The tranquility was broken by the sound of a motorised engine and we scanned the clouds for the helicopter. Soon it was buzzing overhead and landing by the hut. We deflated the SUPs and start packing them in. Here the practical advantage of inflatables was obvious as they had to go into a small pod, originally designed for heli-skiing, attached to the side struts of the helicopter. Then the paddles were dismantled and fitted in along with all out gear. Finally we all clambered in, wetsuits and all; the excitement, heat and dampness steaming up the windows as we took off, bound for Milford Sound. The trip home was amazing as we flew above huge surf generated from last night’s storm pounding the coastline while the mist hanging around the mountain tops swirled to offer glimpses of snow capped peaks and hundreds of cascading waterfalls. Once back on the ground it seemed quite incredible how in only 24 hours we had fitted in so much, and travelled so far with so many various modes of transport. We were all pretty stoked and felt no doubt much like our early ancestors, the early conquerors of age old nations. The four hour drive home was pretty quite and reflective with the scenery unfolding from wild and grandiose, into rolling farm land and finally back into civilization. The funniest reality check after such a full on mission was when my kids asked where I had been. I explained it all in detail only to have them say “oh yeah, cool. Hey, can we have a spa with you?” SUP
“ The cold beers we had with us tasted sensational and soon the stories got longer, wilder and truth stretched beyond reality “
