Random reminder

Press, 19 April 1982, Page 30

Random reminder

SOME LIGHT ON THE SUBJECT

A young Christchurch man is a keen fisherman. He does not mind what type of fishing it is: He-will try anything from fishing off the jetty at Sumner, to the more exciting salmon fishing in the big rivers. By way of a change he goes surf casting after dark. Once, he failed to come home by morning, so his parents, knowing approximately where he intended to go, set off in their car, with visions of his drowned body washed up on the rocks or floating out to sea. When they arrived at the place he had informed them he would be, the matter was explained. The remains of a driftwood fire were still smoking and close by, were obvious signs that a van had been bogged down in the sand, and later hauled free. He was home before them, because he had been having morning tea with a friendly farmer close by, while they made their search. After that, they decided that he would come home eventually, so they gave up their disturbed nights.

More recently, he went to a spot on the sea, but close to Ellesmere Flats. He was riding a small motor cycle, which made closer access less of a hazard. He looked for a suitable parking place and came on a derelict farm building, where he leaned his vehicle. It was very dark, so he made a bearing, lining up two lights before he made his way to the beach, using his torch. He spent a pleasant few hours, listening to the surf and watching the shooting stars which seemed more abundant because'of the lack of hills: Finally, he decided to recover his motor bicycle and go home. He walked carefully up the beach, unable to see very far in the dark with only a torch beam. When he came to line up the two lights, .someone had failed him badly. One had been switched off. In the darkness, there was a danger of wandering into either the lake or the sea. There was nothing else for it. He lit a driftwood fire and waited until morning light.