The last day and there is an air of excitement on the boat. I think everyone (with the possible exception of Colin) is keen to make Whangerie. For me personally, I have enjoyed the experience but I have really missed my family and it has been very hard not being able to talk to my wife. So I will be very glad to get back within mobile phone range. Anyway that is a way off yet.

The Navy came to play, we were about 2 miles from New Zealand Territorial waters when we hear "sailing vessel at GPS location xxxxxx:xxxxx this is the New Zealand Warship please identify yourself". We had seen a boat way off in the distance and had joked that it was the Navy coming to get us, bugger me, we were right. There was a bit of panic on the boat for a moment or two, "is that our location" "shit it is us", "who's going to talk to them", "not me, its your boat, you talk to them", "I dont want to you talk to them", after what seemed like ages but was probably on 30 seconds we regain a bit of composure and respond to the Warship.

They proceeded to ask us a whole bunch of questions and in what was a very short time were right on top of us, maintaining a safe but imposing presence off our starboard stern. We were told to standby and we continued sailing towards our destination, they continued to follow and then all of a sudden they drifted off. We were waiting for the "all clear" over the radio when they informed us that we were going to be boarded and they were sending customs officers over to us. Sure enough the RIB went over the side and three customs officers boarded our boat. The whole experience was really quite exciting and I must say the Navy and Customes guys (and girls) were extremely professional and polite, that being said you certainly got the feeling "we will be nice to you while you do what we say but dont mess with us".

So after that bit of excitement we continued on our way and finally made land at about 18:30, a bit late for the local customs guys who had left for the night so we were stuck on a Q dock not allowed to go anywhere. Such is life.

I rang home immediately it was so good to hear Jacqui's voice.