Day 2 (but not the whole story)

Yes, it was a gloomy morning when we woke, although the view from the hut window was still lovely. The strong winds had died down by this stage and the rain was starting to ease.

ˆLake Nominal Aphasia. Technically it should be something like Lake Unnamed, but "nominal aphasia" had been a topic of conversation at times during our expeditions. Visiting this nameless very large puddle involved a steep downhill descent that might have been called a "track" if you had an overactive imagination, and then a bit of a scrub bash through swampy stuff at the edge of the lake.

The point of return for the morning's walk. After longer than expected we finally reached Kaipo Lagoon where I balanced the camera on prickly bush for a lop-sided group photo. ("So, where was the tripod THIS time?"! (Actually, I think I would have struggled to set it up if I'd had it with me.) Standing: Sally, Peter, Victoria. Seated: Lynn, Ann, Helen.

Mossy log with plants on our return from Kaipo Lagoon.

Ann, Helen, Victoria and Tony at Lake Tamaiti, the lake on Rahui Island.

Watching the sunset from Sandy Bay Hut. (I'd been taking a whole bunch of photos in the evening light — one of which can be found in the 12 of 12 collection — but then my camera battery suffered a bizarre temporary failure which meant I missed a few good shots. Fortunately it recovered in the morning, probably because it was humiliated by the fact that I had to use the iPhone as a temporary replacement.)

Extra stuff about Day 2 can be found at the 12 of 12 blog entry and the 12 of 12 gallery.

Day 3

It's a bit hard to tell how windy it is out there on the lake, but the rowers are having a hard time making any headway. (iPhone photo).

Journey of the shore party: Sally on the track.

Stormy conditions over the lake at the slipway where the boats are tied up (you STILL can't tell how rough it was, but the rowers insist that they battled mightily in the conditions).

Aniwaniwa Falls.

The gang

Dianne gave us all bookmarks with a photo of Lake Waikaremoana as a memento of our trip. Back row: Vicki, Peter, Lynn. Front: Ann, Helen.

Ann's long-standing friends from when she was at uni:
Dianne, Ann, Victoria, Elizabeth (seated on floor).

Tony and Sally.