One of the loveliest things about living in Mangawhai is the fact that we’ve got a surf beach and the estuary! The estuary is enormous, wonderfully calm, and the water is usually crystal clear. For swimming, I prefer the surf beach, but for shell collecting, paddling, or getting out on the water, the estuary is where it’s at.
We go down to the estuary fairly often, and I frequently run along there and see so many people having fun in their kayaks and boats out there. At the beginning of summer, I was really keen to find a way to get out on the water more often, but I wasn’t at all sure how to make that work. And then, from out of the blue, my father came to the rescue! They had an old dinghy that they weren’t using, so he asked if I’d like to hold on to it for a while so we could go out rowing from time to time.
We don’t get the opportunity to use it a lot, but it’s so nice having a way to get out there! And it’s a great stepping stone for helping us decide what we might want next – either a couple of kayaks or a small motorboat (or both?!) What I’d really really love is a small yacht, but baby steps! While Amelie is this little, ease is the name of the game.
I was stunned to find out that before this, Hayden had never rowed! Like all sports, though, it didn’t take him long to get it and now he’s better than me. Sigh. Hopefully we’ll get another row or two in before the weather packs in for winter so I can practice.
I’m excited for this to be just the start of us giving Amelie a childhood that’s as ocean-focused as mine was…!
The Judd Crew 