Student organised canoe trip:

We began taking the canoes down to Banaheia Bay via Flurin’s car. From there we started our 10km paddle up the fjord. Paddling down the fjord was so good with the wind behind us however, rain showers came in which forced us to take cover under a pier where we sat for 10 mins taking shelter from a heavy downpour. This respite enabled us to take a break and reflect on our progress.

After the rain had passed we set off further down but once we had reached 10km we decided to find a place to set up camp before it got too late. Finding a good spot by the fjord which was far enough away from any settlements was our key aim. We used the three canoes to create a framework then pulled a tarp over the top. Once this was all set up we decided to do some Kiwi shopping for food supplies which was a 3 mile walk away.

On having completed a successful food shop we returned to camp. Roman and I decided that it was time to build a fire so we set off to collect firewood. However, at this point a local resident arrived and informed us that we are on private land and that we had to move on within the next 20mins or the police would be contacted. In a rush we packed up and got back on the water. At this point we were all very tired and hungry but as we set off once again we were all speechless as to how calm and beautiful the water was as it reflected back  the last rays of sunlight – an added bonus if I was being positive. With the sun nearly disappearing finding a new place to camp was a matter of urgency. The problem was being in a fjord the steep banks made it very hard to find a flat, safe place to camp overnight. Eventually after travelling a further 5km and just before darkness descended we found a large, stretch of beach which was ideal. The best thing about this all was that we only had another 5km to travel the next day so, for me, a lie in was definitely on the cards! The only downside to our chosen location was that it was right next to Kristiansand Airport so, as one would expect, our sleep was disturbed through the night and early morning we had planes flying low over us on their descent into the airport. It’s funny now to think about it and silly things like this will stick with me for a long, long time to come.

The next day, as I hoped, we had a long lie in leaving the beach (once packed up) at about 11:30 with only 5km left to do we thought  this would be an easy day back. However this was not to be, with high winds against us, which we had previously on our tail, we had to fight our way back. All sticking together we plodded on. Everyone was very focused and ready for home. On heading towards the main road bridge, where we planned to land and rest up, my partner and I quickened our pace but regularly looked back on the others at a safe distance in the hope that they too would put on a spurt. We made it back safely under the bridge however it was hard work since the wind was very strong as it whipped around the rocky point. We struggled to get in but eventually got into an eddie which allowed us to pull over and jump out onto land. We walked around the corner with the intention of assessing the water conditions in terms of the next stage of our journey. However the route led right out into the ocean and was even more exposed. Hence the waves were too high and dangerous to travel in canoes. We instructed the others to pull over in another location and notified them of the situation. We asked them to risk asses the situation for themselves and arrived at a group decision – to take the boats to another location only cutting one and half km off the total journey.

We arrived safely back in the boats having sneaked down a canal and stored the boats on some land until pick up was available.

I think we made the right decision since we safely made it back without any capsizes or loss of gear. I am confident that had we attempted to go around that corner and carry on with the rest of the journey it would have been a very different story, not to mention the physical challenge of battling with the wind…