We hear rain on the roof in the morning, so much for that old adage, “Red sky...”. After breakfast we lounge in the room until about 11 am reading our books. It’s nice to have some “time off” from being a tourist.
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| Kayaking in Lochmara Bay |
After lunch we try kayaking, can you believe it? I actually persuade Duncan that it’s now or never, he can go for as long or little as he likes, free of charge. We read the safety rules about wearing the life jacket and staying inside Lochmara Bay because of the potential for sudden changes in the weather. We paddle about happily, absolutely on our own, nobody to rescue us if we capsize. We like it this way having never done it before. Hey, how hard can it be? We go for ½ hour and take photos and short videos to commemorate the experience, and then stow all the equipment back in the boathouse. We may actually take the advice of someone we met on this trip who advised kayaking on a river in Kauai’i up to a beautiful waterfall. Who knows? I need to work on my technique though, I am absolutely soaking wet from water running down my paddle and into my lap. Duncan is pretty dry in comparison. He’s better in boats than thinks he should give himself credit.
When the rain stops, we lace up our boots again – we came on this trip to hike after all. We retrace our steps up the 100 Acre Wood Trail to the turn off at the Lookout. We met a German fellow down on the dock last night who recommended we go to Mistletoe Bay, but we turn back because the staff encouraged us to book dinner early. There are only two couples here now, and ostensibly these youngsters would like to finish earlier and enjoy some down time. We don’t mind at all; a three hour hike is just right and we’ve been overdoing it a bit here.
That evening at dinner, the chef offers to make us something special because this is the third night we’ve eaten dinner at the lodge, and there are only four main options on the menu. He suggests hot smoked salmon with seasonal vegetables and that sounds perfect to us. It is really kind of him to accommodate us. There is no TV, telephone or internet at the Lodge so this is a real getaway. I descend once again into the world of LA homicide detective, Harry Bosch, hoping I can finish the book before we leave and swap it for another.
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| Fieldtrip |
Our last morning, I relax in the room until check out time, but Duncan, feeling antsy, goes off to take more photos more interesting sights. While he is gone, a boatload of noisy teens arrives with their teachers for an end of the year fieldtrip. They receive “treasure hunt” maps and rush off toward Hammock Heaven and the Punga People. I chat with the friendly staff members down at the restaurant. Sarah is from Edmonton; there are actually two Canadian girls named Sarah - both from Edmonton. She tells me of her recent adventures in New Zealand. She has only worked at the lodge one week and says she was lucky to get the job because, believe it or not, she was robbed at her backpackers’ lodge in Nelson. I express shock and surprise and suggest the thief was most likely a tourist, but she disagrees; she was contacted by the police who caught the not so smart Kiwi when he went to use her credit card at a bank machine and was caught on film. They have him in jail, and she will press charges. She lost her bank cards, passport and camera with all her photos. Nothing but the credit card has been retrieved. Well, I guess it was just too good to be true. There is crime here in NZ too - too bad. At least the security services seem to be doing their jobs.
As we board the boat, it's all go down at the beach again this time with young teens diving off a raft, swinging off a rope into the water and squealing with delight on their escape from the confines of school. We’re really sorry to leave Lochmara Lodge - it is a unique endeavour in a beautiful location, and for Duncan the boat ride back is nice and, best of all, short.
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