Those readers of letters to the editor in the fine publication 'The Sun” may remember a letter about a stolen kayak taken from the front lawn of a Matua residence.
I had no success with any honest citizens reporting finding my kayak until Sunday 12 August when my neighbour went for a walk on the salt marsh and continued around the point towards Fergussion Park. We happened to be chatting to them over the fence that afternoon and they mentioned that they had seen a kayak stuck in a tree on their walk. The tide was in so I leapt into my single kayak and went for a look. Sure enough it was my stolen double kayak washed up into a tree about 100m from where it was stolen from. It had made its way home. The rudder had been removed nicely and not smashed as I thought it may have been. Inside the kayak was a new aluminium rudder. (the original was carbon fibre)
This is what I think happened.
On the night of 11 August there was a storm and coupled with the high tide the Wairoa River flooded. Whoever stole my kayak pulled it up onto the bank of the river but when it flooded the kayak simply floated away in the tide and got washed into the tree. The rudder was removed because I had mentioned in my letter that it was easily distinguishable. The thieves had started to fit the new rudder but had not completed the job.
As I was towing the double back to my house I passed some fishermen. The conversation went like this:
Is that your Kayak? Yes.
The one that was in the tree? Yes .
Do you want to sell it? Yes It cost me $200 so it's yours for $200.
Done deal.
I felt the boat was pretty hot property and I have since replaced it with another plastic single so I was pleased to do the deal.

I believe in Karma from this point onwards.

Thanks.
Ian Watson, Matua.