Greg leaving with our new van with my spare old kayak on the roof
from Terry Bolland’s Canoeing Down Under shop in Perth
The surf on the beach hasn’t really changed since I landed. There were still about 6 lines of more or less strong rolling breakers, plus an ugly washing machine section with two dumpers and a rebounding clapotis wave close to shore.
And it *was* an ugly day. The morning was actually quite calm, but the sea looked whipped up from the night’s storm and had a bigger swell running than the day before. The tide was a bit higher, too, and launching through the breakers didn’t look inviting at all.
The sky was black in the horizon, promising more rain or hail storms coming down today.
James and Margaret, my lovely and helpful ”hosts” at the Banksia camp
I had a „date“ with a local camper at 7am to get my boat and gear down to the beach, but as I was alreday ready to go at 6.15 am I was looking around and luckily found two other nice guys being up early that morning to help me with my boat. Thanks!
Not the whale in the distance, but a sleepy seal in the middle of the ocean
Next morning I decided my body is that sore it will be more than enough to do the 30 km to Windy Harbour, despite the prefect conditions with moderate following winds. The next landing spot would be another 45 km away, too much for my sore body and swollen wrists.
Beautiful swamp around Lorna’s house area
100 km to Windy Harbour were to be covered in one day – as no safe sheltered landing was existing along that coast.
Ok, this meant launching at night, or paddling into the night! Augusta seemed to be a clean run with no reefs or such in the way at night. It seemed to be more reasonable to make a landing in light in Windy Harbor, which had a bouncy headland and some reefs to overcome before being safe and sound.
If you guys think I may be the “Queen of positive self-motivation”, I’d love you to check out a website of a woman who probably has an even stronger mental and physical attitude:
I’ve met Karen already years ago on a symposium and instantly loved her attitude! We met again here and there, and stayed in occasionally e-mail contact. Only now I had time to check a bit deeper on her website and achievements. I can’t find words for what to say. THIS is mental and physical power! I’d be honored to adventure and speak with her together some times!
picture by Terry Bolland
I had some spare minutes the last days to work on what may seem to someone who doesn’t know me like a “huge bible of egoism”…
my “Best of…” 2009 guest book is ready!
You have all right in the world to ask “why I put together a “Best of…” book?”
Lorna took me to Margaret River today, shopping, sightseeing, lunch…we had a look at the world famous surf beach at swell height 7-8m. It was that massively crashing breaking with strong 30kn winds out of the wrong sw direction that not a single surfer’s bum was out there. Just a pity that a picture can’t really tell you how BIG it was!
