Ruby Island & The Outlet

Sunday 16 February

After a chilly start to the morning the sun warmed everything up very quickly. This was the moon shining over Banjo on a 6am trip to the campsite toilets!

Nickie was keen to swim to Ruby Island so we piled in the Pajero and drove to Glendhu Bay. After pumping up the Razor kayak and psyching me up (quite freaked by the windy waves) Russ and I clambered into the kayak and Nickie & Louis jumped into the lake and we went across to Ruby Island.

It may not look like it in the photos, but the swell was quite high - over a metre in places - and we took onboard several gallons of water as we mistimed a few crests! Nickie and Louis were communicating with each other between the waves and had to be quite careful about turning their heads to breath as the swell was quite erratic!

Once in the lee of the island the waves calmed down considerably and Russ and I hopped out in the shallows and tipped several bucket loads of water out of the kayak before paddling over to the jetty to meet the swimmers who were grumbling about us neglecting our guardian duties! We all went ashore, dragged the kayak a little way up the stony beach and then set of walking around the island and marvelling at the fabulous views.

After an impromptu and not very Olympic standard display of (un)synchronised swimming from our mad partners, we set off back to shore. Swimming/paddling back was quite a lot easier as the wind was less - but we did get tipped out at the beach at the end when it got gnarly again! I was proud of myself for overcoming my rough water fears and would definitely have had massive FOMO if the other three had gone off and done this without me.

We shared a leftovers lunch from Saturday's BBQ dinner back at Banjo and all retired for a wee siesta, before regrouping.

Louis went out on the bike and Nickie, Russ and I went walking up the Outlet Track which follows the Clutha river towards Albert Town as it leaves the lake. Louis was able to stalk us on the phone app and turned up where we were walking a couple of times which was cool... and then he stalked Abby & Jez to the Speights Ale House so that was the last we saw of him!

The start of the Clutha River along the Outlet Track where it drains from Lake Wanaka was so beautiful. We saw lots of people doing a lazy river ride on assorted flotation devices (SUPs, lilos, rubber rings, fancy inflatables, even the "Do Not Use this as a Flotation Device" double inflatable mattresses!) - they would jump in at the Outlet Camp beach and drift gently downstream to Albert Town where the current begins to pick up considerably. There were a few rocky mini rapids along the way which caused much laughter and hilarity as the motley crews of floating adventurers rippled over them. We also saw a jetboat whizz up the river from Albert Town and do some big swirly splashy turns, but mostly it was all calm and quiet - the loudest sounds being the bird song. We spotted fantails/piwakaka, a tiny rifleman (?), a dark fluffy robin and heard several tui and kereru in the trees around us.

On one of the shingly beaches about 1-2km along the river Russ found some incredible purple rock with a sparkly hue - if anyone knows what it would be - please let me know - see photo with Nickie holding it.

The whole walk was absolutely stunning - I'd love to follow the track all the way to Albert Town in future and to do the lazy river ride in our kayak!

Meanwhile the birthday entourage had arrived in town and been joined by Louis thanks to some judicious phone stalking, so we headed into Ardmore Street and joined him, Jez, Abby & Colin at Speights Ale House then went back to the Maram for cheese & crackers and bacon & egg sarnies!