18/12/2004 My first day has definitely not been an easy one. The wind raged - sand blasting me as I went. When it rained it blew even harder, the spots hitting the hood on my parka made a noise that nearly deafened me in my right ear. There was no water at the first stream where I expected to find it - I had enough but it made me wonder where else I would not find water. The first place I pitched my tent was truely miserable, the poor thing was hardly habitable. I packed up again and moved it about 3km further south. Lovely spot in the forest so I'm feeling happier about that. At least I'm getting to see what the bad days will be like. It would be so much easier in good weather, I could just sit and relax on the beach when eating or if I was tired. As I left Te Paki stream this evening what looked like a tow truck passed me going in the opposite direction - bizarre. I also saw two other tourists but between the language barrier and the wind it was hard to converse. Also bits of a dead whale, looked like very big bits to me. Cape Maria van Diemen I put my cup in the picture to try to give some idea of scale. This is a very big bit of whale bone.