We had a marvelous time on our 10-day road-trip around the parts of the North Island south of Auckland. The weather was generally better than expected and we saw plenty of beautiful countryside as well as enjoying cultural events, bird-watching, bathing in our own sandy hot-tub on a beach, and staying with wonderful hosts Nikki and Tony in Wellington. I had hoped by now to have posted plenty of pictures and text about our adventures but life in the marina in Whangarei has been too busy to get this all done yet.

Today we are about to drive up to the northeast end of the North Island (to a place with the interesting name of Whatuwhiwhi) to meet our friends, Judith and Harry, who are staying in a holiday home there for a couple of weeks. Sadly, it looks as though it may rain the whole time! We had hoped to have taken Tregoning north to the Bay of Islands by now where we could take Judith and Harry out sailing but the northerly winds have not allowed us to make that passage that yet. We will still try to sail there sometime over the next few days but we did not want to risk missing Judith and Harry before they return home to Vancouver. If we do get to the Bay of Islands, we will return to Whangarei in early February but a week or two of anchoring-out and sailing would be greatly appreciated...and maybe I could catch-up with the blog...