Kekeno

Yesterday I took the loinfruit, and a friend of his, out for a day tramp at Whatipu. The weather was a bit patchy, but it was mild, and we did have the clothing and gear for it.

The three of us walked the Gibbons Track, then the Muir Track over to the Pararaha Valley, then ambled and waded down the valley, across the marshlands and out onto the beach. There, accompanied by steady rain and the wind on our backs we marched back to Whatipu.

Total sum of people seen while out, one, an English chap, right at the start, who was looking worse for wear, having just come out of where we were going. He described it as very muddy, and was looking shattered. Finn commented after we wandered off, that he had the same accent, and sounded exactly like Guy Martin. Unfortunately for the Englishman, it was easy to tell that it wasn't Guy Martin, there were no Wolverine like sideburns, and he wasn't too spritely.

The walk was muddy, through to Pararaha, as was expected, the midgets were superb and resilient, enjoying the scenery and the challenge. My spawn is convinced that Johnny Depp perfected the walk of Jack Sparrow by lurching around on muddy trails like the ones we enjoyed.

Once we hit the valley, it was a quick lunch in the shelter in the valley, and then out into the open.

Some wading and detours conquered, and it was then all hard sand back.

At Whatipu, just before we re-entered the dunes, between Paratutae Island and the Nine Pin, on the high tide mark was a dead fur seal. It looked like a recent death, and there wasn't any obvious cause. Sad, but exciting for the midgets, as it was something a little out of the norm. I have reported it to DOC.

We all slept well last night.