Flash Fiction Fridays: September

September Release:
OUT OF MY DEPTH

Karitane (pronunciation = car-ee-tarn-eh), near Dunedin, New Zealand, is one of those perfect destinations for a day trip, especially in summer. It's a small coastal town rich in Maori history, with a fantastic signposted headland walk to explore. The rich fishing grounds nearby and Waikouaiti river estuary make for picturesque views. You’ll see boats at anchor and puttering in with the catch at days end. There’s a village store, playground near the water, and a scenic drive back to the city. The houses, mostly holiday homes, are either small, old, and full of character, or flash new builds, all glass and conspicuous (though they mean not to be), amongst the spear grass and sand dunes.

Click to visit the Out of my Depth on the Flash Fiction Fridays page on my website.

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A key feature of Karitane is the shoreline - a long stretch of beach with the jutting headland at one end, and stacks of rock in the other direction. The sand slopes gently to the water and is perfect for building castles, the water, whilst cold, is great for a dip. Because of this, it’s popular with families, surfers, walkers, fisher-people; anyone wanting an escape from city and home for a while. (Side note, there are several gorgeous properties available for short stays!)

​If you haven’t already guessed, Karitane beach is the location for Out of my Depth.
It’s a hot, blustery December day after the culmination of the school year. Lambing is done and dusted on the farm, and the protagonist’s family are after some hard-earned time out together.
Our protagonist is a girl fast approaching her teens, with a new passion for books and a tendency to push back if she thinks she's missed out. She hasn't yet learned to listen to her gut instinct, though the events of the day might change that.
Come along on the adventure, feel the sand under your toes, the sun against your back, and taste Pacific Ocean salt on the stiff breeze, for there's adventure afoot and our girl needs a witness; one who’ll see what happened from her point of view.
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Happy reading,
Emily.