Lake Mapourika - Kayaking, Swimming & birdsong
Saturday 3 October
Glad we’d got our gumboots out of the Ute - a night of rain had drenched the ground around us, especially the spongy moss, so it was super soggy out. The clouds took an hour or two to lift - but by 11ish it was a glorious day. Check out the triptych below - the lake at dawn, midday & dusk.
Mid morning, Louis got the Razor kayak inflated and we set off to explore Lake Mapourika. Absolutely stunning out on the water - so lucky! It was a perfect day for kayaking, a fair bit of sunshine, little wind, and I had finally painted my toe nails after winter!
We paddled about 3-4kms out across the lake to the headland down the southern end & back. The water was so dark and tannin stained we had no idea how deep it was at any point as we crossed the lake - but the reflections were fabulous. Near the headland we found some shallow water and curly weed growing just below us - love the confused imagery as I tried to capture a pic of it under the paddle and the glinting sun! So glad we discovered Razor Kayaks as a product - we have had so many great times paddling on lakes and sea on our Odyssey!
We finally made it back to shore where Louis bravely stripped to his togs for a quick plunge! Rather him than me 😉
Lunch on the DOC table behind Banjo then a siesta after all that paddling 😴. It was T-shirt weather, providing you slathered on the bug repellent against the sandflies.
Mid-afternoon Louis struggled into his wetsuit and I accompanied him in the kayak as he set off on a 2.7km swim out into the lake and back 🏊
The water was not warm, but definitely not the glacial stream & river temperatures we’d recently encountered.
Back on land I set off to explore the camp and check out the gorgeous birdlife - we hear the chorus all day long, but you have to stop still to catch the birds in action. My first encounter was with an enchanting wee robin, or toutouwai - he was very brave and allowed me to get quite close. He was tapping the moss with one foot and snatching up the bugs disturbed by his dance. Swallows kept divebombing us when we loitered by the wooden shelter behind Banjo - I popped in to see what was the issue and realised that they were nesting in their and feeding their babies. Up in the trees and bushes all around us were the mellifluous sounds of tuis and bellbirds - but they were always behind leaves and branches so not easy to photograph!
I checked out the other section - MacDonalds which was much wider and more open, with a little inlet where you could launch boats to access the lake; there was also MacDonalds Creek running past and I went exploring up under the road bridge - fun murals on the support and a great deal of wood and slash stacked up behind one pillar which had been deposited by previous floods.
Down at the lake the clouds had cleared a little over Franz and the Southern Alps giving wonderful views. The light turned blue, then gold then peachy pastel as the sunset - stunning!
Settled in for dinner (chicken schnitzellish) and the second hilarious episode of Celebrity Traitors before getting an early night.
Loving reading your blogs and your photography is amazing Thanks for coming to stay with us in Okarito. Look forward to your next blog after MacDonalds creek Sue and Colin Peterson (your hosts in Okarito)