Bad dates...
October 9, 2005Onemana, New Zealand
7:18am
Just back from my morning walk. Sunday morning is supposed to be my day of rest, but yesterday it was pissing and windy, so for the first time I bailed due to inclement weather. Actually, the weather over the past month has been pretty dicey, changes every twenty minutes or so. When I say change, I mean it goes from hot bright yellow sun to dark as dusk in the middle of the day in a very short time. Strong winds and huge droplets and then the sun returns and rainbows fill the sky. Such is coastal living I guess. It’s all new to me.
This morning the sunrise was not marred by arcane clouds, so the walk was quite lovely. On the beach, after heavy rain, a river, normally running under the sand, will split the beach in two. Mostly this river is easily crossable, but today, the gap was just beyond stepping across, so I had a decision to make. I could walk closer to the ocean, where the surf mixes with the river flow, and you can time it for minimal foot soaking, or I could try to leap right where I stood. Well, more out of laziness (which is ironic considering I am waking up at 6 in the morning to go for a walk) then brevity, I decide to jump the river. Flashes of Indiana Jones, throw me the whip, throw me the idol, scenes danced across my brain as I backed up two paces, took two deep breaths and,.,..just made it across the raging tornado of rapids. Er. No. Actually when I looked back to judge my heroics, the river looked as wide and vast as what flows into the drain after a storm. I heard strange cackles, and to my left, there were two seagulls and an orange beaked oystercatcher having a smoke, nudging each other’s wings and laughing at me. I soldiered on.
Two things of note since my Tuesday’s serious post. On Wednesday, which is turning into skip the novel writing day, we went to town to take care of mild necessities, no wait, this is not what I wanted to write about. Talk about a blurred life. On Thursday,….wait..Was it Thursday? Never mind. One day last week, after novel writing, all of us went to for a drive through a park/forestry road to a small turn off we heard leads down to a beach. It seems this whole trip has been about seeking out small turns that lead to beaches. It is a nice theme if you ask me. We parked our car, and said hello to a couple that were just about to descend to the beach as well. We were warned about the descent to the beach by a number of different people. They said it might be a bit dodgy with Hud, as it can get quite muddy and it’s about 800m down to the beach, cris crossing down a well-worn path. Steph and I thought, well, we won’t know for sure unless we try, if it’s too much, we will walk back. Although you are probably expecting some wicked tale of death defying repelling and abseiling down this steep mountain, I am sorry to disappoint. The descent was not as bad as we expected. Muddy yes. Steep in some points, also yes. Undoable. No way. I held onto Hud’s hand the entire way and he was fine. It did cross my mind how the hell we were going to get back up the mountain, but before I had a chance to dwell on it, we arrived at the beach and it was well worth it.
There is something so big about coming down out of forest and on to a secret beach.
Not really secret, as the couple passed us on the way down, he was from Philly, she was from South Africa, they live in NZ now, there was also a foursome of boys around 18 who plopped a tent in the woods and were surf casting and snorkeling, but due to the size of the beach, within a short walk, you felt like the only people on the planet. Even high tide reaches close to the rocks, conveniently washing away all old footprints. Helping with the anonymous image.
We walked through holes in rocks and into caves, reveling in the rare sunny afternoon. Hud, of course got down to his gitch and braved the icy water up to his dinglenuts.
I have not been in since Waiheke Island back in August, and it’s killing me. I have been in colder water, water that makes my own dinglenuts stay nestled beside my pancreas for a few days after, but it just hasn’t been hot enough outside to make me bring my suit on our walks, so I remain dry in body, and chicken in soul. Soon though, even if I have to go buck and charge into the water like an angry bull, a naked angry bull, to say I have been in the Tasman Sea in my lifetime. Naked. Talk about shriveled dinglenuts. Like raisins I tell you.
We only spent about an hour and half kicking around the beach before the sun disappeared over the mountain. Steph and I looked at each other and nodded, grimacing at the daunting task of climbing back up, but recognizing the accomplishment we were sitting on. We tied all our shoes tight and began climbing back up. I have been a father for just over three years now, and am constantly surprised how constantly surprised I am by my boy. In my head I resolved I would be carrying Hud on my shoulders up this mountain, something my knees and my back were not looking forward to. But low and behold, did this little egg roll take this challenge on his own little shoulders and start scrambling up this mountain like a lynx. I had to hustle to keep up with him as his low centre of gravity allowed him to use all four appendages to climb the rock stairs and muddy tree roots. A number of times he pushed me out of the way to reach down to Steph to “pull” her up. Mom needs help he would say, offering is mud-crusted palm. Anyway, at the summit, the parking lot, I wanted to bow down to this little prince, but I had to catch my breath first. I was so proud of him, and then did the rewind in my head to think of all the other times he rode my shoulders like a sultan. What a little bugger I thought. What an awesome little bugger.
Our other trip took place yesterday. We drove 90 minutes to Mount Maunganui, a small mountain on the coast, just outside of a larger city, Tauranga. We really had no reason to go to the “Mount” other than it was Saturday, and we wanted to get out of the house. So we braved the nausea inducing curved roads and made it to the Mount just after 11. Our first stop was the Hot Springs. This is a modern complex of multiple hot saltwater pools, with slides for kids, and hot high-pressure showers to rid the body of all kinks and knots. It was nice. Even when it started to rain a little, it was nice to be outside and in water, in these really buoyant massive hot tubs.
My only the observation about these pools was I really enjoy the basic task of getting Hud ready in change rooms in places like this. It’s really a father son thing to do, as for no reason at all, this task has been bestowed upon me, even though he could perfectly go with Steph in the ladies change room and would if I was not there. But I remember being a kid and going into pools and squash club change rooms with my father, and was fascinated by the men, brazen in their nudity, walking around with towels around their necks, rubbing the water out of their ears. Now this may sound homoerotic to some of you (Hello Chuck?), but to me it could not be further from that. It’s all very masculine and who gives a Brut 33 fuck and a Gillette god damn, a world that Hud seemed comfortable in, seeing all the other random aged kids gladly get nudie so they can get out to the pool. Hud even got on the bench and starting to dance a little dance. This I stopped quickly. As all men will tell you, sure it’s ok to be naked, but naked change room dancing? There has to be a line drawn somewhere. Lesson learned for one wonderfully comfortable three year old.
After the pool we went for a quick bite overlooking their 30, yes 30km beach. It started to hail so we timed it all pretty perfectly. Later we walked their shopping street, and made a few purchases, thereby passing our allotted budget for Coromandel three weeks early. Thank goodness for the exchange rate.
We drove home and stopped for groceries, Steph running into another mother from playgroup, a regular occurrence these days. We had a lay out for dinner, a traditional deli style meal inspired by my mother, Lo Lo, which has now become a tradition in our household as well, and one of my favourite meals. Hud and I watched a movie after dinner, while granny plowed through her knitting.
Today we are going to find another secret beach. Near the river I jumped this morning.
I am the Monarch of the sea……
Love to all,
J.
posted by Jason @ 1:07 PM
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