Friday 5 April, 2019
It’s been a month since our previous trip through Thornton. With a view to my next; and last, big push (10 days) for this summer looming at Easter, this short trip was about both; making progress towards East Cape as the weather permitted; and sizing up the unfamiliar coastline ahead.
THIS TRIP: Torere to Te Kaha – 1 paddle day
Distance 31.6km Time 5.25hrs Average Speed 6.0km/hr
Encouraged by a good forecast today, an early rise at Opotiki Motor Camp and a 15 minute drive to Torere beach for a dawn launch at high tide. It was clear when we landed here last month with low tide and swell that this was a dumping beach. With some anticipation we pulled up at the beach at dawn to check out the surf.
The bigger sets were intimidating. After sizing up the break, Shaz suggested we move along the beach 100m where it seemed less severe. Of course, once we got there it seemed better where we were!
The challenge to get through the narrow dumping shore break seemed easy enough if you could get the timing right. There lay the problem; as I had to stay high on the steep beach to avoid the powerful backwash. Only option was to wait out the worst of the set and commit.
Canned out on first attempt, bugger!
Got through on the second attempt with some helpful pushing from Shaz. Good teamwork! With adrenaline pumping, I didn’t stop paddling until well clear before stopping and sharing the moment with Shaz via VHF, after she had run 100m back down the beach to get the VHF out of the ute.
My target destination today was Maraehako Bay, about 7.5hrs paddle. With an ebb tidal assist and light variable winds this should have been an easy day. The rugged and remote coastline made for pleasant paddling. Large tracks of felled exotic forestry opened up from time to time. Slowly, the trees of the low lying Te Kaha headland emerged on the horizon like masts of distant ships until eventually joining hands with the mainland.
Had not heard from Shaz all morning which was puzzling as the maps of the area seemed to show the road following the coast.
Inexplicably after 4.5 hours paddling I was starting to feel increasingly weary! Also not feeling a hundy today.
Decided to call it quits at Te Kaha after only 5.25 hours on the water.
A flat landing on a stony beach protected by reefs on either side. Shaz guided me in from the deck of the hotel above the beach. Disappointed with my progress today, but as always making the prudent decision is a no brainer. Looking forward to an easy launch from here next time anyway. Had a nice lunch and coffee on the beach with Shaz.
Decided to spend tomorrow doing a reccie of the coastline towards East Cape which is the next big objective of this adventure.
Shaz ……….Arrived in Torere last night, ready for the next stage of Brent’s Kayak Adventure. Up early, just after 6am so Brent can get on the water by day break! Well that was the plan anyway.
Arrived at Torere at 7.10am, loaded up the kayak awesome morning however the sea’s a little rough. Brent drags the kayak down over the stony beach to the shoreline.
Oh dear, some real dumpers today with the beach being so steep makes it worse. Brent tried to launch, two or three times sitting in the kayak attaching his skirt to the kayak, but then releasing it as it was too rough. Once he finally gave it a go, but NO way, timing all wrong not the timing would have been good! He was dumped big time, managed to get out and had to run to catch his kayak before it got pulled out in the strong backwash! I managed to video it all, thank goodness, however I did get a laugh out of it sorry Brent!
Once he pumped all the water out, secured his paddle float and pump; time to try again. Realising that he lost one of his gloves, oh well its gone now!
Watching the waves and realised that he was going to have the same problem, I decided to take my shoes off, pulled up my trouser legs to my knees, leave my cellphone up on the beach and help! Told him I was going to give him a push to see if that helped at all. Oh my God, it must have looked funny from behind! Gave him a push and the wave came in and pushed him sideways, so I had to quickly twist him back around to face the on coming wave and pushed him again getting deeper in the water! Told him paddle quick before the next big wave came and off he went – yeah!! I was really worried that if he didn’t, I would have got really wet next time, as I would have had to go out deeper! Now that would have been funny I guess, at least no one else was around. Sadly with me helping him I never got the launch on video, oh well he had his GoPro on at least!
Made contact with VHF, and he was off! Meeting him for lunch somewhere near Te Kaha, I’ll make contact with him along the coast somewhere later on. Back to the motel in Opotiki, have a shower, pack up, get diesel, go to supermarket and get a coffee from ‘Two Fish’ Cafe before heading off.
Lots of road works along the road, no internet coverage and not to many places to pull over and make contact with Brent. Before I knew it I was in Te Kaha, so stopped at the Te Kaha Beach Resort.
Finally made contact with Brent and told him to head straight for the Te Kaha beach resort. I got a coffee from the beach resort hotel cafe and sat on their bar balcony with direct line of sight of Brent. Staff here were intrigued with what he was doing, they even gave me free wifi access (normally they charged $5). It seems to be taking a long time, was going to call him and say put your turbo boost paddle on but through better of it!!
He finally arrived around 1.10pm, he was buggered! He said the last hour was hard work and he wasn’t feeling to good (glad I never called him now). We sat down and had some lunch, Brent has decided to call it quits for the day. Not like him at all, so somethings up!
Brent had booked us into Lottin Point Motel for the next 2 nights, so we drove on to there and see what tomorrow brings! We drove on past the road going to Lottin Point and went onto Hicks Bay for a look. Brent wants to check out the beach’s etc, thought about going onto East Cape but Brent said he had enough for today just wanted to go to the motel. If he’s not feeling better tomorrow we’ll go for a drive to East Cape checking out all the stops that he could safely come in and get water for when he comes up at Easter.
