Motueka to Takaka |
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It is Sunday and we are still at Te Kumara sandspit. The night was quite balmy so our tents were relatively dry in the morning. After a cup of tea we packed up our gear and stashed it in the bush to go pindapat in Motueka, about 40 walk minutes away. With barely half the distance covered a car stopped to offer us a lift. Paul is quite involved with Candrakirti, the Tibetan centre here, so is quite familiar with monastic form and dropped us outside the entrance to the Sunday market. There was a friendly crowd with several offerings but a lot of bread and crackers. Hmmmm... beggars can't be choosers? We were sitting at a bench in the nearby park chomping our bread when a Cambodian family came up to us with offerings of dumplings, sauce, desert and drinks. Sadhu + magic! We walked along the coast back to our camp spot and enjoyed a pleasant afternoon's abiding. There were a few bicycle riders and walkers passing on the central track but it was far enough away so that we were not bothered. There was however a Sunday night beach party somewhere in the distance but far enough away to be interesting but not overly intrusive.
The Te Kumara estuary with the tide in.
Monday, being a weekday, we thought to visit the two Thai restaurants we had previously noticed. They both opened around 11 so we had a very relaxed, meditative morning and left camp about ten. The first restaurant was open but it was unclear if we were to be invited. Eventually they came out saying that they thought we were waiting for friends. A lovely meal was offered. Back to camp for a nap and then an hour or so of chanting paritta. The weather continues to be sublime. Anagarika Ian, a previously long time Motueka resident, had set up an invitation at the Revite cafe for tomorrow so we plan to leave early enjoy our meal and head onward to Takaka.
We walked into town with our packs and while waiting for the cafe to open we met James and had a very nice dhamma discussion. The meal was excellent and the general feel of the cafe was very frindly and pleasant. We got talking with Jenny and she very kindly offered us a coffee - and some very well meant Christian advice. We walked down the main street looking for a place to start hitching and... lo and behold, another one of those wonderful synchronistic moments, Paul stopped and offered us a lift to the main junction. Not long after a delightful young French woman stopped her camper van and gave us a lift. There are lots of these vans on the road but they have limited seating, and while they are friendly they rarely stop. She took us all the way to Paines Ford, Takaka. We had initially thought to find a camp there next to the Takaka river but it was rather polluted so we crossed over to the adjacent Waingaro River which is much broader, deeper and much cleaner. Walking up river along the broad boulevard of round river stones we found a nice camp spot then took a long overdue bath and did our laundry creating a nice brown patchwork of drying robes on the warm rocks. And speaking of rocks... there were a good many that needed to be balanced. Getting sufficiently far away from traffic noise is a constant challenge and this spot was relatively quiet. The sound of the river, the setting sun, a leafy canopy, and a nicely inflated sitting pillow... does life get much better?
The closing sun beautifully burns the Waingaro River.
We figured it was about a 40 minute walk into town. The sun was shining and the day was still early so we detoured via the freedom camping spot to explore a possible camp site alternative next to the river. The rock formations there are incredibly artistic but we decided to stay on where we were. In town we arrived at the first cafe and were still deciding whether to stand pindapat outside when Terry arrived asking us if he could offer food. "Come inside, what do you want? A pie? Not enough. Sandwiches? Not enough. A piece of fish? And coffee?" He was most insistently generous. We sat down to eat and after about ten minutes he came back again. More coffee? Ice cream? Such incredible generosity. Takaka generally has somewhat of an alternative culture feel to it; very friendly and welcoming. We walked down to the river to explore another alternative camping spot but, again, decided that we are already in a good place. It felt a bit like we were cruising the main street as we walked up and down the central area of town. Stopping outide Osha, a Thai restaurant, we were welcomed and told that food was on the way! We quickly cancelled and suggested that we would be returning on pindapat tomorrow - full moon day. We walked back to our camp and set up by the river to shave our heads. I had already experienced some head sun burn so was especially cautious.
Just down river from our campsite. But... will he jump?
We were fairly well settled into a routine, meeting together about 7 for a hot drink. Being the uposatha, full moon day, we did some paritta chanting then meditated prior to our formal Sangha kamma. Conducting this very ancient ritual in our leafy glade by the river felt very monastically appropriate. After thia it was a quiet walk back into town with our packs for a take-away pindapat at Osha. We find a park bench and are having our meal when the parents of Javano's high school friend in Dunedin stop to say hello. Coincidence? The loo can regularly be a challenge when on the road and getting the timing right is the main secret. With both of us highly trained in body awareness a facility next to a very nice park is located. On walking out of town to find a place to hitch a car pulls up - "can we offer you a ride?"... and we are greeted by... none other then Andrew and Rachel. I knew them in Canada and we had been emailing with a view to meeting up. And we did... serendipitously unplanned. They have booked a B&B at Rangihaeata, just north of Takaka and they invite us to stay. We set up our tents in the garden and then get together for some chanting and meditation to close off the evening.