The Return of the Blog-i

It’s been weeks since my last blog post. Sitting silently staring at the screen for days, trying to figure how to put a constructive sentence together. Weird. I wish to share my experiences with everybody don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining about life, stuff, I can’t complain.

I find myself sitting next to a whirlwind of emotions, do I wish to let it all go and jump in and join in on the madness? Maybe not, maybe not just yet. Then I shall keep my chin up and chest out. That’s what I do best.

So after leaving Christchurch on 23 February (day after the quake) I drove a return rental back to Auckland in 5 days, sleeping in the car, passing by beautiful black sand beaches and massive headlands out at sea, wine lands, lakes, waterfalls and valleys, all this beauty but you can’t help not think about the people trapped in the rubble of collapsed buildings, cars or whatever they have piled up around them. Life’s lost. Life’s changed.

Arriving at Picton on the northern tip of the South island of New Zealand on the 3^rd day of the drive where I connected with the interisland ferry to Wellington. The ferry ride was about 3hrs and it was so full as so many people left their homes in Christchurch. Over 600 cars!!

The ferry ride was very chilled; I was so tired that I opted to sleep the duration of the trip. Eventually get to Auckland after a stopover at Lake Taupo, I stayed at this mingy backpackers in central
Auckland. I wished I was back in the car! But it was all good as I was riding high on the fact that the next time I lay my head down to rest would be in the Cook Island in Polynesia. Hoping to score some amazing waves!

It was a 3 hour flight from Auckland to Roratonga. That is the main island of the Cook Islands. We arrived around 1 am local time. Crossing over the international dateline was quite cool as you get to score the same day all over again. At the airport there was this old guy whom played his little guitar greeting all the tourist with songs from his mother tongue!

Did I mention that the local Maori people are HUGE!!! At some instances you can’t tell the difference between male and female! Haha!

Arriving at the international backpackers with owner Bill who seemed a bit out of it, showed us around and to the disappointment of us all this place didn’t even look like what was advertised! But ey, you in the island man!

So at 5am we all get woken up by a big black cock. (Chicken kind) and this dude just didn’t stop no matter what you threw at him! Eventually I had had enough, took a stroll down to the beach to find myself walking straight into 6ft plus surf in warm crystal clear tropical water at 6am. I was in my element. I rushed back to get my gear, I strap my suit on and I was gone. Frankly I had no idea where to go. Perfect waves all around me. But there was something missing. Humans, crowds, other wave riders. None to be found for a week.

The paddles were long and tiresome as you had to swim to the outer reef surrounding the island through deep and dark channels whilst you be looking up at a wave off loading on the reef in front of you, your mind is calling shark farts the whole time and then a group of manta rays started jumping out the water all around me some even up to about a meter high! Amazing!

The reefs are shallow mate. It is not possible to duck dive if you get caught or not making a wave so wave selection was critical. It is like a cheese grater with cut throat blades! So there I was, paddling my ass off when the sets come in with so much water moving that it looks like an animated film! I was staring into heaven. I could easily disappear into the ocean and become a piece of coral blessed to see these perfect waves roll over me.

The landscape is lush green forest with sharp peaks reaching for the sky, blue sky, clear water and perfect waves. Finally reaching the take off zone I paddle into a wave of about 4-6ft greeted by the cleanest barrel I have ever been inside of, so mechanical, so fast, so long, so good. I recall fish quickly moving about as I am driving through the tube before I couldn’t see and my ears stung. It was like the wave turned itself inside out. Then sunlight. The best 6 seconds of my life. Hands down. The weirdest thing was that there was not a hint of human influence around me. I was high-5ing myself and screaming at the top of lungs. Wondering if this was actually me. Actually real!  It is. J

Life on the island is slow. Shops open when they want to the banking hours are from 9-1. Heck what a place to life at. The island of Roratonga is only 32km for a round trip that I had done numerous times with the scooter.

At this time I had moved to a really good backpackers called Vara’s, super clean super cool and good times! I would regularly go to the local markets and get myself some marlin steaks or Wahoo to go with my noodles. 2 minute noodles is the food of champions. 3 times a day with weet-bix for breakky and a papaya! Kaboom, then along came Captain Cook’s darkie. A local beer with the ability to give an elephant a hang-over! I had made friends with some of the local dudes and getting to witness there cultural evenings was humbling and so dam cool, dancing with them in their traditional manner whale they are strumming on their little guitars was so good. The locals love their rugby, it is a big thing. Well, they are big things!

I had made friends with two guys whom I can see I will be friends with for a very long time to come. 2 Frenchies called Julien Binet and Julien ‘papa’ Paris.  Classic characters and dam good bodyboarders and surfers. We surfed together and missioned hard. It was sad saying goodbye, but I will be seeing them in indo again! Trouble. Then there was Mike. Drifter of a league of his own. Humble guy keen for a snorkel and with a bad tan!!

 What I love about travelling and especially being a bodyboarder is that if you meet other bodyboarders anywhere in the world he/she will take you in put you up and share stories with you like you’ve known each other for a decade. Bodyboarders are family. That’s why I love this lifestyle.

Japan. Rocked by a massive earthquake. At 1 am we all get evacuated to higher ground as there is a tsunami warning posted for the Cook Islands. Imagine the panic and scared faces at 1am in the morning. So I packed what I needed as instructed: Bodyboard, fins, spring suit, noodles, can of beans and water. Then I made my way up to the evacuation route with my scooter. I was driving past heaps of people carrying everything that they had, old, young, weak and strong with an empty look on their faces, the look of fear. I dropped my stuff of at the shelter and head back down the mountain to help the local authorities with what I can, I ferried peopled up the long hill with my scooter at time having up to 3 people with bags on the bike. Young and old. I was tired, mozzies having a buffet of all they can suck on the humans littered all over the place.

After 2 weeks in the Cook Islands my time had come to move on to my next destination. Abu Dhabi in the UAE. Holy shit jetlag is real!! I flew from the Cooks to Auckland-Sydney-JHB-Abu Dhabi in 4 days. F-ed in the A!

Now I am collecting some proper family time with my sister and her family and friends! There is no substitute for family and I love them heaps!

My flying time for this year is 52 hours so far and my next chapter starts in 2 weeks time. I will be visiting Indonesia, Singapore and Pakistan. Where I will return back to Abu Dhabi to pursue my career to fund the next leg of my wave riding travel plan. J

I am looking forward to Bali as I will be spending some time with my brother from another mother Ian Kruger. I am so excited. I miss Cape Town, I miss the boys, R15 Black Label draught at Tiki bar and mommies food!! But that can wait. I’m living my life the way I want to live it.

Captain planet signing out.