Sex on the beach.

No.  It's okay it wasn't us.  Perish the thought. It's spring, and everywhere you look they are doing it.  The wildlife I mean.  The seagulls and the oystercatchers.  There are ducklings and cormorants feeding their young. Those nasty pukekos with their lanky fluff ball babies following them around.  That's when they aren't running in and snatching another wee duckling to kill and take off into the scrub.   The California quail are pairing up and some of the males are having epic scraps with other males over the best looking hens.  It's all on.  Everything seems to be procreating and feeding their young. Even a mating pair of NZ dotteralls scurrying along the sand.

Very demanding cormorant chicks.

So cute but the pukekos took all of this brood over a week we were there.

 
And us humans are anticipating more warm sunny weather and looking forward to the hot summer months ahead.  We have spent most of the winter up in the so called winterless north. And yes we certainly enjoyed not having to put up with the very real cold you get in the south island.  A lot of our time we spent in the areas we know quite well with just the odd excursion further afield.
  One of those excursions took us to the Kaipara Harbour at Tinopai to a small camping ground right by the water.  I think in the future it would be good to come this way a bit more and really explore the area.  There is a lot of early history over there regarding fishing and of course the early settlers and the Kauri logging industry.
  We didn't stay long, only 5 nights. We really struggled with one inconsiderate camper who brought motorbikes with them and thought it was ok to ride them around camp 3 or 4 times a day.  Round and round they would go while the rest of us were trying to enjoy the peace and quiet.  Maybe I am getting grumpy in my old age.  Although I can't think of any other public camps that would allow that.

First Kaipara fish. 

  The Kaipara is a huge harbour and I only explored a very small piece of it in my kayak.  I did a bit of fishing and managed a few nice fish while we were there. Giving some away to other campers and one of the locals. The currents are very strong in this harbour so you need to be aware and consider your route according to the tide or you may find yourself  battling against the flow. Further exploration will definitely be required at a later date.  I still forget to get my camera out when I arrive somewhere so unfortunately the photo above is the only one I took there.
  From here we travelled up to Dargaville and restocked at the super market, and then crossed back over to Whangarei. We then headed north to Otamure for a few days.  I found the fishing pretty hard but still managed to get a few snapper for dinner. And one morning I managed to land a very good kingfish after quite a battle, so that fish was shared around camp with some also ending up in the smoker.

    Our kayak fishing friends Dave and Donna were arriving on Saturday so we packed up and moved to Puriri on the Friday  to get camp set up.  Roger and Lorraine were still there enjoying the sunny weather though they had been putting up with a fair bit of wind.  I got straight in to the fishing as I do and pretty quickly had enough fish to feed a fair few of the campers.

Straight in to nice fish at Puriri.

The large wasp nest at the end of the beach.

  Hank and Wilhelmina whom we had got to know here previously were camped further along, and I was pleased to hear he was being successful with the soft baiting tips I had given them on my last trip here.  Hank had been to town and invested about $500.00 on a softbait rod and reel with new jig heads and softbaits filling his tackle box. Hank had caught a number of large snapper he showed me on his phone.
  Dave and Donna arrived the next day and the timing was perfect for their holiday as over the next week the weather turned out amazing.  Sunny skies and warm weather.  The fishing was pretty good too with both of them catching some very nice snapper and Dave landing two very large John dory. The camps new managers arrived and they are a young couple who are very easy to get along with.  Unlike the last managers who ran the camp.

Dave and Donna.

Big snapper.  Whose finger is that?

  All too soon Dave and Donna were off back to work. A few days later we had to move back to Otamure for a week.  On the DOC pass we can only stay for 2 weeks then we have to leave that camp for a week before we can return. John and Margot gave us a call and said they were on their way north to spend a week or so with us in their new 5th wheeler. John was keen to give his new kayak a work out and get a few tips on fishing out of it.  It would also be a good shake down trip for them before they headed down to the south island.
 I did get a chance for a spearfish before they arrived and managed to spear a nice porae.  I had been towing it around on my string and float for a while when I dived down and caught a crayfish.  I tied this onto my string then looked around as a large bronze whaler cruised past obviously intent on stealing my porae.  Lucky I was close to shallow water so I managed to get my fish in close enough before he could grab it.  Our friends Dave and Shellie with their 5th wheeler had arrived while I was in the water so it was good to see them again.
 Next day John and Margot arrived and we were keen to look at their shiny new rig.  It is beautiful inside and looks very similar to ours on the outside.  But it all looks and smells so new. Awesome new home.

The flash new rig.

John and Margots rig, then us, then Dave and Shellie.  All 5th wheelers.

 After a couple of days the fishing was still hard and there was still a fair bit of wind so we made the decision to go back to Puriri and the more sheltered waters of the Whangaruru harbour.
  It wasn't long here and John started to catch some fish. Although one of his first encounters was with a rig, or spotted shark.  These fish are good eating often called lemon fish in the shops.  I told John he needed to cut off its head and gut it to keep the ammonia taste from the flesh that sharks are known for.  As he didn't have a knife I came over and cut its head off and he gutted it.  In the back it went and I drifted off to do a few more casts.  A short time later John landed a John dory and turned to put it in the back when he noticed the shark was gone.  That shark struggled so much even though it's head and guts were gone it had  wriggled over the side and escaped. He might have trouble seeing where he is going now though.

He looks like he might have had one or two of those.

This is the life.

A few to take with us when we leave.

   Over the next few days we enjoyed some good family time as well as a bit of fishing.  The odd wine and beer were consumed in the evenings and lot's of good quality fish fillets eaten and shared around the camp.  Then John and Margot were off on their new adventure back to Rotorua and then off down the south island.  We can only hope they enjoy their retired life and travels as much as Jocelyn and I do.
  We had the rig booked in to get fixed at Kopu so it was also time we packed up and hit the road south.  We would be staying at Ken and Vickis over the next couple of weeks, although we also spent a weekend at Dane and Lauries in Auckland.  We had a good weekend visiting the markets and checking out the viaduct and generally just good family time.  But Friday we pick the rig up again and we will be back on the road.  Sounds like we are going to check out the Hawkes Bay.  Iv'e heard the fishing is not great down there but I guess I will find out.  You are probably sick of fishing photos anyway.
 
 
 

I made it to 60.

Thats right I am now officially an old fart having reached 60 years of age.  Being 60 is actually not that bad.  Ok, the old body sure lets you know that you are no spring chicken anymore but life goes on and it is up to you to get on with it and enjoy doing the things that you like to do. Like catching big snapper and camping around NZ.
  At the other end of the scale we were able to welcome Heidi and Pauls new wee daughter Aliya in to the world.  Heidi sure gets on with things when she sets her mind to it.  She went to the hospital at 6am.  Gave birth at 8am and was back home at 1pm.


Remember,  to see the really big picture click on the photos.  Haha.

Before

After.

The new arrival.

  Jocelyn and I were parked on their driveway again and looked after wee Luca for a few days while Heidi and Paul settled in to having a new arrival in the house.  It was again great to spend a bit of time with them all but after about 10 days we packed up and left them to it.

Nana having cuddles.

  We had previously been enjoying the winterless north, so we could see no reason not to head back up there for the rest of the winter and early spring.  On the way we called into Autotech in Kopu to check out the back of the rig.  When we had the issue with springs and stubb axles awhile back a seam had opened up between the side and back walls of the rig .  So being still part of our insurance claim I thought a professional had better check it out.

  Lucky we did as they think the floor and the back wall have separated so they definitely need to be pulled apart and reattached.  They expect to do this work sometime in October so in the mean time we will adjourn back up north and attempt to catch a few of those large snapper that appear in the far north every spring.
  Our first stop was again at friends Jerry and Megs in Whangarei.  It is a long drive up north and it is great to have a stop over point on the way and enjoy great company and a few drinks.  Our plan was to head back to Matauri Bay for a week and then decide where to go after that.  We arrived at Matauri Bay camp and our previous site was vacant so we moved straight back in.  The sites on either side of us were still occupied by the people who were there when we were last here.  It seems to become like a small community through the winter up here with campers settling in for a few months on their sites.  They are all friendly and helpful and get together to socialise and discuss where the fish are and who's catching what.

Pete from next door after converting to soft baits.

  Friends Roger and Lorraine from Whananaki also arrived for a few days in their caravan.  Jocelyn and Lorraine had started playing canasta last time we had got together and straight away they resumed their sessions, with a few wines to keep those thought processes open.  I got out 2 or three times in the kayak but there was a persistent swell coming in and launching and landing was becoming a bit exciting.  I was tipped out in the waves coming in the first morning but luckily Jerry had shown me how to set up a line to tie your fish in. So all my fish stayed in the kayak.  Unfortunately my reels got a dunking so they had to be stripped down and cleaned.  Lucky my rods didn't get broken.  Still I provided a bit of entertainment for the neighbours as they all watch people coming in through the waves to see who survives and who gets bowled over.  One day I need to get out there in the waves with the kayak and get a bit of practice coming in.

Heavy nylon through fish gills saved losing them.

 A kayak club was there for awhile and we watched a few of them get tipped out after fishing. One guy lost his fish as well.  Then later on they all went out for a play in the waves.  It was very entertaining to watch as they all got tipped out a number of times.
   After our week was up Jerry and Meg were keen to meet up with us for a few days.  Meg was relief teaching at Hikurangi school so it needed  to be close enough that she could commute on the couple of days she had to teach.  So we decided to give Puriri Bay a go.  Jocelyn and I stocked up with supplies in Kerikeri then travelled on to Puriri.  The grass areas were all still fenced off as the ground was still very wet. But we backed in to an area on the hard stand that would get all day sun and set up camp. We had the choice of sites as we were the only ones there. The kayaks were pulled down off the roof and made ready.  Then out came the coffee machine and a good brew to celebrate being back at Puriri Bay.  Next day Jerry arrived in their camper van and after school Meg rolled up in the car.
  The first time Jerry and I went out fishing we were very successful with a good haul of snapper.  It was great fishing here in relatively sheltered water.  It's a lovely sheltered bay and makes for excellent  launching and landing in the kayaks.  And you can still catch fish quite close in if the wind is blowing further out in the bay.

A good combined haul.

  The next morning we went out and fished quite close in.  We had a very short bite time but I was lucky enough to hook a couple of very good fish.  The biggest estimated around 23lbs.  Then the bite just stopped so we went in for breakfast.  I went out later on and had another good session releasing two snapper around the 15lb mark and landing a few more very respectable snapper along with a couple of small John Dory.

Not bad for an old wrinkly.

Just damn nice fish.

Released to catch  again when it gets bigger.

Also released.

Jocelyn and Meg have been walking each day doing the bush walk loop that takes about an hour and 15 minutes.  I did it one day and with my crook feet it took me 2 hours 15 minutes. I felt a bit broken by the time I got back.  I think another Urewera trip could be a while away.  At least I get a bit of exercise paddling a few kms in my kayak.
 That night we had a bit of a celebration dinner for my birthday the next day.  We had a lovely sirloin steak dinner and Jocelyn had made a yummy sultana cake for my birthday cake.  The next day I turned 60 and it turned out a bit of a rough day.  I think my body went out in sympathy as I felt crook all day.  Sometimes I think all those pills I take catches up with me and knocks me over for a while.  Meg left early for school and Jerry went out for a fish and came back with a couple of  nice snapper to take home.  He packed up and headed off home in the afternoon.

Couple of good ones for Jerry on the last day.

Big Johnny.

Evening fish. the dory were out feeding.

  Next day I was back to normal and back out fishing.  Caught a good snapper around 12lbs and a very large john dory.  We certainly get to eat fish a lot when you come to Puriri Bay.  We had stocked up the freezer with meat when we left Tauranga and weren't actually using any of it.  Sometimes it is good to have some red meat.
  We are leaving here on the 18th of september and dropping the rig off at Jerry and Megs.  Then the next day travelling to Hamilton for a small procedure on my heart at Waikato Hospital. We are staying in a motel for two nights then on to Tauranga for a few nights at Ken and Vickis.  Then back up North again for a while.  Not sure where yet.  But time will tell.

My flash new slippers knitted by Meg.  Just for a 60 yr old.

Winter at Matauri Bay.

My last snapper caught at Puriri Bay before leaving.

After another lovely time at Puriri Bay we were moving further north to Doubtless bay area where we were to meet up with Rod, Catherine and Grace who were on their winter break from the farm.  The cows were dry and the stock off to winter grazing so they were looking forward to some well earned time off.  They were staying in Taipa at their friend Barry's place.
  Jocelyn and I decided to stay at Hihi Beach camp which is at the southern end of Doubtless Bay and only about 15 minutes from Taipa.  The camp is quite small but very tidy and the beach is right across the road.  On day two I got the kayaks down and got rigged up for a fish.  Rod,  Catherine and Grace arrived for lunch and were obviously looking forward to their time up in the far north.
  After lunch I got Rod sorted with what he needed in Jocelyns little kayak and then we wandered across the road and launched them into the bay.  We paddled out straight from the camp only about 200 metres and deployed the softbaits.  !0 minutes later I had a snapper in the back that weighed close to 14 lbs.  Rod was in a bit closer and had been getting a few hits then his rod buckled over and he was into a good fish.  I had the only net so after seeing him getting towed around I thought I better get over there and offer some assistance.  It was a bit of a circus but I eventually manouvered my kayak close enough and managed to slip the net under a really nice snapper of around 10 Ibs.
  Rod was pretty stoked.  Not a bad effort being his first time soft baiting and fishing from a kayak.  Then to top it off a little while later he repeated it with another snapper around the same size.  The fishing up here is really amazing.  We were straight across the road from the camp only a couple of hundred metres out and catching quality fish like that in the middle of the day. Needless to say Rod was a happy camper and after a couple more nice fish were landed we headed in.

 Catherine and Grace had gone back to Taipa so Jocelyn met us on the beach with the camera.  Rod and I got out our fish  and stood together for photos.  This is where the number one son issue becomes apparent again.  Later in the day after reviewing the photos,  even though we were standing together holding our fish there is no sign of me in any of the photos.  A little bit of my snapper at least makes a couple of the shots.  It's alright I'm getting used to it so I don't need to run off to see an analyst.  I will cope.  Haha
 

A bit of my snapper made the shot.

We were all going to Barry's place at Taipa for dinner so we took all the fish around there for filleting and cleaning.  Some of the bigger fillets we set aside for smoking and the rest were processed ready for the fry pan.  Barry made us feel very welcome and over the next few days he took us out fishing   in his boat and Rod did a couple of free dives looking for kingfish.  A couple were spotted but he was unable to get a shot.  Winter not being a great time in close for kings.
   We also went for a drive up to Cape Reinga for the day. Being such a clear day, looking out from the Cape the Three Kings Islands were visible in the distance.  These Islands are another of those places I have always said I would visit one day and go fishing.  I Guess I should get onto that as I am not getting any younger.
 On the way back we took the road down to the Te Paki stream which leads you past the big sand dunes then onto 90 mile beach.  Rod, Grace and I climbed up one of the big dunes so Grace could surf down on her board.  Unfortunately we had just had a heavy shower of rain and with the dunes being wet the board wouldn't slide so that plan turned into an epic fail.  Never mind, we carried on down the stream until we came across some people well and truly stuck in the sand and needing help from a four wheel drive.  After that was all sorted on to 90 mile beach we went.

Grace on that perfect white sand.

Looking along the coast from the cape.

 Catherine you are hiding from the camera again.

Cape Reinga light house with Rod and Grace.

 It was a good trip down the beach.  We stopped a couple of times and collected tuatuas and rod spotted a seal hiding behind a log and having a snooze.  The rest of the trip was uneventful except for the few times Rod missed seeing the dips in the sand and we hit them at speed and our heads were in danger of colliding with the roof.
  We all had a good time at Doubtless bay and us at Hihi camp.  Rod and family left for Tauranga and then Rotorua to catch up with family and friends and Jocelyn and I packed up and moved to Matauri Bay.  This is a commercial camp in a beautiful setting right on the beach with the Cavalli Islands spread out from the bay.   There are quite a few people who winter over here in their campers.  The couple next to us stay here every year for up to 8 months.  We arrived late in the day and got set up, and the following day as we were short on supplies we went to Kerikeri and stocked up on essentials like wine and beer.  Oh and some groceries. Haha.  The next couple of days the weather really packed it in with strong winds and a bit of rain.

Matauri Bay.

  Then unfortunately I got crook again and ended up in hospital for a few days but I came right and by then we were to travel to Katikati and look after Ken and Vicki's place and their dogs while they were on holiday .  So I never got to do much at Matauri for the first 10 days or so.  While in Katikati we made sure to catch up with a number of friends and family we hadn't seen in a while .We also had grand daughter Luca stay a couple of nights and we had a great time getting to know her again.

Luca exploring at Ken and Vicki's.

We had lot's of fun.

  On the way back up north we stopped overnight in Whangarei at Jerry and Megs place who we had got to know while camping at Otamure Bay .  We had a very pleasant evening with a great roast dinner and a good number of wines as well.  What great company you meet doing what we are doing.

  We are now back at Matauri Bay and really enjoying it.  The fishing is really good here with plenty of good sized snapper.  Jerry and Meg came and stayed a few days and we met up for happy hours and evening meals.  The people camped here are great company. Most of them living in their campers permanently.  When I got crook and was in hospital they all helped out Jocelyn and had her over for evening drinks and snacks.  Happy hour here is full of laughs and as most of us are older types, a lot of memories and reminisences.   The camp has a winter rate fee of $125 dollars a week which includes power and all the use of the camp facilities including as many showers as you like. So all up it's pretty cheap living.  And when you wake up and look out the window why would you want to be anywhere else.

Great fish filleting facilities.

Looking out at a small part of the Cavalli Islands.

 The Greenpeace ship," Rainbow Warrior," has it's final resting place out here at the Cavalli Islands.  It was scuttled to be used as a dive site a number of years ago.  There is a monument up the top of the headland that looks out over the Cavallis and this in itself is worth a trip to Matauri Bay to look out and view this beautiful piece of New Zealand.  And maybe to also think back to that amazing piece of history that was the Rainbow Warrior tragedy.

The rainbow warrior memorial.

Another nice Matauri Bay snapper.

Breakdowns and duckshooting.

Jocelyn and I had a good time at Fantail Bay again, meeting up with 2 groups of campers we had met there before.  Bike riding, snorkelling and Kayak fishing taking up most of our time.
  Remember to click on the photos to enlarge.

Beautiful Fantail Bay.

But it was on our way back down the coast the dramas started.  Coming into Colville there was a scraping noise then a solid lurch from the rig and I eased the truck onto the road verge.  Getting out and having a look I could see broken axle springs and the axle it self had moved out of alignment, which was what had caused the rig to lurch sideways.

One tyre was damaged and a rocker arm on the opposite side was broken as well.  So we were immobile until we could get help.  That help came in the form of Mike McCall who runs a small engineering garage at Papa Aroha.  What a life saver he turned out to be.  He put a chain block around the axle and hauled it into line and we had a slow trip to his workshop where we parked up on the lawn.  He and his wife Ngaire live on the property and Mike said his family have been there for 5 generations.  Mike and I dismantled everything and then Jocelyn and I ended up in Rotorua getting new springs made at Archers and profile cutting new rocker arms. Trying to get new parts from the United States just wasn't happening.

All this took a week or so while we stayed at John and Margots.  It was great to spend time with them especially as they are retiring soon and have put a deposit on their own 5th wheeler, so we were able to plan future travels with them.  Getting back to Papa Aroha with all the new parts we were invited over to Mike and Ngaire's for drinks.  What a very hospitable couple they are.  They made us feel so welcome and treated us like old friends.  And after all the dramas were eventually sorted we were told we would be welcome to park on their lawn anytime we came to the area for as long as we liked.

Broken rocker arm.

Sitting on blocks

Solid plate steel.  These ones won't break.

  Anyway Mike and I spent the next morning drilling holes in the new rocker arms and getting everything bolted back on to the rig and fitting the new tyre back on.  Then we said our goodbyes and took the road to Coromandel.  We needed to empty the tanks at the dump station so called in there and then as we took off I looked in the mirror and couldn't believe it when I saw a wheel fall off the rig and tip onto the road.  Getting out and having a look I could see the stub axle had broken and when the wheel fell off the brake shoes had fallen out and gone through the side wall of the brand new tyre we had fitted less than an hour before. " Damn it."  It was a bit of a head in the hands moment.  I got on the phone to Mike and he came in and we decided to limp around to the NZMCA camp on three wheels, which was  just around the corner and we  got underneath and dropped out the axle.  Mike was feeling pretty bad for us too but obviously when the spring had broken previously and the axle had gone out of alignment that is when the stub axle had cracked.  And as it turned out we were quite lucky it had happened when we were so close to the camp where we could park up and get it fixed.


  So after loading the axle onto the back of the ute by this time it was late afternoon on Friday so I had to wait until Monday morning to drive to Thames and find an engineer to help us out.  On the third try I found JCD Engineering who turned out to be another company who really try to look after their customers.  As it turned out we couldn't get everything completed before we had to leave for the south island for duck shooting.  So we left the rig in Coromandel and took off for Wellington.
  We were going to stay overnight in Wellington as our ferry was the next morning at 9am.  Our nephew Lance had recently purchased a house in Owhiro bay around the coast a bit. So he was happy to put us up for the night. It was great to catch up with Lance again who was a bit envious of me going shooting.  Lance used to shoot with us down there a number of years ago but with his busy lifestyle he finds it very hard to get the time now.  Lances girlfriend Colleen came around as well and we spent a very pleasant evening having dinner and yakking. Thanks Lance, and we loved your house.

The crossing was smooth and we landed in Picton and headed straight off to Kaikoura.  It really seems easy now using state highway one again rather than taking that long Lewis Pass road.  Rodney was on his new deck having a beer or three with his neighbour Nigel when we pulled up so it didn't take too much persuasion to crack the lid off a bottle myself and for Jocelyn to find a bottle of wine.
   Since last there the house had a makeover.  Not only a lovely large deck out front but new double glazed aluminium joinery and a new kitchen with all new carpet and Lino as well.  Rodney doing most of the work himself.  Looks awesome.

Friday arrived and Jocelyn and I were to pick Dane up at Christchurch airport on the way to Geraldine.  Was good to see Dane again and he was looking as keen as I to get into the shooting.  Things were to be a bit different this year as grand daughter Monique was working on the farm we were shooting on so we were going to stay with her rather than at Brian and Ingrids. And Moniques friend Crystal was going to shoot with us. Just before dark we went down to the maimai and set out all the decoys.  There had been a flood through there early in the week and the water had been right up through the middle of the maimai. So we had a bit of mud to contend with.

That night it was around to Brian and Ingrids for the traditional night before shooting dinner and socialise.  Its always good to see them all again and feel so welcomed.  Jocelyn was with us this year but she was off to Invercargill the next morning to stay with Joel and Julie for a few days.

The female crew.

The outlook from the maimai.

  The maimai was going to be a bit crowded this year. We had the usual shooters Rod, Dane, James, and myself, then Crystal was shooting and for support staff we had Monique and Gracie supplying coffees and loading cartridge belts.  Initially the ducks were a bit slow arriving but we ended up getting a steady stream of them coming in during the day.  We ended up with 70 for the day which is reasonably good.  Our last years tally of 140 was one out of the box and we weren't really expecting that again.  We got another 20 or so the following morning then it was around to the offal hole to pluck and breast the harvest.  All up with all  the maimais there was over 200 ducks off the farm for the weekend.
  The following day it was goodbye to everyone for another year then back up to Kaikoura.  We had an excellent meal of roast wild duck cooked in the webber with all the roast veggies and gravy to go with it.  Yum.  Meals like that take a bit of beating.
  Rod and Dane did a bit of hunting at the neighbours. I was still stuggling a bit with arthritis so was finding the walking a bit tough at the moment.  They both got a deer each.  We also had a night up in a hut on the neighbours station and a few goats got bowled and a bit of meat harvested.

Nigels back country hut.

Rod and Dane back from a hunt.

  In no time it seemed Dane was back to the airport and we had to get up early to catch the ferry in Picton.  Unfortunately sometime between when we left Rod's and we got to the northern side of Kaikoura they closed the road to Picton because of rockfalls.  Which meant we had to book on an afternoon ferry and wait for the road to open.  We eventually got through and made the ferry for a 2.15pm sailing which meant we got in to Wellington around 6pm.  And we arrived in Rotorua at John and Margots around 11.45pm.  A very long day after getting up at 5.30am.

The following day we were on our way back to Thames to pick up the repaired axle.  They had found the stubb axle on the other end was also cracked so had replaced that as well.  So in theory we were back in business.  Then it was back to Coromandel where we were met by Mike who put it all back together.  Unfortunately we also found that while we were away the freezer hadn't been working and there was a very unpleasant soup floating in the bottom of it.  Fortunately I had to help Mike with fitting the axle while Jocelyn cleaned out the horrid mess in the freezer.  There were a few gagging noises emanating from up above us as we worked but we both tried to look very busy.  It sounds like insurance will cover a fair bit of the cost of the axle repairs and as yet we may have to do a claim to replace the fridge and freezer as after about three weeks it's still pretty unpleasant when you open that freezer door.

After many thanks to Mike for all his help we hitched up and pointed the rig towards Thames.  We called in at JCD engineering again and got them to test the other axle for cracks.  They found no problem with it so with a sense of relief we headed for the far north.  The first night we stopped at Uretiti Beach just south of Whangarei and ended up staying 3 nights.  It was like winding down.  When we were in business you had to deal with problems all the time but now when problems occur it seems like a real inconvenience and you struggle to cope with it.  You almost feel like you are waiting for something else to break or go wrong.   I think the only cure is probably to go fishing so with that in mind we headed to another of our favourite camps. Otemure Bay.

We parked up on our usual spot where we can look out over the sea.  After getting settled in I had a bit of a wander down the beach and the water looked so clear, so I thought I would go for a snorkel and take the speargun for a swim.  The 5mm Wettie suit was doing the job and keeping me warm and I even managed to sneak up on a couple of snapper and head shoot them for dinner.  There were a few small crays around, both reds and packhorse but nothing of any size. With snapper for tea things felt like they were back to normal.

A couple of nice pannies with the spear.

  The next morning I was keen to get out in the kayak for a fish so I was up fairly early and out to a reef where I had caught large snapper before.  I hooked up almost immediately and the line was getting stripped off my reel at a great rate.  It was definitely a good fish. I was in shallow water with kelp and rock all around and this fish played dirty trying to get into the reef. At one point I thought I was going to end up on the rocks as the swell was lifting the kayak up and into the foaming white water.  Eventually I started to get the upper hand but was applying a lot of pressure to the line.  Then looking down I could see colour then this very large snapper rose up through the clear water and after it tipped on it's side I eased it into my landing net.  This fish was definitely 20lbs plus. Not a bad start for the morning.  After slipping him into the back I spent the next hour or so landing a few more keepers and also losing 2 other large snapper when the hook pulled.  But I  was pretty content with my morning fish.

The big fellow.

He was in such good condition.  The fish I mean.

  We met up with Roger and Lorraine who we had first met in this camp.  They had a dairy farm about 10kms up the road and had just employed a 50/50 share milker.  Once they have tidied everything up with the sale of cows and the transition of the new share milker they plan to travel around in their caravan like we do in our rig.  We also got to know Morris and Anna from Kerikeri who also came over for drinks and it turned into quite an evening.  Lorraine loves crayfish so her and Roger came down to collect one I had caught and a few too many drinks were consumed that night.  Poor Jocelyn was not feeling well the next morning.  It turns out Lorraine said she wasn't that well either the next day.

I ended up supplying most of the camp with fresh snapper and the camp hosts received a fillet of kingfish for their large family while we were at Otemure. I smoked the other fillet of kingfish in the webber, and that came out a real taste treat. That large snapper fed 4 different campers and they all said how lovely it was to eat. People say those large fish are no good to eat but I disagree as I have found those large well conditioned fish are excellent to eat. Just as well, as I really like to target those big ones.

Those kingis can really pull on light gear.

Early morning excursion.

  From Otemure we have moved on to Puriri bay again for a few days.  The weather was great when we arrived but has now turned to wind and rain. The last couple of days Jocelyn and I have been helping with tree planting in the DOC reserve over the hill from camp which was quite rewarding.  We have met a few of the locals who seem very keen about the resurgence of the kiwi population that these new plantings encourage. We are going to be moving further north shortly so will keep you informed of our future travels.

Yum. Puriri Bay John dory.

Stunning Puriri Bay on a fine day.