We're still here in Whangarei waiting on the weather to cooperate so we can head north for Fiji. We're all set to go: the dinghy is deflated and lashed to the foredeck, water and diesel tanks are full, provisions are bought and stowed, check-out forms have been faxed to Customs. Nothing left to do but wait... and wait... and wait.

Several boats left last weekend in what appears to be a little weather window which has since slammed firmly shut. We look at the grib files (downloaded weather forecasts showing wind, pressure and wave height) daily but even looking a week out it doesn't look good for a departure any time soon. Unless we were up for 35+ knot winds and 8 meter seas. (8 METER SEAS!!! That's over 25 feet!). So, you know we figure we'll just hang out a bit and wait for things to be a bit more pleasant. The problem has been this low pressure system (essentially the size of Australia) that's been moseying along across the North Island... it looks like it will finally move off some time late next week at which point the return of high pressure should bring fair winds and seas. Unless of course something else develops between now and then. Forecasting is pretty much a dark art anyway and once you get further out than 3 or 4 days all bets are off. So here we wait... and wait... and wait.

And while we wait we get rain, rain, rain and COLD temperatures. Did I mention the locals often refer to this town as "Whanga-RAINY"? Thanks goodness for our new cockpit enclosure which keeps a huge part of our living area dry and fairly warm.

Waiting hasn't been all bad, though. In fact there have been two significant benefits to our delayed departure. The first is that I threw my back out pretty severely (first time that's happened) and so I've had enough time, Aleve and wine to recuperate fully. But more importantly, we were here to see the new "Star Trek" movie! I can't tell you how excited I was about that, having been a major fan of the original series since my early indoctrination by my dear brother. John and the girls enjoyed it, too- and why wouldn't they?!! So that's what we've been up to. If the weather doesn't change soon we'll still be here in time for the sequel that I am sure is coming.

In the meantime, here we sit. Waiting.