Cant believe we are nearly to NZ again. This has been a really fast and all round great passage so far,,,touch teak. Sailing was spectacular most of the time and just great the balance of the time, weather has been perfect, a bit windy and dirty to begin with, seas breaking across the deck and spume flying off the wave tops and the rigging as the green water collided with all the fixed bits causing a real water feature out the front window, the boat on its side healed over 25 degrees and being tossed up in the air by a wave then dropping into the hole that wave left as it moved on rapidly to the West only to either be slammed by the next one or get picked up and tossed sideways before launching upward again and flying down the backside and crashing into the next one in a loud collision sending the sea skyward to to be carried down and across the deck and cockpit by the winds over and over again,,, going 10 knots,,in the dark,,, but you get used to that and then after the first day or so it all came right as predicted and everything was perfect. So waiting until the latest possible time to make this passage has worked out three times for us and our best three passages ever, each time covering the 1200 odd miles in 5.5 days. That assumes we are in tomorrow am as per our current status of 7am arrival in the mouth of the Hatea river near Marsden Cove our intended point of entry and clearance into NZ. As I think about arrival and calling Maritime Radio 40 miles out to confirm our approach and intentions as required and that conversation and arrival at the dock and the staff there and the Customs and Immigration folks, the accents again and so on and what they will be saying and their general attitude it feels less like a foreign port than a home away from home. New Zealanders are just really cool people and they make the effort to make one feel at home much the same way Canadians do. So no stress and fear of the unknown going in, we have tracks to follow from the bread crumbs I dropped along our departure route, we know the lay of the land and the people,,,All Gooood! One needs to be careful lest fall into the routine migration trap of doing this "up to the Islands and back" to NZ thing for years. Although not all bad, sort of limits new horizons where you get all that excitement of planning a new passage and actually heading out on the voyage, to the anticipation of arrival in a new country and the stress of the unknown waters and sea area and local weather phenomenon and being the chief naviguesser, all those local navigational challenges and then the excitement of arrival and the stress of arrival and the unknown of the clearing in process and a new people, language and culture to assimilate into and all that goes with that. Add the satisfaction of making such a voyage and successful landfall and there is a certain attraction to keep expanding horizons isn't there. For now we will focus on arrival preparations. Nothing to it right? Based on what we know from various radio nets and other communications there are at least 25 or 30 yachts enroute right now for NZ from all over the South Pacific all hi tailing it out of cyclone territory at the last possible minute (good thing as there is a TD and potential Cyclone forming right now just North of Fiji) and everyone is on a converging course as we all close the coast. No big deal right? Well, there is the night to come yet and some do not keep good watches. I know hard to believe especially so close to shore and so much traffic potential but this is how it is, many also do not present a good radar return and some have poor or no running lights. A watch is supposed to be a watch and therefore you are supposed to watch. There are buoys, trap floats, weather buoys flotsam and jetsam associated with being near land and a dozen other real hazards unfolding with each mile closer to the coast we get. So we will maintain a real watch as we always have and do our best to avoid everything and everyone and be seen ourselves and anticipate our arrival and safe landfall.

When thinking about arrival it is hard not to reflect on where you left to get here. We really loved Fiji, especially once the weather came right. There are so many positive things about Fiji and the tropics in general that temp one to remain there indefinitely. The weather, the water and swimming, the people, the scenery, the whole deal is so post card prefect for the most part it does not feel good to leave it all behind. Sort of like the feeling near the end of those short vacations we used to get from the work a day grind we put ourselves through for so may years. Anyway suffice to say it is pretty nice. As with everything there are down sides such as Cyclones and tropical depressions and oppressive heat and humidity making it uncomfortable during summer and a few other minor items such as Denge fever which I think is what I had for 6 weeks of punishment but most of this is far outweighed by the good stuff. No wonder folks have been making post cards from photos of such tropical scenes and sending them home to family and friends with snide comments just for fun. I used to hate getting those as we sat looking out the window at the dark gloom and heavy rain or better yet a snow storm or were just outside in minus 30 shovelling the driveway. Can't imagine having to do that right now and we would never gloat about having tan feet nor living the dream in so many paradises,,,much.