MoD’s birthday ⭐️⭐️🎂🎉🎁

There were no presents, this was his present, along with an awesome July suitcase. My opinion on the awesome. 

Today was going to be a relatively easy day. According to the map. Just as well. Now that some of us are 65, who act like 30 and have the fitness of a 25 year old, we need to take it easy.

And maybe bring our ice hockey games back to just 2 a week.

Eh Mod??? 🤪

Today, just 8km, along the coast, 3-5 hours.

We left camp at 8.10ish and headed out to grey skies and potential rain.

Which it did.

Great chance to try out my new rain jacket.

Which is actually rainproof.

First real rainproof one I have had 👏

Gortex. No less. Was one of my absolute bargain finds – a trait I inherited from Aunty Lyn.

We started our walk through a gorgeous little property which had been set up with penguin homes.

All named.

Unbelievably cute.

Still no penguins to be seen.

Funny that.

The view along the coast was spectacular albeit a little windy.
Too many photos but I just couldn’t decide which ones to chop……..

I do have a fear of being blown over in the wind, given it has happened to me before, so I kept a safe distance from the edge.

And there was an edge.

Quite an edge in some places.

Found a friend or two on the way.

We finally made it into what was marked as simply a ‘shelter’.

Was not simple folks.

Someone had created a little hut on the edge of a big bloody boulder.

We felt like little hobbits sitting there having our morning snack.

It was tremendously cool.

Once we were sustained – I would have killed for a single shot soy latte – we continued our leisurely journey along the coast.

Along the way, a loo with a view.

Sorry MoD.

Past the Titi colony (didn’t see any) we headed down into Stony Bay.

I happened to look down and see a seal.

‘Look MoD, that’s a big bugger seal right there!’

That’s me yelling to the world.  

Naturally MoD had to bark like a seal. Suddenly all the rocks moved.

By jingo it was a colony!

What a treat!

The last little bit of the walk into Stony Bay was like a mini rainforest.

Absolutely gorgeous.

And then we arrived in paradise.

Seriously.

The cutest little settlement you could ever expect to see.

Definitely hobbitsville.

There was an outdoor bath, a shower which actually ran out of cold water and only served hot (a bit of a problem for the clean people of the group), an outdoor billiards table and a campfire.

Whoever the carpenter was in this little place, they were amazing.

And because it was MoD’s birthday we were given our own little cottage. So spoilt.

The afternoon was spent playing Coits – I think Brent won every time, balloon games – hilarious, walking down to Stony Bay to look again at the seals – never gets old, and welcoming the other guests who turned up. The two dayers. A nice Asian couple (did not get their names) and Matt and Belinda from Sefton. Sefton! Where Sonya grew up…although Matt was originally from Newcastle, Australia. Something I wasn’t holding against him.

There was a store and like all the huts, it was on an honour system.

You took what you needed, wrote it down and put the cash into the ‘till’ which was a weighted cloth on top of essentially a piece of wood with grooved out bowls for the coins.

The store had everything, and I mean everything.

Chocolate, vegetables, dried pasta, crackers, cheese, farm eggs and very importantly wine and beer.

Prosecco it was! For Moi. Steak for MoD.

I have my priorities right MoD.

We also found a raft in the stream which of course MoD had to try out.

From where I promptly had to rescue him when it started to sink. But only after a photo opp. Not saying you are heavy MoD but I think the raft was for the kids who live on the property.

The afternoon was made complete by a surprise rendition of Happy Birthday to MoD which included lollies, balloons and an amazing chocolate cake – organised and sneaked in by Cath.

Truly great ingenuity and very kind.

Thanks Cath.

Because this was an electricity free zone, bedtime was basically when the light went out of the sky.

But not before some noisy ramblings (sorry those trying to sleep), maybe a horror story or two, everyone trying to see who could pop the balloon over the candle and just general silliness.

Great day.

Thanks team terrific.

Ms. Strava says 9.14km in 2 hours 30 minutes. 394m elevation gain.

Gearing ourselves up for the next one, said to be the hardest, from sea level to 699m then down into Akaroa.

Night folks.