Kaikoura Weekend
3rd - 5th April 2009
After a late start due to first Ross & then I being late from work and the spare tyre on the boat trailer being flat, Bill, Michael, Ross and I finally departed after lunch and headed for Kaikoura. Barnacle Bill called to say he was heading out for a dive so it was with some surprise we arrived to find him still there with Andy & former club member Grant Maynard as crew. A quick change and we were off to the front of the peninsular into a rather choppy sea, wind against swell so we eased back into the shelter of a reef and the first buddy pair, Michael and Bill exited the boat after both signalling the distressed diver with their masks on their foreheads! This was the start of a new nickname for Bill…he became known as one of the “Lost Boys” as his mask fell off his head into the tide as he entered the briny. Luckily Michael had quick enough reactions to save it for him. Under they went at 4.45pm and returned with their take-able bugs and tales of soft-shell, many small crays and a few butterfish about. Barnacle & his crew had also done fairly well. Taking advantage of Daylight Saving, Ross and I headed off into slightly deeper surging water with plenty of plankton about. Crevasses, caves & canyons all teemed with feelers, unfortunately most too small and any large females too soft to take. The reef and swim thru's offered plenty of fish life but strangely not as many greenbone as usual. The good size bugs became more plentiful between 15 and 22 metres and when Ross & I resurfaced, the crew took home quota for the day. We quickly, drowned the crays, showered, had a couple of beers and it was off to the Commercial for dinner and to watch the Super 14. Louis and Ange arrived quite late but in time for a couple of drinks before we all retired for the night. I must say that the chainsaws, tractors and purring cats were working overtime through the night, and the dawn chorus was not the best I have been woken up by!!!!!! Day 2 dawned, the forecast 20 knot NE wind was absent and the sea was flattening off with each hour. After breakfast we gave our spare tanks to Barnacle’s crew, geared up again and quickly boated out to the front of the peninsula again, giving Ange her practical boat induction requirements on the way. A slight swell still existed, Louis, Ange & Michael buddied up and Ross teamed up with Barnacle Bill and it was game on. Upon surfacing they reported crays everywhere, but small or soft and both Michael and Louis then showed off their free-diving skills and shot some butterfish for lunch. Bill & I then headed for the depths only to find we had been dropped on sand “thanks Ange!!” After a reasonable swim into the current we hit the reef at 24 metres and were soon greeted by numerous crays of good size, with only males take-able, and even a few females in berry. It was a great dive, viz 4 metres, lots of fish life, the first octopus I have seen in a while, and lots of butterfish at 8 – 10m. I had a good haul of keepers, but obviously some of the others had fallen short as it was a great surprise to hear Ange utter the words…”now come on boys nothing small and soft, I only want big and hard ones on this trip!!! Well the boat erupted in laughter and that became the catch call for the rest of the trip!! So it was back to Barnacle Bills, cooked up some of the Friday crays for lunch as well as the fresh fish, YUMMY and then filled up all the tanks. Once again Bill D continued his Lost Boy routine, getting lost 3 times driving around Kaikoura! Soon it was back into the wetsuits and out onto the briny again for the afternoon splash. I teamed up with Ange this time and we hit a new dive spot. There was quite a surge which quickly spread any silt we disturbed but otherwise viz was a good 3 – 4 metres. Lots of fish life about with big red & also blue moki, a lot of juvenile butterfish, small cod and the usual parrotfish, marblefish and Jock Stewarts. In no time we surfaced fulfilling our quota of crayfish for the day and it was off to enjoy a beer in the last long evening of Daylight Saving.
We scoured the town for a well priced good meal and after sampling a couple of new bars we settled on the old faithful Adelphi, a few games of pool and watching the Super 14. Afterwards we settled in to the Sonic Bar and listened to a fantastic band that played covers of just about any band you could name!! Ange managed to get picked up and dragged to the dance floor……by a woman!!!.....no worries Bevan, we think she just wanted some company as she did ask Louis first but he refused the woman’s offer. The night at camp was full of noise as the alcohol had loosened everyone’s vocal cords and pillows flew, people were whacked and bedding pulled as others tried to sleep. We awoke bleary-eyed and after a great cook up we waited and waited and waited on Barnacle Bill to surface and take us snorkeling….alas it was not to be as BB had over indulged in festivities and was suffering badly. Rex took us south down SH 1 to a likely shore-diving spot and in we went in search of some paua. As it was quite shallow the surge was a nuisance and the younger crew headed into deeper water where their superior fitness and breath holding enabled them to stay deeper for longer. We all bagged a few paua, with Michael really excelling himself, and Louis commenced the day’s cray quota by catching 3 bugs on snorkel!! Excellent stuff. Back to camp and it was all aboard the boat and back out to the peninsular for our last dive of the trip. The sea had really flattened off and we parked up near Sharks Tooth, Ross, Bill & Michael disappeared and resurfaced with a good haul of crays then it was Ange, Louis and my turn. What an awesome dive, canyons, caves, crevasses, cracks, colour and current…and lots of plant and fish life to see. A magic way to end the trip, quota for everyone in one dive! A big thanks to Barnacle Bill & Liz for both their great hospitality and marvellous accommodation. John Hornby
