quite late in the day.  There was a bit of a breeze out on the water but the forecast for the next 3 or 4 days was great.  I have always loved a rocky coastline, much more than the sandy beaches most people seem to prefer.  I love scrambling over the rocks looking into the cracks and crevices and checking out all the little rock pools to see what they contain.  So it wasn't  long and I was doing just that and remembering these same pools and channels where the tide came through.  There was a channel out of the main surge where my brothers and I used to snorkel and hunt octopus so we would have bait for the next days snapper fishing.  It was starting to get dark so back to camp and look forward to what the next day would bring.
  The next morning dawned fine with very little wind.  I wasn't to know at the time but it was to stay like that for the next 4 days.  Magic.  The neighbours headed out in their small tinnie for a fish and I had decided to wait for it to warm up a bit and the tide to recede and then I would go for a spearfish.  When we were here all those years ago we found there was a good number of butterfish living in the kelp forest just off the shore.  They were vegetarians so weren't interested in taking a bait so if you wanted butterfish on your plate you had get in and spear them.  I was quite impatient to get in and have a look as I wondered if these fish had survived over the years or weather they had been fished out.
   The sea was calm and the water surprisingly clear as I put the jacket half of my 7mm wetsuit on.  I find putting a full 7mm wetsuit on when you are free diving is too bulky and you need more weight to get down. I don't find it too cold to have my legs exposed but I'm usually only in for about an hour and a half.  The first area I checked out I wasn't seeing much although there were a number of paua on the rocks but all of them undersized.  They just don't seem to grow to a legel size up here.  The kelp forrest was looking thick and in great order and as I cruised along I started to spot a number of butterfish. There were quite a few large rock structures with thick kelp around the edges and the butterfish were hanging around these.  I had bought a new hand spear or hawaian sling as they are known.  It was fibreglass and had a good weight to it so it wasn't long and I had three nice butterfish for dinner.  I spent a bit of time just looking around and I was very happy to see that there were butterfish here from juveniles about 4 inches long to large mature fish and in very good numbers.
   I was starting to get the shakes so it was time to get out.  Butterfish have a very firm white flesh and are excellent table fish so after a change into dry clothes and a hot cup of coffee I got the filleting done. I was looking forward to getting them into the pan.

Lovely butterfish fillets.

Butterfish with fins extended.

 Later in the day I got the kayak out and paddled out on a flat sea to see if there were any snapper around.  The guy next to us had only caught 4 that morning and was packing up and heading home.  Initially I wasn't getting much action until the evening change of light then they came on the bite.  I caught 6 snapper and kept 3 and had a very enjoyable fish.  Paddling back to shore on dusk the sun was a golden orb disappearing on the horizon and the last few strokes into the lovely sheltered bay I felt what a lovely country we live in.
  Over the next few days it was more of the same.  We were having to get a bit inventive on different ways to serve fish.  I made ceviche or kokoda or as we know it raw fish.  Depends weather you are eating French, Japanese, or Kiwi.  We had fish in just flour, or breadcrumbs,then batter, and even in a currie. An Australian couple from Adelaide stayed a night and they received a few fillets as well.  They had hired a camper and were looking around the north island for a month.
  The weather was just perfect so I was making the most of the spearfishing and kayaking.  Also the morning walks along the cliff faces were spectacular looking down into the clear water around the rocks and kelp.
  But eventually the weather took a turn for the worst so we hopped in the ute and went for a look at Port Jackson.  There is a large DOC camp there right on the beach all well set out.  A bit of surf was rolling in. It is a sandy beach with rocky headlands but getting out in the kayak I would be wet before I got through the waves.  Not a great prospect this time of year.  We carried on and had a look at Fletcher Bay at the end of the road. Again another DOC camp only about 7 kms further on from Port Jackson.   Again a very pretty spot with a nice camp.  But we figured we might as well stay at Fantail as we had the shelter and everything else we needed right there.  All these camps are virtually empty this time of year. Guess it's always nicer on a fine sunny summer day but you can still have a great time in these places in the cooler months.
 

A few snaps for dinner.

Fantail Bay DOC camp.

   The next day we went over the other side of the peninsula and had a look at Port Charles then Sandy Bay and Stoney Bay.  All very nice places all though the weather we were experiencing wasn't really presenting them in a good light.  Heading back to Fantail Bay almost felt like coming home.  I think we are going to be coming back here quite a bit over the next few years.  The next day we had decided to move on so I was up and in the water by 8am for a last go at the butterfish.  The visibility was very poor after all the rough weather but I managed to surprise a couple of them and we had fish for tea again.  We packed up slowly and about lunch time hit the road back to Coromandel.  The plan being to take the BlackJack road over to Kuaotunu were we could stay at our friend Johns section for a couple of days.

A month in the south.

Duck shooting got off to a slow start this season with very few ducks coming in early on.  The weather was very fine with no wind and a lot of ducks were flying high,probably straight out to the sea away from hunters.   As the day wore on the ducks started to come in a bit more so we ended up with 54 for the day.  It was the usual team of myself, Rod.Dane,James,  and this year Mick had come down as well.
 Jocelyn elected to leave the duck shooting to us so she was going to go over Arthurs Pass and see her  aunty Barbara for a couple of days then catch a flight to invercargill to Joel and Julies.

  We were shooting on Brian and Ingrids farm at Geraldine again.  We were looking through a photo album the other day and there was a photo there of us shooting on their farm in the year 2002 so we have been shooting there for at least 14 years.  So it's becoming a bit of a tradition.  Brian takes all four of their kids shooting with him and their friend Russell was also there this year.  I had known Russell when I was farming at Reporoa about 35 years ago.
  On the Sunday we had a shoot in the morning and then we packed up all the gear and headed back to the house.  James was going back to Kaikoura on his motorbike as he had school on Monday, and we were heading further south between Oamaru and Dunedin to a place called Flag Swamp for a shoot  on an estuary there.  We said our goodbyes to Ingrid and the kids for another year.  Thanking her for putting up with a house full of rough hunters and cooking us some great meals while we were there.
 

Flag Swamp. Tide coming in.

 At flag swamp we have to carry quite a bit of gear out on to the estuary including layout blinds and decoys.  Unusually there wasn't a lot of goose or duck sign around so we weren't expecting a lot of action.  We had a few birds come in and for some reason our shooting was very poor.  Then the tide started coming in right up around our blinds.  The last time we had been here at high tide we stayed high and dry.  But these must have been much bigger tides as water was right over the flats where we had the layout blinds sited.  As it started to get dark the ducks started to fly, so for about half an hour the shooting was full on.  Unfortunately my layout blind also started to take on water so in the end I had to abandon ship.  Luckily by then it was nearly full dark so we packed up and sloshed our way back to the truck with all our gear and loaded it onto the trailer.
   We then headed to a high country station for a couple of days hunting deer.   We travelled up through the station to a hut where we were to stay.  Brian and Russell had already arrived and had the fire going so we moved our sleeping bags in then cooked up a good feed of sausages, spuds, and peas.
   Dane wasn't that impressed with the accommodation being from Auckland.  Just because there was no electricity, no running water, and quite a good sprinkle of mouse droppings over the dining table and the mattresses.  I think he needs to get out more.

The Red Hut.

Hungry lads. 

 The next morning we were into the utes and working our way up into the high country.  We stopped at a high point and went for a walk to where we could glass from and see a lot of open ridges and valleys.  We spotted a few animals off in the distance but except for a few wild merino sheep nothing very close.  Brian and Russell decided to hunt from here so we left them and got back into the ute and headed further out the back.  We checked out another spot and were glassing when we spotted 3 tahr heading around a spur.  Then while looking for more Rod spotted some antlers in a clump of tussock quite a way down towards the bottom.  With this station you drive in and end up on top of the mountain, then you have to hunt down over the sides.  Unfortunately you find that when you get an animal you have to carry it uphill back to the top of the mountain.
  So while I watched through the binos for a while Rod, Dane and Mick headed over the side to try and stalk in on the stag in the tussock.  After a while I got up and followed them down. It is very steep country and it took awhile to get close enough.  Even then the stag was very hard to spot as it was virtually hidden with just part of it's head and antlers showing.  Rod had done well to spot it from way up the top.  It was Danes shot so he got a good rest but didn't allow for the steep downhill angle so his first shot went over it's head.  The stag seemed almost unconcerned and just sat still for awhile then it got to it's feet and started to move off.  At this time two more deer appeared out of the tussock.  Dane shot the stag and Rod swung onto a hind and dropped that.  So we now had a fair amount of venison to get back to the top of the hill.
  Danes stag was a good size animal and he was stoked.  There is a lot of feed for the deer here so they are in good nick.  After a few photos we got into the butchering and then we had to let the meat cool before it goes into the packs.  I had a pretty easy climb out as when I grabbed a stag hind quarter and slung it over my shoulder I received a very stern telling off and was told I wasn't carrying any meat out.  I think they all thought if I loaded up too much they might get the job of carrying me out.  I tried to tell them I was healthy again now but I still ended up just carrying the rifle.  It was a bit of a coincidence that the ridge we climbed out on we had previously nicknamed heart attack hill.  Rod and I a few years before had carried  meat from a very large stag from way down the bottom all the way to the top. It was a very steep drag to the top.
 

Very happy hunters.

Harvesting the meat.

  Russell shot a nice bull tahr on the steep country him and Brian hunted so it was a successful day all round.  The rain came in a bit that afternoon and we had a reasonably late start the next morning.  Once we got up high we got into some glassing and it wasn't long and we had numerous deer spotted.  Russell and Brian headed off again for a hunt and the rest of us worked out a plan to approach a number of deer we had sited.  We covered a bit of ground but by the time we got to where the deer were they had moved off.  We spotted two good sized pigs but we we decided to leave them in peace.
  After we got back to the hut we packed up and headed to Otematata where we had the use of a holiday bach or crib as they are known in the south.  We spent the next day on pest control hunting the wallabies up the Hakataramea Valley.  As always the ratio of shots fired to animals bagged was very poor as they are so agile on the steep tussock covered hill sides.
    After Dane and Mick left for the north Island and back to work I loaded a trailer and took some of Rods household stuff north to Kaikoura.  I stayed two nights with Catherine and James and Gracie,  then back to Oxford to drop off the trailer and then hit the road for Invercargill.  I stopped overnight in Clinton at grand daughter Monique and partner Gregs place.  Was great to catch up with them and see where they were living. Then the next morning I left for Invercargill.  Was good to see Joel and Julie also to meet up with Jocelyn again.  Julies parents Marg and John also arrived and we all headed off to the Bluff Oyster Festival.
 

Jocelyn likes them cooked.

Look at those Stan.

The festival was very crowded as tickets had been sold out.  The queues were long for anything being cooked but the raw oysters were easily accessible.  We all partook of these tasty treats either in their natural form or cooked in golden batter.  Available also were seafood platters, mussels, kinas, mutton birds and chowders. I tried mutton bird for the first time.  It was roasted and served on its own on a dish and sold as half a mutton bird.  I found it very tasty but rather oily so I think half a bird was enough in one sitting. All in all we all enjoyed the day.
  Joel and Julie left for Dunedin on Tuesday as Joel was having an operation on his nasal passage and tonsils etc.  Jocelyn and I moved to Monique and Gregs for one night  and enjoyed their company.  Next morning saw us in Dunedin visiting Joel at the hospital.  He was just being discharged after his operation.  He seemed to be reasonably comfortable but as it turned out this was the best he would be for a number of days.  While at the hospital Julie and Tia arrived.  So Joel and Julie  left to go back to Invercargill and we took Tia to a cafe as we hadn't seen her for months.  After a coffee we dropped her back to Knox House where she was living then it was back on the road to Oxford to help Rod with his shift to Kaikoura.
   Rod had done a fair bit of the cleaning but bathrooms, lounge, dining and  kitchen still had to be covered.  Then it was loading the trailers and we were on the road to Kaikoura.  While Rod and family had moved to Kaikoura, Sean, Michele  and Troy were leaving and going down country to the area around Methven and Mount Hutt to a new farming job.  John and Margot came down to help with the shift and I helped out with taking a load down to the new house.
  I went for a pig hunt with Rod and James one evening at Kaikoura.  We walked up the river bed a ways then climbed up a gut by a small stream. It was starting to get late so I left them to carry on and went off on my own and not long after they got onto a good boar with the dogs.  James snuck in on it and put in a good shot to the head, killing it instantly.  James was very pleased Dad was there as it weighed in at 130lbs, so Rod got the job of carrying it out.
 

James boar.

Sunset on the water.

Good to go fishing back home.

 Well we had some great family time down south but now it was time we headed north again as we had agreed to look after Ken and Vicki's dogs for them as they were off on holiday for a couple of weeks. But Joel had been having a hard time of it after his op. So Jocelyn headed back to Invercargill to help out while I crossed the straight and took the truck on to Tauranga.
  Joel came right after a few days so Jocelyn flew to Tauranga and now we are keen to get back in the rig and head to the Coromandel.  We also celebrated granddaughter Luca's first birthday while in Tauranga so another family gathering was had.

Camping on hold.

It's now May and we are back in the south island getting ready for duck shooting and hunting for ten days or so.  It's been a couple of very frustrating months for both Jocelyn and I.  We never did make it up to the coromandel. This leg of mine has taken a long time to come right and I haven't been able to get out and about like I normally do.  The worst restriction has been not being able to get in the water until the wound heals.  So swimming and snorkelling is out.

 IT has now all but healed although I still have to have it covered. So we are going to be around the central south island for a couple of weeks then we head south to Invercargill to see Joel and Julie and to go to the Bluff  oyster festival.  We will then head back to Oxford and help Rod shift to Kaikoura.

We have left the rig up north for this trip as we are only going to be down here a month.

In the last couple of months Jocelyn and I have been well looked after .  First at Heidi and Pauls at Papamoa.  We parked the rig on their driveway and spent some very enjoyable days there.   It's always fun to spend time with little Luca who is so happy and cheerful.   Heidi and Paul made us feel very welcome but after about 2 weeks we moved up to Ken and Vicki's up Mclaren Falls.  The rig has been pretty stationary for the last month but we did manage to go away for 3 days, if you can call going to Omokoroa away.  It was quite funny when fellow campers asked us where we were from and we said actually we are from here.  We camped down at the domain in the boat trailer park.  You are allowed to stay 3 nights there.  It is a very nice spot down there and would be great for the kayaks.  Especially as the weather was just perfect.  Getting up at day break looking out into the harbour the water was like glass with clear skies and no wind. Also it was a great opportunity to catch up with our neighbours and friends around Omokoroa.

We also managed to do a bit of maintenance on the section with hedge and tree trimming to keep the tenants happy.  Everything seems to be going well with the tenants.

So hopefully with a bit of hunting and shooting and a bit of travelling, this month I will have a bit more to write about.

Otemuri Bay.

Ken and Vicki left Matauri Bay for Tauranga on Saturday morning after their 2 week break came to an end.   Was sad to see them go as they were both great company and we enjoyed spending that time with them.  Jocelyn and I decided to head on down to Kerikeri and stay at NZMCA park there for a couple of nights.  I had picked up another leg infection and was on antibiotics so I wasn't allowed into the water, so snorkelling and swimming was out.  Iv'e been told I can get a bit grumpy when I'm not allowed out to play and have to sit around with nothing to do.

Enjoying a look at some of the large kauri trees around Kerikeri.

  Anyway I was on the mend by the time we got to Kerikeri so managed a walk along the Kerikeri river where the Rainbow falls are.  It's a lovely spot and the falls are quite spectacular.  The next day we decided to go and check out Whangaruru and Otemuri Bay to see if we wanted to camp at either spot.  Both of them have DOC camps there.  We went to Whangaruru first and thought it looked like a great place to camp although it was quite a drive into there on a rather narrow winding road.  We decided to have a look at Otemuri bay which was a bit further south.  We got there and had a look around the camp and at the beach.  It was a lovely looking spot so we decided we would move there the next day.

Rainbow Falls Kerikeri.

  Next morning found us heading south from Kerikeri and it wasn't long and I found the steering on the ute going all a bit wobbly so we pulled off the road a bit to find we had a flat tyre on the Ute.  Bugger.  Never mind we got stuck in and changed the tyre and got back on the road.  We stopped at Moerewa and got the tyre fixed and then headed to Otemuri Bay.  To get to Otemuri Bay you need to turn off SH1 and head to Whananaki.  Then follow the road to the DOC camp.   We got set up with a lovely view of the sea and it wasn't long and we had our feet up and our bodies winding down.  It is a very picturesque place with a lovely beach with rocks at each end.  Its nice snorkelling around the rocks with plenty of fish and sea life to see.   There were a lot of very small packhorse crayfish in some of the crevices and lots of leatherjackets swimming around.  Schools of piper were in the sandy areas on the verges of the reef.

  It is a very safe beach to swim at although the waves can still knock you around a bit.  The second evening we were there I went out for a fish on the kayak.  The sea was a bit rough further out but if I stayed within the shelter of the headlands I would be ok.  I landed quite a nice snapper early on then noticed some birds working further out and it wasn't long and it looked like they were heading in my direction.  So I started paddling out to meet them. They were working Kahawai on the surface so I thought if I could get a softbait down through them I might find some snapper underneath them.  Sure enough on the first cast I hooked up and landed a nice snapper.  So then I just stayed in the area the birds were and ended up with 5 nice fish to take back for dinner.  It was tempting to stay longer with the fish biting but I noticed the wind starting to rise and the sky was turning very black.

Otemure Bay.

Sunset Otemure Bay.

  As I came through the waves and beached the kayak the heavens opened up and it hosed down with rain.  So as I arrived back at the rig dragging my kayak I looked like a drowned rat.  We had met the people camping in a tent next to us.  Terry and Rosemary and her friend Di from the UK.  They were impressed with my catch and as there was plenty to go round I gave them a few fillets.  Terry and the ladies had been out in their small boat during the day and hadn't had much luck and he had anchored the boat out behind the waves in the bay and they had all swum into shore.

  The next few days we had a southeast wind blowing so the sea was pretty rough and not safe to take out the kayak, although I did take it around to the harbour over the hill and I thought if I snorkelled around towing my kayak behind I might spot flounder on the sandy bottom and be able to spear a few. But no flounder were spotted although I saw a few mullet and lots of parore.  There are a lot of pipis in there and I gathered a few oysters for a snack.

  I met a lady early one morning while I was wandering around the rocks.  She was carrying a knife so I asked her if she was getting a few oysters off the rocks.  She said no she was checking the edges and the rock pools for kina as kina were her favourite sea food but she didn't like to get in the water at all.  So I said I would go snorkelling later and gather a few for her.  Later in the day I took her about 15 good size kina so her and her husband were most grateful.

  I had one more session out in the kayak and it was still pretty windy and a bit rougher than it looked from shore.  First up I hooked a kingfish and although it was undersized it still put up a great battle.  It must have taken me about 15 minutes to get it in and unhook it for release.  I ended up getting blown across to the other side of the bay and I hit a patch of snapper over there and managed to land three legal ones and then I snagged on the bottom and lost my hook and it was getting windier and rougher so I got out the paddle and headed back across the bay to the beach.  Pretty happy I had enough for dinner.

3 small ones but enough for dinner.

  We enjoyed our stay in this camp.  We met some nice people here enjoying their camping as we do.  Jocelyn even took on the cold showers which was a first for her.  Although with autumn moving in I think cold water showering will stop as of now for her.  We left about 7am and headed for Tauranga on sunday.  It was an uneventful trip and we went up to Mclaren falls and parked on brother Kens lawn for the night.   Ken and  Mick had been down to New Plymouth for the weekend marlin fishing. They had caught 2 marlin and had numerous tales of others that had got away.  The next morning we moved down to daughter Heidi and Pauls place and parked on their driveway and caught up with our lovely granddaughter Luca.

She's getting mobile.

  We had returned to Tauranga because Jocelyns sister Jenny and husband Stan were over from Aussie for Jennies 60th birthday.  So it was a great chance for us to spend some time with them.  So over the next week we caught up with them when we could. And we had a birthday party for Jenny up at their good friend Lincolns place up Pyes Pa rd.

Jenny and Stan.

  Unfortunately around this time I contracted another leg infection and this time I ended up in hospital and had an operation on my leg to clean out the infection so at this point we are at Heidis while I recover.  I need a nurse to come and change the dressings every 2 days and will be checked at the clinic in about a week then we intend to head for the coromandel.  So we can't wait to get back out there.