No Fixed Abode: A Successful shag

Sat 30 Jan 2016 - French Pass, Marlborough Sounds

On the recommendation of cousin David this mornings target was French Pass, a narrow channel between the mainland peninsula and D’Urville Island, through which the tide rips at over 7 knots. The best times to view the maelstrom is mid tide, when the flow is greatest, and just as the tide turns, so you can see the direction change.

Having got the tide times from the the internet we timed our arrival to perfection. The water was like a fast flowing river churning over the reef forming a foaming white mass and pouring through the main channel creating a constantly changing series of whirlpools and eddies. It was quite beguiling and we stood and watched from the small viewpoint for over an hour constantly pointing out new currents,patterns and whirlpools to each other.

While all the turmoil was going on we saw a shag (a small cormorant) swimming close by, diving under now and again to hunt for fish. One time we saw a strange shadowy form under the water that we thought was a dolphin. It turned out to be a small shoal of fish being corralled by the circling shag who eventually forced one from the group then set off in high speed pursuit to catch it and break to the surface. Nature in action - fabulous.

With over an hour to go until high tide we returned up the steep track to the van for a spot of lunch and a Glenn had his power nap. Just before what we thought was high tide, we set off back down the track to watch the water settle then turn. Regretfully when we arrived we were just too late and the water was already gently running in the opposite direction. With Glenn cursing at our timing we hung around for a while to watch the flow gradually increase and a new set of currents and eddies form the other side of the reef. It really is a magical place.

Our journey there this morning had been a dull affair with heavy clouds covering the hilltops but during the three hours we spent at French Pass the clouds had lifted and the sun had come out making the journey home altogether more interesting. The 7 mile track from Elaine Bay is a dirt track that hugs the land just below the ridgeline of a long, narrowing peninsula offering spectacular views of the bays hundreds of metres below and many other sounds, islands and peninsulas in the distance. This really is a magical area.

At Okiwi bay we once again stopped, this time for ice cream, and watched some family boats land (with nowhere near the organisation of the crew we’d seen at Nelson Lakes), a lady go for a swim with her dog and the photo session of a local wedding. Although the bride was in a pretty white dress and groom wore a suit the rest of the guests were a rag tag collection of kiwi styles: suits, jeans, shorts, posh frocks, too short frocks and many of them clutching bottles of beer or wine. Not quite like a traditional English wedding. Or is it?

Once on our way we returned along the very windy road then onward to Mahau Sound, a small inlet off Pelorus Sound, where we found a lovely little campsite at a beach side park.