Chopper Swim Challenge 2019: the day before.
On Sunday 17 March I flew to Auckland mid-morning, and as I was in the process of sending a full draft of my doctoral thesis to my supervisor, I jumped off the SkyBus as close to Auckland's central library as I could. Before getting to work, I indulged in some crucial carbohydrate loading at lunchtime (delicious potato wedges, followed by two squashed plums that had barely survived the journey).
Up on the 2nd floor of the library, I found quiet, calm, solitude, reliable WiFi, and air-conditioning. I worked for about two hours on editing/improving chapter 4, before a friend turned up and we repaired to the Auckland Art Gallery for more catching-up, coffee, and more carbohydrates. After he departed for Mount Eden, I took a stroll down Queen Street - now baking hot - and stopped in at Kathmandu to buy an additional large water bottle, and a drybag (the latter an impulse buy, but it was remarkably reduced in price and would be useful for the clothes and towel I'd store in the kayak the next day). Then, onwards to New World, where I laid in some food supplies for the evening, and for during the swim.
1. Wholegrain pasta
2. Two tins of tuna in tomato sauce
3. Apples x 5 (why so many?)
4. A bag of Tom and Luke peanut butter/chocolate ball thingies
5. A bag of Natural Confectionary Company 'Forbidden Fruit' jelly sweets
6. A Snickers bar
7. Bananas
8. Bagels
9. Pic's Peanut Butter (small jar, smooth - to reducing choking hazard)
10. Dried apples
Laden down with all this nutrition (I'd also brought with me some Ceres Organic bircher museli for breakfast, supplemented with additional oats, almonds, and raisins) I staggered onwards, towards the Waiheke ferry terminal.
At the ticket window I asked for a single to Waiheke. The nice woman behind the glass told me that a return was a much cheaper option (well, cheaper than two singles). I assured her that I required only a single. 'But you don't need to use the return immediately,' she said, 'you can use it another time.' I said, in semi-jocular fashion, 'It's OK, I'll be swimming back!' and she looked slightly puzzled, then must have remembered hearing about the event. I was permitted to purchase a single fare.
The ferry ride was lovely. I'd been to Devonport on the ferry several times, but not Waiheke ever before. Lots of tourists from a visiting cruise ship piled on board, but I found a good rear-facing seat on the open top deck, so I could see where I'd be swimming (in the reverse direction) the following day. A number of people tripped over my many bags, and I had to to a seat-swap to permit a seasick couple to sit next to each other. My new neighbour, somewhat patrician in appearance, looked askance at my chaos of bags and food, but sighed and ignored me until near the end of the trip.
At this point, Mike C, a marathon swimmer of some renown, messaged me to ask if I wanted to meet up for food and swim discussion, but we had already cast off and were moving slowly away from the wharf.
In Wellington, the cruise ships dock at the wharf, but in Auckland, they are off-shore a bit and the passengers have to come into the city on a tender. I enjoyed watching the slightly perilous progress of the tenders, rocked about by the wake of a container ship.
Seeing the landmarks (seamarks?) that I'd be swimming past the following morning proved exciting rather than daunting! I am glad that I took the time to study the route (in reverse) and get a sense of what scenery I'd observe at different points of the swim. Naturally, from in the water, the perspective would be different, and it would take far longer to pass by the sites of interest, but still, useful all the same.
On arriving at Matiatia I walked about 2.4km from the terminal to my accommodation at the Kiwi House and settled into a really lovely room.
We established I'd make my own breakfast in the morning, the host supplied me with the number of a local taxi company, I made my dinner (pasta, with the tuna mixed in) and ate it very slowly (I'd made too much, but I figured if I worked at it slowly it was all to the good). Then I readied my drink bottles for the next day, tying long pieces of string to them, and to my little lunch box so that they could be tied onto the kayak.
After reading the drink bottles, I prepared some of the food: I chopped the dried apple slices in half, chopped some of the 'Forbidden Fruit' in half (to eliminate too much chewing) and chopped some of the peanut butter balls in half (to eliminate chewing). Then I made some tiny peanut butter sandwiches with slices of bagel (again bit-sized) and put all these creations into the fridge. By this stage it was 7.30pm, I had the taxi booked for 7.30am, and I had no idea what to do next. The answer seemed to be 'make a cup of tea'. I slice up some apple, made some tea, and sat on the bed, to do some more editing work on Chapter 4 ... and then even a bit on Chapter 2.
By 9.45 it seemed as if I should get ready for bed, but I felt a bit too excited. At this stage, the forecast for the morning suggested there'd be some wind, and the flapping and rustling in the flax and cabbage trees outside my window seemed pretty wild. The Kiwi House host also seemed to think we were in for a windy night and morning. Well, what could I do? Nothing. Just sleep and see what the morning brought. So, I imagine that by about 10.30pm I was asleep, having set the alarm for 6.15am.
Up on the 2nd floor of the library, I found quiet, calm, solitude, reliable WiFi, and air-conditioning. I worked for about two hours on editing/improving chapter 4, before a friend turned up and we repaired to the Auckland Art Gallery for more catching-up, coffee, and more carbohydrates. After he departed for Mount Eden, I took a stroll down Queen Street - now baking hot - and stopped in at Kathmandu to buy an additional large water bottle, and a drybag (the latter an impulse buy, but it was remarkably reduced in price and would be useful for the clothes and towel I'd store in the kayak the next day). Then, onwards to New World, where I laid in some food supplies for the evening, and for during the swim.
1. Wholegrain pasta
2. Two tins of tuna in tomato sauce
3. Apples x 5 (why so many?)
4. A bag of Tom and Luke peanut butter/chocolate ball thingies
5. A bag of Natural Confectionary Company 'Forbidden Fruit' jelly sweets
6. A Snickers bar
7. Bananas
8. Bagels
9. Pic's Peanut Butter (small jar, smooth - to reducing choking hazard)
10. Dried apples
Laden down with all this nutrition (I'd also brought with me some Ceres Organic bircher museli for breakfast, supplemented with additional oats, almonds, and raisins) I staggered onwards, towards the Waiheke ferry terminal.
At the ticket window I asked for a single to Waiheke. The nice woman behind the glass told me that a return was a much cheaper option (well, cheaper than two singles). I assured her that I required only a single. 'But you don't need to use the return immediately,' she said, 'you can use it another time.' I said, in semi-jocular fashion, 'It's OK, I'll be swimming back!' and she looked slightly puzzled, then must have remembered hearing about the event. I was permitted to purchase a single fare.
The ferry ride was lovely. I'd been to Devonport on the ferry several times, but not Waiheke ever before. Lots of tourists from a visiting cruise ship piled on board, but I found a good rear-facing seat on the open top deck, so I could see where I'd be swimming (in the reverse direction) the following day. A number of people tripped over my many bags, and I had to to a seat-swap to permit a seasick couple to sit next to each other. My new neighbour, somewhat patrician in appearance, looked askance at my chaos of bags and food, but sighed and ignored me until near the end of the trip.
At this point, Mike C, a marathon swimmer of some renown, messaged me to ask if I wanted to meet up for food and swim discussion, but we had already cast off and were moving slowly away from the wharf.
In Wellington, the cruise ships dock at the wharf, but in Auckland, they are off-shore a bit and the passengers have to come into the city on a tender. I enjoyed watching the slightly perilous progress of the tenders, rocked about by the wake of a container ship.
Seeing the landmarks (seamarks?) that I'd be swimming past the following morning proved exciting rather than daunting! I am glad that I took the time to study the route (in reverse) and get a sense of what scenery I'd observe at different points of the swim. Naturally, from in the water, the perspective would be different, and it would take far longer to pass by the sites of interest, but still, useful all the same.
 |
| The ferry leaves Auckland. |
 |
| Nearly at Waiheke. Seeing what 20 kilometres look like, stretched out. Even Rangitoto looks a long way away. |
On arriving at Matiatia I walked about 2.4km from the terminal to my accommodation at the Kiwi House and settled into a really lovely room.
 |
| Walking to the Kiwi House, located in ... Kiwi Street |
 |
| Going off-road, in search of Kiwi Street. |
We established I'd make my own breakfast in the morning, the host supplied me with the number of a local taxi company, I made my dinner (pasta, with the tuna mixed in) and ate it very slowly (I'd made too much, but I figured if I worked at it slowly it was all to the good). Then I readied my drink bottles for the next day, tying long pieces of string to them, and to my little lunch box so that they could be tied onto the kayak.
After reading the drink bottles, I prepared some of the food: I chopped the dried apple slices in half, chopped some of the 'Forbidden Fruit' in half (to eliminate too much chewing) and chopped some of the peanut butter balls in half (to eliminate chewing). Then I made some tiny peanut butter sandwiches with slices of bagel (again bit-sized) and put all these creations into the fridge. By this stage it was 7.30pm, I had the taxi booked for 7.30am, and I had no idea what to do next. The answer seemed to be 'make a cup of tea'. I slice up some apple, made some tea, and sat on the bed, to do some more editing work on Chapter 4 ... and then even a bit on Chapter 2.
 |
| Provisions laid out on the spare bed. Lots of string. |
By 9.45 it seemed as if I should get ready for bed, but I felt a bit too excited. At this stage, the forecast for the morning suggested there'd be some wind, and the flapping and rustling in the flax and cabbage trees outside my window seemed pretty wild. The Kiwi House host also seemed to think we were in for a windy night and morning. Well, what could I do? Nothing. Just sleep and see what the morning brought. So, I imagine that by about 10.30pm I was asleep, having set the alarm for 6.15am.
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