In which we get rescued by fishermen.

This place was a national park (and presumably, 3 days on, still is). Our hostel was very very nice and relaxed set against huge hills and with a beach nearby it was a barn basically, kitted out with beds. But very well and very comfy. Anyway, the first night was reasonably uneventful and included a game of pictionary (look at us growing up). The next day we hired some Kiyaks and set off to sea at about 8.30am hoping to find seals, penguins and potentially dolphins. What a beautiful day! Here is our story...

We all get our saftey lessons from the kiyak bloke and then get told we can go off on our own, Pavey, Jake and I in single Kiyaks and Luke and Greg sharing. As we leave for the first island it gets a bit windy but we thats ok, Me pavey and Jake accidently shore against a beach whilst Greg and Luke carry on around to the next island (which they come back from shortly after). Trying to get off the beach me Jake and Pavey all manage to capsize and fill with water several times and so keep shoring again to sort it out. Eventually we get out to sea again. By this time the wind has picked up quite alot and Pavey (between the 2 islands, not all that close to either) capsizes. We manage, between the lot of us to turn his boat around lean it on the double and empty it of water, then get Pavey back in. It should be mentioned that the water is freezing for poor Pavey. His steering is now broken.

We almost DIE in the sea!!!! (kind of)

We keep going but then a wave gets Pavey again and he capsizes, Luke and Greg go back to help, I try also to do the same but in doing so I capsize. Shit. 2 men down. It was this point where I started thinking about the dolphins and wondering why they weren't helping us, lazy so and sos. Then, (and this bit is quite sad really) a finshing boat comes along and offers to help. We accept and both me and Pavey climb aboard and the boat drags my kiyak behind, Paveys Kiyak is left with Greg and Luke to pull alongside theirs?! Greg would like me to use the word 'heroes'. The boat drops us off again in a bay, nowhere near mainland, Pavey boatless and sat on a rock, me stranded in my baot on a rock (much like the arc) carrying now Paveys boat. Eventually our kiyaking company comes to pick us up in a real boat and takes us back to land. And that is how we were rescued. Wow, what a story, I dunno, perhaps you had to be there?!

That night after all that we cooked a BBQ and bought a load of beer and relaxed with that! It was lovely. In the morning we left again for Golden Bay...