Don't Judge a Book By Its Cover

Today, I woke up bright and early to start kayaking.  After breakfast, the school van drove off with Matt, Dave, Josh, and me.   We headed to the pool where Josh and Dave succeeded at learning the roll!  This made everyone happy.  Matt was excited for his students, and I was excited because we could now all practice for the same amount of time and on the same technique.   After some rolling practice in the pool, we headed back to the lodge for a quick break before hitting the river.  I was starting to notice that Josh and Dave were warming up to me.  Josh was becoming less shy and Dave was less cocky and talked to me like we both had the same skills.  Soon, we had arrived at the lodge to play cards and eat a little before smashing through the waves of the Mangles River.

During the afternoon we had two runs on the Mangles, as we had on the second day of my last course.  This meant that I could give another go on the rapid that I swam last week.  Both times we all smoked the rapid.  When I stayed afloat, I was able to have a better look at the rapid.  During my last course, I thought it was just a drop with some small waves near the bottom.  Today, I saw that there was not much of a drop, but mainly two large lateral holes.  After gaining confidence on the rapid, I started trying some different moves and skills.  I tried doing practice rolls, but adjusting my hands into the proper set up position underwater as opposed to above water.  I also tried boofing, which is hitting a rock, going airborne, and landing on the other side.  This was a little hard for me because I am not heavy enough.  Occasionally, when Matt told us which line to take in order to avoid the waves and big holes, I asked to take the opposite line.  I was always allowed and always had a blast! 

Soon the day was over and I had some new friends.  Josh and David have warmed up to me!  I am glad to have friends again.  I learned a valuable lesson, “do not judge a book by its cover.”

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The New Batch

Today, I started my second kid’s course with a new group of kids.  Early in the morning, we met up to introduce ourselves and to give a brief description of our skills to the instructors.  I met my two new peers and suddenly realized how spoiled I was with James and Lillian.  My new peers were nice enough, but not like my previous classmates.  One of them, Josh, was shy and did not talk much.  The other, Dave, was nice, but a little cocky and prone to temper tantrums.  After the two kids got sorted out with gear, we made for the pool. 

The pool was hard for me because I could not work on my roll while the Josh and Dave learned the basics.  I played as a teaching model for the them, but that was about it.  Normally at the pool, I do about sixty rolls and today I did about twenty.  I was a little disappointed and missed pool sessions with kids like James or Lillian encouraging me once I got up from one of my rolls.   Soon, the pool session was over and Matt (our instructor again) drove us back to the lodge.


I was surprised when the Josh excepted my offer of a quick soccer match before leaving for a lake to practice.  We played for awhile, but soon it was time to go.  Unlike the loquacious car rides with Lillian and James, this ride was quiet with little talk.  We got to the lake where we went over all the paddle strokes again.  Paddling behind me, I could hear the occasional groan of Dave in a fit over who knows what. 


I am a little sad and I am missing James and Lillian.  I feel pretty bad and am a wee bit uninspired.  I hope I will feel better soon. 




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The Amazing Trip

Lillian, James, and I

Yesterday, I got back from a two day camping adventure after heaps of fun.  The great time payed off and I did not even have the strength to write.  I had fun playing on the water and dodging through waves, I loved hanging with kids my age again, and camping was a blast! 

The instructions and the pool sessions helped my boating, but this trip was the perfect way to use my skills and have fun blasting through the waves and the rapids.  First off, I have learned my roll and can use it in fair sized waves.  I have learned how to surf the waves and stay afloat while I am doing it.  Surfing in a kayak means keeping your boat in the exact right position such that it stays on the wave and becomes part of the wave.  I found myself feeling the surge of excitement and joy of riding the wave and handing the control of my kayak to the spirt of the river.  I learned that the best way to stay afloat, while punching through big waves and holes, is to lean forward, keep the boat pointing straight, and paddle hard.  I found myself obsessed with the feeling of waves crashing over my head and boat.  My brief kayak experience before this course had been fun, but the New Zealand Kayak School got me more hooked than ever.  I am excited to do more of this fun, ecstatic sport. 

If you have endured only your parents (with a couple exceptions) for seven months, you know that it feels nice to have two days with other humans who actually like having fun!  Through every rapid James, Lillian and I picked a pop song to sing through the waves, holding each other’s boats and going backwards through rapids like one big raft.  We skipped rocks and had throwing competitions.  Almost every time, James smoked us with the longest distance.  We constantly made jokes where the three of us cracked into pieces and almost fell out of our boats, and Matt (our instructor) just sat with a funny face and no idea what or who we were talking about.  The three of us all together had a blast. 

Camping may have been the best part of the trip.  We set up camp by a small rapid that filled our minds with its captivating and peaceful splashes.  We made a fire and roasted sausages and, as J.R.R. Tolkien would say, had many merrymakings.  Matt also cooked us some mashed potatoes.  James and I climbed trees and all of us played cards in our cozy sleeping bags.  We slept under the stars and, gazing up at the moon, gently fell into a light, perfect sleep.  We woke up to a breakfast of oatmeal and I, after the month of never ending oatmeal in Surmang, was forced to follow the golden rule: “If you put enough sugar in it, it does not taste like oatmeal anymore.”

My trip was amazing.  I discovered the true fun and joy of kayaking.  I loved having such good friends, and the camp was amazing!  I must say the trip would not have been as good for me without my true friends James and Lillian.  They encouraged me when my rolls did not come up well, and helped me give it another go.  Also, our instructor Matt understood our kayaking weaknesses and he turned them into strong solid skills.  What an awesome trip!

Photos from the current day (not the camping trip):







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Fun Takes It's Toll

I have made it back from my two day camp and kayak adventure with memories and fun.  These things cannot be obtained without a certain amount of exhaustion.  I am tired and dehydrated and will write about my trip tomorrow. 

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Roll Over, Roll Over!

Today, I finished the second day of my kid’s kayak class. I made some accomplishments and definitely improved!  After some brief practice in the pool, my class headed for the river!

During the day, Lillian, James, Matt (our instructor), and I undertook the great Mangles river twice.  I slipped into my boat on the rocky shore excited to see and feel a new river.  It felt great to be on the water again after so long and so many new experiences.  The rapids varied from grade one (a small riffle) to grade two (big waves, no consequence and minor rocks.)  We splashed around enjoying every wave of every rapid, but not without a good celebration in every calm eddy.  The last rapid of the run was a little bigger, but with big strokes and great speed we were all able to push right on through.  In a small pool by the take-out, the three of us took time to practice our roll with Matt holding and guiding the stern of our boat.  We were surprised at the speed, confidence, and effortlessness of our attempts.  The pool sessions had helped us a great deal and it was showing! 

On the second run of the day we all surged with confidence.  With alacrity and speed we boated to the beach where we took out earlier.  Matt told us that today we were going down a wee bit further before finishing.  At the end of the next rapid, Lillian and I asked Matt if we could try doing the roll without his guidance.  With a mighty brain freeze, and careful paddle placement we were breathing on the surface.  We had learned the sweep roll!  Soon, we came upon a rapid that looked as if it had a huge drop near the top.  We asked Matt if the rapid was harder than anything we had done.  With a look of reluctance he said “No, the worst is behind us.”  It was a drop.  James and Lillian went in first and they both made it.  I hit a lateral at the bottom of the drop and flipped.  I could not find my paddle to roll, so I had to swim.  Soon, I was being pulled to shore by Matt and was back in my boat.  After a couple more rapids, Lillian and I succeeded in rolling in flowing current!  I think James will get his roll tomorrow.  Before we knew it, we were spared of our dripping clothes and back in warm, cozy camp.  I was super excited at my completion of the sweep roll. 

Tomorrow, James, Lillian, Matt, and I are going on a camping trip.  We will kayak for two days straight.  I am not sure if you will hear from me tomorrow night.  I am excited for more tips and to improve my white water skill!           

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Kayaking with Two Friends

My day today was spent in the kayak kid’s class learning and perfecting skills. There are two kids in my group and they are siblings.  The older girl is named Lillian and her brother, who is my age, is named James.

In the morning, we started our kid’s class at the pool, where we started learning the roll.  During the session, our instructor, Matt, helped each one of us with the exact movement we need to complete to flip our boats back upright if we capsize.  After practicing our technique for awhile, Matt drove us back to the camp to get changed and eat before going to the lake to practice more useful skills.

When I arrived back at the van, my parents were at their rescue course, but they left me a sandwich and a note giving me free access to the camper fridge.  I had a delicious lunch before changing and getting ready to go to the lake.  We jumped back in the car and were off again.

At the lake, we played in our boats to get comfortable, practiced paddle strokes, and edging.  We later found a river flowing out of the lake in which to practice eddy catching and ferrying.  We attempted standing up in our boats which took practice, but we eventually succeeded.  After playing around for about an hour and a half, we headed back to the car.

On the way back, Matt stopped at a lookout to a class three rapid.  Class three means big waves, technical, and some consequence.  Matt showed us the lines that we would take if we were to attempt the rapid,  even though there is no way the three of us (James, Lillian, and I) would try it.  We soon drove into the kayak school grounds to have a good rest for the river that we will attempt tomorrow.

I enjoyed the first day of the kid’s camp and cannot wait for tomorrow.  I am excited that I met two kids that make it possible to have minimal time with my parents.

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Murchison or Bust!

Last Night on the Beach

This morning, while mom slept, Dad and I walked down the stone beach that we discovered yesterday.  The beach had a really cool vibe, barely any people, and hardly any trash.  We then drove to the near by town of Blenheim to access cell service for our cell internet stick and to eat good, hardy breakfast.  Soon, though, we were on the road again, this time to the small town of Murchison. 

The drive to Murchison lasted about two hours, during which the weather pulled a “one-eighty,” and the sun glared off our roasting mini van.  For the majority of the drive I was completing a math test that my dad graded shortly after.  I scored a ninety-two percent and passed!  If I score anything less then a ninety percent, my dad writes a new test and makes me retake the twenty problems.  Thankfully, I did not have to retake the test!   During the time that I was not working, I read the Lord of the Rings.  Frodo and company are currently enduring a nasty blizzard and are left with few options of escape.  My mellow doings in the back of the van were interrupted by the car coming to a stop.  We had arrived!

Murchison is the home of the New Zealand Kayak School.  The school grounds consist of a wide lawn and several lodge buildings with kayaks and other boating gear inside.  The staff here teach kayaking.  I will be taking two four day kids courses and my parents  will be taking a rescue course and an adult class. 

After parking our camper and eating a good dinner, we set off to hike to a small ridge with a good view of the town.  The hike was only about forty-five minutes long.  We made our way up through bushes and vines.  The view was spectacular!  At the top was a small, simple bench where we sat for awhile, talking about the world trip so far, before deciding to head back down.  On the way down, I enjoyed running, jumping, and swinging from trees and vines hanging over the trail.  Soon, we headed home to get a good night’s rest before our courses tomorrow.

One of the Views from our Hike

Murchison

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