Just Over There

A Postcard from Kenepuru Sound, Marlborough

We had just spent the last two days soaking wet, kayaking in the rain from campsite to campsite in the Marlborough Sounds. This day, we had been paddling through rain and wind for hours, so we were cold and tired by the time we made it to Double Bay. We had heard there was a resort there with a restaurant that was open to the public, and were looking forward to some hot drinks and maybe a fire warm up in front of. While searching the coast we encountered three tourists in plastic ponchos, fishing from a dinghy as the rain poured down.

‘We heard there is a resort somewhere around here, do you know where it is?’ Bill shouted as we came up alongside their tin boat.

‘Oh yeah, there is a place just over there. It has a fire, and you can get warm food and a hot chocolate. It’s really nice’ one of them replied, raising our spirits. ‘But it’s closed now’ he kindly clarified, dashing our hopes. We left them to their fishing and pushed on, bows aimed for the next headland, and our camp for the night.

By the time we made it to Ferndale campsite we were chilled to the bone and our muscles were exhausted, but we had the whole place to ourselves. We put up our tents right at the edge of the beach, and built a lean-to over the lone picnic table using a tarp, some guy ropes, and the paddles from our kayaks. Then, after putting on dry clothes, and just as the tea had finished brewing, the rain finally broke and the clouds lifted. It was then I remembered that this was what we really came here for, and I soon forgot about that resort and it's hot chocolates.