TRAVEL TALES | NEW ZEALAND

Splashing in the Waves As the Sun Sets in the Southern Ocean

And bursting with joy while feeling the cold of the sea

The sun was nearing the horizon as I pulled up on the beach. Probably a hundred cars were parked across the long and wide sandy coastline but once I stepped out of the vehicle and walked towards the sea, I felt alone. Seagulls were bathing in the tidal pools, some flying above my head and others crying from afar.

After another busy day at work, we jumped into the car and drove into our weekend. It was Tuesday afternoon when we were heading through the southern parts of Central Otago with the compass showing South.

We were both rather tired and had to switch drivers every hour but doing that eventually brought us to Invercargill. As one of the southernmost cities in the world, it invited us in for a casual dinner. The sun was shining and the Mexican restaurant was lively and packed with people as we entered.

Diving into their selection of tacos, we made use of their brilliant specials on Taco Tuesday. A glass of red wine went well with the dinner and we enjoyed watching people around us.

After the last taco had disappeared into our bellies, we paid and jumped back into the car to drive to a campground only a few minutes out of town.

The reception was closed but we had spoken to the guy earlier and he said we should just find a spot and settle the bill the next morning. While David was unfolding the tent sheets, I quickly pumped up our air mattresses. I love them as they are so easy to inflate using only a dry bag and a little force on your hands.

Getting used to setting up our camp, we were done in a few minutes and since the sun was still up, I asked David if he minded if I’d head down to the beach. Of course, he did not. It was only a three-minute drive and I had to check out the sunset.

Driving down the road I stopped and pulled to the side when I saw a sandy stretch ahead and thought this was the end of how far I could drive. But soon after, a few sedan cars raced past me heading through the sand. Thinking “what they can, I can do too”, I got back into the car.

The sand was blown over the road leading in between the dunes onto a wide and flat beach. The ground was hard and I wasn’t worried about driving our little sedan car out here but was checking for a spot with firm ground to park as I didn’t want to have issues when leaving.

The beach was packed with dozens if not hundreds of vehicles and I understood why. The sunset was spectacular. Nearing the horizon now, the sun was a glowing ball as the temperatures dropped in the air.

While most other spectators were further away from me, there was one Chinese guy just a few meters away taking a video with his phone placed on a tripod. He introduced himself to me and then glanced over my shoulder admiring the images on the display of my camera.

I couldn’t focus on taking pictures of the setting sun as spectacular as the scene was. All I could think of was that I wanted to go for a swim. I know, the temperature was probably barely above 10°C and the water even colder but there was not a breath of wind and my toes and fingers were tickling with anticipation.

The seagulls playing in the water right where the last rays of sunshine were reflecting on the sea captured my attention for just a little longer before I headed back to the car to find my bikini.

The most difficult part was taking off all the layers of clothes I was wearing. Yes, it was that cold. As soon as I was changed, I ran back down the beach and past the Chinese guy saying something about cold. Yes, the water is going to be cold. Freezing cold. Which is why I’m running in.

The shore was incredibly shallow and while my ankles had been in the waves for a few meters already, the water didn’t seem to be getting any deeper. Once the water level reached my thighs, I jumped into the next wave. Head first.

Wow. What a rush of adrenaline shooting through my body. A mixture of excitement, joy and cold. I was smiling, that is for sure.

The sun set into the Southern Ocean as I was playing in the waves. What a beautiful place to be in. I took a deep breath to inhale and memorize the moment before turning around and slowly heading out again.

My friend was catching me again on my way out but after a short conversation, I waved him off apologizing for myself and my need for a hot shower. Back in the car, I turned around and drove off the beach without any incidents and went straight into the shower back at the campsite.

David called me crazy for having gone swimming but I’m used to that. It’s not the first time and won’t be the last time he’s called me that. I’m okay with it. I like being crazy now and then.

Once I came out of the shower it was now getting dark and quickly very cold. I didn’t want to risk getting sick due to wet hair and realized there was a hair dryer in the ablution block. I probably hadn’t used one in ten years coming up now.

I still remember when a friend visited me in Namibia and because her luggage had been delayed for a few days she asked me for a hair dryer and I just looked at her confused “why would you need one?” I questioned why anyone would need something like a hair dryer. Back then I had been air drying my hair for years already. And she had to as well as neither me nor my boss owned a hair dryer.

Now, after so many years it felt weird to dry my hair with that machine. But it was nice. My thin hair was dry in a few minutes and I could crawl into the warmth of our tent.

What a day it had been and our trip only began.

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