John
05/23/2013, Near Minerva Reef

As I posted the other day, Lisa left with Charisma heading North to Fiji on their Tayana 37 with a stop at Minerva reef. The first day was a steady motor day which yielded 150 miles in 24 hours. The second day they may about the same but it became a little windier. and yesterday was a very strong wind day for them. Now it is settling out and should be a pleasant moonlit night and warming up. They have about 250 miles to get to Minerva and should be there by our Saturday.

All for now.

Cheers

John

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John
05/20/2013, Whangarei

Lisa is a trooper although for a while I was wondering.

This morning our alarms go off at 0630, earliest we have gotten up since last fall coming down to NZ, and the morning started out with some second thoughts by Lisa. Her "gone mad" question from yesterday was really hitting home. She weathered through it and we headed out to Marsden Cove Marina where Charisma and her crew were patiently waiting for their crew mate and the customs agent. There was much to do about the dock with good buys by fellow sailors who are not quite ready to depart along with all other well wishers.

The trip back up to Fiji is not all that short. Some 1200 miles and if all is in their favor they might be able to make it in 10-11 days. It has been a long time since Lisa has been on a monohull sailboat and especially in the open ocean.

The weather looks pretty settled for the next couple of days and Bob figures he can motor at about 6 knots for at least 24 hours so that should get him about 140 miles north. Wind will probably be a quartering beam after that but he plans on pushing hard for at least the next two days to get about 300 miles North by Wednesday evening. After that he should be on the North side of the low that is running across the Tasman sea and heading directly for the North Island of NZ. At present the winds are predicted to stay below 30 knots but might turn out of the Northwest which will be a little uncomfortable for a day.

So the picture is their departure at Noon NZ time. I fly up to Fiji on the 1-2nd of June to meet up with them and Lisa and I both return on the 9th.

So far all is well.

John

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Lisa
05/19/2013, Whangarei

Tomorrow morning I am on my way to Fiji aboard Ann and Bob's sailboat Charisma! Not sure what I am thinking - it is so warm and cozy here at Riddlesden: my bed is dry and doesn't move, no body wakes me in the middle of the night to have me to sit outside in the cold and wind, I have a long hot shower everyday, Jeanette always has something good to eat in the fridge, I get to hang out with John everyday. hmmmm. Must be going a bit crazy in my old age. Oh yeah - that's right - I turn 50 in a few weeks! And I need to get my butt up to Fiji and celebrate! So that's the plan - Fiji at 50! If you want to follow our passage, just follow Charisma's blog at www.sailcharisma.com.
John will be flying up to meet us on 2 June, and we will spend the week soaking up the sand and seas, then fly back to NZ together on 9 June. All for now!

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Lisa
05/07/2013, Whangarei Heads

After a rainy, windy, and cold weekend, today was absolutely gorgeous. So we did what had to be done - we went for a walk! Ann and I met up with our friend Robin, our resident expert on everything New Zealand, and she took us for a terrific hike to Smuggler's Cove on the coast. The scenery was beautiful - overlooking Whangarei Heads and the ocean. It was little bit of hobbiton, ocean vistas, WWII History, and secluded beaches all mixed into one. Enjoy a few new pics in the gallery!


Robin and I in front of a WWII gun enplacement.


A Kiwi mailbox - they come in all shapes, sizes, and horse powers!


I took this picture while on a walk the other day. You see these mail delivery bicyclers all over town - and they are all in terrific shape! No need to go to the gym after work! This gal's job is endangered - just like the kiwi bird. Because just like in the US, people just are not sending cards and letters anymore

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Lisa
04/29/2013, Whangarei

We had a very nice "putsing" kind of a weekend. Saturday we went to the farmers market. Last weekend we missed out on it entirely, as everything is pretty well sold out and shut down by 11am. This time we arrived before 9am and filled our bags with avocados, corn on the cob, tomatoes, and lots of other goodies. We even found smoked ham hocks (so John can make his ham hocks and beans with sauerkraut). Later that afternoon we went to Cirque du Sail! They are a French couple who are sailing around the world on their sailboat "La Loupiote", performing an acrobatic show in the rigging of their boat. It was very good! We have seen them throughout the pacific last year, as we were on the same route from French Polynesia, but had never actually had a chance to see their show until Saturday. They have a couple of different routines, the one we watched was a Laurel and Hardy-style comedy where they are bumbling around the yacht, falling off the rigging, and accidentally sending each other up and down the mast halyard - it was a very cute show, and they are quite talented.

Sunday Alistair took John and Bob golfing - and John had a great round! So while the boys swang, the girls paddled. Ann and I went for a spin on her and Bob's paddleboards. I started out with Bob's board - which is much wider and more forgiving. I kept up with Ann all the way down to town basin. Then we switched boards. Yikes! I had to stay on my knees the entire way back! Ann's board was just a bit too narrow for me to stand up and keep my balance, and I wasn't interested in taking a swim in the murky water. I finally was able to stand up and do a tiny circle in the marina once we got back to the dock. Ah yes - so brave! Paddle boarding is definitely a test of balance. I am much more at home in my kayak!

Sunday evening was the cookout at the riverside marina with all our buddies - most of whom will be heading to warmer climates in the next few weeks. Hopefully we will be on their heels in another 6-8 weeks!

I've also posted some pictures from Ann and Bob's wedding that took place at our B&B on 13 April.


And then I am gradually posting pics from our travels around NZ as I muddle through my thousands of pictures I took. Sometimes I just need to turn the camera off and enjoy the scenery!


This first batch is from Hobbiton. Even though it was over the top touristy, and way overpriced - I loved Hobbiton! This is where they filmed all the scenes for The Shire in Lord of the Rings. I couldn't get enough pictures of all the little hobbit homes. Our toured guide filled us with lots of interesting facts and trivia about how the movie was made in Middle Earth, and we also enjoyed a hobbit inspired beer at the Green Dragon Pub. Now if I could just get my hands on a pair of pointy hobbit ears.

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