Slowly moved our fart filled butts from Port Albert camp and drove a few hours to Katikati parking up in Magali’s brother in laws driveway. So good to see em all again and tell em I got something other than pies n cake growing in me gut🤩🐷. Met James (brother in law) and his young family and had a wee look around their Avocado orchard before a delish bbq dinner. Next Day Chris and Magali show us the sites while the girls go to their new school which involves surfing as part of the curriculum🤩!! Watch a classic car show in Waihi, picnic on beach and walk over the cliffs to a secluded cove….lots of chatter….real treat having someone different to communicate with! Finish off the day with a drive to Bowentown viewpoint overlooking the harbour munching fish n chip supper. In bed by 9pm…feel knackered after so much socializing….defo what we needed though! Harms had a lil engineery look at Chris’s new Tractor, showered before saying Ta-ra, driving to a waterfall for lunch. Found a nice, busy freecamp by the river and gorge on chocolate before bed. The day has come for our Hobbiton tour…incredibly excited….beauts sunny morn as we pay £45 each for the pleasure!! Way more than we’d normally spend on a non-essential but some things just have to be done🧙‍♂️! Pure magic to walk around the shire village with their cottage style gardens and smoking chimmneys in the rolling hills….sooooooo wish we could live here with all me fam and friends😍 ….ended the tour with a pie n ale/ginger beer at the the Green dragon inn which was like a wondeblah English country pub. Drove onto Taupo to meet up with Heather and Family (One of me Mums mates who used to live in England and who we’ve visited in NZ before). Found her mum Jeanettes place and cryed with laughter as she got more sloshed n Irish by the minute. Heather and her 2 twin girls joined us for fish and chips before we headed to our campspot by Taupo Lake. Drove to Heathers friends’ farm in the morn to help them split wood with a hydraulic machine. Got to see new born piglets and feel good to actually do sumink useful. Drove to nearby woods for lunch/kip/walk before getting fed a full on 3 course meal at Heathers and facetiming me mum who hadn’t spoke to Heather in yonks. Felt really homely and comfortable as have known Heather for so many years. I slightly helped Heathers daughter Lexi cook a full English in the morn…bloody good grub round ere before going to chop a bit more wood. Heather kindly let us do all our washing, fill up water and gave us fresh eggs and lemons before saying toodlepip n driving to Huka falls for the night. Raining the next day and I’m totes up for a Netflix day but Harms determined to do summink 🙈. So go watch the Damn gates open upriver before driving into National park village which has a Kiwi camps hot showers for $2. Watching Netflix by 3.30pm 🤪….still chucking it down with rain. Picked up a hitchhiker in the rain next morn who was retracing the steps of a mans biography-Four corners of New Zealand in which he roams New Zealand by foot. He had just tubed down a nearby river on a tractor inner tube with his big ol backpack for a few days. Was glad to drop him off a few miles down the road as my super sensitive preggers nose was not coping very well with his very close proximity. Forest walk on way to Apiti camp for a cozy, rainy night. Half hour drive spotting lots of different birds to a lil 30min woodland loop walk. Chatted to a possum trapper who had traps set up in the hills to sell fur. Lunch then a 2 hour loop walk through forest. Found a freecamp by a river for the night. Ben spoke to Rob about lowering Bab’s price as she’s not selling. Big ol’ thunderstorm right above us just before eyelid closing time.

Drove into Ashhurst town the next morn for internet signal…Harms heroically filled out all the immigration forms and we took about 4000 face pics all which were unusable to get a visa extension as our 3 months about to run out. Lush 2hr uphill wooded walk next to Wairapa gorge before 1 hr drive to Masterton. Hot showers are closed-cryable. Found some strawberries (very rare at this time of year) at a farm shop-pretty sure twas manifested as was saying I had a big craving for them earlier in the day ✨😍. Chilly, rainy night. Busting for a hot shower-good Friday so not much open…have a bloody wondeblah experience in the wood where Rivendell (LOTR) was shot and a walk up the river there. Found a swimming pool in the arvo which had saunas and hot showers for $5 (2.50) Mega, mega treat as been about a week since last shower. Onto Wellington at the bottom of the North island to an incredibly windy, rainy camp by the beach. V happy we can cook inside unlike our neighbours who are cooking out the back of their van. Sun poked out the next day and we walked through overpriced shops to a really cool, huge, free, interactive museum. Got me gut growling after a couple of hours so found a right decent burger place n choccy factory 🐷🤣. Harms bought himself some swanky new hiking boots as his running trainers were falling to pieces. Grabbed some Easter eggs and hot cross buns before heading to a campsite (marina carpark). Pretty light and noisy but got to sleep eventually. Freezing wind as we stocked up at local veg market int morn…wandered around the massive botanical gardens before Ben pleased me greatly by doing a quality street hunt in the van at the top of a big hill overlooking Wellington.

SOUTH ISLAND

3.5hr Ferry ride over to the south island at lunchtime-smooth ride-Harms spent a lot of time on deck in the freezing wind while I watched a film in the warm🤪. 20min drive to a woody campsite next to an estuary for da night. 1.5 hr drive to Nelson for me midwife app that me regular midwife had arranged for me on our South. Right nice lady who said we didn’t have to pay (eventually did as regular midwife said government needs to see payment in the account) and did the app in her own home to accommodate us vagabonds. All went swell and got to hear the wee supersonic heartbeat again 🤩. Harms attempted to kite in the arvo but 12m kite broke as was pumping up-bugger! I started making a plan of what to see n do in the magical south island. Quiet town carpark for the night which totally filled up with other campers. Drove to Cape Foulwind but seas to smushy for a kite. Found our first seal colony lazing about on the rocks below us with their lil babes. Boring ol lighthouse that Harms insisted we go see before getting to a beach camp where I spent the arvo planning a route. Met Wekas for the first time, funny, naughty chickeny/ducky/magpie kinda flightless birds who kept hopping in the van trying to steal grub n shiny stuff-luckily we don’t have much shiny stuff-food on the other hand…..🤪 Next morn I’d finally got some sorta plan and written on a map of things to see n do-drove south down the west coast stopping at an interesting Jade carvers house n heard his story about his family jade carving business. Onto a campsite by Fox river which had free wifi provided by the locals and explored 2 open ended caves-1 next to the sea formally used by Maoris.

Early start to see pancake rocks and their blowholes at high tide…pretty busy spot as we heard the thunderous waves roaring into the sea caves and out the blowholes. Massive cavern off the side of the road was real cool to explore with a few different rooms-shame dickeads had decided to carve their useless names into a lot of the rock so very hard to spot any fossils. Looked round Brunner mine where a devastating collapse had killed 65 men in 1896 making it the deadliest mining disaster in NZ history. Lil 1hr walk to a dam before heading to Brunner Lake for another wee walk and a freezing skinny dip at the freecamp. Looks like a week of rain on the west coast so decided to cross Arthurs pass over to the East coast where sun be shining💛. Freezing morning with mist over the lake, left by 8am for the 2.5 hour drive across the pass. Stunning mountains surrounding the pretty flat drive along the valley. Walked up to Devils punchbowl waterfall and then onto another smaller one. Found an amazing cave called cave stream named as it has a stream running through the middle. You can walk/climb from one end to the other along 362m. Harms got his wetsuit on as I waited for him da other end, took him half hour or so of walking through waist/knee deep water upstream in the dark. I was pretty jell as sounded mega but didn’t wanna risk having me gut in freezing cold water and slipping about in da dark. Pie at other end of the pass then found a campsite by a river. Stepped on a hedgehog as cleaning teeth in the dark-was still breathing and had gone by morn so hopefully ok and saw a couple of possums for da first time…proper lil nature spot🤩. I was rather motivated for market in the morn unlike Harms 🤣. Rainy then grey with very cold viiiiiind. Got 1kg of organic apples for £2.50 from small market and most amazing homemade choccy and hazelnut spread before stocking proper at Christchurch’s Farmers market. 20min walk through gated forest in the park (gated to keep out pests killing the native birds). Into the city center-found a free museum and free tasters at an undercover market-winning combination! Onto a free camp in the dark gorging lots of choc b4 bed (Made a deal with Harms to try and just eat sugar on the weekend-not working that well as now I mega binge it out for 2 days straight!) Actual warm and sunny day-no socks or jumper! Decide to pay for a campsite to wash n dry, shower etc. Put 3 loads of washing on and got most of it dry in the sun….feels so good to be clean and warm! Get cozied up for toffee popcorn and LOTR…..amount of sugar caused me to wake up in middle of night starving and found a mouse in the cooker after hearing a bitta noise! Couldn’t sleep for hours after….half a banana and cheese n crackers eventually got me back to nod land. Bought a humane mouse trap then next day in Geraldine town and went for a short walk in a reserve. Belly feeling big today-apparently only the size of a mango…must be da weekend binge 🐽🙊! Drove out of the sun into the mountains towards Mount Cook (NZ’s highest mountain) and hunkered down in the rain at a roadside camp. Cloudy and very cold the next morn as we did a 3 hour walk to summit Mount John then back alongside Tekapo lakeside. Good enough views considering the cloud and spotted snow on some of the mountain tops. Camped by Lake Pukaki with a stunning view of the mountains as the rain came down…Harms managed a short walk in a rain break. Clear morn with bit of cloud as we drove 50mins up to Mount Cook. Did a 20min walk uphill to view a glacier and river surrounded by snow-capped peaks-proper grand! Drove to start of Hooker lake walk to find out it was closed as a helicopter was shifting bags of gravel to update the paths-jokes as only clear, sunny day in about a week! Amazing view of Mount Cook though as we walked up to Kea point. Harms boosted on to a steep ol climb for a couple more hours as I got settled in the camp and polished up some amber I had bought relishing da sun…real good to have a bitta space from each other. Pretty cold up here in da mountains-slept with 3 blankys and a duvet-Harms was in hat, full thermals and a jumper🥶. Brightened up after lunch and Hooker was back open…lots of cold, rainy wind in face for way there but cleared for the end view of z majestic mountains. Paid for a shower in the public toilets, stopped at Twizel village for supplies then onto a roadside campspot. Lovely couple next door gave us some of their homemade soup! Chatted to soup couple in the morn and they offered us a room in their Auckland home if we ever need it…too kind! Drove onto Duntroon and met Leslie’s parents by chance at a Maori rock carving site! They were on a week-long bike tour with mates which sounded v fun! All on electronic bikes which are quite a thing here which helps with the hills and gets people of all fitness’s out in nature n exploring. Boulder site wander before getting into Oamaru and chatting to a quirky, shiny eyed bloke in a gallery down a Victorian style lane. Watched lil blue penguins come ashore as the light faded…so cute and smelly 🐧.

Next morn we drove down to Moeraki to gander at the perfectly round boulders on the beach-real weird. Then onto bakery and fish n chips for me weekend treats🤪. Saturday=Fatday! Drove south to the organ pipes track-2 hours uphill and down again through bush. Found a camp spot at the yacht club at Dunedin marina where Harms treated himself to a beersky and found a bloke to talk boats with. Sorted out flights home in the morn and got a $5 shower at yacht club. 30 min walk into town for a cheap, delish Thali before heaving me belly to another free museum. Drove to a different freecamp but totes full with surfers as decent wavesout there. Carried on along the coast and found a spot by tunnel beach. Finally caught the mouse int night unfortunately with a kill trap as he had got the better of the humane one and was nibbling all our food, shitting everywhere and had made nests out of the seat foam and dashboard innards causing loads of bits to blow out through heaters in the morns🙈. Felt really bad and couldn’t get too sleep for a while after. Slept till 10am as Harms walked down to the tunnel, lent annoying giggly girl neighbours a drill bit to fix their drawer. Walked down the steep path to the tunnel with Harms, pretty impressive hooman chiseled tunnel through the rock to get to a beach…Harms dragged me the 20mins back uphill👌. Onto Blackhead beach for possible surf but shitty waves so Harms wandered as I stewed some overripe pears we had picked up free from the roadside and cleaned out mouse poo van. Lush sunny day, drove back to yacht club for the night. Rambled into town for our 20week scan app. Bought a £5 dress ont way (cheapest item of clothing I’ve seen out of a charity shop) and marvelled at our lil wriggling mango that’s growing inside me💚. Drove outta town to Brighton rugby club freecamp….lil beach explore b4 usual night-time routine. Facetime to fam in the morn before driving to Niagra freecamp with a couple of waterfall stops on the way….rain coming down int arvo. Awake for a few hours in the night again….wide awake…woulda got up but vans too tiny to do anything and cold/raint/dark outside. Drove to Curio point in the morn to see the Petrified Forest on the beach-pretty epic fossilized trees from the dinosaur era! Then onto NZ’s southernmost tip at slope point for a touristy pic. Real cool 3 hr walk up n down in the forest with 2 waterfalls along the way-rain came in for last 20 mins of walk so drove to Tavenui tavern for hot showers, beer, washing and game of pool.

Rainless int morn so drove to Invercargill to get tyre changed as Ben had noticed it bulging. Bit of shopping and fat bastard pie. Camped at Monkey bay beach for rainy arvo with Netflix. Lil walk on gemstone beach finding some cool, coloured rocks and lil walk to Monkey Island as the tide went down. Harms washed his mullet in some public toilets as we had a bit of a lazy arsed day. Left around 10am the next day after sun had warmed us a bit…sleeping fully clothed now-occasionally with hats. Sun came out as we reached Clifton caves-30 min scramble through a dry tunnel cave system except for a big round ‘swimming pool’ we had to clamber around….Stalactites-more imbeciles carving their pointless names into the rocks and a few ladders to climb up….very exciting-made a fun change to walks n free museums😜😁. Camped at Clifton suspension bridge for another rainy night. 6 degrees in van when woke up-drove 1 hour to Te Anau bird sanctuary and saw the rare Tekapo. Stopped at info centre for walking guide of the Milford sound road, filled up on gas and water-hot chipz to warm me bones arriving at a DOC (Department of Conservation) camp around 3.30pm. No free camp along this road but only £15 a night for the pair of us. Sun on mountains over the lake as we got moving the next day…45min walk to a lake through lush, mossy gnarly trees. Stop at reflection lakes which mirror the surrounding snow-capped mountains-the mountains are really doing it for us-so magical and grand! Drove through the 1.2km Homer tunnel carved out of the mountain. Parked up at milford and walked into town after a massive van lunch of chilli wraps! Gut feels mega big and bloated-can’t imagine what it’s gunna feel like when actually shielding me toes and all that! Timed it well with the weather as its stunningly clear and sunny- ‘a shocker’ as a local described it😁. Walked around to see a mahoosive waterfall next to the ferry port and a lil uphill walk for more views of the sound and mountains. Back up to snow level through the tunnel-30min walk up to a waterfall by Lake Marian then to a campsite that actually allowed fires-not that we could get 1 started as all the surrounding wood was drenched! 4degrees in van overnight🥶🤣. Up by 8am to do the Key summit walk before the rain came in-3hr up n down but not too steep….one of my fave walks so far as actually in alpine territory with snow on the ground, alpine plants, mountain Tarns and an incredible 360 view of snowy peaks! Lunch by a lake before driving back to Te Anau where we got a deal on a 5* campsite-washing, showers and best of all we used the communal oven to make a lasagne while chatting o some fellow campers. Warm night 12degrees in van!

Made picnic lunch and drove 20mins to Manapouri to join our boat tour of Doubtful sound that Harms had kindly treated us to😍. 35min cruise across the Lake with no rain-Harms very interested in the power station where the lake falls 180m through tunnels under the mountain to a hydro gen before out to sea! Rain came to treat us again as we took a half hour coach ride with a dull voiced tour guide over the mountain to Doubtful sound-not much to view as we got on another boat and had a 3 hour cruise round the sound. Lots of waterfalls down the cliff faces due to all the rain and came up close to a seal colony on the outter rocks in the Tasman sea. Chatted to a couple on our table so wasn’t too bad we didn’t get many views. Back the same way arriving at Vandolf around 5pm. 1.5hr drive to Kingston Lake freecamp. Slow morn stopping at a couple of lookouts over the lake on way to Queenstown. Pretty busy as we walked down by the lakeside finding a craft market and saw a wikid rainbow with one end right in front of me in the lake! Fudge tasting at sweet shop then onto the quaint lil village of Arrowtown to look round an old Chinese gold settlement. Camped up at a bungee bridge as it got cold-Film, dins and sleep. Porridge and tea has become the norm in our 4degrees van-takes about an hour to make, eat, wash up (Ben is a bit of a washing up ledge in our tiny pump action sink in this freezing weather!) and van clear up before we get going. 1.5 hour loop walk up to Mount Iron summit overlooking Wanaka town and lakes…real still, sunny day, pretty steep-Harms has a good technique of dragging my heaving lungs up all these hills now 😂. Burger and ice-cream (Saturday again), Crème-Brule and White choc hazelnut flavours…..shit me twas goooooood! Harms bought himself some decent sunnies and we got a pic of the Famous Wanaka tree in the lake. Cool freecamp by Hawea lake with only 1 other van for the night. Benny boi teaching me to skim stones…I’m still shite but a weeeeeeee bit better. Driving north now so hopefully warming up a bit. Stopped at the blue pools-stunning blue river with trout swimming in it…so sooooo clear! Then lil walks further along the road to Fantail, Thunder creek and Roaring bill falls. On past Haast town to ship creek for a lil walk in a swamp forest by the beach. Paringa salmon farm was our campspot for da night.

Pretty sunny day for Bens glacier views (been looking forward to this part of our trip for a while) First went to Matheson lake which reflects Mount cook and surrounding mountains in its still, inky waters then to Fox glacier track and Franz josef. Great view of Foxy after a 1 hour walk…me hip started aching on way back down so did some stretching and rested as Ben did small walk to see the Franz josef as rain came down. Late drive to Hokitika treetop camp arriving at dark. Menna rain all day the next day but was just showery int end…Harms a bit coldy as we looking round Hokitika town and found some stones on da beach. Had the local swimming pool all to ourselves and a v loooooonnnggg, hot shozza! Stopped at a 20min tunnel walk through forest on our way to camp in a sports ground carpark in Kumara. Drizzly day again today so we move camp to a beach carpark in Greymouth for blog and curtain making day as we putting Vanny up for sale soon-only a month till we get out flight home….i’m EXTREMELY excited and Harms says he will be once Babs is sold. The South island has been Epic, magical and chilly so far and we’ll have another week or so before we head back North to Babsy and hopefully get her sold.

Not long now my fellow gremlins and we will reunite 💚💛….huge lovins to ya’ll bk in da homeland XXXXXXX

Officials talk to us from the pontoon all masked up in the rain as we fill in some forms and move Babs to the proper quarantine dock. They don’t even come aboard so all me worrying and hiding of beans etc was totes a waste of time but glad to keep all the goodies as we’ve heard grub aint cheap in hobbit land. My dreams have been answered…after a posh free taxi ride 4 hours south to Auckland we walked into a carpeted hotel room with a huge, extremely comfy bed, Sofa, tv, full bath and walk in shower, free slippers, shower goodies and 3 meals and snacks brought up daily! Next day we get our covid tests done in a separate room in the hotel and watch people out of our window in the exercise yard doing their varied, often hillair moves! More importantly I get a pregnancy test from the nurses station which confirms my suspicions immediately…I’m superrrrr excited…Harms doesn’t know what to do with himself…sitting on the sofa trying to change the subject 😂😂😂. I canny stop smiling for the rest of the day and tell me mum and dad when they wake up the next day. Does put me plan to get fitter in NZ down the toilet though so go online and do some pregnancy yoga on z delightful carpet….lolz! Harms spends all day editing videos to put up on fakebook! More chilling for the next day and a half and telling Bens parents the news…pretty ready to leave by day 4 and get exploring NZ…been a mega stay though…really well organised receiving everything you need and more! Another taxi back to Babs with the friendly driver stopping at a chemist so we could pick up some pregnancy vits. Had a lil walk around the port area when which made me feel a bit queezy and mega tired so Ben v kindly made some soup…under supervision🤪🤣. Paid the marina and anchored just off Pahia half hour away to stock up on grub…lots of fruit and veg we haven’t tasted in a year or more so pretty exciting…lil touristy shops to gawp around before getting bk on babs. Harms fixes the anchor winch while I be a lazy biatch 🙈….(got a decent excuse now though😜). Feeling better the next day munching a crumpet with marmite and a Nectarine….sooooo long since these bad boys have been macerated in me mush! Leave at 11.30am and sail for 2 hours to Moturua in the bay of islands. Amazing hilly walk around after lunch, a beach in each corner so head down then back up to the top of the hill for each one…proper got me heart going and I am noticeably wayyyyy more out of breath than Harmington…can i blame pregnancy already?🙈😁. Sail to a better anchorage for the wind change that evening and Ben manages a jog after his dinner and a beer!
Dinghy ride in the morn to some caves but tide was too high to explore….pretty chilly even in a wetsuit…2 hour walk over the hills of Urupukapuka before heading to the waterfront bar with our neighbours who we met briefly in Fiji. Back on their cat for a lil tour and to try Andrews homemade brewsky. Chipz and gravy for dins…I have a big love for potatoes at the mo! Ben and Andrew foil behind the dinghy the next day trying out each other’s boards as I tidy and chill to music as feel bit achey down below. Sail away and anchor few hours down the coast to meet up with our agent John and his wife. They made delish pizza on the bbq as we have a catch up n couple of drinkys. Next day Ben went for another run…I get annoyed coz I can’t really start running now im preggers and aint been doing it regularly before but get over it as pretty tired anyways. Wind picked up and we sailed to the mouth of Whangerei River anchoring next to Camara who we met in Fiji. The captain Pete is the manager of Norsand boat yard where we are getting lifted out so pretty blood handy. 2 hours motorsailing with the tide to anchor outside Norsand to be measured up for our lift the next morning. Pete showed us around the yard and we spent all arvo cleaning to get ready for the broker to come aboard tomoz. I’m still feeling very tired and bit queezy which Ben doesn’t quite seem to believe…lolz (he does get more understanding further down the line as professionals tell us the 1st 3 months are often the hardest). Manic cleaning again in the morning before being lifted out at lunch time and Terry (broker) came onboard for a long ol chat and inspect after. Pete over to talk about potential work. Ben starting to sand the fiberglass on deck to make it all one colour as I research upholstery cleaning. Take Petes car into town….well weird and scary to be driving again after 2.5 years! I’m feeling pretty emotional again…been arguing as we predicted we would when we got to the yard and work begun…same ol story but now its harder coz im preggers. Go for the shittest walk ever along industrial roads and get tossed out of a forest coz it’s private which makes me even angrier. Feel really sad and low and Ben don’t seem happy either…quiet night but feeling better the next day after a bit of communication. I borrow Petes bike to ride 15mins into town to the growers market….tonnes of fresh produce and the Hare krishnas have a bakery with the most buttery, flaky soft but crispy almond croissants! Rode back with v sore fanway…ages since I’v rode a bike but absolutely loving the freedom it gives me….biking rocks! Rode back into town in arvo with a big blanket on the saddle to a Hare Krishna parade. Made a couple of friends as we walked and danced around the street of Whangerei with some big ol effigies of their gods before a massive FREE feast in the park! Good ol Krishnas….wouldnt see Christians banging out a loada free grub or making everyone smile with song, dance and colour! Knackered by the time I got back later but feeling truly alive! Both sanded the next day which is v unsatisfying…Ben does a better job of it than me so I’ll leave it to him🤪. Woke up starving in the night but couldn’t be bovved to get up then re-brush me nashers. Another couple of days of arguing….feeling very angry and sad and worrying I’m stressing the babe…go Docs for a check-up and an acupuncture sesh which makes me feel better as they have understanding of pregnant peeps and seem to give a shit. Have a long chat with Harms that eve and feel a lot better thank gaaawwwwd! 3 days of jobs, cleaning the dinghy, lots of sanding, polishing the stainless steel with chemicals, get the seats back from the cleaners but pretty shit…will have to do though coz they tried 3 cleans on them!

Market day again and stop off at the craft market on way back. Vacuum seal a load of stuff for sending home when back as Harmdawg sands and varnishes the hatch and steps. Nice sunny day but still a chilly viiiind! Blew up at Ben like never before the next day because once again I wasn’t doing things to his perfectionist standards…proper turned!!...was shaking, shouting, crying and even threw my sunglasses at him🙈🙈…defo the pregnancy hormones as didn’t even recognise meself…dunno how bens gunna cope over the next few months🤣! Chatted to friends back home and apologized coz I was possibly a bit of a mad ol' screaming witch! Lolz. Last big clean up and bought some throws n cushions to make boat look average (Non-hippy on brokers suggestion) before Rob (our new broker who seemed more on the ball and lives closer) took a load of photos for the ad. Ate a mountain of Timtams and got achey liver!🙈🐽. Hot, sunny arvo as I biked in to get me blood test done which came back normal-obvs didn’t pick up the angry witch blood 😜😁. Start to clear out the boat, sell a couple of things and pack stuff for sending home. Pete gives us a lift to the river so we can walk into town…reallllll good to be out of the yard with Harms so we can enjoy each other’s company without the stress of working together! Get a mega burger with battered chips which makes me think I’m having an ectopic pregnancy until a few parps pop out on the way home and the pain is released💨🤪. 3 more days at the yard packing stuff up, sorting through papers, chilling as the rain comes in. After 21 days in the boat yard with only 1 bike as transport and lots of van researching we buy a 2005 Toyota hiace…..pretty beat up on the outside but has a 1 year WOF (warrant of fitness) and engine sounds schweeeeet. Only a bed inside and lil worktop with a sink and pump tap but can make it into what we want for not much doller. I’m extremely excited as we give it a good ol clean and think about the kitchen set up. Find new cloth for the ceiling as other was mouldy, curtains and a cabinet in second hand stores…luckily the curtains are from another van and fit almost perfectly so no cutting and sewing for moi.

Up early on the 12th of Feb to pack van, boat cleaned again for viewings and on road just before 3pm. Ben drives as I get the usual arvo tiredness and we pick up beer before parking up at a free camp spot at Port Albert….lush grassy field by a beauts creek with a clean toilet block. Got a wikid app that shows us all the free camp spots in NZ and what facilities they have. Ben skates to pick up fish n chips while I enjoy the grass and sun…feels so good to get out of the dusty, chemically, industrial yard and into the fresh, green nature! Incredibly cozy and comfy in van bed…hillair that its bigger (queen sized) and comfier than Babsy’s beds. So beauts to wake up to birdies singing in the bushes and sunlight lighting up the greenery…bit of yoga before I drive the very curvy, hilly back roads 2 hours or so to Auckland…had tonnes of people overtake us including a granny as I very cautiously rounded to constant bends🤣. Park up at Leslies place and meet her mum who v kindly gives us train cards to get into town and a spare key. We get down the harbor to watch Americas cup on the big screen at the event village. Grab a couple of comfy beanbags on the grass and get interviewed on live T.V with a New Zealand minor celeb🙈. Ben was very excited to see the UK boat sail back in and get hoisted out after their defeat. I was tired and bored so v happy to get back on train via food place to Lezzas place. Had a lil drink n cake with the family before beddy in van. Leslies mum made an amazing English brekki in the morn with a NZ twist…baked bananas! Very grateful and cool to hang out with her fun, friendly, warm famalam. Train into town…I leave Harms to go wait for the racing on the green again while I have a very unsuccessful shop….shops are shite…get me back to ebay land! Meet Ben to see Italy smash UK again before heading back to Leslies…the family is in a state of excitement all telling us that they’ve just seen that Auckland is going into lockdown for 3 days and we have to be out by 11pm before the roads get blocked. Auckland state covers a large area so after lezza treats us to a kebab we drive 2 hours to get past the borders just in time. Was scary driving in the dark with the rain coming down on a fast road so Ben took over halfway. Land in a campsite around 12am….so great having the bed already set up in the back…instant sleep! Wake up to pouring rain…2 min mish through a park with lil stream to the public toilets…laze till lunchtime when the rain peters out and drive to shop for some worktop wood. Back to Norsand where Ben gets started making a new worktop out of pine. Really notice how uncomfy boat bed is and don’t sleep too well…harms troops on with the worktop as I have a blog writing day. A couple of days in and Ben finishes the kitchen area which is mega, fitting our stove in perfectly on a sliding platform so can cook while sitting on the bed💚💪. We weigh and pack up everything into the crate that is being sent homesky. Bake lasagne as will be the last time we have a proper oven for a good few months. Left the next evening driving 40mins to Waipu caves….amazing free camp with incredible boulders, green hill, grassy meadow and glow worm caves! We have a lil look at the caves and a 30min walk uphill before dinner. After it gets dark we have the most magical experience heading deeper into the caves which has a stream running through them. Looking up it looks like xmas with clusters of lil lights…more clusters in different patterns as we use torches to cross the stream and climb over boulders. I am in total awe and feel extremely connected to our ancestors and Mother Nature in her pure form. Imagining living in these caves makes me feel quite emotional and excited and wish I could travel back to that time to experience it for a wee while (Clan of the cave bear by Jean M Auel is the most wondrous series of books that is a must read in life!) woke up to the whole field covered in mist that the sun burned away as it came over the hill…this place is frikin incredible…I’m majorly in love with it! Drive back early to get to the Whangerei market and drop our portable toilet off to make more room in Vandolf….me bruv came up with the name after I told him it twas named Gandolf 🤩. Put some rego on the van before havin a walk around the impressive but very touristic whangerei falls. Carry on North to Tutukaka and watch the Americas cup in 2 different bars chatting to a friendly couple who invite us to their house for tomozzas race. Drive to Whale bay for a free camp by the sea and use our 3 burner stove on the wikid flap down work surface that Ben made, meaning we can cook outside💚. Drove to sandy bay after a slow morn where Ben had a surf and I worked out a plan for the next 7 days using AA travel books and the internet to find best attractions on our way around the Northland. Drove to Waro Lake to cook chilli and had a 20 min walk around before a quick dip in the dark brown waters. Drive onto kawakawa to see famous public toilets designed by a famous artist….real colourful with lots of mosaic patterns and funky characters. Harms watches A.cup in a pub while I have a nap in da van. Lil carpark off the main highway for the night. Drive 20mins to Rainbow falls and have a facetime sesh with parents….sooo good to chat with them. Then walkies along the river with a couple of waterfalls into town…I ate brekki just before leaving and was hungry almost immediately so demolished a butter chicken pie when found me gut a bakery🐷. Lil look in the shops but all shit, boring ol same crap in all of them but fully enjoy meself looking around a Kauri shop and getting free tasters and big ice-cream at the chocolate factory. Thumb a lift back as a 3 hour walk back to the van…takes about 15mins before a lovely couple from the Solomon Islands kindly get us in the back. Totes knackered so both have a kip in the van before driving up to Tokerau beach and sleeping by cola lake protected from the onshore winds for the night. Harms made dinner as I’m feeling queezy from too much sugar! Woopsy! Walk to the gross long drop in the rain and watch birds flying over the lake…make our way 2 mins up to the beach where I stretch and hide from the rain while Harms has a kite. I sew some curtains for the kitchen cupboard area and we have a rocky night being buffeted by the winds….poor ol Vandolf is covered in salt and sand by the morn. Cold shower at beach toilets in the morn…1st in about 5 days! 1.5 hour drive up to Cape Reinga at the very top of NZ, walking a lil way to the lighthouse. Sunny day and make it just before the crowds of coachers come along. Drove onto the sand dunes which are incredible mountains of sand that you can boogi board down. No boards for rent so we heaved our arses on walkies till we could see the sea. Another 40 min drive back south to Gum-diggers park where a very informative, passionate and interesting owner let us in and gave us some chat before letting us explore the gum-diggers history and see the Kauri trees. Gum digging was a v physical job mostly taken on by Europeans I think in the 1920s (could be wrong, me memory’s pretty shite!) they would dig for the precious gum/amber from the giant Kauri trees that would be exported to make high quality varnish among other stuff. They lived in lil makeshift huts and worked dawn till dusk…a lonely job away from their families. I’d never heard about this way of life before and that kauri trees produced this gum and beauts amber so found it really interesting. Noisy roadside parking spot again for the night, cooking inside for the first time as too much wind. Onto Kaitaia to re-supply and use a hot shower in the public toilets. Tire started going down as we left a carpark so googled and made it to a tyre centre…bloody lucky we were in the largest town we’d been to since Whangerei when it happened instead of a windy country road! Get to beach around 2.30pm. Famous surf beach here at shipwreck bay so Harms gets a lil surf in and we pay for a campsite as no free camping around here, I boil up some rain water as pranging out I’m gunna hurt the baby with dirty water. Yoga and beach walk the next day before attempting some drawing in the grassy camp field…bronze sharks have been spotted in the water so no swimming or surfing…use our solar shower which is pretty warm after about 3 hours in da sun. Back to Kaitaia to get tracking adjusted then onto a lush lill free spot by the river…only van there. No public toilets at this one so have a plop in the reeds in da morn…felt bit bad as Kiwi’s don’t want us doing that but will never be found/stepped on and took our shitty tissue with us (). Stopped at a lil market in a village hall and bought some locally grown choccy covered macadamias. Drove on to a view point then to the largest Kauri tree in NZ…really incredible land of the giants. Twas 15.5m high and 13.8m circumference! Parked lil further south in Waiapo forest and munched 6 pancakes that Harmdawg made before lil nap and 40min walk to more mega Kauri trees. Stopped at a shop to buy some unpolished gum that I’m very excited to shine up then onto Kaiiwi lakes for another paid campsite…stunning turquoise lakes with white sands that are very popular with NZ holidaymakers…unfortunately twas a weekend so pretty packed but still bloomin delightful! Yoga int morn then walk couple of hours around 2 lakes…quick, freezing swim then move to the day parking to make lunch. Drove back to boatyard in the evening and bought pizzas to make good use of the boat oven🤩🐽.

Both go to midwife and get to hear the heartbeat-I’m about 13 weeks now….v exciting…think it feels a bit more real for Harms now 💚. Chores for the rest of the day. Scan the next morn…incredible…soooo small but so much detail! Actually does look cute…something I’d never normally say about a fetus😂. Rang Granny and told her the news along with friends etc. Pulled Ben up the mast so he could clean the rigging, showers before moving to a beach campsite for da night. Rainy day followed so found nice spot up at ocean beach at Whangerei heads. I chilled while Ben had a wet lil walk on beach. Rain stopped in the eve and we spotted a brightly coloured, totally gorge parrot named an Eastern Rosella. Heaved me fat arse up the hill in da morn…mega steep for an hour or so…facetimed Bens Aunty and saw some barely there remnants of a radar station from WW2. Bk to town for blood test and few boat chores before heading back to me fave spot at the caves. Watched the calves playing in the meadow as we chomped din dinsss….soooo fucking lucky to be able to enjoy this magical land! As we walked 45mins up the hill int morn Bens phone started alarming as it got signal….tsunami warning from the government as 2 earthquakes had happened on some off shore islands. We are ok coz inland so not worried but all the beach towns have been told to get to higher ground…turned out to be very non-dramatic luckily. Spent arvo reading in the hammock and van, using the solar shower amongst the large boulders with another gloworm adventure when darkness came🤩💚✨. More cave adventuring in the morn before heading off to Mangawhai…found a lil Saturday market then headed to the beach…no vind and tried to cross the border into an Auckland beach but still in lockdown till tomoz. Found a mega woodland walk leading up to 3 waterfalls…was cloudy and chilly but had a refreshing lounge in one of the pools…no one else around and felt wild n wondeblah…fully revitalised and energised. Rain came down as we got back to the van at 7pm…10 min drive to beach/road side camp.

Found ourselves a Sunday roast at weird takeaway place which seems to be how roasts are done around here…simple carverys open 7 days a week. Picked up some 2nd hand roof bars in Auckland. On to Pukekohe for some more pregnancy vits but didn’t have the right ones and most places shut on a Sunday. So decided to wait in a sports ground carpark where Harms fixed the roof bars and stuck the solar panel ont roof. Monday morn we lucked out n found the gooduns. Drove south east to Port Waikato and bought choccy and sweets as had major craving...parked up on mega windy beach with wild seas. I chilled n munched as grey and cold while Ben braved the waves with another kiter. He did have a big ol wipeout which he hadn’t had in ages which gave him a bit of a wakeup call so stayed closer to shore out of the big dumpy waves. Parked up at a small, neatly kept reserve for the night with close, clean toilet…treat! Harms had a lil skinny dip under the next cold, but people free waterfall after an hour walk across a reserve to get there. Feeling knackered so Ben drove to shop to get lunch bits then onto another waterfall walk spotting a kingfisher with a lil kip inbetween…so lucky not to be working…dunno how I’d cope 😂! Half hour onto Raglan where we found a paid campsite for da night. Raglan is a real famous surfers beach and town but small waves the next day…watched couple of surfers as we munched pancakes. Ben repaired the kite and got out for an hour or so as the wind built before dying away again…loads of wingers out in the flat water of the river mouth with waves further out to sea. Celebrated our 6 year anniversary for the first time today (don’t normally bov but thought we’ve come pretty far togeths so will start on this one…and 6 is me lucky number 🤪💚). Pub in lil town to watch A.cup where they gave out free chips which made it much less boring 😁. Bought meself a hat that Harms don’t like then drove an hour to Kakepuke hill carpark and cooked by torchlight. Rain stopped at 8am the next morn, still cloudy as we walked up 460m to top of the hill…clouds cleared for a lil while so we got a decent view of dairy paddocks and another big ol hill. Drove to blue springs to eat lunch and walk down to see the most divine river, pure and clear with bright coloured green plants lounging along in the flow…apparently this is where lots of drinking water is bottled from and exported. Arrived in Rotorua at 4pm and parked in the Government gardens carpark right near the centre of town but not too noisy. Info centre then a real delish Indian meal as the huge black cloud fell down onto Rotorua. Real cozy in the van as the rain carried on all night. Harms out strolling when I woke up…pretty chilly-got on tights, warm dress and jumper! Walk along the lake and through the stinking thermal area…glad me queeziness has left now coz this eggy pong would defo cause me guts to spill! Few shops grabbing an award winning pie, creamy mushroom, bacon and cheese filling…heaven! Drove 15mins to blue lake for swim and read on the beach as Ben unsuccessfully tried to change the fuel filter…realised it weren’t possible. Dinner overlooking the lake and A.cup for Ben on his phone while we waited for dark. Parked up at Redwoods and paid for the canopy walk with the trees lit up with lights and lanterns…extremely magical…loved it! Market and hot pool foot bath in a local park before going back to redwood for the walk in daylight…lost its magic for me but still cool and had a walk on the forest floor after to a lil lookout. More A.cup before driving out of Rotorua to TECT-all terrain park. Brilliant camp spot in the woods with new toilets and picnic benches making cooking easier….eating by torchlight with only 1 other van in this special little place 🤩🥰. Drove 1 hour north to Karangahake Gorge…bikes were too expensive to hire so walked the historic gold mining route along the river and through the old mining tunnels. Delish sunny day with the water sparking inbetween the green, rocky gorge walls. Drove onto a lil town for a solar shower in beach carpark and and a pub sesh for A.cup which was then cancelled. Busy park up for the night in a lovely spot by a creek. About 15 week pregnant today! Rang both our mums as Facebook told us it was Mother’s day and a lil walk through pine forest to see the long, white beach. Moving North along the Coromandel to hot water beach watching peeps dig shallow pools reaching the thermal waters and creating lil spa pools next to the sea…we didn’t bov as was a hot day and too tight to hire a shovel. Onto Cathedral cove…1 hour 20 walk up n down to the most stunning arched cove separating 2 beaches…refreshing swim with the solar shower hooked in a tree when we got bk. Made dinner before a 20min drive to cooks bay for a peaceful night. Ben drove after brekki through the primal forest on a very small, windy, hilly road to the East side of the Coromandel and down to Thames. I feel incredibly tired today so just get big load of washing done and grocery shopping before napping/ choocy munching in van while Harms wanders the town looking for a pub showing A.cup. Both went to watch the race before sleeping the night in the noisy town. Final day of A.cup today…I’m v happy it’s finally ending! Drove to Albany to watch it in real life from the shore…waited 2.5 hours in our spot until the start…luckily (for me) 1 race finished it with New Zealand beating the Italians. Got some grub before driving to Earth beat festival 1.5 hours away.

No ques as we parked up in a big field with lots of other vans…walked 8 mins downhill to the entertainment….found nice sofa in the barn to watch some music and chat to a nice family. Lil dance and chai before heading to bed around 10.30! This is gunna be an insanely different festy for me not being able to get off me head but conveniently it’s a v hippy fest with lil booze and lots of workshops to keep me entertained and no mates around to make me wish I could join in on the booze up. So worked out swell🤪. Bit late for meditation the next morn and couldn’t really get into it…preferred brekki that came after it 😁. Hand reading workshop at lunchtime was mega…learnt loads like the lines on your hands change so can’t be used to predict the future but fingerprints which don't change can tell a lot about your personality…we both paid for a reading after and got quite a bit out of it…he was very excited to tell us we have very similar patterns on our hands making us very compatible🤩💚! Bit of music and mushroom workshop followed by a foot massage which me n Harms both learned. Actually managed to stay up till 1am and Harms out till a bit later that night. Sunrise yoga made me feel real good at 8am then had another lil nap as Ben still asleep…sooo good in the van coz it don’t get hot compared to tenteth. Learnt Indian head massage and had a sound journey at 8pm. Music, gobbling and stall roaming inbetween…such a hippy dippy fest…overhearing chats about veganism, meditation blah blah blaaah and girls walking bout with their tits out…almost too much but they all happy and spreading the love etc so all good…do miss me super messy, laugh a minute good times with me mates at our regular festys but good to have a change. A real cool thing about this festy is its rubbish free…u take your own plate and cups to vendors and have washing up stations around the sites….glass is totally banned so you can walk around barefooted…when we left after 5 days you couldn’t tell where peeps had been camped….proper amazing…only compost bins around so you have to take all rubbish home. Me birthday on the Saturday started with Somatic Yin healing which released the fascia, loving card from Harms and the festy ticket and all the food I could cram in in 1 day from the vendors. Great weather and watched the traditional but vegetarian Hangi being prepared before trying it in the evening. Amazing Djembe sesh made me so happy and full of life, forgot how much I love it and how happy it makes me…will defo get bk into it in the UK! Temple of the dark feminine and light masculine workshop in the night had me crying me eyes out laughing as we were trying to be sensual and feel our inner animal….very childish 🙈😂. In bed by 10pm-lolz! Both go to elemental yoga which is very flowy and I don’t enjoy that much…really love the sacred earth medicine workshop though taught by a Nurse turned natural healer who told her story and how we can heal every ailment from nature. Her meditation at the end made me cry and I couldn’t even tell you why…something powerful just felt like it was happening…5 days of pure hippys has obviously got to me…and the wee being joining me food baby!🤪🥰✨💚 . Harms went to a plant based eating one that he enjoyed and took notes, so now he’s telling me what to cook which I’m not enjoying🤪. Best ever coconut and salted caramel icecreams b4 watching the final band. Lady had an incredibly angelic but strong voice singing in Maori…it all felt quite delightful sitting on the grass in the sun, kids running around, no hangovers, no litter and the creek water sparkling next to us. So lucky! No ques to get out even though thousands of people there as we drove 15mins back to Port Albert to make dins and sleep on flat ground.

Having such a great time exploring with Vandolf and will be driving to the South island in the next week or so. Poor ol Babs hasn’t sold yet due to the osmosis issue but I have faith someone will feel the love for her before we come home in early June💚. Love all you snotfaces loads and really hope things get better for ya’ll in the UK fecking soon! Summers gunna be a goodun! xxXXxxxXXxxx

28/11/20 - 07/01/21

Sailed couple of hours back to Denarau picking up a mooring. Bus to town for a free Hare Krishna luncheon and shopping. Met Rich, L.A and Jason for a drink n fish tacos at the bar before going back to Jasons wee 1 man boat for a piece of L.A’s mega pumpkin pie and whipped cream-whipped by shaking it up in a jar! Ben treated himself to a couple more Rio kites off a fellow boatie the next day before an upwind sail to cloudbreak. Benny boi’s arms have been proper aching after beasting the surfing 💪so rest till the next day and wait for the wind to fill in. small kite at Namoto then back to musket where after an annoyed day I feel better kiting in the flatter water and get me biggest jump yet (think I say this every time and I’m probs about 2 foot of the blue stuff😜). Start the xmas songs on the 1st of December which puts me in a right jolly mood, email about Nz exemption, chop Bens mullet on the sand bank before having a swim in the calm waters. Finally got me arse into gear the next day as there is decent paths around musket cove. Supped from the boat and had a jog (bouncy walk) before yoga on a grassy patch. Felt great until I got back and Ben was still there as I was really looking forward to having the boat to meself for a couple of hours- put me music on loud, cooking and cleaning etc without Harmdawg in me way…he soon got the message and went with his original plan to take Dingo and surf Namoto. Unfortunately the wind and waves were pretty shite but at least I got me alone time (I realize I am a selfish biatch-trying to be better but it don’t come naturally!) Another run n surf the next day then headed to Denarau to get me liver checked as it keeps aching. Ben checks out the Mangroves as we may be hiding in there from future cyclones 😬. I go Docs and get seen swift with blood tests and ultrasound. They confirm fatty liver and tell me to go easy on the booze, processed white carbs and sugar….all of which I’ve been ravenously consuming!! Glad it’s nothing worse and will start getting me diet in order. gushing rain comes down on the way back and Harms very kindly steers back to musket in it 😍. Long walk the next day and skinny dip...nearly caught by a local kayaker!! Then to the bar with Rich before a yummerz cuzza back on his boat. Bens biirrrfday consists of a rainy morn of prezzis and big brekki followed by a 5 hour surfing sesh at swimming pool with real big ol waves. Ashore for a couple of drinks (the doc said I could cheat for upcoming b-day and xmas) with Rich in da eve. Sailed away at 8am the next day after a zoom chat with Bens fam. Calm through the reef then heavy headwind and stonkin swell once out of the pass. Ben was hardcore and did all the steering as I really don’t enjoy it and made it into the anchorage around 3.30pm. Wind stopped and rain came shitting all over our planned kiting sesh. Real beautiful bay though. Rainy day with wind in wrong direction the next day so I exercise on boat then chill with book while Ben gets a lift from a local to fill up on petrol. Walk the next morning through the resort and up the hill. Find some interestingly patterned horses, cows and a huge dead stick insesct. Can’t decide whether to stay in this bay and wait for some decent wind as sounds like a cyclone may be forming. Eventually decide to get back closer to the mangrove hidey hole so sail 4 hours to Momi bay being slightly drizzled upon. Couple of chuckling fishermen keep me awake for a couple of hours in the night so slept in as Ben motored us back to Musket in the morn. Anchored in a new spot to shelter from predicted strong winds. I paddle to shore, yoga and swim in the huge free resort pool. Have it all to meself with me lil cat mate. Ben had been trying to fix the outboard when I got back as possible dirty fuel had blocked up the carboreter (don’t have a clue what that is 🙈). More of the same the next day and fix some kites before going to the cove café for movie night on a big screen. No one there except Pete and Lyn (funny aussie surfers in their 60’s) I swapped me chips for salad (never happened before or after) to try and be kind to me liver before drifting back with the wind to Babs over a shallow reef. Gusty and windy kite the next day in-between the islands with the google crew (Google crew had a real big, posh motor cat that was hanging around in Fiji with lots of water toys!) Cyclone looks like it might be heading this way so pack kites and boards away as I bake oat cakes and baba ganouch. Hot arvo walk collecting litter off the beaches and stashing a hoard of mangoes and lemons…best mangos yet! Sailed early and tied up to Denarau dock around 8.30am. Bus to town to thoroughly stock up as the cyclone may wipe out the farms and town for many weeks.

Went up the next day after Ben had been shown by Jeff (marina manager and cyclone organiser) where our spot was. Unfortunately some American dick-wad had taken our space when we motored up so we unknowingly took our mates Pete’s space which greatly pissed him off 😂! Got an anchor down out front and back and tied on one side to the mangroves. Ben helped people get up the next day and tie into their spots before we secured properly to both sides of the mangroves. Don and Rich came over for a couple of bevvies and I made delish masala (chai) tea. Then me and Ben dingoed to the bar for cards, tacos and rum-The shopkeeper in booze shop told us the supermarket was cheaper when we started eyeing up his locally made rum-loz-classic Fijians-can’t help but help us out even though they or their boss be losing out! 😂. Back for 1 more drink onboard Rich’s boat with Jason and L.A. Cyclopse (as Dee calls it 😂😂) due to hit in the arvo but is tracking north of us in-between the main 2 islands. Lots of rain and Ben adjusting the lines. I winch him up the mast to take wind genny off and stay downstairs for an uneventful (luckily) day. All hatches shut to keep out the mozzys. North island got hit hard and lots of aid was shipped out in the following months. Go to a meeting the next day with sea mercy on how we can help. They want boats to sail east to remote islands to suss out situation and deliver aid items. We canny help this way as leaving for NZ but give a load of food away that we overstocked on from Ecuador. Hand over some carrot cake to Don for helping us out with mangrove manoeuvres and give 3 locals a lift who were wading down the river to fish. Play pool and table football in the eve with Rich and Jason. Spent next 2 days back on the dock getting boat together and a lil trip to cinema to watch mega cheez film-Monster hunters! Heaved Harms up the mast to put softening back on the wires ready for our sail to NZ. We’re just waiting for a weather window now so buy presents and lots of funky material from town. Looks like the weather window will be after crimbo which I’m very happy about 🥳️. Picked up our re-stitched bimini the next day and had a decent fetch back to Musket. L.A comes over and tells stories about living in Alaska in the winter…proper interesting. Get high on caffeine the next day 😵 and meet peeps in the bar to eat Tuna sashimi a surfer friend had just caught. I’d never eaten raw fish before but was delish with wasabi/soy dip. Scrubbed the bottom then woke up excited for crimbo day! Up to see sunrise before a walk around the island with Harms. Ben had the great idea of bucks fizz on the sandbank so invited Rich and floated in the still turquoise water supping the good shit. MEGA buffet for about £25 each sitting on Kit-kats table (Jane and Russ-funny Kiwis) with Rich and Pete. Right laugh and carried on drinking after onboard Petes boat…rousing others from their after munch nap to join in. Back by 8pm and don’t feel very drunk as so full but been a wikid day. Lazy days to follow apart from a lil sail to musket to take a video of the hull in clear water to show NZ customs. Ben shoved me out in Radda to take pics of babs sailing for potential buyers. Got the O.K to leave from John-our agent and weather router in NZ on 28/12/20. Dinghyed round to say toodle-pip and handed out some crimbo cake. Bit emosh saying goodbye to Rich but otherwise feels right to be on our way. Rainy fetch back to Denarau, get washing on and boat jobs before the next morning. I go for a tiny jog to try and help with the seasickness (has worked before), fill up with diesel, exchange books and a quick doc trip for Ben who has a couple of infectious looking sores appearing on face. Got some meds and cream-possibly from an insect bite from crawling around in the mangroves attaching lines.

Last voyage-Fiji to Hobbit land

Leave at 3pm motoring into light rain…clears up a bit as we exit the lagoon and back into the big blue…will miss Fiji and it’s wonderful inhabitants loads! Rained on both my night shifts-clear for Harms-guess that’s my commupence for not doing any steering in Fiji 🙈. Turned engine off at 3pm after 24 hours of motoring. Wind on port side ahead of beam...i feel pretty sick all day. Cracker and vegemite help a bit but then I stoopidly try a pie and go downhill 🐽. No dinner so try a seasickness pill-start to feel better during the night. Bens spots are getting bigger and appearing on his body-bit oozy. Open some Antibiotic cream me mum gave us b4 we left England and that seems to help along with steroids that make him fart like a dog constantly-feckin gross! Keep in touch with mums over satellite email to ask advice as they were both once nurses. Feeling better on day 3 and the rain fucks off…wahoo! Ben wakes me to say Tezza (windvane-steering) is hanging off so he climbs down the ladder and puts in a new bolt…slightly dodgy! Cloudy night shift but no rain…socks on for the first time in yonks soon got drenched by a wave 😂. Bored of the motion…looking forward to it moving behind the beam for a smoother sail…finding it much harder to cook than I normally do. Ben got a big wet windy cloud come over and we’ve added wellies to our nightly wear. Sun came out later on day 5 with a gorge starry night and I made a spiced carrot cake porridge as a pudding…was reaaaallll good! I had a Droid style meltdown in the kitchen attempting dinner shaking me fists etc as tinned toms spilt everywhere and shit sliding about…poor ol’ Ben just quietly helped me-bloody saint 😂😍. Had me first shower on day 6 taking about half hour in the chilly wind to get the mat out of me barnet and first change of clothes-excluding underpants 😜. Lots of reading and adding another piece of clothing every night shift as we head further south with the winds blowing up from the Antarctic. John told us to arrive Thurs arvo (day 10) to avoid incoming weather so we may be going into Quarantine for the final 4 days. Slowed down with tiny bit of genoa backed and staysail up to avoid any more days in hotel. Cold, starry night. Day 8 Ben saw a ginormous Tuna the size of himself leap out of the water- the very few hooks we put out broke immediately….big beasts out there. Day 9 we had a brief, chilly dip out the back hanging onto a rope shark baiting it as not much wind. Put the motor on for a couple of hours. Wind picked up in night blowing very cold. Had on thermal, t-shirt, 2 jumpers, waterproof legs, overcoat and balaclava! Threw a bit of leftover veg overboard as biosecurity would take it anyway. Grey day but sea flat and calm. Cleaning up the boat and trying to munch as much as possible so it’s not wasted. Spy land and as we sail into Opua-Bay of islands we are nearly run down by hundreds of boats with a parasailer being pulled right above the top of our mast! Still the crimbo hols here and the sailing community is boisterous! Big ol shock after seeing no one for 10 days. Get tied up to the quarantine bird shite dock and talk to customs from across the way before settling down for the night.

Quite a decent passage considering we were expecting light winds and lots of motoring…feels weird that it’s our last one but I’m keen to get in a van and travel that way for a while. Defo felt sicker than I normally do and didn’t enjoy cooking but not too bad and got through lots of books. Now for the last leg of our journey exploring NZ and selling the beloved Babs to have money to carry on life back in the homeland. Not long now peeps…hope UK will have covid under control a bit more by summer…big lovins xxxx

Day before we had to leave French poly we hassled the Medical institute and received Bens negative Covid test. Dingyed over to the airport to get cleared out by immigration…nice n simple! Dropped my old kite off at a boat as I sold it to a guy we met in Panama. Too late for the fuel dock so anchored outside and watched our last spesh lil sunset over Moorea.

Fuelled up and were motoring through the strait of Tahiti and Moorea until we spied white caps and cleared the island. Got the pole out for downwind sailing and popped an Anti-sicky-suzie pill. Lush sunny day with a bit of chill to the wind so not too sweaty pants. Full moon and the only wave into the cockpit drenching me at start of me 1st night shift!😱 Twas a different passage than we are used to….

a) Because there was only 2 of us so I do all the cooking while Ben does all the Navigating and sail changes and we get less sleep.
b) No fish caught at all!

c) Winds swung around from the strong South-Easterly’s right round the clock…having to motor when they came lighter from the North.

d) Not so much reading/podcasts on our night shifts as we discovered the Wentworth series and got addicted!

e) More emails from parents/friends daily as we worked out the Sat phone better.

On day 5 Ben put all 5 sails up along with the engine to bring us to 5knts…Not so rolley motion so gave Ben a haircut. Just as we started Dins we notice a HUGE, deep black cloud in front of us covering the whole horizon and sweeping to the port side….the SW front had arrived! Put 3 reefs into the Mainsail with a tiny Genoa. Took Mainsail down in the cloud around 8pm. Rain pelted down for half hour or so winds around 25-30knts. We sailed off course to South to try and avoid worst of the cloud. Ben stayed on shift till 10pm and bore away to West when waves became too uncomfy. Tiring night trying to avoid the rain and wave splashes but not as bad as we thought it might be. Wind turned to the SE by morning so more behind us with a cross-swell of 2-3m waves. On day 13 we reached the easternmost islands of Fiji….beautiful Lau group…weren’t allowed to stop here as Denarau is the only port to check in the ‘Blue-lane’ Covid free initiative. We keep a good eye on the course now, slipping through Fijis 300 plus islands and ship smashing reefs! 😲 Crossed the dateline and have officially sailed halfway round the world on the 14th September 2020!! Exactly 2 years and 1 month since we sailed outta St Osyth 🤩. Big waves caused the boat to roll sending the boom into the water for the first time ever!! Wind behind us sailing about 6.5knts as Ben takes us through the pass into Viti-Levu…Fiji’s largest island. Landscape reminds me of NZ with grassy, rolling hills. Anchor at 3pm in Quarantine zone off Denarau marina. Our Agent organises the health officials and Navy to come and do our swab tests. They’re incredibly warm and welcoming with huge smiles 😁. Celebrated with a liquor we bought in Huahine and revel in the stillness!!
48 hour for our test results to come back so clean the boat thoroughly ready for bio-security to come onboard and lose our minds in internet world as the Navy bring us out a 4g simcard! Results back in so motor into marina to finish clearing in…all really easy, friendly and professional. After worrying that Bio-security would take all our Ecuadorian slightly weevily infested dried beans and god knows what else…they took nothing at all…didn’t even go down into the cabin to look…just a few questions!!! Very happy!😁. Walking into the marina complex we found a chilli chicken pie (soooooo good) and met Rich (Tequila) at the bar along with another couple we’d been chatting to over whatsapp…about £3 for a local gin and tonic and £2 for a beer….bloody relief after French poly prices! Feel ruff next day…blaming the ‘local’ gin🙊 …pull me cranky, sweaty mess of a self together with a marina shower…pure luxury!! Sunita who runs the local farm shop offered us her bus card so we can get to town for the market which is bloody amazzziiiing! Find an Indian restaurant by the temple and have the best Thali I’ve had since being in India! Get washing done in industrial washers for £2 a go…1st non-hand wash in about 10 months!!! Ben gets on with boat jobs as I do walkies up the supermarket. Asked a guard for directions and he walked me part way explaining how he wants to join the English military when Covids over. Had some professionals come over next day to look at possible fiberglass work and to value her in case we need to sell in Fiji. Bus to town for electronic bits and some Kava root (They pound the root to make a muddy looking drink that has a numbing and relaxing effect) that we had packaged nice like…as gifts for the village chiefs. Left the marina after 3 nights and anchored outside before motoring through the wind shadow then into head winds to anchor by the Famous cloudbreak surfing wave. Super clear water peering at the seabed down at 8m off Babs…snorkelling just off boat we saw Cobalt blue starfish and a huge spiny jelly star shaped thing. I scared a white tip shark out of its cave before dingo-ing up to the surfbreak to take some pics. Motor-sailed after lunch to Musket cove. Ben serviced the engine while I had a look at the marina resort ashore…Ben joined me as we found out there was free pizza for national maritime day at the island bar and chatted to a couple of boaties from Singapore…winner!

Had a 3 hour walk over the island and along the beach at musket cove not spying another person but found some decent shells and colourful bugs🦗 . Motor-sailed after lunch to anchor outside Vuda marina back on the mainland. Made a delish Aubergine curry with fresh cuzza leaves! Vuda beach market the next day…Eat our way round finding deep fried locally grown oyster mushys and buy a map creation on Tapa cloth (Pounded bark of different trees to make a style of paper/material) of Fiji. Speak to some Aussies who have just created Fiji’s first ever home distilled Rum…infused with curry leaves and local limes…reckon it should be a hit. Sail 8 miles south to the second biggest city-Lautoka. Pay £30 the next day to see Doc about breast lump I just found…she’s real helpful and books me in for a scan the next day to make sure it’s not bad. She has no patients after me so helps me with buses and directions to the mud pools. Bloody lovely people here! Bus then a walk up a dusty road…luckily the owner of the pools spots us and gives us a lift while welcoming us to his retreat. He was treating a few local people there for various illnesses as has knowledge of herbal medicines and the use of the healing pools and volcanic mud. Ben or ‘Mr Ben’ became his new best friend so after a soak they invited us for some grub. They’d already eaten so we sat on the floor while they watched us chomp their freshly caught river fish, Taro, dahl and fresh juice. He told us to come back and camp any time in the gardens🥰. What a ledge! Report came back the next day that I have 3 small ‘simple cysts’ so feel veeerrrryyyy relieved! Just gotta have it confirmed and talk to Doc in a couple of days. Ben took the steering apart as the shaft was loose and bought a new stereo-ours was buggered after salt water dripping in behind it. Poor ol Babsy is being covered with ash from the sugar factory…Lautoka has tram lines running through which allows carts full of sugar cane to be transported to the factory. Back to the Docs and she isn’t convinced they are cysts so to be sure she gets me an appointment at the hospital with a breast doctor for a possible biopsy. On the upside we’ve found a really tasty Thali restaurant….massive plate for £2!

Spend next 2 days trying to get to the top eastern part of the island to kite at Nananu-i-ra (well known kiting spot with constant strong winds but choppy waters) Wind is wrapping round the island so do 20 tacks one day into headwind, Find couple of nice anchorages and locals stop by on their boats…1 very camp guy was hillair and flounced onboard to have his photo taken with us🤩. Benny-boi got Legend FM working on the new radio which entertained us on a rainy day. Gave up on getting to Nananu-i-ra as had seen a sandbar on sail up which would be good kiting at low tide. Lovely clean ride on 12m kite…found loads of sand dollars before heading to a more sheltered anchorage. Rainy day again as we head back to Lautoka for me hospital appointment. Wind behind us as Ben kindly steers and I bake bread while dancing to ‘Cut capers tour bus’ playlist….love it! Ben takes toilet apart the next day as isn’t flushing very well…no wonder as we find our shite is getting pushed through a limescale encrusted hole about the size of a pea! Go ashore and briefly greet and chat to a guy sitting on the waterfront and find out his arm is missing due to a sharkeys hungry teeth!😱 A happy cab driver also pulls in just to chat and find out where we are from 😊 (2nd question that is delivered from all Fijians we’ve met so far and they love it when we tell em it’s England!) Walk to the hospital and after being sent in different directions I find out there’s no breast clinic today🙈. Market and boat bits shopping before walking back along the shoreline where 3 people in their 20’s call out and offer us Mangoes from their garden….the generosity, warmth and humor of these people is unreal!! We loves em! Hospital goes well the next day with a male doctor confirming they are cysts. Hospital aint nearly as clean, quiet etc as the private doc but costs me the same amount for the appointment. The noisiness is however because it’s pretty packed and people are actually chatting and laughing with each other in the waiting room! Can you imagine that in a UK hospital!? Heartwarming🥰.

Next day we sail for 3 hours back to Musket cove and get a decent anchorage ready for the Regatta. Meet up with Pete (who me made mates with in FP) and have a few too many beerskys🙈. Ben feeling worse than me in the morn…which is unusual😜🤪 …sit our bumholes on the benches to watch the 1st Hobie cats race. Rich appears on another boat after getting a lift from Denarau and joins Babs for the weekend while his boat is on the hard getting repainted. More beers and the tiiiinnny meal that was included in the ticket price did nout much to line da belly….think you all know where this is going 🙈🤪 …..Find ourselves sitting next to the team (3 gals and a bloke) from paradise beverages. They had us wetting our pants taking the piss out of each other and us especially Pete which was enjoyable to watch🤣🤣. The 3 girls Jenny, Caroline and Wendy work in n all male environment so are practicing being girls for the night wearing dresses etc but they can’t turn off their swearing and piss taking😂. We go back to their holiday cabin and they feed us the most delish rum we’ve ever tasted straight with ice! Get through a whole bottle and Jen gives me a bag her sister in law makes out of leaves and Fiji independence material. The next day is Fiji’s 50th day of independence from England so big celebrations throughout the islands. A right off for me and Pete though with Ben and Rich coping annoying well! Ben and Pete go out the next day in Petes fast new Dinghy to eye up the surfers while me and Rich pump up the sups for Rich’s first paddle across the bay. All go out in Petes new toy after lunch to attempt spearfishing…fish too small but I catch sight of a black tip! Made cuzza for everyone before heading to shore for mooorrreeee drinks. On the final day me and Ben have a lil SUP and chat to a dutch couple who have a 10hp outboard for sale to make us go a bit quicker in Radda. Not sure if we getting into NZ yet so gunna wait on that news b4 spending da doller (Also fast dinghys scare me…not too bovved snailing it along while others whoosh past us!) Gin and tonic goes down well after too much beer and we get fat on an EPIC buffet for the last meal of the regatta, listening to the prize giving while all feeling a bit lame (except Rich…don’t fink he cared 😂) that we entered exactly 0 races🙈. Feeling pretty weary as Ben and Rich sail us back to Denarau the next morning…drop Rich off then carry on to take a buoy just outside of Vuda before dark.

Get lifted out easily in the morn and pressure washed Babs messy bum. I got a load of washing in which is 3 times the price of Denarau marina so dry and handwash the rest of it. Scrape the hull in prep for antifouling while Ben sorts the Annodes before the clouds chucked some rain down. Tonnes of mozzys and very hot in our lil parking space. 1 perk of Vuda marina is the boaties staying there are very communal and a lady runs a free hour long yoga class every morn except Sunday…totes enjoyed it! Took the bus into Namaka to see an Indian herbal healer…slightly weird experience…told her about me breast and ovarian cysts and dark circles under the eyes…I bargained down the price quite a lot after hearing the treatment was to put a cold beanbag of herbs on me boob and pelvic area for half hour. I was there now so thought I might aswell have it done…her very young assistant pressed a beanbag VERY hard into my naked boob and another over my ovary for half hour or so while staring down at the bed not talking…🙈😂. Then the main lady came and interviewed me as I was laying there and finished the interview afterwards recording me on the phone (She’s a new business who don’t see many white people I reckon. To be fair cyst maybe felt a bit different after…was hard to tell but she chucked in a paste for hormones and eye serum for free. Supermarket gather, bus then lift from coupe of truckers back to marina. Ben had been given good news from the Osmosis experts so looks like a much smaller/cheaper job. Bought some paint in Lautoka and had a gas bottle filled. We put on 1 coat of Antifoul in the arvo before a lush marina shower🤩. I go to Lautoka market for fresh goods the next day and Ben has Babs back in the water by time I’m back! We stay the night tied alongside the wall and motor out the next morning into headwind, black cloud and lightening. Hang onto a Buoy till it passed before sailing to Waya island. 2 blokes stopped by on their boat as we anchored, gave us some freshly harvested Cassava and invited us to their village the next day.
Onshore by 10am sitting outside Nessies brother in laws house waiting for the 3 drum calls to signal us to church. We were welcomed by everyone we passed in the tiny, sandy floored village and our presence was recognised as the pastor spoke in English to us in church before carrying on the service in the local language. The singing was out of this world-Men, Women and Children creating beautiful Harmonies with no music to accompany them…magical! Took Nessie and bout 5 kids back to the boat to look around…I found meself a lil similar souled 4 year old cling-on…really enjoyed spending time with the kids as miss the energy and entertainment of working in a Nursery. They head back as I finish a bean chilli to take to their lunch. We get served up their local dishes of boiled cassava, seagrapes in coconut milk, tamarind sauce and fresh fish sitting on mats under a shelter overlooking the sea…very delish. After lunch mostly the males are sitting/laying in the front room of Si’s (Nessies brother in law) to watch live boxing as he has the biggest TV in the village. Si gets work in NZ in Covid free times driving Lorrys so I guess that paycheck paid for the big screen. Wind is coming into the anchorage so we say Ta-ra and sail 1 hour north to protected anchorage. Bloody great day!

Guy woke me up in morn coming by in his kayak to offer guided tour up the mountain...also told us we need to come and do the Kava ceremony and to pay the village. We talked to some yachties later and found out he regularly harasses boats for money but he is the exception) I didn’t feel like being forced into any of this and didn’t wanna be walking with an unsmiling, seemingly unfriendly guy so we sailed North to Beautiful Manta ray bay near a closed resort. Unsuccessful for the mantas as slightly out of season but had the best snorkel on the other side of the island-varied, colourful reefs and loads of fishys. Snorkelled again in the morning before a horrible 5 hour upwind sail to Blue lagoon. (Anyone watched the ‘Blue lagoon’ film? Mainly filmed here on a now private island) I was trying to think why I was annoyed and frustrated about upwind sailing and I think it’s because I’m so accustomed to driving a car/van to get places…imagine if your van couldn’t go straight but had to zigzag back and forth getting hardly anywhere….being blasted in the face by wind and spray, getting bounced from side to side, up n down making you feel sick and any kind of movement…e.g to get to the toilet or make food a proper struggle, then when you get there you have to circle round the carpark couple of times to find out the depth then sometimes you park but ya handbreak don’t hold on the slope so you have to circle around again looking for new spot !😤 …Now I’v written it down it don’t sound that different to a hot day along the queued up motorway with no air-con and trying to find a space down the beach in a heatwave😂. Parked Radda at the resort the next day and walked up and over the island to a delightful lil village finding wild chilli’s on the way when taking a wrong turn into the bush. Met up with 3 other boaties on the way back and made plans to meet up that night. Took a different path veering off from the local’s veggie fields into the woods that landed us along the beach from Babs. Couple of Fishermen on their boat waved us over and called us onboard to share their fresh lunch of boiled fish, cassava, broth and chilli salsa. Got to hear about their fishing techniques and invited them on Babs whenever they wanted. In the arvo we kited in a gusty spot and managed what felt like my highest jump yet! Met about 8 boaties for couple of drinks at the resort…we were the only ones there due to no tourists being flown in so they were glad of our business. Pull Ben up the mast the next day so he can take down wire protectors and give them a polish. Kited in the arvo at a less gusty spot when the tide went down…choppy but fun. Couple of sundowners on the beach with everyone and a new boat with some young’uns on it-Danny, Lesley and Veronica. Yoga on the beach and fed some fish crackers while snorkelling. Caretaker of the closed resort let us take some coconuts and de-husked them for us. He asked if we had any sunglasses so we happily passed a pair on to him. Walked across the island back to the village with our kite gear with Danny and Lesley in the arvo to do a downwinder back to the boats. Real fun and finished the day off with a mass burger sesh at the resort. Been waiting and looking forward to the ‘Saturday market’ which turned out to be 1 stall and the advertised Pizza was nowhere to be seen. I asked the resort owner about pizzas and he said how many do we want…brilliant! They got on making the dough and brought it out to Rockstar (Dannys boat) as we were having a drink before going back for all day happy hour at the resort just in time for Rich to join us. Got a really fresh, just picked bag of fruit, veg n herbs and £8 for a litre of freshly harvested honey. Got the spirits out back on Rockstar which made Ben fail as we got back to Babs…left him sleeping under the stars when pulling/talking him into coming downstairs didn’t work . Right off for Ben the next day but I somehow got away with it so was able to feed him up.

Sailed round to Sawa-i-Lau about 10.30am and arrived just before 1pm in time for the Famous cave tour. Danny and crew had managed to get the price down so saved us £8 each…..good times! Through a door and down some steps to magical turquoise, green and blue waters, tasty rock formations overhead with the sun beaming through the roof. Swam underwater which scared me quite a bit towards a torchlight held by a guide to a totally black cave. Really cool being shown around with their underwater torches. Back in the main, sunlit cave a few locals came to enjoy them without hundreds of tourists there. Few beers on a big fishing cat before dinner. Left the next morn at 6.30am as we hoping to get to Nananu-i-ra for real this time. 11 tacks on a 12 hours sail with the sun shining. I felt bit queezy so Ben kindly let me have a kip. Anchored in our previous anchorage just before dark for a calm night. Fetch the next 12 miles early next morn and Harms has chill time as he been doing all the steering through the reefs. Feeling energetic the next day so anchor at a sand spit and have a couple of hours kiting choppyish waters. Neck aching after….think I pulled it while sheeting in the Genoa so chill before going to beach for a fire, potatoes, smoked aubergine and Bannock bread. Rain comes in so shelter the fire with me raincoat for last 20 mins of cooking before munching back on Babs. Anchor near main kite spot next day and walk 2 mins across the island to the windy side. Me necks proper squiffy so Ben gets his kite hit while I fatefully meet a masseuse! She’s the caretaker for the kite resort and offers me a neck massage when she sees I’m in pain 🥰 whatta ledge!! Soooo grateful! She invites us over later so take some tea and goodies, toiletries etc that we don’t need to say thanks. Sarah offers another massage and gives me a pot of her homemade coconut oil. Feeling the period laziness the next day and Ben has to talk me into kiting…does make me feel better in my head but body still knackered so after being talked into it, (doesn’t count as nagging does it?😉) Ben makes lunch and Brownies to sooth my period mood😍. Mega grateful! Feel much better the next day after me energy routine...cook couple of cuzzas and roti dough before low tide. Bit of a kite as Sarah kindly chucked our clothes in the washing machine. After we got Sarah and her mate onboard for currytime. Was all a bit weird as they kept talking in their dialect and video calling their friends and family to show off the boat. When offering them a drink, they said I should choose what they drink so I gave them beer but they both hardly drank any so guess they don’t like it🙈 . The friends husband started calling from the beach before we had eaten so Ben took her over and apparently hubbie was very angry…maybe coz she was on a fit, young blokes boat ready to sail away from him😂. Sarah rolled out the Roti for us but straight after eating she seemed desperate to go as the resort had no one looking after it so Ben took her back. She called us later just to say Hi as she was walking along the beach to wave and rang in the morn to offer us lunch ashore. Lolz…all a bit strange. She’s a great gal though and happy to have met her.

Left Nananu…4 hour downwind sail to an amazing deserted sandbar…got the 8 meter kite out and had a real good sesh…fill me soul right up after with a good ol sing (I’m awful at singing but love it and luckily Ben silently endures it🤣) to Rag n bone and Cher 🤩. Hour sail to mainland for a sheltered sleepy anchorage. Ben noticed around 8 masts way off in the distance so went to check them out the next day and anchored behind a large sandbar with the other kite boats. Have 3 days of pure wind, kiting and drinkies with Rockstar who treat us to their homemade ‘moonshine’. Ben and Danny having fun kiting together with me still practicing me jumps. Sail to Lautoka when the wind buggers off and get some supplies and an electronic spice grinder (which turns out to be shite!) Ben takes Radda to scope out the mangroves for possible hiding place when the Cyclones come….speaks to a security guard looking after a few big boats already in the Mangroves and finds out it’s possible to anchor up there…just need to get in quick once news of a cyclone is on da cards. Bought up loads of shit from the market the next day before heading to Denarau marina who let us fill up the water tanks for free and get rid of our recycling…Love Denarau…Vuda marina wanted $35 for agua!!
Sail 2.5 hours to Namoto in da morn where Ben buys a second hand bananarama surfboard and heads out to the swimming pool wave. There’s 6 surf breaks in a 6 square-miled area so Ben's pretty much found his dream spot…only took sailing halfway round da globe 🤪. Swimming pool is the safest as has plenty of water over the reef where the waves break…cloudbreak is the most famous-rated as number 2 surfbreak in the world after Tahiti’s Teahupo’o. I do a few boat chores and enjoy a couple of hours with boat to meself. Ben surfing again the next morn but his slight pigeon chest is hurting from pressure of the board so he comes back and makes an impressive ‘pidge cushion’ to protect it🥰😜. Just enough wind to foil in the arvo…I have an attempt but drop the kite and can’t get it up which gets right up Bens wick! This leads to more distressing discussions about our relationship…different things make us tick and although they say opposites attract I do wonder if this is always true. After we decide we need to give each other more space (I need my own space more than Ben as truly love being alone doing my own thing whereas Ben is happy in Peoples company for the most part) and to not pressure each other to do activities that ticks one persons soul but the others not as much. Makes me feel better about it all and majorly looking forward to a few nights in Suva with new mate Veronica. Back anchored in sheltered musket the next day for a walk up the highest hill (for my soul😜) Clean hills with knee high cutty grass part of the way along the ridge to the highest point. Not too hot or sunny so spend time chatting on the pill box looking at mega views. Ice-cream on the beach in the arvo. Couple more days out at the waves with a lil drift snorkel where we saw practically nuffin! Then back to musket for a great kiting day with other kite boats. I manage a real long upwind back to the boat after kiting down to the sandbar. Bens kite has a lil moment and is losing air so a nice bloke gives him a lift back. Ben fixes 3 of our kites on land before we go to a wikid movie night on a squishy lawn under a beautiful, fragrant Frangipani tree at the musket Café. Rich there as well and a deal on Pizzas…good times!

Suva time! Diwali-the Indian festival of light is coming up and I wanted to experience it for real or Fiji real anyways and not with other cruisers so Ben drops me of at Denarau where I get a taxi then 4 hour bus ride (costing £5.50) to the Capital-Suva. Veronica is staying at a friend’s flat which is normally Air b and b’d but with no tourists is free. I was offered the spare double room with en-suite which I was proper looking forward to but her mate that owns it had her staff staying there so shared V’s room. Went to her mates Amisha’s that night and had a right good laugh…her parents are English but emigrated here about 30 years back…Dad is hillair! Amisha made probably the best Tandoori pizza in the world along with indian sweets and snacks and had a sideboard full of booze ….was gunna try not to drink that weekend but free booze and party did not make that come true🙈🤪 . They let off fireworks out back on the waters edge and I slept on a small sofa at around 1am....That pizza done me in🐷. V didn’t sleep the whole night so slept in till 12pm. Got ready and taxi’d to her familys house where her Mum, 3 brothers, 1 sister in law and cheeky lil neice live. Her Dad built the house 30 odd years ago in a poor and dangerous part of the city and their small outside space looked out onto the community’s dirt area where the kids hang around and played (mostly play fighted from what I saw) until 9ish at night. Family was real lovely and plied me with their homemade Indian sweets (a main tradition of Diwali). Real fun spending time and being entertained by V’s 1.5 year old niece…delish Pea and potato curry with tomato chutney and Puri to finish of the evening. Lots of fireworks being set off from other houses and fairy lights dangling around. Taxi took us along a heavily Indian populated street on our way back to see the rich, lit up homes. Went to the cinema the next day which was cheap and decent before Veronica taught me how to make pumpkin cuzza, soft roti and fried Okra….bloody yummerz…gunna be flabbier when I leave here…poor ol Ben😋😜🐷. Chatted with Patik and his wife Sereima (couple that pinched my bedroom😲) into the night. After a big brekki of left over cuzza we got a taxi to the Rainforest to enjoy the pools. Natural pools along the river with a bit of man-made enforcement…8 pools that were swimmable…lush! Veronicas even lazier than me🤪 so was a bit of a fight to get her to walk to the lower pools but she got into it even doing a bit of tour guiding pointing out plants etc. Food court for lunch then Sereima taught me how to make green bean cuzza and V made bitter gourd (I had wanted to try it as see it lots at the markets) which was not a winner🙃. Watched Mamamia which was the biggest cheese I’v ever seen but fun to do girl things…finished the night singing along to real Abba YouTube vids, 80’s music etc. Really enjoyed time hanging with different people doing different things…need variety in me life! Bus back to Nadi the next day where I load up with fresh grub and taxi to meet Ben back at Denarau.
While I was gone Ben boozed it up at a Diwali BBQ with the cruisers on the island bar. Lots of surfing, kitesurfing and boat jobs. Left the next morn at 6.30am to Cloudbreak. I stayed asleep for the whole motor across…Great now Bens learned to single-hand sail 😂😉. I want a bit of chill time on the boat after lots of socializing so spend time in the kitchen making sauerkraut, mint sauce, breadfruit chips etc. Ben kites cloudbreak in the arvo as wind comes up. Next day was maybe Benny boi’s best day ever! Never have I seen him so excited…or any level of excited🤩🤩 thought he was gunna burst!…..was great to see him like that as I took photos of him on the famous cloudbreak ripping up and down like a pro!! Motored back to Musket in the late arvo for some land time the next day. Good ol beach walk around bigger half of the island before meeting Rich for lunch and a swim in the huge resort pool that is empty with no tourists but free to cruisers. Another walk the next day and harvested some ripe papayas and mangoes which seemed like they needed a big, dark, mouthy home. Back out to Namoto the next day where Ben had an epic day surfing swimming pool in morn then kiting Namoto left break in the arvo…this is his new best day ever😜🤩. I got hold of the kite around 4.30 and attempted to go downwind 6 miles back to musket while Ben sailed Babs. Lost wind just as I got to the island so Ben skilfully plucked me and the kite out of the ocean🥰. Proper fun! Yoga on sandbank the next day and swam back to Babs in super calm sea. I had me first attempt at surfing swimming pool….fuccckkk me…its hard on the old shoulders…didn’t think I had a pigeon chest but me poor wee breast bone was paining big time! Caught 1 white wash twas fun but too much like hardwork paddling back…think I need a bigger surfboard and a small beach break but will try again if we are staying ere. Try putting the 12m kite up in the arvo but not enough viiind so end up collecting Harmdawg from down the way. Motor back in cozy Musket as very rolley at Namoto and get treated to a delish sunset and lightening cloud creating mega colours! Ben took Radda out to Namoto so he could surf the next day while I have time to meself…thouroughly enjoyed meself cleaning, cooking veronicas pumkin cuzza and getting me fill of SOAD and Marilyn manson before Ben rejoined us…Radda sprung a proper leak on his way back so Ben’s now on a fixing mish. We still waiting to hear on whether NZ will let us in which I’m really hoping they will as lots of hiking, biking etc as well as kiting, surfing there so will meet both our needs and I’m excited about campervan time!🤩.


Will see what happens…Fiji is a great place to be except for the cyclones so all good for now. Hope Covid aint getting peeps down too much at home…love y’all long long long time and canny wait to spend time with ya’ll again…miss ya mega like! xXxXXxXx

Tuamotos to Tahiti 3/7/20

2 hour sail across the lagoon of Kauehi and through a calm pass. Nice and sunny with wind behind us keeping us at 5.5-6.5 knts. The motion is rolley with the winds directly behind so i decide to take an anti-sickness when I nearly puke while shitting. Really glad we left today and have pre-made meals. No rain and steady night watches with a full moon...fab! Feeling better the next day and with Ben fully emerged in his book I can get right into mine🤩. I manage to make chapatti’s as the wind moves to our port beam stilling the motion a bit. No rain again with easy night shifts. I watched the Amy Winehouse documentary which shows her amazing talent but made me feel really sad she's no longer in this world coz of her c**t of a ‘husband’ and the pressures of fame. Land ahoy on me 04.00-06.00 shift as Ben take over ...he lets me sleep till 8am as we near the pass. Incredible to see green hills with puffy white clouds on their peaks, rich green waters turning to clear turquoise as we enter the lagoon. Watch surfers on the famous Teahupoo wave ...beautiful in the morning light, mist being blown off the top of the swell. Anchor nearby next to another yacht in 15m of water. Go ashore and ask a local family if they have any fruit to sell...using google translate they go over the road to fetch their son who speaks English before heaping us up with very tasty passionfruit, soursop and bananas for $10…proper deal! Spend the arvo looking at the inside of our eyelids😴. Have a couple of days there and invite our neighbors over for sundowners. Down to earth American surfer about our age and his Russian g/f. The g/f got stuck here over lockdown as she was just out for a holiday but has decided to sell up and come back to the boat for good. They were a good laugh but unfortunately had to get back early for some online work the chap does. Ben kited out to the waves in a nearby pass and i went along as support boat in Radda. He got a few good waves but all quite sketch as breaking straight onto the reef! Sailed in the lagoon watching all the beautiful, local houses pass by on the waters edge. Anchored in a nice sheltered river mouth in the green waters of Phaeton bay.

Took the dingo to the head of the bay and climbed into muddy waters...feels like England here with the mud and the fresh, cool air in the mornings...love it! Tahiti is a big island and a small island joined by a small bit of land which is where we were anchored...we took the 3 mile walk across to see the other side and got a cheap fish n chip lunch. Really weird to be in a busy place with cars and proper roads and lots of large buildings as it’s been 6 months since Ecuador and this amount of rush and noise. I quite enjoy it, especially the huge supermarket which Ben hurries me around🤣. We buy 6 small pineapple for $5 off the roadside which gets me juices flowing as haven’t had pineapple since Ecuador. Fill up with Agua from the marina on the way back to Babs.
Easy hour long bus ride to Papette (Tahiti's main town)…green valleys and waterfalls to view as we trundled along in a clean, fully air conditioned bus. Walked our way along noisy, industrial port roads until we found the port office and gained our duty-free fuel certificate. Got a lift back with a fellow boater into town and wandered the market which had lots of fruit, veg and expensive clothes. Ben got a huge baguette filled with chow-mien while i found a cho-po (steamed bun-my new fave). Bit more mooching around the shops where Ben bought some boardies and a sarong for moi 💚 before getting the bus back in the arvo. Defo over my initial stimulation of shops, noise and crowds after 2 days living it. Had the shits that night as ruined my 'no dairy' in town after a month of going without (except the lil cracker incident). Worth it though and will complete a slab of brie before i go back to dairy free. Have found a bit more energy and weirdly am remembering my dreams almost every night and digestion has been better on me month off the cow puss.

Moorea 10/02/20

Leave Tahiti out of a calm pass watching Humpbacks blowing before diving, showing us their huge tail fins. Crazy 9 hour sail with motoring, tacking, gybing with winds coming at us from all different directions…when we passed Tahiti in the strait to Moorea strong winds and messed up waves on our starboard side had us leaning over so the port rail was in the water at times…couple of waves crashed up to the cross-trees and into the cockpit…I’m shitting it….Bens loving it! 😂. Eventually drop the main once we have made a good direction and continue with a small head sail. Easy pass into Moorea and anchor in Cooks bay. Ben out chatting to a fellow kite surfer who lives in the bay and is sponsored by Ozone-Bens kite brand of choice. We motor to the mouth of the bay and anchor by the reef in shallow, turquoise water. Ben try’s to find decent waves in the pass on 9m with short lines but wind is very up and down. Explored the village and had a lil snorkel before anchoring back in the deep waters at the head of the long finger shaped bay. The next day we walked up to a lookout called the 3 pines…the 3 penises if you are French apparently, as the couple we asked directions from kept calling it😲🙊 how v rude!🤣. Clear paths with small colored signs as there is a triathlon going on soon taking in Mooreas many hilly, hiking trails. The path led us through the pineapple fields to a lookout over Oponohu and Cooks bay at the 3 penises😜. We carried on and across to Belvedere point which can be accessed by car. Had been spitting throughout the morn but just as we got the picnic out it started chucking it…slightly sheltered under a huge mango tree we finished our whole baguette, a tin of tuna, pot of pringles, bananas and 2 oranges 🐷! Luckily a friendly French couple gave us a life back to the anchorage which was at least 3 hours walk back or more if we took the circular route. Rainy again the next day so we spent 4 hours at the wifi café and found Tequila had anchored up on our way back. Had a catch up with them before Ben had a turn on the kite guys foil being pulled along by a jet-ski…he done really well managing to pump the board after letting go of the tow. Made the BEST ever smoothie with Pineapple, passion and banana! Raining again the next day so we do 1 more stock up from super u as trying to get it all in before Covid tourists are flown in which starts up again today. Ben does boat jobs as I cook, clean, make ginger beer and keep the friendship up with me book😁💚. A clear day returns so we pick Kate (tequila) and their mate Dave up and walked back up to Penis land. We then took a left to walk across to the other side of the island. The trail hadn’t been walked in a while so Dave as leader had a bit of a struggle removing stuff from our path...we all kept slipping a lot on the wet ground but was the perfect day with a bit of cloud and not too hot. Viewpoint to eastern village and Tahiti was mega before we rappelled down on ropes anchored to trees back to sea level. Really brill 5 hour walk off the beaten track, Kate's great…proper down to earth and funny…we loves her😊.

Rainy day again…my hypochondria is playing up again as I head to the docs to check me throat…they say possible infection and heartburn irritating it…Give me meds which I end up not taking when I read their side affects and I’m fine...lolz. Ben gravity fed our gas tanks back up and enjoyed a chilled arvo. We gave some dodgy Ecuadorian diesel to the kite guy before the Genoa sailed us 1 hour into Oponohu bay in the morn. After a quick snorkel we met up with Kate and Rich, (unusual as rich don’t like walking) marched up to the tropical gardens and found a lil waterfall. More exciting though especially for Rich was the bar overlooking the bay. Treated ourselves to a beer before Rich went downhill to find more beer while we carried on following a maps.me trail along the side of the hill. Trail was barely there and viewpoint was overgrown unless you climbed the tree as Benny boi did. Rich’s beer hunt was unsuccessful so we went on board Babs for some gin n ginger beer…yummerz. We move in the morn half a mile to be nearer ‘sting ray city.’ Real calm clear waters as I watch from the bow spying turtles gliding serenely beneath us. Take the dingo and find the rays being fed around lots of tourist boats…get a good view of them and quite a few black tips. Snorkel through the pass holding onto Radda and see a majestic turtle feeding quite far below. After small siesta we anchor closer to ‘Magic Mountain’ which is a 45min walk along a concrete road to a lookout 180m above the bay. Back down where we paid our $2 fee to be allowed up we were given jam to taste, purchasing a pineapple and vanilla one to take home. Anchor back in Oponohu bay for the night….3 anchorages a day=Bens ideal day🤪 . Picked up Kate the next day and climbed the huge hill separating cooks and Oponohu. Steep, rocky climb up to the first view point and start of the ridge...Amazing view on both sides into the lagoons and green watered bays. Catch a sight of Humpbacks very far below beyond the reef. A couple overtakes us as we have multiple breaks…the track is not well worn with many spiky ferns scratching our lower legs…on the way down I feel it’s like having a tattoo or tortuous razor blades skimming ya pins🙈. Kate stops just before we reach the top around 780m as there is 2 more false peaks to go. Lots of scrambling holding onto the vegetation to help us up and a couple of ropes in place. Finally we make it to the top, have a munch and take some epic pics. Find out the guy who passed us is the local bee keeper so arrange to get a pot from him tomozza for $1000 FPF (£7). Cheapest we’ve found it so far in French Polynesia. We meet Kate on the way back down but not before I somehow manage to find my head below my feet hanging onto the vegetation after slipping/tripping. Had to shout to Ben for help as couldn’t pull meself up with my arm trapped under me…he said I looked hillair and we both regretted not taking a photo before the rescue. Kates proper game and on all these walks has slipped over less than me and gazelles over slippy rocks and steep downhills way better than my granny knees and bad balance allows even though I’m 20 or so years her junior😂 . Took us 4.5 hours up and 3 hours down…get water from a café as booze not available. I want a lazy day to follow this as achy thighs and back but Ben talks me into yoga on the beach which does help as we pick up our honey…we go through our dried Ecuador stores and find out we gotta get fatter if we are to get through all the beans, lentils and cornflour in the next year, or maybe as soon as New Zealand if bio-security doesn’t allow us to keep them. Dolphins around the boat the next day💛. We took Radda out of the pass to snorkel and saw 5 turtles all different sizes…coral is much healthier this side of the lagoon and felt magical to be in the deep blue water. Couldn’t find the whales but got close to some larger dolphins in the dinghy. We finished scrubbing the bottom which is really difficult and unsatisfying as it doesn’t come off properly…luckily Ben did most of it🤭 .

Huahine 23/07/20

Sail away around 5pm…both feel a bit dodgy as rolling with wind on our starboard quarter with big waves. 7knts in the night so we rolled in the Genoa and saw Huahine emerge with the daylight at 5.30am. Ben got us through the west pass as I slept and we followed Chris and Magali down to a southern anchorage (Opoa). Ben had enough energy to kite while I read me book and slept. Tried kiting by dingo-ing around the point into the N/NE winds. I didn’t enjoy it as hard to get going on the surfboard and choppy. Ben had a good time in the pass though on some waves where some locals were surfing. Made beer battered onion rings for a sundowner meal on Pukeko while Magali produced an amazing spinach and bacon quiche (). Lazy morn before meeting up with Kate and Rich and walking up a river valley on a circular route....went back to their boat which is a stunning Cabo Rico 38 footer with lush wooden interior. Had a really good night getting pissed on rum…they are defo 2 of our fave peeps we’ve met so far…would love to meet up with them again in the UK. Home around 11.30-spinning as I climb into beddy! Luckily raining again for me hangover …pasta for brekki followed by baked potato and onion gravy for dinner…carb fest!😬. Kate came over to say goodbye as they are leaving for the next westward island- Taha-a. Spent most of next day using hotel WiFi filling in forms to get into NZ and researching boat yards. Motored North through the lagoon up to the village Fare. Anchor wasn’t held too well so Ben dove down and found a mooring line without a buoy which we attached to aswell. Ben fell in love with a rowing dinghy and was chatting to the Owner from their boat Hanna. I explored the town for a bit before both getting free WiFi outside the mayor’s office. Spend a couple of days doing chores-we clean the boat and take interior photos to send to a broker in NZ and use WiFi. Ben saws down the broom handle so it fits in the locker better. Heavy gusts and rain in the night had us swinging 180 degrees so Ben slept in saloon to be ready for action. Find out news from home that we will be able to live in a caravan while Ben builds 2 houses in St ostyth-1 that we can keep once complete…very exciting to have a plan and I think Ben feels better as didn’t know what he was going to do work-wise when we got home. Made a picnic the next day and hired some Dutch style bikes for only $10 for the whole day…biked around the larger island on the mostly coast hugging road. We stopped at a museum showing us the islands history which was built in a remake of the villages meeting place. Then onto a gallery of paintings done by an American ex pat. Carried on to a lovely beach cruising into Faire village where we got a free shuttle boat to look at some ridiculously expensive pearls. Fed the sacred blue eyed eels in the River where we met the guys from Agape who were driving around with their dad. The heavy, single speed, back peddling braked bikes with a very comfy fat bottom loving seat were all good until now as had been flat but now we had a 2km hill at a 30% grade to climb…both walked most of it and had lunch at the top with a view. I was shitting it going downhill as brakes weren’t that good and I’d heard a tourist had died losing control on her bike. Just bout made it but wouldn’t ever do it on those bikes again! Hid in a bus shelter for half hour or so of rain listening to some local guys in their garden having a sing-a-long and smoking weed. Love how free and expressive people are with their music in French poly💚. Few more up and downs till we found the distillery and after a few tasters we bought a coconut, caramel and vanilla flavoured liquor. Only 2pm by time we reached our starting point so we carried on around again for a couple of miles to see the shell museum-A French guys personal collection who also made jewellery to be sold. Gave the bikes back by 3pm so go for a lil snorkel and have sooooo many lil yellow fish around us it’s like being in a proper aquarium…they weren’t scared at all. Breadfruit chips for dinner…yum! Booked bikes again for the next day but Bens knee was aching and I didn’t sleep that well thinking about all our future plans etc. so had a chilled day with a few games and couple of drinks before dinner. Sunday We rang home in the morning and eve, went for a SUP and pulled each other on the foil with Radda. I did ok but Ben did really well…as it goes with most things….except cooking and spelling😂. Took the bikes round the lower island which is connected by a bridge the next day…stopped at a vanilla plantation and got in on the free grub that was for another tour with a friendly guide. Bought some guava syrup to repay them for the freebies. Huahine is one of the worlds biggest and best vanilla growers and exporters but it’s still very expensive and as its not my fave flavor we aint bought none. Real beauts beaches along the roadside to chill on with a few hills to climb but only about 3 we had to walk up. Back by 2.30pm, SUP and wifi before Chris, Magali and their 2 friends came over for drinkys…I had a bit too much with no dinner…woopsy. Veggie shopping the next day…feeling too queezy for dingo foiling so leave Ben to do it with the neighbours faster dingo and their kids. Pack up boat to leave tomorrow for Raiatea.

Raiatea 5/8/20

Left at 8am, calm sail with wind behind going 2-4knts. Ben happy to be on lookout so I read. As we headed into the pass Ben spots a Humpback breeching…proper amazing…sail over to it and it shows us its splendour by surfacing a few meters from Babs...it’s a juvenile we think but still massive. It swam under the boat and we didn’t see it again until it was much further away. Through the pass, we anchored on a bommie as a huge, dark rain cloud rolled in. Had lunch then motored to where another couple of boats were anchored off the reef. After much persuasion Ben makes his famous brownie with dairy free butter…very appreciative as it’s that time of the month again!🤤🥴. We move Babs nearer to the pass for safer rescue with Ben on the foil in the waves. Not much wind but only needs saving once…I’m feeling down again so have a sing, draw and a cry while he SUPS as wind had died. In the night the wind changes which wasn't forcasted and as we are anchored on a straight line of shallow reef we come aground as we swing 180 degrees. We only touched for a little while with big rains and wind before the winds swung and pulled us off…luckily it was a pretty sandy bottom where we touched…ohh la la. Shite kite in morn with changeable wind strength and choppy waters so we headed up to the main town stopping in a muddy anchorage south of the town. A very excitable Lithuanian bloke rowed by on his wooden dinghy that was barely held together and comes aboard for a chat…he’s very happy to see an English boat as he doesn’t speak French…we ply him with beer, brownies and a delectable fruit called ‘wax apple’. Thoroughly enjoy all his excited chatter!

I hitchhiked easily the next day 6km into the main town to get fresh grub and free wifi. Really good to hear and see what everyone's up to back home. Ben stayed on boat to do a few jobs such as clean the water filter. After lunch we walked up a river valley to 3 waterfalls…forest was like a fairy-tale with moss covered tree limbs and boulders with large bamboo forests in part. The last waterfall we had a very refreshing skinny dip before heading back down and inviting Audrius (Lithuanian guy) onboard for film swapping and sundowners. I keep dreamin of people at home so I wake up feeling shit when I realise none of them are with me…keep feeling like I wanna cry all the time which aint like me…I’ve cried more on this trip than I have in about 16 years!! Guess it’s the less drinking so me brain and emotions aren’t so clouded and being away from me soul peeps for so long. Probably good that I’m more in touch with me emotional side but it didn’t feel good for these few days. Anyway I cheer up majorly by the arvo as we anchor in another bay and SUP up the only navigable river in French Poly. Wind behind us heading into the mouth of the river makes an easy paddle 1.5 miles to the botanical gardens. Friendly local called James welcomed us from the river bank telling us what to expect along the river. I rushed around the gardens as was worried about leaving the SUPs unattended-we’d heard that thievery is common in Raiatea and I’d seen a bloke watching us as we got onto the bank from the other side of the river. Feel awful about my judgement of him coz as we came back to the river side he offered us fruit…for FREE! We haven’t been offered free fruit since we left the Marquesas! We joined him on the other side of the river and he nimbly and enthusiastically showed us around his well-kept fruit gardens offering us stuff along the way. His English was quite good so we found out it was his family’s plantation, he had 2 children and a grandchild. He used to be in the military in the Tuamotos and had a tattoo from those days…now he lives in ‘his paradise’. We came away with a whole stalk of bananas, 2 hands of plantains, big handful of ginger, some bon-bons (seeds about the size of a dried apricot in a bean case, only the tiny amount of white flesh around the seed is edible but very sweet), 2 green coconuts and 2 papaya. So generous of him, he said he didn’t want any money but also that he makes his living by selling to boats. I truly don't think he wanted any but we forced around £7 on to him as we thought he deserved something. Out back through the river mouth slogging through strong head wind back to Babs…amazing morning! Sail back to the main town and hit a bommie (No damage thankfully) trying to enter the reef at slow speed, Ben expertly got us out of it and carried on to the next opening and successfully anchored before dark. Anchored closer to town the next day but inside the reef so we could use internet and buy a new sim for the phone. Sailed to a more northern pass in Taha’a (Raiatea and Taha’a are 2 separate islands enclosed by the same reef) and spent a rainy arvo chillin. Tried foiling the next day…not enough wind or that’s what I’ll blame for my struggles🤪. Ben pro’d it before we sailed through the strait between Raiatea and Taha’a to pick up a free mooring for the night out of the wind.

Bora-Bora 13/08/20

Leave in the morn for a 28mile sail. Rolling with wind behind us but decent sail. Bloke in a powerboat approached us as we entered Bora-Boras only pass and told us the deal about moorings. Bora recently ruled anchoring aint allowed no more so it’s $30 a night for a mooring. We booked 2 nights as we felt we should see the infamous Bora-Bora while we’re here. We have a drink in the yacht club and hear the tragic news that the teenager that had been killed a few days ago in Moorea by a speedboat while checking on his anchor was Eddie whom we’d met twice on our trip...once in Panama while waiting to go through the canal…you might remember I wrote that 2 siblings played some amazing classical style music for the cruisers. 1 of them was Eddie. Then we spoke to him and his sister briefly in Anaho bay as they were excited to see an English boat after spending the whole lockdown with Frenchies. Made me feel sick to my stomach that he lost his life so young and feel so much for the family who now have to continue life without him. A surfer’s burial was done in his memory in all different bays around French poly and with his friends and family in different parts of the world. Flowers were put into the water and songs sung in memory of this talented and adventurous young man. This tragedy has reminded me how precious life is and as we walk up the mountain the next day I keep Eddie in mind…to live to my fullest and try and get past these low periods I’v been having. The mountain was pretty brutal…while lower than the Moorea trek at 620m it was much steeper…we were using hands and feet most of the way with a couple of little meltdowns as I couldn’t see a safe way down but mostly it was mega fun using the ropes in place to haul ourselves up slippery rocks and muddy forest ground. The view was well worth it when we arrived after 3.5 hours. Found some wild ginger and stocked up. Really glad to get back to the road with aching knees we treated ourselves to a hot dawg!🙊. Tried to fill in the Fiji form as we have decided to leave FP and pay the $1300 to spend a month or so there as will probably never have another chance and still cheaper than to fly there. We are using an agent who has sent us quite a few forms to fill in, then have to get a negative Covid test result from Papeete and another test when we arrive after 2 or so weeks at sea. Move to another mooring in the morn and have a quick snorkel at a well know Manta spot. Watch one circling a bommie about 6m below…lots of tourists and no where near as magical as the Marquesas manta experience but still well worth it….we been spoilt! Bake bread then leave by 10.30 am into headwind on our way back to Moorea.

Moorea 15/08/20

Did a few tacks before heading between Huahine and Raiatea for the night where we had a bit more shelter. Both felt a bit seasick but not too bad. Read all through my night shifts…the brilliant ‘Memoirs of a Geisha’. Managed to fetch all the way to Moorea after we left the other islands which was unexpected as thought it would be more headwind and anchored back in Cooks bay as the sun set….only 4 pages of me book left that I started about 26 hours ago😁. Moved to the mouth of the bay so we could go to the wifi café the next day. More form filling and an advert to sell Babs is now up on Facebook pages…shits getting real!....poor ol Benny don’t seem very happy but Covid has messed up most people lives a lot more than ours so we just gotta go with the times. All our Bananas have turned at once so put out 4 drying racks for them and make a double banana cake for freezer. A ray jumps out of the water right near the boat before beddy byes.

The Humpbacks come to give birth in these safe, calm waters this time of year and Rachel from Agape swam with them last year from her dinghy…mega excited about this but haven’t seen them and feel we should go with a professional as very large mamammals!...so we go on a tour form 8am till 2pm …Fast, open parang kinda boat=windy and spine jarring. Found the huge, gentle beasts but when we got close and all hopped into the water they disappeared…tried around the west side of the island but still no luck. Disappointing but maybe we’ll have another chance by ourselves or in Fiji. To finish the tour we went to stingray city and actually stroked them this time as the guide was feeding them…proper wikid! Decided to head to Papeete the next day to get our tests done so we can smarm off to Fiji….the cases of Covid are rising rapidly here since they started flying tourists in again so it’s time to go! Headed out but after an hour or 2 we turned back after getting slammed with short steep seas and 35 plus knots of headwind. Anchored back in Moorea, used internet and luckily the doctor here gave us the prescriptions we needed for out Covid test. Back onboard for our new ginger beer batch. I spent the whole next day writing the blog and cooking an epic roast with Davo’s (Ecuadorian kite instructor) mums red cabbage….while Ben chatted to prospective Babs buyers online and finally found the alternator charging problem with the engine. He re-soldered the contact on the relay so hopefully all be snazzy!🤩. Second to last night in Moorea we invited the neighbours on Epiphany over for drinkys. Fun, spunky American couple with lots of chat to reawaken our slow-only talk to one person-brains🥴.

Papette 23/08/20

4 hour motor sail to papeete….forecast was for around 25 knts of wind so wrong again. Got into the only remaining space in the Marina and went to town for goodies. Met up with Dave and Lenny from Perigee who we hadn’t seen since we left Nuku-HIva. Really, really fun time catching up and playing Mexican trains. Helen from ‘Wow’ joined and Lenny cracked open their newly purchased 10ltrs of local rum and Jalapeño cwispys….staggered home after 12 hours of laughs in their saloon. Ben boomed through his hangover hand washing our clothes before 7.30am! Our water tanks are totally empty for the first time ever so we pay around £3 to wash em out and fill up. Ben washes all the kite equipment and vacuum seals into storage again. We move Babs into WOW’s better berth as she leaves for Moorea. Dave and Lenny are Legends and bringing us fresh croissants (I’d eaten instant noodles for brekkie coz had no other easssy grub available) and Ben magicked from the bilge a plastic pipe elbow which was onboard when we bought the boat. Twas the exact thing that Dave needed and doubtfully could have found in French poly. Walk with Lenny for emotional hangover support to the market in a very busy and noisy Papeete. Most people are wearing masks around the streets and it is a necessity in all shops. Grab a few bits then gratefully both have a kip after Luncheon. Spend 2 more days in the Marina which is only £15 a night as is without full facilities and still in construction mode. You literally walk out of marina and you’re in the center of town so great to get our chores done. Ben connects to electricity to top up the batteries proper which we haven’t done since the Canary islands! Good ol solar and wind Genny done us a treat 🤩. Ate out at the roulettes (street food on carts with tables outside) one evening…shared a massive Polynesian portioned chow mein b4 moving onto another cart for a burger each…my poor ol’ gut...when will I give it a break!?🐷🙊. So after chatting to Perigee we once again are unsure what our next steps are in getting home. Decide to go out to the Taina anchorage as we’ve stayed 2 extra nights without paying and don’t wanna get caught! Motored 5 miles through the lagoon radioing Papeete port to ask permission to cross the Airplane runway at both ends. Had to wait for a flight to come in at one end before moving on. All the anchorages were far away from the dinghy dock so after asking a couple of moored boats we took a private mooring hearing that they were in the Tuamotos. Bit out of order as they are paying for it but with all the indecision we’ve gotta figure out and need for easy access to shore we risk staying on it. Grabbed some fruit n veg and a sim card with 2 gigs of data for £16 so we could do all the relevant research. Spent the entire next day applying for an exemption to be allowed into New Zealand’s borders and researching other possibilities to get back to UK by next summer.

Our Options:

1) Stay in French Polynesia and:

a) Have Babs freighted to the med in November so we could continue sailing and come up to England when warmer weather. Drawback: Costs £25,000!!

b) Sail 4500-5000 miles against the wind and currents back to Panama in November…7 day sail to North Caribbean, then return across the Atlantic in April. Drawback: Hellish to sail up wind for that amount of miles and costs roughly £2000 to pass through the canal

c) Sail South through the Roaring Forties to the infamous and hazardous Cape Horn which would be amazing to see as we’ve heard Patagonia is incredibly special. Drawback: Be hard, dangerous sailing and would have to find and install some sort of heater and at this point Chiles borders are closed.

2) Sail 2000 miles to Fiji which is now open and we would love to see it for a month or so…however once there, there’s no chance of sailing east back though the Atlantic. Soooo our options once there would be to:

a) New Zealand or Australia accept are exemption and let us in before Nov 1st (cyclone season in Fiji and the pacific) so we could fix up Babs before selling her and fly home by early summer. Drawback: They haven’t approved any sailor’s exemptions yet!

b) Sail up through Indonesia and through the Suez Canal into the med so we could bring Babs home by next summer. Drawback: We would have to rush in Fiji and lift Babs out to Anti-foul. Not too many countries are open in the Indian Ocean that we could stop at during the 10,000 or so miles. The Suez and Red sea are unstable making it possibly dangerous. The Canal costs £1000-ish.

c) Keep the boat in a pit or on the hard for cyclone season in Fiji, doing work on the boat inbetween cyclones! 😬 Then head to Oz or NZ next May to sell. Drawback: Dodging cyclones with no boat insurance. Be back later in the year to UK.

Basically no options are good and we ain't pinning much hope on the NZ and OZ officials letting us in but we are running out of time if we want to see any of Fiji so had our tests done yesterday £200 each for a swab😲. After dolling out £95 at carrefore on fresh veg, fruit and eggs we radioed the fuel dock to see if we could fill up. Got me all in a palaver when they said they’d been looking for the owners of ‘St Barbara’ as they’d had trouble with the owners finding us on their mooring. I rambled out a story, apologized and we scarpered quick to the anchorage a couple of miles away. I stayed below for the journey tidying, praying they wouldnt come tell us off or make us pay a fine...aint seen no jailers yet! Now getting the boat ready...Ben back up the mast to put up softening so the sails don’t rub on the wire. I’m preparing meals and freezer food for ease if I feel sicketh. De-frosting da freezer etc. Bens scrubbing the weedy bottom again…this Ecuadorian Anti’foul is pure shite! We had my negative test result back-sent to our agent in Fiji so once we’ve received Bens and cleared out of FP we can poodle off into the great blue again for a 2 week sail.

By tomorrow we may well have changed our minds choosing the safer option of going back to Panama but at this point in time we are leaving…mwhahaha.

Hope you alls doing fecking fab back in the homeland…big ol’ lovins xxxx

22/05/20

The day before the sail to Ua pou we picked reserved veg (very good idea as they didn’t have much variety unless reserved) up from da market, Ben went over to Daves to look at his detailed planning spreadsheets for next leg of their journey west to NZ. In the eve we had a look at Venture lady which is made from the same mould as Babs but smaller….played Farkel with the owners Alison and her hubby. Tis a dice game Ben had played in Ecuador down the beach so he was verrry happy when they gave us a lil homemade set of it in a wee sewed bag with notepad etc…right kind of em!😊. We left the next day after a bit of face-timing home…wind and swell mostly on the beam creating a comfy sail..couple of rainy squalls on the 27 mile sail. Bunch of birds chomping fish but weren’t tricked by our lure as we sailed through. Rains again as we anchor in a stunning bay in view of the massive phallic type rock sticking up in center of island. Feeling tired the next day but found some drinkable water ashore although about 200m from dingo…poor ol' Ben heaved at least 500ltrs of water back to Babs🙈. Hand washing done and bought Pamplemousse, mango and limes from a local house for much cheaper than market prices. Had probably the best shower yet under an overhanging rock, stone benches to the side, overlooking the trees and water. Next day we had a proper good walk up to a picture perfect waterfall we had all to ourselves with no mozzys! Swam in its refreshing green waters before heading higher up the hill to ‘Manfred ville’ in other words 'chocolate and fruit world’…’Mannings heaven! We’d been warned this 67 year old, former French man was a total perv and he didn’t disappoint..in the 45mins or so we were with him sex got mentioned a hell of a lot, plenty of touching and asking us to close our eyes as he shoved a massive and extremely decadent choccy fondant in our welcoming mouth holes. Apparently he used to be a ‘sexy’ masseuse and a helicopter pilot….now he lives in a lush garden with a house he built himself, dogs, cats and a wifey. He offered us fruit for free which we collected just after he’d asked if I was preggers…lucky he’d given me enough choccy for the happy endorphins to laugh over his fat compliment😂. He grew the biggest and creamiest avocados we’ve ever experienced…so soooo good! His chocolate is a grainier texture than normal but so rich, he made up the recipe himself…adds natural flavors and keeps the process and recipe locked up in a rickety shed. We left Manfreds loaded with choc and fruit😁. Later that arvo there was a 5 min downpour which created a rainbow where we could see the end right in front of the boat in the water! Next day i'm feelin tired and a bit down again…crying coz Ben wants me to pull him up da mast…pathetic!! Dunno whats wrong with me…maybe a combo of having too much time to think, missing everyone at home…miss being independent, not looking forward to lots more sailing without much stopping to get home but mostly I think it is missing my people…not being able to just meet up with friends and family and have a proper laugh! I know I sound like a spoilt bitch who cant see her amazing life for what it is but I can and I know, just sometimes my inner gut and emotions don’t click with reality. Anyways I cheer meself up with music, cooking and cliff shower.
We leave Ua Pou and the Marquesas archipelago on the 28th of may heading to the Tuamotos. Motored out into calm seas with wind on the beam…suns out and proper lush sailing at 6knts. Actually manage to catch a 2ft tuna amongst a flock of birds and some dolphins come and play with Babs briefly. We are trying different shift to try and get longer sleeps in coz Ben wants it to get into a routine whereas we normally change it to keep it more interesting.

20.00-24.00 – Amy
24.00-04.00 – Ben
04.00-06.00 – Amy
06.00-09.00 – Ben
09.00-12.00 – Amy
12.00-15.00 – Ben
15.00-18.00 – Amy
18.00-20.00 – Ben

Not sure if I prefer it this way but is nice getting a 4 hour shift instead of 3 to shut thy peepers. 2nd day of passage was sunny and struggle to find shade in cockpit…had a rainless squall come over for 5 mins at lunchtime-tiny genoa and 3 reefs in the main-still going 5-6 knts! Made an avocado choccy mousse and put in the freezer as all the fruit is ripening too quick for us to stuff down. 20.00-12.00 was easier than yesterday...generally spend me first night shift reading and or watching a film and me second one listening to a podcast with eyes only sometimes open to check around🤤😴. Day 3 and we still have an ‘orrible motion with the wind and swell just ahead of the beam causing waves to splash in the cockpit. Made a guacamole Russian salad with fried seitan (homemade wheat protein)…bloody lush! Few more squalls in the arvo before the sweet viiind came behind us as we change course to a different atoll for a more comfortable ride. Day 4 we are in a routine and feeling good with the better winds..lots of looking around in the night as we sail between 2 atolls about 20 miles apart..put the pole out for 1st time at 12am.
We arrive in Fakarava around 10am though a calm pass. Ben was pretty worried about the pass as they are notoriously difficult/dangerous in the Tuamotos, so it gave him confidence as was a breeze! Anchored with 5 other boats with black tip sharks swimming around our hull. Checked out the pass to snorkel but too choppy so after a snorkel near the boat we met up with the other boaters at the restaurant for drinkys. Beautiful setting on stilts over the lagoon with sharks and fishes swimming off the balcony. Chatted with a funny, charismatic English bloke (He told us to get our future kids to watch 'The notebook' to know the difference between love and sex as he did with his 2 daughters.🙈😂)who was crewing with a wacky Italian.
Drift snorkel holding onto Raddagast the following morn on both sides of the pass...Ben free diving down quite far...The coral is proper healthy here with tonnes of colorful fish, black tips and grey sharks around a meter long. Tacked about 4 miles along the reef to a paradise kiting spot-Harifa! Flat shallow lagoon with a few sand spits for pure vind and flat, flat waters! Walked ashore on a small motu meeting mum and dad dog looking very skinny...both friendly but dad nearly ripped our camera case apart🐕 . Chucking it down the next morn as we decide to head north up Fakaravas Lagoon to get shelter from predicted N/NE winds. As we head into the heavy wind and rain we watch in horror as a french yacht slams into a bommie hidden below the water...we tack back to try and help but not much we can do...they aren't answering our radio calls but after 10 mins or so they manage to get off and carry on sailing. We try to catch them up but the dont seem bovved and still not answering radio so we guess they're ok. My adrenalin's proper up from all the excitement and heavy weather which makes it easier to be up front in the wind n rain looking out for bommies. They take the buoy marked route and Motor at about 1-2 knts as we use a google earth map to spot the bommies out of the channel. As the wind turns to our head we have to tack 12 times on our 28 mile journey. Rain held off later in the day but still grey and windy. Finally we were able to fetch and anchored just as last light faded. I had a hot shower and made quick pasta as Ben fretted, then suddenly the wind changed from N to S/SW...totally unpredicted by the forecasters. This quickly brought up the waves causing Babs to Buckeroo, bow slamming down under the water. Anchor alarm goes off which means we are dragging, heading straight for the shore and reef a few meters behind us. Ben revs the engine at full throttle while i'm downstairs trying to get the chain in..it keeps clanking hard out of its teeth sounding like its snapped and waters pouring down into the chain cupboard...Ben shouts for me to get on the wheel...my whole insides are shaking as the wind rattles the boat and drowns out Bens instructions. Ben comes to calm me coz feel very panicky then i run downstairs in me dripping wet kaftan to finish getting the anchor up. Finally we're free and motor away from the land with huge waves crashing into the cockpit like never before. We manage to get hold of Ian on Sapphire 2 on the radio who helps keep me calm as we ask what the anchorage is like by the town. They are holding but on an 80ft boat...another boat there has lost their anchor. So we continue motoring with tiny bit of Genoa to try and steady the boat. Winds died after a couple of hours and turns bk to N/NW. Able to go back and anchor and were in bed watching Outlander for a bit of escapist therapy by 10pm...proper fuuulllll on day!

Lazy day to recover the next day with a lil snorkel and free diving practice...i'm proper shit... can get down about 2 meters before me ears wanna burst...Bens getting down at least 12 meters! Leave in the morn and stop by the boat that hit the bommie which was then anchored in the middle of the channel. They lost their anchor in the storm and engine had failed...we towed them a mile or so to the village anchorage and they repaid us with a bottle of red..lovely jubbly. Chat to a local ashore who says hes only seen that kind of weather 3 times in the last 20 years...good times!😮😂. A cat and a Monohull both broke or dragged their anchors and are shipwrecked on the reef. Most other boats had damage of some kind so we were really lucky with a bloody good boat and capitaan. Meet a few other boaters for lunch in a restaurant and swap horror stories...bit of internet at yacht services before beddy. Grab a couple of baguettes then motor-sail into light headwinds and flat water back south to Harifa the next day. A couple a days of kiting in light winds...me trying the surfboard and managing to go downwind and practice turns while Ben gets better on the foil. Have a walk on a corally island and pull Ben along with Radda on the foil...periods arrived and im struggling with motivation and aches so have a bit of hammock time on the beach. Feel loads better as we motor a few miles to the middle of Fakarava and find a decent sandy atoll to kite behind. 3.5 days of great kiting! Managing to get me toeside turns on the surfboard and finally doing some jumps on me twinny...very exciting and good to have 2 different boards to practice so it doesn't get boring just trying 1 new move. Move up North to Pakatoa yacht services where we chat with a fun couple of guys, 1 being the former crew of the wrecked monohull and play ball with the cutest ever lil' gal...god i'm broody! Lil walk along the only road on the thin atoll but not much to see...i wasn't feeling very social but Ben was so we invited a young American couple off their boat 'Agape' for sundowners. I soon got into the spirit and downed a liter of fridged red vino and 1 of Bens beers!🤩. Rainy day for my hangover and the internet reached the boat so i was happy to catch up with da homeland. Rang home the next day and found out me brother Ant had proposed to Tash! Mega excited and another reason to get home. Rachel and Josh from Agape invite us for shell collecting walk...Ben soon leaves after we start walking mega slow on our mission and he realized Josh wasn't coming with us🤣. I give up my finds to Rachel and Octavia (gal from another boat) as i feel we got enough shells onboard but great to chat and have some time with humans other than Benjamin😜. Ben had scrubbed the white line-good ol boi- by time we got bk so quickly made some Arepas for sundowners aboard Agape where we were treated to their homemade ginger beer...winner! Bit more internet time as we are researching options for the rest of our trip, how to get home and where/if to sell Babs...Motor back to the northern village for wind protection and go on an unsuccessful veg hunt...luckily find garlic as down to me last 8 bulbs and panicking! Spend all night thinking about what we are gunna do and trying to think whats best as Ben would like to add another year to the trip but i need to get home for several important reasons. Try to decide whether to go to another atoll as been in Fakarava for 18 days now...Ben is awful at making decisions...i used to be great but i'v gotten worse being with Ben as whenever i confirm a decision he says 'yeah but' or 'what if'...very frustrating but i guess all his thinking might keep us out of trouble sometimes🤔. So we finally decide to leave but don't get very far as a windy, choppy northern pass puts us off. So we anchor near the pass and drift snorkel...very quickly with the incoming tide. Chat to Tequila who have just arrived from the Marquesas and have a walk on the beach as i'v decided i do want to collect more shells after seeing Rachels epic collections and crafty ideas to use them. We have another 8 hour sail back to Harifa for the upcoming SE kiting winds. Nice flat sail, wind to the east coming round to the south. Put engine on to take us from 5.5knts to 6.5knts with full sail as wanted to get there before we got any stronger headwind. About 30 boats already there to shelter from the 'Maramu' which are the strong SE winds that blow at this time of year. Pukeko sail in and we have a chat with Magali who we haven't seen since before lockdown. Looking forward to kiting in the morning hopefully with some other boaters. Halyard banging in the night which i couldnt find so slept in the saloon as Ben was konked out.
Up n out before the other kiters crowded the small spit of sand...real amazing 3 hour sesh (normally i only manage an hour or 2 max) Managed to jump on most attempts and half decent toeside on my twin tip...very excited and happy with meself. Baked a cake for my rescuers as my board clipped my safety trip on the kite as i put it back on my feet crashing the kite into the sea. They kindly put me back ashore. Made some vegan sozzy rolls and drank juice (wanna be good for kiting tomoz...i astound myself with my grownupness 😇)for sundowners catching up with Mags and fam. Another couple of fun hours kiting in the morn before Mags comes over for movie/recipe exchange and a good ol laugh. Do some yoga on the beach and cuddle some pups. Really sad to hear the mum we met last time passed away...i guess from hunger, and the tiny pups are up for adoption...Ben is not up for that idea😩. Wind turned more to the east the next day so hard to get kite up from the beach..i dropped it 4 times in the process luckily into the water. Rain clouds fuck up the wind but i manage to get back to the beach after a short, gusty kite. Stand around talking to people for ages waiting for wind to settle...i'm bored (gunna ban any boat chatter for at least 3 years when we get home🤪)and cold so go find the puppies. Prepare to go back north and say goodbyes as my rescuers bring over cookies to say thanks for the cake..very delish...the french can defo bake!! Left around 8am in the morn and motor-sailed up to pakatoa where we quickly used the wifi while hoping the wind might change so we would'nt have to tack through it again. Walked to an advised veg garden but they had nothing left...very hard to grow on these sandy atolls. Motor up to the North and after faffing around for the 'perfect' anchorage in the rain we had a peaceful night.
Left around 7.30am through a calmer north pass...rang mum on the sat phone while out at sea, calm motor-sail, being able to turn off the engine for the last couple of hours before heading into the pass of Kauehi.


2 hour motor across the lagoon to our anchorage by the village..only 2 other boats here. I feel knackered which might be to do with the anti-sickness pill so have a nap while Ben has a swimmy. Make yorkie puds with coconut milk as im trying to have a month off dairy to see if it helps with my energy, digestion and constant mucus i can feel in my throat. Yorkies come out good then realise the crackers i been munching have 'leche' in them! jokes! Chilled the next day as still felling really tired but went for an explore of the village...locals are real friendly with a chatty shopkeeper. Moved Babs 10 mins to front of village for more wind protection. Had a Gin and played cards on the foredeck watching the sunset. Tacked 20 miles down the central channel with big choppy waves caused bu the SE winds before turning south where there was a break in the tress for our next 'maramu' kiting experience. Arrived around 4pm and had a calm night. Perfect clear winds for my 8m kite the next morning. After a huge lunch we did a shell collecting walk on the ocean side of the atoll. No other boats at this end of the island so felt like a proper private tropical island...had a small kite in the morn but gusty as winds turn more from the east so motor along to another break in the trees for an afternoon kite. At first we thought the atoll was inhabited but upon exploration there was 2 abandoned/locked up buildings. Next day Ben rang home on the sat phone and we kited in the arvo. I tried the jump transition and not doing too badly while Ben tried the foil on the 6m kite...too windy with too many bommies so we had a bbq on the beach with some vino🤪. Start getting ready the next day for our 2 day sail to Tahiti..i make some grub and clean the boat while Ben packs kites and get Babs ready. We been 5 weeks since the Marquesas and their incredible fresh fruit n veg now but make a gut loving soup with tinned coconut milk, sweetcorn, quinoa, our last potato and spices. Wind is really strong the next day with gusts of 45mph so after lots of predictable indecision we decide to leave the day after. Eat leftover cheeseless pizza at 10am as im stretching my 8hour diet to 10 hour (i listened to a podcast that said a 10-12 hour eating window with fasting inbetween gives you the same health beneits as the 8 hour)to see if i have more sustained energy as my big fat lunch keeps sending me to snoreland! Ben changes the genoa furling line that Droid kindly brought out and stitches up the shade cover. Another shell walk in a rain shower.

Leave at 8am the next day for our passage to Tahiti...will do another blog so this one aint too long....laters potatas xxxxx