Progress Report 11/12/07 Monday - updated by Freya 14.11.07

Fortunately Freya had a less eventful day than yesterday!

A good reference for tracking the date/time in NZ, to better follow Freya's trip, is http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/city.html?n=951 .
--Greg

Weather Update from Karel Vissel:
http://www.kayakweather.blogspot.com/
mon mrng nw 4bft noon nw 3bft aft nw 3bft seas 0.60mtr frm se
Tues mrng nw 3bft noon w 3bft aft s3bft seas 0.60 to 1.40mtr frm se

Satellite Text Messages Received from Freya:
Nov 12, 2007 10:26 AM
44.39 171.09 12,5h 85km quiet long day

Update by Freya 14.11.07:

I got up at 6 am, raedy to launch at 7.30 am...but I had to knock up the cliffs on Sandy's van door to say good bye! Early morning bird wants to fly a long way...

Anyway, they came down both within two minutes, and Sandy's wife took some video footage again.

An easy launch on the quiet morning, and I said to myself you are not going to lad until it's getting dark today! I will be a landing somewhere in the nowhere land's beach, nothing to hide or to go in after about 80 km I planned to go that day.

I expected that to be the last landing and launching on the steep gravel stuff, as I hoped to make it to Omaru harbour the next day then, but oh no...no way...

Paddling past Timaru, there was a disgusting freezing works outlet, pouring like a waterfall a bloody greasy animal's rest brew out of a huge hose sticking on poles wide out into the sea...I never smelled such a disgusting dead body's smell, for a whole 1/2 hr south, and the surface was covered with floating grease...that kind of pollution in these days!!! But who cares about those occasional 6 paddlers who go along that beach within the last 30 years...I just felt I need to wash paddle and boat after going through, and don't touch the water, no drips on paddling through!...

It turned 8pm, and 80 km were done, so I guessed the last almost 1 hr of daylight will be nice to put up camp! The swell was down, and it seemed like an easy landing.

I sticked my feet out of the cockpit, sat there for a while until I paddled in on the back of a wave.

Jumping out was fast, safe and easy then, but the beach turned out to be a bloody bastard of being steep!!! Mor than 45 degrees, loose gravel only, and the first step about 2,50 m high above water level! No chance to get the loaded kayak up there on my own! Additionally for sure the cockpit filled with water on the next wave, and I had to figure something to get my boat out of the rolling waves up on terra firma again.

Rolling the boat on it's side to get the water out was working, but it slid down again a bit, including myself...bugger...another effort, and the whole boat was sliding out of my hands! I managed to grab it again, and the same game, pulling as hard as possible, rolling it on the side to get the cockpit empty, but still no chance to pull the heavy guy up...

On a short lull I found a use for the towbelt the first time I was paddling solo (good I wore it!), I clipped the boat to the belt and managed in a short lull to keep the boat where it was and to climb at least on the next gravel step. Another hard pull got it up a bit more, at least out of the reach of the most dumpers. But still it was pointing bow to the sky, and stern to the hell...I had to unload some stuff! I could reach the front hatch from my step on top, and just hoped it wont slide again once I unloded the front hatch and possibly it will be filled with water, too...

One bag flew up the beach, the next, and some more, until the whole front hatch was empty and all gear spread out evenly on top of the gravel step. Another pull, it came up a bit higher and stayed where it got pulled...

Now I could reach into the cockpit...one, two, three fresh water bags flew uphill, too, not caring if they would burst on the crash landing. My precious North Water under deck bag, cockpit bags and the thermos went the same way, and that was it I could reach from the top step.

But it was light enough now for a final pull uphill! Sliding it over the somehow soft, but still sharp cobblestone beach edge made an ugly crackling sound on the hull, but I couldn't help...it was safe! And I was done for the night, 80 km of paddling and such a lovely additional workout! At least the night was dry and although the sun was gone I just stripped fully in the middle of nowhere, enjoying to spread out all gear on clean cobbles to dry I didn't bother to use tent pegs on my free standing Hilleberg Allak tent, just jumped in and started my nigh't camp routine.

I was in cell phone range again, and could give JKA and Paul a call about the situation. John told me the first time about my scary launch the previous day, and that he posted some pics to Greg to spice up my blog a bit...thanks, guys, for all the supporting comments!

Paul envisioned to come out to me from the West Coast for some 7 days and to maybe do a bit of paddling together! Most appreciated for some company and learning opportunities!

I slept well that night, felt safe in the midlle of nowhere and high above the haunting dumpers, put my earplugs in and got a good deserved rest.