“PLUNK!”
“What was that?”
“That was my camera!”
“That’s that then.”
This small exchange kicked off a few hours of sulking in torrential rain. My camera, specifically purchased for this trip, had fallen out of my pocket and into the bottom of Milford Sound. How? I’m not entirely sure, but it was definitely gone.
I awoke that morning with an unusual level of unwillingness – it was the first time in New Zealand that I didn’t want to do what I had planned. Fighting the warm, toasty bed, I fixed my lunch, got dressed, and waited to be picked up. My plan was to kayak Milford Sound, see some waterfalls, and then check the last of the big NZ sights off.
One major hindrance: the biggest rainfall in 10 years.
I think it was hearing the guide’s astonishment and awe of the quickly rising water and rushing rapids that made me realize I was witnessing something special. So I tried my best to capture every moment. On that memory card, there were great shots of the river almost hitting the road. Or of a staff member on a cruise boat rushing out to take his own pictures of the waterfalls. Not to mention the shots where the wind and water was so strong that it looked like the waterfall was going up rather than down.
I can’t share them with anyone, but the memory lives vividly in my mind. Perhaps that’s what was intended. I suppose it doesn’t matter. We didn’t end up kayaking that day. No way, no how were kayaks entering the water when even big cruise ships were staying docked. We were this close to spending the night on board the cruises because the roads were closed. That would have been the most fascinating thing of all. Luckily, the roads were opened long enough to escape Milford Sound. I made it back to my hotel sans camera and soaked cold to the bone. I wanted to cry over my loss, but the tears never came. In the end, I couldn’t complain. I’d gotten what I wanted: a unique, amazing experience. You’ll just have to trust me, the water was going up to the sky.
“No, I have no idea where I’m going or what I’m doing,” I declared to CQ when I arrived in Wellington. This was after knowing that I was coming to NZ for a good six weeks and wanted to do something different. Planning isn’t always my strong suit. All I knew was that I was headed to the South Island and I needed to see nature. CQ helped me sort out an aggressive 10 day South Island plan that would include two kayaking trips, 1 day hike, a glacier walk, but driving on the wrong side of the road.
Day 1 of South Island adventures: Kayaking in Abel Tasman National Park.
I got picked up super early in the morning and we drove out to the kayaking company’s base. From there, piling in another van and straight to the water. We arrived at the dock only for me to see this going on:
About three meters of water gets displaced and brought back by the tides everyday. The width of the sandbar/beach is so much that they need these tractors to put haul the water taxis back into the water. It’s a good 10 minute ride from the dock to see. Imagine this boat with 10 people plus 4 kayaks tied to the back. And yes, it still floats.
We set off in the direction of Tonga Island which serves as a marine reserve, but also where you can find seals! It’s so strange coming up to what looks like a brown blob and realizing that it’s a live, fully in the wild seal. They let us come into their home. Baby seals are naturally curious, energetic kids who love to play.
I wasn’t so lucky that the seals chose to jump on my kayak, but my Slovenian friends Ales and Marjeta got the most bang for their buck when three seals jumped on theirs. But, I can say that this guy gave me a nibble. You know how dogs some times gnaw on you a little but without biting, well that’s what this guy did. Pretty cool.
Kayaking was fun and gives plenty of time for introspection. You really have nothing else to do while you’re paddling. The day was perfect, the company agreeable, but I couldn’t tell you what I thought about that day other than “this is amazing” and “I need to live near water always.” Assurances abound, however, that after a full day of kayaking 1) your arm will hurt so bad that you can’t even cut meat and 2) the next morning you’re still going to be swaying in your head.
