April 18th 2023: The twisted road

It's been a chaotic, awesome week for me. I started out in Rakiura diving in some crystal clear water at The Neck before bouncing briefly through Dunedin on my way to Kaikoura for the last round of the South Island Grom Series. Both those places are among my top 10 places to have an adventure ... they are incredible coastlines and stunning marine environments.

Like Rakiura, Kaikoura just exudes good energy. People are friendly, helpful and super motivated to embark on a mission at the drop of a hat. For my last night in Rakiura I was treated to titi (muttonbird) and freshly harvested blue cod and greenbone cooked in a kelp pouch. I'd always wondered how that was done – the tikanga around it is pretty cool. And the fish tasted delicious. Titi are so rich and salty – dining on them is a real priviledge and there is a real sense of respecting the birds and consuming every part of them. I really liked that. Most of the conversations in Rakiura revolved around what the future of sustainable living might look like in New Zealand. If even half the ideas that arose gain traction then we have something to be excited about.

Kaikoura turned it on, as it usually does, with surf. Most surf comps have a pressure cooker vibe and this was compounded by a bunch of the North Island kids who were fighting for a spot on the New Zealand team. Emotions ran high and there were some incredible performances as a result.

You can read the full story from the 2023 Kaikoura Grom Comp right here.

The Morrison whanau did well too with Rewa finishing second in the Under 16s and Under 18s of the South Island Series with Keo third in the Under 14s. Good times ...

See you at the beach ... Derek

PS From February to May each year our new cohort of sea lion pups take over the Otago and Catlins Coastlines. They congregate in areas where they can learn to be a sea lion. Often these places are right near our roads. Unfortunately several pups have been killed by cars over the years. It's distressing for the teams looking after these marine animals and for any drivers involved. Please take extra care on our coastal roads and particularly slow down around Papanui and Hooper's Inlet roads. If you do encounter a sea lion on a road call the Department of Conservation hotline: 0800 362 468 (0800 DOC HOT) to report it. Drive safe.