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Crayfish PointThe tropical references continue.
We can hear the coast continuously, but see it only now and again.
The beaches continue as wild as ever.
More bridges. These are a lot more solid feeling than the wire suspension bridges, but still leave me with a feeling of being over-exposed.
We push on, and past Nettle Beach - well named - we reach Katipo Shelter where we feast on the leftovers of our lunch rations.
Katipo Shelter has the usual camping facilities, and clean water, contrary to information on some websites.
We reach Crayfish Creek Just nearby here at the side of the track is a memorial stone to two young trampers who were swept out to sea from Crayfish (Koura) Point - "taken by God in the floodtide of their youth". Only one body was ever recovered. Trampers are urged to use the high track except for two hours either side of low tide when the beach passage is considered safe.
The footprints ahead of us head along the beach and what we take to be Crayfish Point is a couple of hundred yards ahead, jutting out off the coast. We follow the footprints to where they leave the beach.
What we find on leaving the beach is that we have just negotiated Crayfish Point without being aware of it.
Maybe the signposting is vague. Maybe we're just getting old and inattentive and missed it. We arrive at Swanburn Bridge. This turns out to be another wire suspension bridge nobody mentioned, about 40m, I reckon, and I am starting to feel tired and a bit short of the concentration I want for the job.
I decide to take a look at the ford. It looks harmless enough but it's quickish, and deep, and dammit I don't want wet boots either. I head back to the bridge. On my way I step on a nikau frond and fall quite heavily. No doubt about it. I am just a bit knackered.
I grab a drink and a snack, and head across. Miranda has ducked back across the bridge to see where I have got to. I reckon she just wanted a reason to cross the suspension bridge a couple of extra times. Either way, it's a welcome sight, and she sees me across. We carry on beside the coast.
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