Day 4 Saturday 19 May 2018: Kayaking and Sunset at Mt Eliza
We didn't have any concrete plan for today due to yesterday's great fulfilment acquired from Mt Gower hike.
One good hike gives you an indescribable effect by filling your hearts fully during and afterwards.
It was another gloriously sparkling sun shiny day.
We biked North bound, spent mid morning at Neds Beach before we had lunch at Anchorage Café which was the only place
we had eaten twice on Island.
We initially wanted to use free 3 vouchers for muffin and coffee from the travel agency.
By the time we arrived there they only had savoury muffins so we ordered lunch instead.
At Neds Beach the old lady who couldn't go up to top of Mt Gower came to talk to me.
My orange hat apparently stood out for sure.
She was with her friend but they were doing their own activities separately.
We went to check if it's possible to do a kayaking and we got an OK sign.
Eddie wanted to row to North Bay which looked a real long way to me at that time.
I went with Eddie on a two people boat and from the beginning I was frozen with fear.
I have a phobia about sea water since childhood.
So it was a big deal for me to be there actually.
Suze was on a one person boat obviously.
Eddie started rowing vigorously and soon she got far behind us.
I got even scared and worried about her as well.
So I convinced them to go to the Rabbit Island instead of North Bay.
In the middle of ocean(?)(rather in the middle of lagoon) I was getting my sense back.
I was wearing a life jacket and I knew how to swim.
And I recalled the person at the shop from whom we hired boats and stuff looked not concerned
about a person like me.
Also we were only inside a lagoon whose sea bottom was clearly seen and not deep at all even with my bare eyes.
I later clearly saw from top of mountains that waves didn't surpass the visible boundary of the lagoon.
Even photos I uploaded showed it clearly.
Suddenly I had a different perspective with sudden enlightenment about this obvious fact.
I started enjoying being there by flexing my shoulders and taking deep breaths.
I was even cuddling warm water with my hands.
Eddie wanted to take photos of Suze whenever possible so he was seated in front even though
all the rowing was done by him.
What I did was minding his camera in a waterproof bag and giving it back to him gingerly
as if it was a very important job.
When I felt obliged to help him I made a few motions of rowing ended up making our boat
go in the wrong direction.
I was reminded of Milford Sound nightmare again but then I got wiser this time and tried to be cool.
Actually Suze was rowing quite well the whole time unlike my initial concerns.
I felt proud of Suze being brave and initiative when it came to physical activities and new things.
By the time we got back to our bikes later it's already past 3 in the afternoon.
I wanted to hike Mt Eliza which was next to North Bay before going back home.
Suze wore a pair of short jeans which was totally wet and heavy due to kayaking
so she was cranky about hiking in that condition.
But she followed us anyway.
We parked our bikes and walked along the meadow in our right hand side where cows
were grazing on the grasses peacefully.
It took a while she shortened a long distance between us due to her temper.
We started climbing up endless steps which made us slightly out of breaths and hot with still warm
sun above us.
Once we hit the top part of a hill (which was a junction divided into two ways), the track wound downwards
and when it reached bottom near the North Head she became softened up.
We started walking up again to the top of Mt Eliza.
I underestimated all the walks here except Mt Gower.
They were all actually steep even though not really tough nor demanding.
Remember all the tracks here actually started from sea level too.
One lovely lady from Gold Coast whom we met on the Mt Gower Hike told me she joined a group who
were up to 'Hiking in 7 peaks' on Island.
7 Peaks?
On this little and small Island?
The open ocean from the North end was beautiful.
My intention to hike there didn't include staying and appreciating the sun set.
Eddie suddenly grabbed the chance and suggested we stay.
I instantly knew it would be a good oppourtunity we couldn't miss and at the same time
I was preoccupied partially how to climb back in the dark mountains and to ride a bike back home.
I wanted to buy a few items from Joys Shop before they closed at 6:30pm etc.
We sat and waited there until 5:30pm when the sun was setting.
Of course we enjoyed the most splendid prelude meanwhile.
The body heat from the hike cooled down once we settled there.
Also we felt the temperature dropped down quickly by the minute.
And wet clothes were not very helpful either.
We found Eddie had three head torches and our rain jackets and pants in his backpack.
Even there were a couple of protein bars too.
It was indeed a really rare opportunity to appreciate that kind of unique scene then there.
Numerous different kinds of sea birds were with us enjoying the last moments of a day.
It was the only spot where we could observe the sun set unobstructed on Island later I realized.
Waiting seemed long and thrilling.
The moment was short and dramatic.
We were rushing back once the performance was beautifully done in front of us.
With head torches on our head we climbed down, up and down in the already darkened mountain.
Suze was so quick and agile that she was the first one who arrived at the bike racks.
The moment I got there she disappeared shouting "go go sing sing" into the dark.
Eddie asked me a little later why she didn't come yet?
OMG
Typical Eddie again!
I was struggling with the up hill soon after two of them gone and finally when I got on with the bike and thought
I could manage fairly dim head torch on the pitch dark road Eddie stopped me after Jetty
where he dropped something or he thought so.
Apparently he was having difficulties with his dim torch as well due to his very bad eye sights.
First I was cranky but we started walking pushing our bikes giving up riding bikes on that condition.
We passed Town when Suze came back riding her bike looking for us.
She was amazingly good at riding a bike!!!
Even in the dark.
I felt relieved and happy that we were almost home after a long day's adventure.
Suze was babbling very proudly that she bought a soy milk for us just before the shop closed along with two drinks for them
and my favourite ice candy.
I felt thankful and a little guilty as well.
My lovely sensitive daughter was heavily burdened with my casual comment.