The final blog for this epic journey is overdue, but we have had time to catch up with friends and family, to review our photos, log book and blog and to reflect on a truly incredible year. Thanks to Heather and Mike for letting us flat with them and to Katie and Angus for a fantastic reunion weekend in Hanmer. Good times,
For those of you who love statistics, we
• Spent 356 days away from Nelson
• Spent time exploring NZ, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, Australia
• Sailed a total of 7969 nautical miles
• Averaged 5 knts. Top speed noted 13.4knts!!
• Used 560 engine hours (run most days to power fridge)
• Spent 41 nights at sea
• Anchored in 99 different locations
• Visited 10 marinas
• Spent 11 nights ashore
• Achieved our aim of attending the Australian Wooden Boat Festival in Hobart, Tasmania (6th-9th Feb 2015)
We visited some truly beautiful places and saw incredible sights…corals, tropical islands, multi-coloured fish, humpback whales, many species of dolphin, turtles, dugongs, birds of all shapes and sizes – from wandering albatross to tiny wrens, flying fish, snakes, spiders, kangaroos, wallabies, wombats and quolls. We were fortunate to experience peering into an active volcano, attending an island wedding and Independence Day celebrations, splashing through the Millenium Cave, sailing round the coral reefs of New Caledonia, sailing past Sydney Opera House and under the Harbour Bridge and exploring Tasmania. We became more aware of the history of these places, learning about cannibalism, settlers (or more often it seemed, un-settlers) and the convict past. We saw parades and demonstrations, enjoyed traditional dances and danced to a string band. We walked miles along jungle tracks, rural roads and city streets. We ate incredibly well, munching our way through breads, an amazing variety of seafood, and traditional dishes such as laplap and as much locally produced fruit, meat, cheese and vegetables as we could find.
However, as the traditional Maori whakatauki (proverb) goes;
He aha te mea nui o te ao?
He tangata! He tangata! He tangata!
What is the most important thing in the world?
It is people! It is people! It is people!
We were so privileged with the people we met along the way. Fellow cruisers from all over the world only too willing to share their expertise, experience and wisdom to make our journey smoother. Many new friendships formed. People who stopped to admire the boat or who already had a connection with her. Islanders…so generous with their time, friendship and sharing whatever they had, allowing us to join them and learn, rather than viewing their lives from a distance. Local people everywhere, particularly in Tasmania, who offered us beds, cars, houses, berths, moorings, food, drink, lifts, tools, information and even cups of tea. We cannot thank you all enough. We were also fortunate to have the support, messages and love of a great number of friends. Your blog posts, emails, messages and calls meant so much. We never felt alone and have been humbled by the complete strangers who have been avidly following the blog! Heather and Mike have played an amazing role…doing the blog and providing weather updates while on passage, acting in loco parentis and even coming to visit in Sydney. Thank you. And to parents…sorry if we caused you to worry about us at any time and thank you for supporting us every step of the way.
As we said at the start, we wouldn’t have even got going without the encouragement and understanding of Katie and Angus. We hope we’ve inspired you to live your dreams.
Finally, to the good ship Tuarangi. Jack Crooks built a well-found vessel. She has sailed perfectly in light and strong winds, upwind and down wind, with full sail, reefed sails and even the storm sails. Although our passage was at times wet and uncomfortable, we never once felt afraid, knowing that we couldn’t be in a better boat. She is much admired everywhere we go, including holding her own amongst the hundreds of wooden boats at the Boat Festival. Tuarangi’s lifetime of adventures seems set to go on for a long time yet.