Kayaking and the Dangerous Kitchen

The sun woke us this morning – great day for a kayak.  So us, minus Judy packed our bags and headed off to Tata Beach, where many others had also decided to fill the kayaks lining the shore line.  After introductions, checking off names and instructions we loaded our bags (sunscreen, snacks, drinks) into the kayak and off we sailed into the wild blue yonder.  Well almost – not far from the shoreline are two little islands (we can’t remember their names but jointly they are called the Tata Islands).  On the north side was a seal – we have seen them before but we continue to marvel at these magnificent creatures in their natural environment.  This lonely seal put on quite a show – he was having squid for breakfast.  Nature can be cruel, first one tentacle was bitten off and chewed (squid tried to swim away but was slow due this recent disablement).  The seal chewed, swallowed and gulped and then looked around for the squid. Bite, chew, down goes another tentacle and so on … until the best part was left - the head.  Then a very full and contented seal lay on his back, floating, with an occasional flip of his tail or flipper.  It reminded me of a grandpa lazing in his chair after a large Christmas dinner!! 

On to another little island we paddled and a seal was sitting on a rock doing hot yoga – amazing contortions of tail, torso, flippers, head – wet fur glistening in the sun!!  We sailed through a small crack in the rock, along the coastline and landed in Murderers Bay where Abel Tasman first sighted New Zealand and then tried to land (there is a memorial to him not far along the road, remembering the slain Dutch crew members but not the Màori who gave their lives).  Incidentally a century later Captain Cook called the same coast line Massacre Bay – for the same reason.  After some morning tea and a long walk to some bushes for a loo stop (where we got attacked by another oyster catcher with a nest too close to where humans wander) we kayaked back, past the shag colony and spat (baby mussels) farm back to the golden sands of Tata Beach.

All that sitting around in a boat and we needed lunch and so headed off to the very popular Coffee Roasters Café in Pohara.  Huge portions and yummy food and a 20 question quiz in the Nelson Press kept us occupied for a while.  Time to think about what to do next – another walk... 

Wainui Falls.  We didn’t think we could find a different walk through native bush but we did.  We climbed up alongside the river, where the river bed was punctuated with huge boulders too big to climb.  Across a swing bridge and along the other side we followed the well worn track to the falls.  Mist rose from the pool below, people swam and we applied insect repellent.

On our return I was keen for another walk, but I was glad I was talked out of it because Inbal and Gil and their family texted us to say they were in – wait for it – the Dangerous Kitchen in Takaka.  So, we left Don and Judy in Pohara and drove back to that cafe (three times in two days!!), to find they had consumed three of those very large pizzas before we arrived.  We had a lovely hour with them, catching up on their holiday.  I read little Ron a story about a polar bear who found some friends like a lion, leopard, walrus, flamingo, hippo – Harry added the faces and noises to amuse Ron.  It really was a you-tube performance.

We settled for fish and chips in the park (they even sell kumara fritters in Takaka – the place of dreadlocks and purple and orange hair). After a tad more grocery shopping we drove off to the Labyrinth Rocks.  It was getting a bit dark so we didn't take any photos but it was like a natural maze of limestone rocks.  Rather fun - something to lose the family in for a few hours.

Then just because we could and because we had seen the road signs saying little Kororo (blue penguins) could be crossing the road.  We walked along at dusk in the hope of seeing them, but after reading more information we got the impression that this was the season where they hide in the bushes, moult and starve - that really doesn't sound like much fun.