So, what could there possibly be to do when you’ve reached the world’s end? Well for starters we take the morning to sit in the cockpit and marvel at the incredible beauty that God has created here. After we paid homage to God for allowing us to spend time in this extraordinary place, we decided to do a little hiking.
Lutz & Gabi know that I’m not quite capable of making the high mountain climbs that are so easy for them. That in mind, they did those hikes before we arrived and saved the more moderate one to enjoy with us. So, on our first full day here they picked us up in their dinghy and we headed across the bay to the Nydia Track trailhead.
The tide was up when we arrived so there really wasn’t much of a beach on which to land the dingy. That’s okay, Lutz carried the anchor out in to the water a few feet from shore and we tied the bow to a tree. Typically we prefer to beach our dinghies high on shore to be certain they are there upon our return but this will have to work for today.
Dinghy secured we climbed up the hillside to the track sitting just 10 meters or so above the shoreline. This beautiful track skirted the mountainside and surrounding bays and never reached more than 50 meters above the shore.
It’s a good track for me with my asthma. In some places the track gets a bit narrow which can be a little concerning as you look down the side thinking about what would happen if a slip occurred. In others there are lots of roots covering it but it’s a gorgeous, sunny day, we’ve got our wonderful friends for company and we’re just enjoying the fresh air and the walk. When you live on a boat it’s always good to get out and stretch your legs a little.
The path leads us around the mountain from our anchorage on Ngawhakawhiti Bay past Te Mako Bay and ends at Duncan Bay. In this bay there are a dozen or so boats on moorings and anchor. There’s a boat ramp and even a long dock that extends into the bay. We stop to do a little exploring around the waters edge. Just past the toilets we find a picnic area in a small grassy meadow filled with tiny, delicate, yellow wildflowers standing six to ten inches above the bright green grass. It reminds me of a scene from Little House On The Prairie.
After a brief rest we make our way back to the dinghy. All in all the trip takes us 5.46 km (3.39 miles) and about three hours to complete. We could have done it much quicker but why???
The Wet Ride At World’s End
Back at the dinghy we note that the wind has begun to pick up bringing with it some choppy water in the once flat cove. We’ve donned our hideous orange lifevests that we’ve recently learned are required to be worn when in a dinghy here in New Zealand. We all bring these rather than our nice passage making vests because, well, who would steal them???
Lutz tries to hug the shoreline as long as possible before he has to cut across the opening. We zigzag trying to keep from getting too wet but it’s no use. Wave after wave comes crashing over the front of the dinghy drenching all four of us. Ordinarily that wouldn’t be such a bad thing but the high winds have brought quite a chill with them. The cold wind whips the stinging water into the air and onto our bodies. It feels a bit like needles being tossed at us. Once we are completely soaked we are frozen to the bone.
Fortunately it’s a short ride so we don’t have to endure for too awfully long. That said, the worst is yet to come as we will need showers now and the sun has already dropped behind the mountain. Showers on deck will not be pleasant but are definitely necessary.
We both clean up and get into warm clothes as quickly as possible then close up Dazzler to preserve any tiny bit of heat. Tonight it’s hot soup and a movie. Heating the soup on the stove helps to warm the cabin and after dinner we bundle up in blankets to watch our evening movie.
Game Day
The following day we spend the morning doing our normal putzing around on board. Around 1400 Lutz & Gabi arrive for an afternoon of gaming on Dazzler. We all love to play dominoes. On Dazzler we have a custom set complete with our Dazzler logo on each domino as well as the custom cherrywood box. It was the first gift I ever gave to Dan for Christmas. We played a lot of Mexican train when I would visit before moving on board.
Since the weathermen said it was going to rain that day we planned to stay in and have a little competitive fun. As it turns out the weathermen were wrong but we still enjoyed an afternoon of dominoes, cold beer and later a BBQ of filet and potatoes. The past two days have been simply spectacular and filled with merriment. It seems that even at the world’s end there is always something to keep us entertained.
Tomorrow we will move to yet another anchorage here in Marlborough Sound. Lutz & Dan will get together in the morning to determine where it will be but one thing is for certain, it’s sure to be a place of awe inspiring, indescribable splendor.
Until next time,
Jilly
