Bruce and Katie Kendall went on a Windsurfer LT adventure from Bucklands Beach to Browns Island to check out the native bird colonies, explore the rock pools and pick up rubbish. They left Bucklands Beach in sunny and warm 2 to 4 knot NE winds with an outgoing tide.

They landed at the southwestern beach just past the rock reefs near a concrete ramp and walked east to see the New Zealand Dotterel nesting area created by Shaun Lee and DOC. 

Eight pairs of birds were counted, and it will be interesting to see if they nest next year.

The Black Back Gull nesting colony just north of the Dotterel Nesting area was very busy December 2023 with over 15 nests counted plus lots of eggs and chicks, but at this visit there was almost no signs these nests on top to the kikuyu grass existed.

Bruce and Katie picked up a kilo of rubbish (mostly plastic) and providence provided a plastic bag, plastic container, and a strap to attach all the rubbish to the board to take it back to Bucklands Beach.

On the trip back, the wind had died completely so Katie derigged and use the mast top section as a paddle and Bruce air rowed back to Music Point where a cool 2 to 4 knot SW wind allowed them to make progress just in the shallows next to the main channel against the strongly flowing outgoing tide.

A successful adventure!