Cycling in Coromandel: Day 6, 4th January: Port Jackson
Thursday 4th January, Day 6: Port Jackson – Murawai clifftop walk and sitting out the storm
We woke to a grey sky and some wind. The forecast which we had been constantly monitoring was ominous. Heavy rain, perhaps as much as 50 mm, and strong winds were expected from about mid-day. Having decided the previous day to sit it out, it was just a matter of waiting for the storm to arrive and hoping that it would not be as bad as the forecast. We battened down the hatches, put everything under cover, erected the ground sheet to provide extra shelter and hoped for the best.
Nature still provided us with interesting sights, such as this pair of oystercatchers, both standing on one leg. No doubt, they too, knew that the storm was brewing.
A number of the campers went swimming, as it was still comfortably warm, despite the grey skies.
We spent a lot of the morning sitting about in the kitchen shelter, which was fortunately close to our tent site, and talking to other campers. We decided to shift the tent further up the hill in the hope of finding a bit more shelter from the wind and the rain.
After mooching about waiting for the storm to arrive, we decided that maybe we had time to walk the Murawai Track along the beach and up the ridge. Soon after we set out, the storm arrived and Ross turned back. Moira, as is her wont, continued on, regardless of the weather and got rather wet and cold. The views were still wonderful, despite the weather.
When the storm arrived, it was clear that the forecast matched the reality. The rain was heavy and the wind was strong. We retreated to our tent to watch early episodes of Grand Designs, then back to the kitchen to make and eat an early dinner. Then a retreat once again to our tent to try to keep everything away from the walls so that it would stay dry. The bikes and our gear trolley were over by the kitchen shelter, where they were reasonably sheltered. Even so, it was not possible to stay completely dry in the conditions and the night was one of the most challenging we have ever spent in a tent.
