Each year while we have been in the South Pacific people ask us why we make the 1,000+ nm sail from the tropical islands to New Zealand and then back again. The risk of a cyclone in the tropics during this time of year is real as Cyclone Gita is demonstrating. Damage to US Samoa and Tonga was significant. Luckily, Fiji, Vanuatu and New Caledonia avoided direct hits. It appears that the path of Gita will take it to the west coast of New Zealand where it is likely to bring lots of rain.

This is just one (but a major one) of the reasons we choose to summer in New Zealand.