It’s September 22nd, which officially marks the equinox. Autumn is here!

A dreaded time, when temperatures drop and clocks change, the days become shorter and we start to wrap up warm!

But thanks to my trusty fatyak, I’ll be keeping warm with my memories of summer!

The Fatyak I have is the Kaafu adventure S – Stronger, lighter and better looking than the standard kaafu model, and I love it! (I don’t know if you could tell from the video?)

In the last bank holiday of August, we were lucky enough to have the most incredible weather (a rare surprise for a bank holiday!)
After the amount of fun we had last time, S and I decided it was the perfect time to go kayaking again!
We now have a kayak each, and a set of wheels to carry them down to the beach. We live about 15 minutes away on foot, so it’s not too hard to wheel them both down the hill together and get started.
When we arrived at the beach we were immediately glad we had chosen to bring the ‘yaks, as it was PACKED!! Gone are the days we go to the beach to relax, our kayaks have given us a better option!
Pushing our way through the crowds, almost knocking a guy out with our oars. We finally manage to launch into the water together and start pushing out to sea.

2016_08_29_-_29898_The_Outdoor_Journey_083016

Although the beach is popular for kayak and paddleboard rental, we instantly notice the change in atmosphere… Silence!

Relaxation in privacy

A busy day on a beach brimming with people has just become a sunny, fresh day, reserved entirely for us! We giggled about this on the water and remarked at the difference it made. Peace and quiet with beautiful crystal blue water all around! Bliss!
We headed up the coast and had a bit of fun paddling around, but we weren’t here to exercise on this sunny day, we had a plan!
Just a 5-minute paddle from the bustling sand we launched from, is a small cove with a tiny private beach. Armed with a disposable BBQ and a goody bag of food, we headed towards it.
Our perfect little private beach, for a romantic sunny BBQ picnic day!
As we neared the beach, and the waters became shallow, we marvelled at how clear it was! With the weather, this amazing sea, and the privacy. It was as if we had been in the Mediterranean for this day!
Pulling our kayaks onto the sand. S unpacked our Moroccan style picnic blanket,and we stopped to relax and bathe in the sun for a moment. We could hear nothing but the gentle sloshing of the water and the call of distant gulls in the air,with our kayaks bobbing about on the shore.

Snuggled on that blanket, we could have been a thousand miles from home, it was beautiful. Once we were relaxed and content, it was time to get the food going! We had bought burgers and salad provisions with us, so it couldn’t last too long in the sun!
Unwrapping our cheap disposable BBQ, putting a couple of pulled pork burgers on the white coals and preparing our buns with cheese and salad, this was a well prepared and deservedly delicious meal. Lots of mayo, lettuce, tomato, cheese, and of course toasted brioche buns. Incredible!!
We could have always made these at home, but nothing beats a Burger made on a BBQ, nothing beats a BBQ on a beach, and nothing beats a private beach!!

2016_08_29_-_29915_The_Outdoor_Journey_083016
As we relaxed, full, content, and happily making the most out of this day, a memory was made of pure happiness. Its a memory that sticks with me now as I think of the cold that’s approaching this autumn. The memory keeps me warm inside no matter what. It’ll be summer again soon, and we’ll be doing it all again! I can’t wait!

But before that…

…we’ve got to make the most of the cold weather too: rest assured, no matter the weather we’re still on the outdoor journey! We’ve booked to climb the last of our UK peaks on new years day – we’re tackling Scafell pike in the snow! Its going to be great!!