Round Banks Peninsula and on

Update from: James
6^th January
Babs started her next big challenge with southerly head winds that made her day long but short in distance, hoping to reach the Rakaia river she made short at Taumutu with a rough landing. The last Ive heard was the next morning she was on the water just after 6am and I presume with the good weather forecast she is making as far as she can for Timaru before a change, but weather looks good for the next days.

Special thanks to Karel for the tip with www.marineweather.co.nz this site seems much better for passing on forecasts to Babs! Also thanks to all who´s encouraging comments on her blogg site. I will pass onto babs when we get a clear line to talk, the GSM signal often is weak ashore.

5^th January

Babs had a fun day with dolphins and meet people who remembered Paul Caffyns visit 30 odd years ago. With advice from a local farmer and surfers Babs made her way to Magnet Bay. Babs is was somewhat nervous about the next days as she tckles the Canterbury Bight, a 100+ km´s of steep dumping beach till Timaru.

4^th January
Thanks to John Kirk Anderson and his wife Mary who gave Babs a bed for two nights and great help we have some photo´s also from him of Babs leaving Sumner beach the 3^rd with good paddler friendly conditions that allowed her to reach around to Ontanerito bay on the east tip of Banks Peninsula.