Progress Report 11/17/07 Saturday - updated by Freya 24.11.07

Weather update from Karel Vissel:

http://www.kayakweather.blogspot.com/
Saturday: mrng nw 3bft noon e 2 to 3bft aft e 3bft seas 2.20 to 1.90mtr frm

Sunday: mrng nw 4bft noon sw 4 to 5bft aft sw 4bft seas mrng 1.40 aft 2.60mtr frm s

Satellite Text Message Received from Freya:

46.12 170.03 Toko Mouth 55km decided to go in rather on a clean but surfy beach than on unknown terrain further downwind enjoy early camp on my own

Update by Freya 24.11.07:

I did launch that morning on Smailles beach in the broken surf behind Bird Island, as carrying the boat to the left corner of the beach where I came in was a bit of distance...oh, I skipped about 300 m of paddling!!! Unforgivable...

Thanks Rob and Stella to get up with me that early I could be on the water at 7am, and Mark couldn't help but joining the early morning launch, too...I think it's an honor people enjoy getting uop that early just to see me off!

My goal for the day was an ambitious 85 km down to the Nuggets, as a following wind from lunchtime on was predicted, but the headwind fiirst and the quite rough stuff later made it impossible to reach the Nuggets before darkness. Just one hr was missing...that leg had to be spilt in two days then!

So I had to decide where to go in, the proved safe landing at the Taeiri river mouth was already astern. The Toko River mouth appealed on the map, and the whole stretch of Crystalls Beach before it was clean, just a bit steep and surfy and dumpy...

The river mouth itself had some reefs, and as far as I could see further south the next beach looked decorated with reefs, too (actually it was not, but I didn't know...) the water bacame more and more rough, and I decided to go in NOW, just before the river mouth wee village.

A bit of a dumping surf at the end to brace in, but I could pass the outer breaking line of surf upright. I was quite happy to be in safely, but a sandy, but free of reefs, even steep beach with some surf doesn't scare me that much as those ugly cobblestone stuff between Christchurch and Oamaru.

I had to climb a bit up the dunes to find a lovely spot for the night, just the sandflies enjoyed first time to bother me quite a bit. I learnt NOT to go out of the tent with bare legs or feet, and stripping the naked butt for a pee is not much of a pleasure :-)) - so I'd rather used my device I use sitting in my kayak for that pupose...and go where the most wind is blowing! :-))

I hauled the kayak up the dunes, as the high tide mark came pretty close to the high edge. For a good night's sleep without worries I thought it's well worth the effort!