SAVEwith a - Canoe & Kayak

We pushed on over the next 3 days to Doughboy
Bay, embracing the intermittent spells of blue sky
and sunshine, travelling close to the shoreline,
lucky to see close-ups of the varying shades of the
West Coast landscape. The towering cliff faces of
the Ruggedy Islands were magnificent. Jagged
rock edges stood raw and stark against the
turquoise blue of the sea. Our first introduction
to surf landings, ‘Stewart Island style’, was at West
Ruggedy Beach. The golden sands beckoned us
in for a lunch stop. In the surf the heavy double
proved herself every bit as capable as the singles.
We made our way down the coastline and into
Doughboy Bay, home to the most remote hut on
the southern walking circuit. The days had been
cool and the prolonged patches of rain had made
it difficult to dry gear. The hut’s warmth from the
fire and respite from the cold winds was a joy not
to be underestimated.
An easy day in preparation for the push around
the Southern Cape was favoured and we camped
on the opposite beach of Easy Harbour, fishing for
dinner among the inner Titi (Muttonbird) Islands.
A male sea lion, irritated at the impudence of our
camping on his beach, visited us frequently during
the evening, roaring his disapproval.
We launched early on the 6th day, a nervous quiet
enveloping the group, as we headed to our last
stop on the West Coast at Port Nicholson. Lunch
was brief due to the cold SE flow, which refused
to abate, and all too soon we were paddling
towards the SW Cape, battling current and
headwind. Closing on the Cape it seemed less
imposing than I’d imagined it to be, but any
momentary relaxation was short lived as I realised
the size of the waves crashing and rebounding off
the headland. The mixing of the tidal currents
from the great blankets of ocean, with the restless
swell and wind, created a cocktail of confused and
steep water. We inched forward around the Cape
and attempted to take a moment’s refuge behind
the small granite dome of Murphy Island lying just
off the Southern Coast.
South Cape lay ahead and we continued through
the heaving seas. The swells became steeper, with
irregular larger waves standing up and crashing
over our boats. I felt the fragility of our trusted
fibreglass vessels, and an awareness that we
hadn’t seen another human soul since leaving
Long Harry Hut four days previously. The pain and
cold were blocked out as motivated by fear and
determination we paddled strongly. Four hours
after leaving our lunch stop we dragged our weary
bodies onto the beautiful sandy beaches of
Broad Bay.
A rest day was our reward. We feasted on
pancakes and chocolate sauce, and later on
succulent crabs caught in the clear waters of the
bay. Escorted from BroadBay the following
morning by the resident sea lion, we rounded
Broad Head into the shelter of Small Craft Retreat.
The fishing again proved bountiful through South
Passage and into Port Pegasus. Pulling into the
beach at Islet Cove we were surprised to meet a
large group of sea kayakers who welcomed us into
their space for the next four days. We appreciated
the use of their hut as a southerly blast swept
through! A highlight of our stay at Islet Cove was
a close encounter with a kiwi. The Islet Cove long
drop offers its visitors a small view of the
surrounding landscape and it was from this
viewpoint that tuis were seen dive-bombing a
harassed looking kiwi. We then had an amazing
experience crawling around in the undergrowth
after him as the kiwi enjoyed his late
afternoon sojourn.
Launching empty boats to paddle up the tidal
waterways of Cook’s Inlet on our day walk into
Gog and Magog made a pleasant change in
Packing boats at Doughboy - always a lengthy process fitting things in.
Johnny’s birthday feast - sushi0.
routine. These magnificent granite peaks stand
tall and all seeing over the scrubby valleys and
plains, and allowed us sobering views of our
journey down the West Coast. Johnny completed
what may well be the first ascent of Gog in Red
Bands. Other excursions were to Bald Cone,
Bulling Bay and the Tin Line. We camped finally
at Twilight Bay feeling a pleasant saturation, ready
for what Port Pegasus had to offer.
A light drizzle, combined with a strong
southwesterly flow pushed us through Whale
Passage and we began our run up the East Coast
of the island. We were resigned to the fact that
our next stop would be Big Kuri Bay with 35 kms
of rugged cliff and rocky terrain to bypass. Initial
boisterous cheers at the healthy tailwind became
34 ISSUE THIRTYthree • 2005