The Roaring Forties pounded their windy fury this morning as I woke up, and I sure wouldn't want to be flying Juliett (my drone) today. A lot I had planned today yet all sorts of things would throw a spanner in my plans, and I know to absolutely never put batteries in checked baggage, unless I want to lose them. Generally when I'm somewhere for a short time, I tend to wake up at around 7 AM but I've been sleeping in until around 9:30 AM for most of this journey. A full schedule I had as I wanted to get to the basalt columns, get out to Waitangi West, and then have fish and chips at the Kai Kono Cafe in Kaingaroa.
The Giant's Playground is a series of basalt columns eerily similar to the Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland. Officially there's a $20 entry fee and you need a key, but when I called the landowner yesterday he said to climb the fence and not worry about the entry fee. Staying with locals in remote places often means I don't have to pay for things (entrance fees, use of kayaks, snorkel gear hire, etc.) that the average tourist would have to pay for. I've never been to the Giant's Causeway but I'd have to imagine they're what it was like 30 years ago, without a cafe, tour buses, and huge crowds.
Whilst I've been to Northern Ireland, I've never been to the Giant's Causeway. Today I had these basalt columns all to myself. I had to hold on to my hat today.
Mobile phone coverage was only introduced here on the Chatham Islands only about a year ago, and it proved really helpful today. Air New Zealand removed a couple of batteries from my checked baggage when I flew from Christchurch to Wellington the other day, and I was told I had seven days to retrieve them (or have someone pick them up). My friend Laura agreed to do it, but I stopped hearing from her. I received an email from the airline stating that they hadn't been retrieved and that I only had until tomorrow morning before they were disposed of. I've known Laura for more than six years and it's highly out of character for her to not call me, and now I'm wondering if she's alright. When I called my friend Craig, in an unbelievable coincidence, he was in Christchurch. He went straight to the airport and picked them up. A huge lesson I learned here is to always put all batteries in my carry-on bag. For the moment I'm without spare batteries for either my camera or Juliett, and that's not helpful when you're in places with limited or no power. Next week I'm walking the Lake Waikaremoana Track, and I'll definitely need a spare battery then. When I arrived home I still couldn't reach Laura, and I sure hope she's alright.
Due to the battery issue and it being somewhat late in the day, I abandoned the plan of getting to Waitangi West. Angie was hopeful that she could borrow a vehicle so we could drive out to Kaingaroa this evening. Kai Kono Cafe is one of only two cafes in the Chathams, and whilst they're normally open on Saturday evening, this week they're open on Sunday evening. I wanted to get out to Kaingaroa early so I could walk around and take some photos but when I got ready there was no traffic at all heading out that way. A blue ute drove past, and it marked the first time in the Chathams that someone didn't stop when I had my thumb out. Often even when I don't have my thumb out, drivers will stop and ask if I'm alright. The Chathams remind most most of the Falklands: they're extremely desolate, and there are many places that you won't get a lift from after a certain time. At about 6:30 PM I had to give up, and I started walking home. A couple of guys going the other way would drop me back at Angie's, and I was so disappointed I couldn't make it to Kaingaroa. When I got home I figured I could call the cafe and order some fish and chips over the phone, and then have someone drop them off on the way back but when I called, it turned out they weren't open this evening due to lack of supplies. The plane hasn't been able to land for the past couple of days so that'll be why.
Today was one of those days where a lot was planned but most of it hit a brick wall, as the only plan that came through was getting to the Giant's Playground. I cooked up some pizzas for tea and then sat with a warm cuppa by the fire.
Pine cones emit a fair bit of heat as well as giving the fire a pleasant look.
It was windy this morning, and it was windy this evening. The skies stayed grey and the Roaring Forties continued its windy fury well into the night...
