Sitting in a summer house in Avimore, Scotland, I can't but agree - it is a very cool, even cold, summer! The house belongs to fellow Klepper paddlers, Judith & Co lin Sanderson, who has this lovely house, within easy rea ch of the Cairngorm Mountains, that I look at as I wr ite, still partly snow-covered (two weeks ago they were t otally snow-covered). So paddling is not foremost on our schedule. We had a lovelytime here, bird-watching (woodpecker s and ospreys, today), steam train watching, and climbing aboard - magnificent -also today. Soon been four weeks in Britain, and as yet, no heavy rains at all, and no full-day rain! But summer is very late, and as there was very little snow this winter, so many rivers and lakes have dried out, totally! Sweden is far lo nger gone, summer-wise, while it normally is the other wa y round. Hope you all have a great vacation this yea r, where-ever you are! Yours, Tord & Ann-Christine Sent using the free mail.com iPad App On 6/2/12 at 17:42, PaddleWise wrote: > PaddleWise Saturday, June 2 2012 *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
As we approach our shortest day, here in the Southern Hemisphere, the temperatures drop and the lakes near Rotorua lose their water-skiing and jet-boating crowds and present a more tempting kayaking destination. So, traditionally, we take a weekend 'off' from sea kayaking and do a little Lake kayaking. Our Mount Tarawera had a Mount St Helens scale volcanic event in 1886 and the area is still thermally very active. The DoC (Conservation Area) campsite on the far side of Lake Tarawera is called Hot Water Beach for obvious reasons - you can cook in the adjacent tiny creek and safely soak tired muscles in the nearby hot pools. The portage trail from Lake Tarawera over to Lake Rotomahana takes only 20 minutes to get kayaks up and over a ridge. This gives access to a even more active thermal wonderland - with bubbles giving some areas of the lake a ginger-ale like character and cliffs with many steam vents and small geysers demanding respect. Some small areas of Rotomahana are a bit of a threat to roto-moulded plastic kayaks - not to mention the bums inside them. The past weekend was a three-day opportunity to brave the cold and enjoy the still & crisp winter air. Driving down to the lakes early on Saturday morning, the outside temperature dropped to a scary -1C (30F). Aucklanders consider this to be 'arctic', so arrival at the foggy put-in at the lake edge saw some very cold feet. Luckily the mist burned off and the rest of the weekend was cool, clear and magic. Note that Natasha & I cheated and made use of the drysuits that we acquired for the Alaska trip. Never waste an opportunity ;-) Some photos here: https://www.dropbox.com/gallery/63886990/1/2012%20Tarawera?h=e2a01c Best Regards Paul Hayward, Auckland, New Zealand *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Nice photos. New Zealand may be at the top of my list of future kayak destinations! Mark Sanders On 6/5/2012 5:19 PM, Paul Hayward wrote: > Some photos here: > https://www.dropbox.com/gallery/63886990/1/2012%20Tarawera?h=e2a01c *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Sweet, as we so eloquently put it in the USA. Brad On Wed, Jun 6, 2012 at 7:04 AM, Mark Sanders <marksanders_at_sandmarks.net>wrote: > Nice photos. New Zealand may be at the top of my list of future kayak > destinations! > > Mark Sanders > > > > On 6/5/2012 5:19 PM, Paul Hayward wrote: > >> Some photos here: >> https://www.dropbox.com/**gallery/63886990/1/2012%**20Tarawera?h=e2a01c<https://www.dropbox.com/gallery/63886990/1/2012%20Tarawera?h=e2a01c> *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
On Tue, Jun 5, 2012 at 5:19 PM, Paul Hayward <nz7kayaker_at_gmail.com> wrote: > As we approach our shortest day, here in the Southern Hemisphere, the > temperatures drop and the lakes near Rotorua lose their water-skiing and > jet-boating crowds and present a more tempting kayaking destination. So, > traditionally, we take a weekend 'off' from sea kayaking and do a little > Lake kayaking.... > Oddly enough, our temperatures have also dropped and the water skiers and jet skiers have completely disappeared. I thought we got teleported to Seattle but maybe we changed hemispheres. :P Drysuits are the handiest things, aren't they? I'm guessing you guys were the only ones who had 'em, too. :D Great photos. Nice portage too. When I read your essay I was picturing something more rugged but that looks practically civilized. Beautiful country. Thanks for the posting. :) Craig *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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