Welcome aboard, we are Fiji-bound... this is your Watch Officer speaking
Dipping my toes into the lifestyles of the rich 'n' famous, this upcoming adventure will be the closest I'll have ever been to a cruise.
In this little round-up thingy:
Blue Water Adventures, with a certain well-known New Zealander
YouTube is reincarnated, with a new upload
The Kmart pocket hatchet has to be seen to be believed
Blue Water Adventures
Adventure update: I’m going to Fiji next month! I’ve mentioned this before. What I haven’t revealed is the fact I’m motoring there on Paul Henry’s boat. Err, that’s not a boat. That’s a super cruiser!
Yes, that Paul Henry. He’s an old colleague and a friend. He called me out of the blue in March to ask if I was keen, which of course I jumped at. Fantastic that he’s found time to make good on his election night 2020 offer!
Olive, as she is affectionately named after the famed-broadcaster’s late mother, will carry the Captain, Paul and I for approximately a week across the Pacific Ocean. If you check the Olive website, you’ll notice I have a very important role in the crossing, managing all the ship’s timepieces:
Once there safely, which I’ll bet all the ship’s clocks will happen, we’ll dock and hang about for a few days to check out the scene. I’m assuming there will be beaches and curry, two of my favourite things on earth.
Growing up, I first heard of Fiji thanks to the sitcom Red Dwarf. Dave Lister would often recount his dream to retire there, on a small farm, with a sheep and a cow. Growing up a Brit in London Town, Fiji always sounded like this magical, far away place, with slim-to-no chance I would ever visit. The only Blue Water I ever visited was the shopping centre in Kent, on our school lunchbreaks. (I think it was ironically named!)
Somehow, a couple of a decades and a move to the other side of the world later, I’m a boat ride there. Expect content.
YouTubes is live
Speaking of content - honestly, it’s like I write this newsletter myself - I have started making a little video or two and chucking them up on YouTube.
The Dunc Wilson Adventures channel is go! You can find it and subscribe at https://www.youtube.com/duncwilson
In the latest episode to get the upload treatment, I wander the Flora Valley and Balloon Creek, checking out all the weird and wonderful places to sleep out that way. Spoiler: they rock.
You can watch it here:
And paid members can watch part 2 here now:
Mission to Karamea Bend Hut: part 2
Watch now (18 min) | Not in Karamea, Karamea Bend Hut is found where the Leslie river meets the Karamea River, in the West Coast Region. I only had to hear the words ‘Karamea’ and ‘West Coast’ to pack my things for a trip! Here in part two, I pay a visit to Splugeons Rock Shelter, stumble unbelievably across a werewere-kōkako blue mushroom and end up tramping in the dark, ju…
Multitool mire
Thanks to everyone who responded in some way to last week’s little tale about ‘Darren’. You’re all very kind. It’s unfortunate, but it’s just a thing (as long as said thing - which is actually a very sharp knife - hasn’t fallen into dangerous hands!).
I’ve been looking at spending my birthday vouchers on a replacement. In fact, I came very close to making the purchase, before realising at the 11th hour the one I was about to snap up didn’t have a saw! No saw!? How am I meant to chop wood at the hut to keep everyone warm with no saw?
Settling into a new abode with no multitool has been a challenge. There’s always a cupboard with a loose screw, isn’t there? Fortunately, I emptied all my gear out of the car and found an old friend. Behold, the Kmart/Anko 12-in-1 multitool… which I like to call the Kmart $10 pocket hatchet.
Sadly, it seems these mini beasts are no longer available, but I grabbed one for novelty reasons a few years ago. It’s pure comedy caricature. One imagines the Anko R&D team simply asked a 6-year-old to “draw the ultimate tool” and this is what the kid churned out. That’s if one imagines that Anko has an R&D team, of course.
Anyway, I’m taking this little death trap wood cutting! Expect a video soon.
And in the meantime, I’ve ordered a Gerber Suspension to replace my old Leatherman Wingman. They currently being sold by one of NZ’s two big DIY retailers at what one outdoor shop described to me as “well below RRP”. (Okay, deal of the day, $59.99 at Mighty Tens, with another $20 off for using Afterpay! Not an ad, just felt icky giving away free promo like that) I wonder how it will compare.
Winter wanderers
Lastly, winter is barely more than a week away, but that doesn’t mean the adventures have to stop! With suitable gear and a decent plan, the fun can carry on.
This Insta post from my pals over at Mountain Safety Council asked for tips on keeping warm… and the crowd delivered! Check the comments on this post if you want to know more:
What do you do to beat those chilly winter nights in the backcountry?
I miss camping!
Mā te wā,
Dunc
That's awesome, look forward to following your sea adventures!