‘I can’t think of many cities with such a beautiful harbour that have managed to do so little with it,’ he said. ‘There’s so much potential here.’
‘Yeah, they could make some nice parkland, apartments, a few cafes and restaurants, maybe even a promenade. It would be stunning.’
They continued on in silence until they reached the edge of town. Cliffs rose over them on the right, and the harbour hugged the curvy road on the left.
‘This is more like it,’ Aimee said.
What a great road.’
Thirty minutes later Matt fell out of love with the road. Not the scenery, that was perfect. But he had to concentrate so hard on the narrow, winding road that it was a little tiring. After the small village of Portobello, the road straightened out and before long they drove across open countryside beside a golf course. As they arrived back at the water’s edge, Matt saw the sign for Otakau Marae. He turned the car into Tamatea Road and parked at a little gravel area by the marae’s entrance.
‘Let’s go see if we can find someone,’ he said.
They walked around the marae for a while but didn’t see anybody. They even knocked on the door of a nearby house, but there was no answer.
‘Looks like no one’s home,’ Matt said. He felt deflated.
‘They might be at work.’
‘Well, we’re out here now, let’s have a look around and see what we can find on our own. Maybe we can find a beach with a cave above it! If not, a little sightseeing never hurt. We can try here again later.’
Aimee’s face answered his suggestion without a need for words.
Matt and Aimee studied their Otago Peninsula tourist map.
‘There’s too many beaches. Let’s stick to the ones that are close to the roads.’ Matt said.
‘Rightio, and I’d like to see the lighthouse and albatross colony. It’s close to here.’
‘My picks are these cliffs; Lovers Leap and the Chasm, they sound ominous,’ Matt said, grinning cheekily.
‘What about Larnach Castle?’ Aimee asked.
‘I’ve seen plenty of castles before. Besides, this one doesn’t even appear to be old. But if you want to see New Zealand’s only castle, we can go.’
‘Dunno really, how much does it cost?’
Matt read from the brochure. ‘Twenty-five dollars for the castle and gardens. Just the garden is ten.’
‘What?’ Aimee said, her face full of shock. ‘The botanic gardens were free, let’s skip it.’
Matt laughed and agreed. Seems like Kiwis were as inclined to complain about the price of tourism as the English were, and he understood Aimee’s point. If you had the chance to visit castles in England, Scotland, Wales, France… oh the list goes on… why would you pay so much to visit a one-hundred-and-forty year old building in Dunedin? Especially when the university clock tower building was just as old?
They drove off to their first destination. A lot of the roads weren’t sealed. Instead, big gravel stones rolled around under the tyres and a huge dust cloud followed them. It needn’t matter though, since they met no oncoming traffic once they left the main roads. The peninsula was an explorer’s dream. Virtually no one about, beautiful windswept scenery, stunning beaches, and good views. They parked next to one other car and climbed out in preparation for a short signposted walk through the forest.
‘Oh God, wait a sec,’ Aimee said, ducking her head back into the car. She withdrew herself with her hands firmly gripping a familiar purple pullover.
‘Are we meeting your Mum out here?’ Matt asked, smiling from ear to ear.
‘Sometimes it comes in handy for keeping warm too.’ Aimee poked her tongue out at Matt and put the pullover on. Matt couldn’t help but tease her, but he had to admit the wind was crisp and brisk. He locked the car and they walked off in search of Lovers Leap.
‘What a beautiful alley,’ Aimee said, as she walked next to Matt through the forest. Her hand brushed against his with every sway back and forward. If he wasn’t such a wimp, Matt would have caught it and held on forever. They broke free from the trees and were greeted by a beautiful little wooden woolshed on their right. But it was the view to the left that captured Matt’s attention. Long tussock grass, sheep roaming the fields, and beyond a handful of trees that were bent over ninety degrees from the enduring winds, a beautiful and completely empty beach.
‘We’re so going there next,’ Aimee said.
They hurried over the hillside towards two wooden platforms which hung over dramatic cliff-top locations. The Chasm was particularly impressive, and made you wonder how many sheep, or people, had fallen off. Only a thin wire fence stood between the fields and certain death. But the cliffs couldn’t hold them anymore, that beach was calling.
‘I guess at least we can enjoy a walk,’ Matt said, thirty minutes later, as he pulled his sock back on to warm his now freezing toe.
‘I tried to warn you,’ Aimee said, laughing. ‘We aren’t exactly on a tropical island.
‘I should know better. It’s the same back home.’
They walked along the beach and studied the cliffs above them. No caves here. Not up high anyway. There were a few nooks and crannies down at the beach level though and in one they found some penguins. They also walked past a few sleeping sea lions. Aimee warned Matt to keep a respectable distance. Eventually they returned through the lupine-covered sand dunes to the car and drove to the Albatross Colony. They parked and took a quick look at the view over the cliffs and towards the lighthouse before heading into the visitor centre.
‘Should we do the tour?’ Aimee asked.
‘I’d quite like just to sit on the beach down there,’ Matt said, pointing down to a beach near the car park. ‘But you go on the tour.’
‘Nah, let’s just hang out down there.’
They followed the sign to ‘Pilot Beach.’ Close to where the water gently lapped on the shore, two kayakers paddled around in circles.
‘Stop.’ Aimee threw her arm across his chest.
Matt looked down. Another step and he would have caved in a hole in the ground. A rabbit’s burrow, perhaps.
‘That’s a penguin nest,’ Aimee said. ‘We need to keep our eyes open here. The young may be in there while the parents go fishing.’
‘That’s incredible,’ Matt said, bending over and peering into the hole, and indeed seeing and smelling the penguin occupants.
‘I don’t know who’s having more fun out there,’ Aimee said. ‘The kayakers or the seals.’
‘Seals?’ Matt asked, looking up, and then he saw them. Playing among the kayaks were three or four, yes four, seals. They twirled and twisted around like synchronised swimmers, amusing Matt with their fluidity. Aimee pointed at a patch of grass sitting up on the rock-walled edge of the beach.
‘Looks just right,’ Matt said, as they collapsed down to a sitting position where they could relax and watch the seals play.
They took up their places on the grass and Matt was just about to start a meaningless conversation when Aimee came to the party with a dreaded line.
‘I’ve been thinking, Matt, and we need to talk.’
Matt felt the blood drain from his face. He had been waiting for this. The moment where Aimee would tell him that it couldn’t work. Him in England, her in New Zealand, I just think of you as a friend, you’re like my brother. All that stuff. He propped himself up in preparation, ready for the blow.
‘It just feels… right. Being with you. It’s… comfortable. I like you.’
The warmth crept back to Matt’s cheeks. Had he heard that right?
‘You do?’
‘Of course! You’re a sweet guy.’
Blood-cheek restoration complete.
‘I fell in love with you on the flight.’ Matt felt his cheeks overfill with blood as he let that line slip. What a charmer.
‘I think I did too. You I mean. You know what I mean. But, I don’t know how it could work. You know, the distance thing. I don’t think distance relationships are for me.’