Aotearoa
23 December 2008 | Whangarei, New Zealand
El Capitan
Aotearoa: Land of theLong White Cloud
New Zealand at last! Well, we're finally here; the end of the middle of our South Pacific voyage. Time to explore a new country and renew ourselves and do some maintenance on the boat.
We left the Vava'u group in the Kingdom of Tonga November 13 at 0950. Typically, the great Easterly that sped us along for the first twenty four hours died to a zephyr and we were forced to motorsail off and on all the way to Minerva. Using this much fuel this early in the trip wasn't in the plan as we need to save all we can for the final leg to New Zealand. Ah well, at least the moon was full.
We arrived at Minerva Reef 0930 on 11/18. Minerva Reef is fabulous. Not because of any scenic beauty but simply for what and where it is; a shallow Lagoon encircled by a nearly submerged circular coral reef in the middle of the South Pacific Ocean! Seeing fourteen boats serenely anchored in the middle of the ocean is a crazy sight. The reef rises from the ocean floor of six to eight thousand feet to an almost sheer reef wall forming a coral ring three miles across and a few feet above sea level. The effect is surreal.
We could see the anchor hit bottom and watch it dig in some forty feet below asthe chain paid out along the bottom. The water in the Tuamotus was clear but this is almost transparent! The lobster here are reputed to be the size of poodles but the tides weren't cooperating so we settled for a fishing expedition the next morning. The dinghy was quickly inflated and launched. I loaded the Wind Dancer crew (Dad Chris and kids Grant and Grace) aboard little Sancho and headed for the pass towing a four inc Rapala. We didn't get half way through when the pole bent in a tight arc and the reel started singing. After a brief struggle, a nice Trevally surrendered; providing dinner for the two boats.
With the evening meal in the cooler we took the kids snorkeling near some nearby coral heads. I stayed in the dinghy while Chris and the kids donned their gear and hit the water. A few minutes later Grant's head pops up with a startled look and the cry of "Shark!" Grace needed no encouragement getting back in the dinghy; nearly overturning it in her haste to leave the lagoon to the toothy local gang. I said something about an "itty-bitty Reef Shark" and Chris replied: "Yeah, about two meters." I don't care how docile they are supposed to be. A seven foot shark gets my attention.
The wind was up the next two days. It was a great sailing breeze but we had to wait for a system farther south to clear the route. The lagoon was too choppy for dinghy rides so we just hung-out; The downside to waiting for the low to pass is the lack of wind behind it as the high pressure behind it fills in. The consolation prize was getting to New Zealand without a spanking from the weather gods.
We finally weighed anchor on 11/24 at 1100 in the company of Eagles Wings. Wind Dancer, Free Spirit and Xcaliber. The initial 15 to 20 knots leaving Minerva stayed with us, providing fast sailing in slight seas for two days before going light and coming at us from every direction; making frustrating going. They finally backed from a brisk Easterly (ideal) through North and settled into the Southwest at twenty to twenty five knots for the final twenty four hours. Wet and bumpy but better than a gale... or worse.
The Cape Brett light appeared in the pre-dawn of December 3 and we tied up to the Q dock before eight. Check-in was painless. The Kiwi officials are quick and efficient checking in the four boats on the dock before lunch. Other than the usual no-no's like eggs, chicken, etc., they were only interested in the Arizona weed seeds stuck in the netting of our tent. Refugees from our last road trip in the States before leaving Mexico.