Just got back from a frkng fantastic three day record/shoot trip to Ngawi – which is basically the southern tip of the North Island of New Zealand, right about here:

From Wellington its about a 2.5 hour drive – up the Hutt Valley, over the Rimutaka mountains, across the Wairarapa Plains and then winding out to the South coast… at which point cell phone signal ceases

I’m not much of a fisherman, or a surfer… but I follow what those people say – local knowledge is invaluable. I regularly check swellmap during big southerly storms and been blown away by the idea that in Ngawi, and further round the coast, a ‘big’ swell generates waves seven metres tall. Thats like a rapidly moving 3 story building slamming into you… over and over and again….

Anyway, its summer and I lucked in with two days of minimal wind & practically no swell at all.

I had one slight quandry today: I set up to record a sea cave/blow hole at Cape Palliser and while I went to get my camera a fur seal moved in right by my recorder & mics!! I didnt want to scare it (especially towards my edible looking microphones) but thankfully it just basked in the sun & went to sleep.. exit stage left #fieldrecording

For a brief moment I had a nightmare of this seal lunging at one of my furry microphones, biting it & diving off into the ocean taking my 788T and other five mcis with it…..