21st February 2019

Tom and Charles got up early and took the fuel cans to be filled with diesel so that we could have full tanks. - it took most of the morning and the unscheduled rain poured and looked set to stay. We were soaked at the end of it. Once the task was completed the sun came out (typical!) however, we had a lovely day.

Charles and Joy were picked up by Peter and Donnie Goomes who hosted Matt and Charles in 2012 for a week during their stay when participating in the Round New Zealand Yacht Race.We had a lovely morning tea with delicious homemade goodies and then were treated to a personal guided tour of Oban. Lunch was blue cod and chips from the famous fish and chip shop The Kai Kart - Charles' favourite and something he's been dreaming of since the last time he was in Stewart Island!

Joy left for Invercargill at 4pm, starting the next leg of her adventure, leaving the skipper in a rather sombre mood.

Vicky has remade her acquaintance again with the Four Square and started to replenish the food stocks. The Four Square here is like a Hammer Hardware, Post Office and Four Square all rolled into one - like no other Four Square in NZ we're sure! We have cleaned and dried our kit and are expectantly awaiting the arrival of the Two Handed Round New Zealand Racing Fleet. We are also having serious discussions about what the weather has in store for us later in the week. Bluff harbour has some serious tidal flow that will need to be factored in for our arrival and departure - up 7kts at extreme spring tides!

Today's Blog photo is of Joy, Peter and Donnie at the anchor chain that links Stewart Island (the anchor) to Bluff (the start of Maui's Canoe on the South Island) and of course the North Island is the Fish that Maui hauled up from the sea.