tramping new zealand

Sandflies!!

I kept exterminating them, but somehow they reappeared. Then I discovered a 30 mm rip in the tent inner where they just trickled through.

That’s what I carry gaffer tape for, so if that doesn’t work they are zombie sandflies.

When departing the safety of my tent I have my Bushman insect repellent to keep them off me, but they always seem to find the bits I haven’t coated. Best to keep it off my fingers, lips, and out of my eyes as it is significantly worse than the sandfly menace in such cases.

Overcast, although the sandflies under the fly bouncing around sound entirely like raindrops pitter patter.

Eight hours sleep helps rejuvenate a tired body, although I did wake up and hear the 5 05 am mountain weather forecast: some rain predicted for this afternoon, and showers thereafter for the following three days.

I should make Gorge River tomorrow, so I’m not too concerned.

Drank my coffee on the beach watching big dumpers on the boulders. Noted a large number of mussel shells so will reconnoitre at full low tide, ie, 2 40 pm.

Lots of deer tracks around, including this morning’s in the sand.

I can cope with the day in a tent, although I’m currently mixing it out with the sandflies. Trying not to breathe them in.

Other than that: fully perfect.

In the afternoon I went round to the bluff to find out if that’s where the mussels come from.

In my opinion, that’s a nope.

I was prepared to get wet, but despite attendance an hour or so before low tide none of any size was spotted. Okay, one patch of very small size was. I searched on the sheltered side, the rough side, in crevices, on a reef, but nothing doing.

A seal was having fun in the water near the cave, rolling around with each wave, only a few metres away.

That has to be the moment of the day.

Meanwhile, the gaffer tape solution has worked, although with the sun out most sandflies have departed.

Non-moment was the sandflies. I sat outside for dinner after seven drops of rain fell, not the 7 mm once predicted.

I was joined by a number of the pesky pests.

How many? Plenty.

I was alright, as long as I failed to breathe.

I lit the most smokeless fire I’d ever created, with any smoke going straight up, not blowing towards the tent is envisaged. But mostly they didn’t bite. Just hovering, then dropping in my soup.

In the end there was nothing for it but to retreat to my tent.

Oh, how I had enjoyed sitting upright, a position not allowed by my tiny Microlight. Sure my accommodation was light to carry, but note the initial emphasis on micro.

I’m not complaining!! Just observing without judgement.

Been contemplating just hopping around to Spoon River tomorrow for another beach night, maybe I’ll just get on to the comforts of Gorge River Hut for a few nights instead. That’s beachy enough, where I only need to cross the airstrip.