Surfing in the Shadows...

In the wee hours, I heard the rain pelting on the tin roof of the cozy house in Port Chalmers. I could only imagine that this meant another cloudy, crap, cold day in New Zealand, and that my timing was just as bad.

It would be until the end of the day before I was out of my funk.

It was Easter morning. I remembered the Hot Cross Buns that I bought yesterday in town. Natalie said New Zealand supposedly made the best, that they used some sort of vanilla infused sugar water to make them. I ate one out of the bag.

Rod and Natalie seemed to be sleeping late. I looked outside. Cold and grey. The leaves were blowing around. Ack! Maybe I could change my ticket, go stay with Colby in San Francisco instead... no. Hold on.

Soon, Rod and Nat trundled down the stairs, and we checked the forecast. Surf had come up, but so had the wind. It felt colder outside, too. Ugh. We decided to wait until later, as the forecast was calling for the southerlies to back down rather quickly.

I decided to take a walk, to take pictures. Today is my last day here. I walked down to the orchard. My mood lifted a bit seeing the tiny pears hanging in the trees. The sun came out, and the trees and bushes and flowers glistened. Then I saw it. A black cat darted under a bush. I followed it, and bent down to look. Suddenly, I was face to face with the past - and burst into tears. The cat stared back at me, and it looked just like Stimpy. It had that same frightened look he often had, and it was just too much in the state I was in. I sat there on the soft grass, and lost it. After some time, I looked up, and there was a lone butterfly happily flitting about in the sunshine. I watched it flying, landing on this and that flower. Birds sang out.

So, I walked to the graveyard. I read the tombstones, and saw the most amazing things. People had left mementos on some of the gravesites, a stuffed animal, statues, a gnome, amongst the ususal plastic flowers. One tombstone had a gold engraved label affixed to it that read, "She done her best." That was just the bit of brevity I needed.

I was there for about an hour. Just thinking. The gorgeous scenery all around, the wind blowing chilly, I was thinking how this trip has been so much more serious than the last. This time I am looking at everything differently, as if I might be living here someday. That feeling is fading.

I liked having this place in mind, that nearly perfect place, where I might someday live. The dream seems a bit shattered, now. I realize how hard it would be to do alone. Rod did it, at twenty-six, at an age when your ideals can get you through a lot. Plus, he was escaping the war. I have so much to be thankful for where I am at. I realize that there is no perfect place. New Zealand is pretty close, but after all the talks with Rod and Nat, I get a clearer picture about everything. Plus, there are the little cultural things that you notice, despite the language being the same. Maybe I am just being sensitive to it, but the radar is picking up on every little thing right now. This old dog possibly just can't adapt without a strong connection, a close group, or even one other person. I would miss my friends too much.

So, I wander back to the cozy cottage. Rod is always optimistic. I suddenly realize that he sounds just like that black-haired scary guy in the Harry Potter movies. I close my eyes and listen. Yep.

We decide to look at Aramoana. What a gorgeous drive! This is something out of a dream, the winding road snaking its way along the edge of the harbor. I feel it looks like when I imagine Cape Cod, the tall dark pines all the way to the water's edge, the hills and mountains all around! My spirits are lifting.

I feel better when I am going somewhere.

There are huge dunes at Aramoana, the biggest I have ever seen! There are 2 cars with board bags inside them. We climb the dunes to look. There are two foot lines being brushed clean by strong offshores. We decide to wait, let the wind die a bit more. We are off to watch Rod's son, Leroy, compete in the annual Dunedin Easter Championships. People from all over the south island are invited to compete. Leroy is a shortboarder, but made it to the finals in longboard. We stop for tea and toast, and then hit the road to make his heat.

We speed through the hills and down to St. Clair where two FCS black tents are pitched on the walkway by the sea. The surf is pounding, looks like six foot to me, and a bit treacherous. The water is blue and frothy. Rod and Nat take me over to meet Nic Reeves. She is so sweet, and it is so amazing to think how we are now shaking hands by the ocean, in the scene that I have viewed so many times on the internet. We discuss origins, of our blogs, our surfing, and other things, before she has to dash off to shoot photos of the contest.

Look! There goes Leroy! Rod is nervous. Wow, that was an amazing ride, all the way inside after a big drop, an off the top that turned into a huge floater that he made that I didn't think he would, cut backs galore and then a cheater five! That ride had to be a 9. Another guy in red caught more waves, and I thought maybe he had won. Later that night we found out... Leroy took first! I met him when he came in from surfing, and he was such a nice guy, super friendly and humble.

We took off after that. I hugged Nic and said goodbye. We had surfing to do.

MAGIC SESSION NUMBER TWO!

We arrived at the dunes, and what did we notice? The wind was lighter! Part of me had actually hoped we would just not even go out. I felt cold. The wind had been howling at St. Clair, and had killed my stoke. What I wanted more than anything was to just have a hot meal and a hot bath. 4 people came walking back from the surf with their boards. Good, it's probably not even worth it. I was really low. I felt lazy and tired, and I didn't know why. We looked across the dunes and saw clean lines, not blown out, about chest high. I saw a SUP, ugh, but he caught a beautiful peeler that caught my eye. The walls would jack up, long and smooth, with the best little taper to them! I was feeling better. Back at the truck Rod said, "Look, Nancy! A rainbow!" I looked up in the sky, and the brightest rainbow I have ever seen was forming just beyond, against the backdrop of the golden towering cliffs on the other side of the harbor entrance.

We pulled on our suits and raced to the water. I felt so weak at first, what was wrong with me? I paddled for a wave and missed it. Geez! I wondered if it was from lack of food. There was no where to get a meal with all the cafes closed for Good Friday, Easter, and Monday. The only hot meal I had had that I could remember was on Saturday at lunch, and it was small. Yeah, that's it, I thought, I have no reserves.

Suddenly, everything seemed to change. I looked up at the massive cliffs that lined the beach. The sun was still up high, but the light was being blocked by the mountainous cliffs. We were surfing in the cliff's shadow! Then I looked up and saw the rainbow was full, complete, traversing the land and out into the water! That rainbow stayed in the sky for a solid hour. I looked at my watch, to be sure. The tide came in and the waves started pumping. I was getting one after the next and the Firewire was on! The rights would stack up and reel off with the perfect shape. The lefts were bowly and fun! I watched Nat get a bunch on her long board, and Rod, well, Rod always wins on the wave count. I watched him get a endless left, all the way from the next cove that they were surfing in (everyone had left by now), over to the little cove I was surfing alone. He was standing in the shallows, when I got my wave of the session. It was a left, and it felt about shoulder to head high. It just whomped up and I did a bottom turn that felt better than any one I have ever done, that led into a series of snaps. When I got inside where he stood, he was smiling at me, and then suddenly pointed to the beach, "Look! A penguin!" There he was, a lonely little penguin, waddling home, up into the dunes.

When I paddled back out, I saw four of them, swimming around near me. Nat and Rod said it was really strange, that they never usually come so close! The sun was fading, it was nearly dark. I did not want to go! This scene is one of the most amazing in my surfing history, for sure. Just the perfect set up. Cliffs that block the wind, and rock outcroppings that shaped the sand into perfect wave magnets.

When I got back to the truck, Rod was changing and said, "That was a great left you had out there, Nancy! I think you would have won the National Championships - I never saw you go left before!" That made my day, right there. I leaned into the back of the truck, as if I were worn out completely, my head hanging down, and sighed, "Thanks, man! Not bad for an old lady, huh?" To which he laughed harder than I have seen him laugh yet.

Yes, I could see coming back here. I wouldn't have said that if you had asked me this morning, but after this session, I was already putting the money in the bank.

Back at the house, there was a sweet reward. Natalie asked me if I liked pasta? I think I have never answered yes so enthusiastically in my entire life. We feasted on the most delicious veggie pasta ever. I could hear her chopping the garlic, onions, carrots, green and yellow peppers, and tomatoes... as I soaked in that hot, hot bath... I love you, Port Chalmers.