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.

Summer holidays.

After spending a bit of time with family around Tauranga we were keen to go exploring again.   I had done a bit of kayak fishing in the Tauranga harbour on the outgoing tide and managed a few nice snapper for the pan.   Then on a whim we decided to go and check out rerewhakaitu lake off the Murupara road.  We went to the DOC camp about 2kms along Ashpit rd from the Brett rd turn off.  We set up close to the lake and it wasn't long and we were swimming and kayaking in the very warm waters.  Many years before I used to come to Rerewkakaitu for an evening trout fishing after I had finished milking the cows at nearby Reporoa.

 I found the fishing tough going this time round as the water was so warm a lot of the fish were down deep in the cooler waters so fly fishing the edges was proving unsuccessful. Mick came out for the day on saturday and we jumped into the kayaks and spent 3 or4 hours fly casting with zero results.  Then the rain came in and it bucketed down for the rest of the day.  Ken and Vicki arrived for the day on sunday and they brought Joe {Dad} out as well.  When Joe had his camper van he came to Rerewhakaitu many times with mum to do a bit of fishing.  So it was good to reminisce on those good times shared.
  Margo and John also arrived bringing the boat with them and they tried jigging out in the middle and straight away caught fish.  I had seen a few dead fish around and the ones we eventually caught didn't seem to have much energy,  and the ones we released took awhile to recover.  So I think the warm water temperatures were having a serious effect on the trout in the lake.
  Anyway we had a great time with John and Margot and the rain started to come in the next day so we packed up and headed to Tauranga for a couple of days then we hit the road for Auckland.  Anyone who knows me will think I would be a bit tense heading into Auckland traffic with the rig on and they would be right.  But I must say we both kept our cool and arrived at Hendersons Tui Glenn park at the NZMCA park with our sanity reasonably intact.
  That evening we went to son Dane and Lori's place.  Dane had just taken delivery of his new boat,a bow rider Bayliner.  He's keen to get it set up how he wants it and will be using it for wake boarding and diving and fishing eh Lori.  We had a great evening as Lori's parents and the flatmates were there as well and Dane cooked up an awesome BBQ  with salads to match.
  Next night we were off to Jocelyns sister Joans place and were meeting Dane and lori there as well. Also Marie and Rob and Ben so it was turning out a great family catch up.  Joan cooked us a beautiful roast of beef and another lovely evening was had by us all.

Kerikeri.

   The next day we left early, about 5.30am to beat the traffic and made our way north to Kerikeri and we unhitched at the NZMCA site there.  It was good to be out of the madness that was Auckland traffic and I started to relax straight away.  We checked out some of the touristy things around Kerikeri and did a drive to Paihia which was packed with tourists enjoying the sun of the Bay Of Islands.  Kerikeri seems a nice small town.  So neat and tidy with a lovely climate.  The real estate prices don't appear to be over the top.

Beautiful Maitai Bay.

   On the friday we hitched up again and headed further north to the Karikari peninsula and made our way down to the sea at Maitai bay.   We were to set up here for the next ten days or so as Ken and Vicki were coming to join us for their annual holidays.   The beaches here were stunning with white sands and lovely warm water.  We ended up spending a lot of time in the water either swimming or snorkelling.
   We had a bit of weather coming so we decided to go for a drive up 90 mile beach and on up to Cape Reinga.  The tide was out so we had a wide expanse of beach to travel on.  It was amazing to find tuatuas all along the whole length of the beach.  We stopped and gathered quite a few  with which we ended up making tuatau fritters for dinner that night.  We all remarked on how nice they were. Anyway we reached the bluffs quite away along the beach and got out for a walk.  We noticed a couple of surf casters on the rocks at one end so went for a look and they had about 5 nice snapper and 2 big trevally. Very impressive.  We carried on and saw the boogie boarders sliding down the huge sand dunes.  We were all too lazy to climb up the sand dunes to give it a go but it looked like they were having fun although it seemed sand could get into places that sand wasn't meant to go,as a number of them were in the stream trying to rid themselves of it.

90 mile beach.

  We exited the beach via the Te Paki stream and carried on north to Cape Reinga. It was a strange sensation as we approached the cape with the feeling that we were running out of New Zealand.  It was a popular destination as there were a lot of tourists from a number of countries around the world. The walk down to the lighthouse was great as you could look out and see where the Tasman sea met the Pacific Ocean with waves approaching from opposite directions then standing on end as they met.  The visibility wasn't great on this day as we couldn't see the Three Kings islands but the views were still amazing.  The last time I had been here I was 15 years old when my brother Ken and I and a mate had travelled north from Thames on a long weekend to check out Cape Reinga.

Cape Reinga.

  We were staying in touch with Katy whom we met on the west coast of the south island and it turned out she had picked up another bike in Auckland and was heading north to bike to Cape Reinga.  So we were very pleased to catch up again.  She only had 6 more days in the country and she was flying home to Canada.  She had loved her time in NZ and was sad to be leaving but looking forward to catching up with family and friends again back home.

Jocelyn and Katie.

Nice snapper for dinner.

 Unfortunately it was the next day we got out in Kens little boat and caught some nice snapper So we  couldn't give Katy any fresh fish on the BBQ. We didn't have to go far to catch fish.  I was using soft baits and Ken was stray lining and we both got good fish.
  We decided to pack up and head down to Matauri Bay for a few days before Ken and Vicki head back to work.  Again another beautiful place.  Unfortunately the easterly arrived about the same time that we did and that is the one wind direction you don't want at Matauri.  But the sun was still shining and we picked a nice spot looking out to sea and set up the camp.  So we are sitting around continuing to enjoy our New Zealand summer.

Back to the North.

Im I cute or what.

Jocelyn and I had an uneventful crossing of Cook Straight.  The sea was calm and as soon as we landed we headed out of Wellington and took the motorway north.We decided to overnight at Himatangi beach north of Foxton.  There was a park over property there so we parked on their lawn and were made welcome by Mike and Ruth.  We only stayed the one night.The weather wasn't great and the beach hard sand and windblown with vehicles driving up and down.  We were intending to head north via New Plymouth but when we got to Bulls we turned right and headed straight for Tauranga.  We were looking forward to seeing family and as Joel and Julie were leaving for Invercargill in a couple of days we thought we would catch up with them before they left.

My name is Luca

   We parked the rig on Heidi and Pauls driveway and were welcomed by them and Luca who was her usual happy and cheerful self.  We spent some time with Joel and Julie and Tia before they headed south, reassuring Julie that the weather in Invercargill was always lovely.  {Sounds like a Tui add.}
  Its been nice to get back to Tauranga and we will probably stay around here until the holiday makers go back to work and the kids back to school.  Then we will get on the road again.  We've caught up with a few friends and neighbours and I had a great trip out to sea with Mick and we overnighted at Mayor.  We caught plenty of fish and had awesome weather while out there. I also managed a dive, my first for a while and caught a nice packhorse crayfish.

Mick with a couple of fat bluenose.

Nice packhorse cray.

  We even managed a couple of walks up the mount and one up the Papamoa hills so are still managing to do a bit of exercise.

A nice snapper landed on dusk.Took a photo and released unharmed.

Family Time for Christmas.

After leaving Westport we headed south back down the coast and parked by the Grey river at Greymouth.  We were less than a week out from Christmas so Jocelyn had to get a few pressies for the young ones.  We stayed one night then went inland to the lake Brunner rd and followed this through to Moana  then turned off and drove down to Iveagh Bay on the shores of the very beautiful Lake Brunner.  We intended to stay a few nights here as James our 15 year old grandson was coming to stay.  Rod was going to meet Jocelyn at the Arthurs Pass village with James that evening so I got the kayaks down and headed out onto the lake for a reconnaissance of the fishing prospects.
 All the trout in the lake are brown trout and it seems to be very well stocked.  The lake itself is fringed  by bush and high mountains. The early mornings and evenings out on the lake are so beautiful especially if there is no wind as the trees and sky are reflected on the still waters.  Another great NZ place to play.


  I managed to catch 2 trout that evening and kept one for lunch the next day.  I caught both fish on one of James nymphs that he had created so I figured he would be happy.  I reckoned with James arriving I wouldn't get much down time over the next few days as that boy has unlimited energy.  Jocelyn arrived with James around dinner time with hugs all round.  He was keen to get into some action so we were hoping for a spell of settled weather.
  Next morning James and I jumped into the kayaks ready to do battle with the local browns but it was a bit of a slow start.  We were seeing plenty of fish rising but were getting no takes.  Up to this point we had mainly been towing flys behind the kayaks but  we found an area that had quite a few rising so I started casting from the kayak at the rises.  Almost immediately I hooked up and eventually landed a nice size fish that went into the back.  I moved a short distance and found another  few rising and again cast to them and hooked up again.   It was a bit smaller than the first one so it was released and we decided to head back for lunch.  On the way back we discussed ways that could get James into a fish as he was a bit down that he hadn't landed one yet.

James first trout from kayak.

Much happier now.

  After lunch and  a bit of a relax James tied on the secret weapon.  One of his beaded woolly buggers that he is so good at tying.  It was an instant success with 3 fish striking in no time, unfortunately he hadn't figured out how to put tension on the drag on his reel and they all turned his line into a big birds nest.  He reckoned I had given him a useless reel so I wasn't too popular.  Once I showed him how to tighten the drag it wasn't long and he had a nice one in the boat.  He was away now and was very happy.  He caught another nice fish on the way home and I had managed a good one too.

 I am really starting to enjoy the kayak fishing but I do find after 2 or 3 hours I get a very tender butt and a sore back. Small price to pay for some great experiences.  We did a bit more fishing over the 4 days and went for a short evening hunt up  one of the bush spurs but only came across goat sign.
  We hooked up the rig on the 4th morning and left Iveagh Bay for Arthurs Pass.  Climbing up the Otira Gorge we were down to first gear and she was really working.  Boy that is one steep stretch of highway.  On the way over the top we found Lake Moana off to the left and decided to pull in for the night.  A very pretty little lake but not great water clarity after Lake Brunner.   The ducks were very friendly and on the scrounge for   a feed.  The trout were mostly small and come evening were rising all along the lake edge.  We had a slow start next morning which was Christmas Eve and headed for Oxford, where we were to have Christmas day with Rod and Catherine and the kids.
 

Lake Moana.

Gracie being 8 years old was very excited about  Christmas and the huge number of presents to be opened.  James still enjoys it as well and Monique had to get up at 3.30am to milk the cows.  About 7am the door of the rig flew open with Santas presents spread everywhere and gracie giving us a run down on them all.  Later in the morning all the other presents got opened and everyone had a great time.  Especially Grace and also Nana who ended up with 6kgs of lollies to take on her travels.

Nana with her new supply of lollies.

 Boxing day arrived and we were heading off to Kaikoura.  Monique was working so she had to stay back but the rest of us arrived along the coast about mid day and that was low water which meant gearing up and paua diving.  The water was unusually clear for Kaikoura so It didn't take long and we had our six paua each.  James had his new spear gun so he was keen to christen it with his first fish and I went back out and had a look for a crayfish.  We were both successful with me getting one cray and James getting a good size blue moki.  There were a lot of people along the coast snorkelling for Paua and there were also lots of fishery officers patrolling as well.
  After we had had some lunch we packed up and went up to the farm on the inland Kaikoura road.  We set up the rig and Rod and Catherine and James moved into the house.  Gracie was moving in with us.  Sean and Michelle and Troy came over and we had a nice dinner of paua,  fish and salad.
  That evening Rod,  James, and I went for a walk down by the river and James shot three rabbits.  We took them home and next morning James skinned them and I trimmed them up ready for the pot.  That afternoon we went down the coast again and got another limit of Paua and I managed to get 3 crays and Rod also got a cray.  James had a tough day with the speargun trying to shoot one with the safety on then losing the speargun in the kelp after hooking it onto his catchbag.  After a a bit of a meltdown he went out and managed to find it again sticking out of the kelp.  The fisheries officers checked our paua and then the crayfish.  Size wise  they were all fine but we had forgotten that in Kaikoura the crayfish tails had to be clipped if they were recreationally caught.  This is called telson clipping.  I had first heard of this around 6 months before while reading a sign in one of the coastal campgrounds. Kaikoura is the only place in the country that you have to do this and unfortunately I had forgotten all about this.  The fisheries officer said he had to issue a written warning about it but it wasn't really a big deal as everything else was ok.  A bit frustrating though.

   That night on the menu we had rabbit casserole, sausages, and crayfish.  Although as I have become allergic to crayfish I only get to watch other people eat it.  But I still enjoy catching them. Sean had't eaten Paua before this and he really liked it and I think he was quite impressed by the seafood available here just by getting out and getting in the water.  So next day he was off to hunting and fishing and had all the family kitted out in wetsuits and snorkelling gear.  So with a bit of practice they will be able to partake of the bountiful waters around Kaikoura.



 Rod and Catherine and James went back to the farm as James had to work the next day, Gracie stayed with us and we moved the rig down to South Bay at the race course were the NZMCA has a park there.  South Bay is quite a bit more sheltered than the rest of the coastline around here and this is where the whale watch and dolphin encounter boats leave from.  This is a huge business here now,Ngai Tahu owned and the tourists seem to flock to it.  The boat ramps are very busy this time of year with lot's of boats heading out to check craypots or go for a fish.   We spent a couple of very pleasant days here with Grace and went to the beach.  Sean, Michelle and Troy came down and gave their new snorkelling gear a good workout.  Not many Paua in the water here just the odd one and I only managed one good cray.  And I remembered to telson clip it.

Gracie with her starfish she caught while snorkelling.

Nice big paua and another cray.

 Its New years eve tonight and we are back up to the farm this afternoon where we will have a bbq with Rod, Catherine  and James who are back tonight and Sean ,Michelle and Troy are coming over as well.  Then we will be heading for the ferry to cross back over to the north island on the 3rd So we will be saying bye to our south island family for a while and then looking forward to catching up with our north island family again.  Happy new year everyone.  Hope you have a good one.  Murray and Jocelyn.