Honey

Honey

Sailing around New Zealand

Emily is sailing solo around New Zealand on her 32 foot yacht Honey, from Lyttelton south down the east coast, around the bottom of Stewart Island, up the west coast of the South and North Islands and down the east coast back to Lyttelton. The whole adventure is expected to take 3 months. This blog will provide updates as I travel (when I have mobile reception to upload).


Thursday 28 February 2013

Alice Falls, George Sound (22 February)

If I thought getting onto the anchorage at Anchorage Cove was difficult, it was certainly easier than the work I made getting off of it. With the wind blowing me onto the line connecting the stern and bow lines, this got neatly wrapped around the prop several times as I was casting off the bowline. Securing myself back on the mooring, I got into my wetsuit and got to work undoing the line and unwrapping the wee tangle I'd made. With that complete and the wind reduced, I got off the mooring successfully the second time and made for Alice Falls at the head of George Sound, getting there a couple of hours later than planned with my delays leaving Anchorage Cove. With the exception of the Luncheon Cove anchorage on Anchor Island, Dusky Sound, this I believe is the most beautiful anchorage I have found so far – a small cove with a waterfall (Alice Falls) splashing down into it (photos to follow once I can get them off Tim's camera). Once I had anchored (successfully this time) and had lunch, I made my way up the side of the falls to the lake at the top, Alice Lake. I had been told there was a red Indian style canoe hidden away in the bushes which I could take for a trip across the lake. First I went along the wrong side of the lake searching for it, but then found it easily when I searched the other side of the falls. The lake looked very small but I paddled along until it opened out into a very large and blue lake surrounded by mountains. When I saw the size of it, I thought I would only go only half way across, but ended up crossing to the far end where the Edith River enters the lake. Oh well, I was committed now to paddling back, and it was a bit of a slog with a head wind! (When I got back to Honey, I checked on the chart and the length of the lake was 1.6 nautical miles, around 3 km, so with a return trip I had paddled double that). And then I had to drag the very heavy canoe several metres up the steep slope so I could leave it where I had found it, that took even more effort, tug-o-war style heaving! I got back to Honey at 7.30pm and tucked into what I felt was a well-deserved dinner.

1 comment:

  1. How cool! I love little secret things like that stashed in the bush. What a cool person to put that kayak there. :0)
    Viki x

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