I jumped at the opportunity to spend a weekend kayaking in Queen Charlotte Sound with the Yakity Yak Club. I must admit though, I began this trip with a degree of trepidation, after all I had only attended the skills course 3 weeks prior, and to say I had limited kayaking experience was an understatement. There was also the worry in the back of my mind abut whether I would get on with what was likely to be a very diverse group of people. Would our common interest in kayaking be enough? As it turns out, yes! I had a fantastic weekend!
The trip began with a night paddle out from Picton to Mistletoe Bay, and despite some pretty grim weather forecasts earlier in the week; the night was calm and clear with a light breeze. Besides coming to terms with paddling through a choppy sea, being unable to see the waves before they hit, the night paddle also afforded me my first opportunity to see marine phosphorescence, which was extraordinary.
Saturday morning saw us heading from Mistletoe Bay towards Kumutoto Bay. The persistent breeze that was still lingering saw two of our party hatch a cunning plan to do “what had never been done before”. Thus, ten kayaks rafted up and with the assistance of three sails, we sailed across Double Cove. Let me say, the buzz this created was more from novelty value rather than the sheer speeds achieved, however, as one who does not own a sail, I did appreciate the free ride. Our original plan had been to head in to Kumutoto Bay to check out the DOC campsites and set up camp for the evening, however we came across an unexpected gem in Kaipakirikiri Bay, finding a campsite in amongst the trees, which was secluded, had a pretty good fireplace and a good supply of firewood. What more could anyone ask of a campsite? Needless to say, we spent the evening around the fire sharing a few stories.
Sunday proved another clear day, again with a light breeze which provided some assistance to those with sails! We followed through on the previous days plan, and headed into Kumutoto Bay, checking out the very luxurious facilities offered in the campsite. From here we headed out towards Allports Island hoping to find a campsite for future trips, but alas to no avail, there seemed to be no good landing spots (at least not on the side we approached from). To avoid a long haul into a head wind we made a beeline for the closest beach and spent a few hours lunching and enjoying the sunshine before heading back to Picton. Entertainment was provided in the form of Liz directing Andy in the filming of a short film, both confident that the effort would be sufficient to win $5,000 prize money on offer from Cadbury. What people do for chocolate!
It was a short paddle back to Picton, arriving with four hours to spare before boarding the ferry, some choose to spend this time shopping or visiting family in the area, but a dedicated few took charge of babysitting ten kayaks. Unfortunately the only seats which provided good vantage to keep an eye on the kayaks was from a local Picton bar, this did however provide a nice end to what was for me, an outstanding trip, more stories shared over a few drinks!
Jolene Sutton/Herrick
