Decisions, decisions - would we go to Gisborne again or opt for Coromandel - neither, we went to Opotiki/Waiotahi beach in the Bay of Plenty!
Previous camping trips usually consisted of cramming as much of our gear in to the car and heading off, but this time was different, we had bought a trailer. Bargain of the year, over 40 years old, completely enclosed with lockable doors and in excellent condition. It is going to be our camping trailer, with one section loaded with all the camping equipment/boogie boards and wet suits etc. The other section serving as the food/kitchen and gadget storage area. The struts on the roof allowed us to take a bicycle and the kayak as well as all the fishing stuff.
We avoided the weekend, Easter weekend is notoriously bad for traffic, Gisborne was discounted due to the weather down that way, Coromandel had too many complications, so we decided to go to Island View holiday park on Waiotahi beach just outside Opotiki.
MONDAY - We took a leisurely 3 hour drive through the Kaimai-Mamaku range, skirting the north of Rotorua, through the lakes area then across to the coast in glorious sunshine. The south Pacific glittered, the waves foamed white against the beach and there were hardly any clouds in the sky. White Island, on the horizon, (New Zealand's most active volcano) spewed out palls of white smoke against the deep blue sky to add an element of beauty to the scene.
After booking in and setting up the tent we settled down on the beach for a bit of a look round, had a stroll on the beach with the dogs running around playing on the sand and messing about in the surf. Fish and chips for tea, sitting at the picnic bench watching the sunset saw us retire at a ridiculously early time (7.30!!) as we were very tired. There were Tongan migrant workers staying at the site, who work in the local kiwi fruit orchards. The sounds of their music and musical language was a reminder of where we are in the world. They were lovely people who gave us some nice memories. Kind, gentle, they kept Kieran entertained for hours, whiling away the evenings playing pool and cards with him.
TUESDAY - Awoken by the sound of the surf crashing on the beach and the early signs of sun rise, I took the dogs for a walk to the beach, and to take some pictures of a still sea, mist rising to diffuse the sun and give an orange glow to the scene. A brisk, dewy morning, I watched a local man fishing with his long line. He hauled in a few good fish, snapper and gurnard, so this whetted my appetite for a bit of fishing myself. A session was planned for later that evening. A bit of well earned R&R, boogie boards at hand saw us playing in the sea for most of the morning, having a great laugh. We had taken one of the camp kayaks for a play, and it ended up in a bit of a row as I got smashed in the legs as it caught on a wave, culminating in me doing a big "face plant" in to the surf! Everyone thought it funny, except me, and I ached for a while after this. One thing we did neglect was the sunshine - red faces and sun burnt lips for 3 of us. A bit of camp food for lunch and dinner, a bit of fishing in the dark (one little mackerel) and another early night. A special mention goes out to Kieran, who braved the surf and paddled out in a kayak to drop my line and bait out beyond the breakers. It turned out to be futile as far as big fish were concerned, but he enjoyed it, even if we were a bit nervous about it.
WEDNESDAY - A long walk on the beach to visit some local sculptures and do a bit of geocaching as well. It is amazing how this little geeky hobby can unearth so many hidden treasures and interesting information.
The first one, Te Ara Ki Te Rawhiti - The Pathway To The Sunrise, consists of a pair of Maori "po's", large totem pole style carvings. The second sculpture was made out of driftwood, carefully pieced together to form a pair of intertwined fish.
We had a little kite with us, so a bit of kite flying at the camp site gave us a few photo opportunities. There was a brisk breeze coming off the sea, clouds starting to appear, but with a forecast of 1-2mm of rain overnight, nothing could have warned us about the tempest to come!
The breeze stiffened, and we retired to a few spots of rain and a bit of tent flapping. As the evening progressed however, the rain strengthened, as did the wind. We got battered by a storm, the noise was incredible, breakers on the beach (only 100m away just over the sand dunes) the wind, heavy rain, it all made for a busy night for me, and a scary one for the rest of the family. I was up and down all the time, re-pegging guy ropes, attaching stronger pegs, even moving the car at one stage to act as a wind break. It was futile though, so we just had to lie there and hope for the best. The poor dogs didn't know what was going on so I had to try and comfort them as well, I even left the lamp on for them so they could at least see their surroundings.
THURSDAY - Next morning saw a very damp and battered tent, front porch collapsed and stuff strewn about, covered in sand. We cleaned up, physically moved the tent to a less exposed position in the lee of some trees and re-fixed all the ties and set it up in a much better manner. Some very valuable help from our newly wed neighbours who were on their honeymoon allowed us to move it without dismantling the tent completely - thanks Gene and Laura!!! :) After the events overnight, we were all totally worn out so afternoon naps were taken - siesta!
FRIDAY - A bit of kayak fishing in the afternoon, some fun messing about in the surf, getting the boats to come in really quickly on the waves, great fun, but a bit precarious when you dig the nose of the boat in to the sand like I did!!
SATURDAY - packing up day, time to go home. Jan was first up (very unusual) and I found her sat facing the sunrise, deep in thought, wrapped in a blanket to ward off the chilly morning air. With the trailer loaded and everything packed away, we had a visit from Mata, the camp owners little Schnauzer dog. She is a bit of a celebrity as she is the "voice" of Snowy in the Tin Tin movie that was made recently.
Some overriding memories of the trip
Kids being kids - enjoying the simple things in life
Kieran and kayak crashing through the surf
Louisa and fishing - learning to cast out and even putting "yucky" bait on the hook!
My sore shins from the kayak belting me!
Jan contemplating life watching the sun rising and setting
Maori bingo :D
Tongan workers and their ingenuity with a plastic bottle to make a speaker for their phone
Kieran playing "last card" with 2 Tongan workers and a German girl
Losing my fishing sunglasses when the kayak planted it's nose in the sand when riding a breaker in - WIPE OUT!!
Toasting marshmallows on the drift wood fire on the beach
Our dogs and Mata or "Snowy" from the Tin Tin movie, 3 mini Schnauzers together
White Island looking fantastic on the horizon, spewing out steam and smoke
Fishing, kayaking
The enormous storm
Fabulous sun rising and setting
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