End of our sailing week
Water, water every where ext to shave
Saturday, 28 February 2015
Saturday, New Queen in town
Saturday
Got up early, had to set the alarm, on the move by eight. Overnight a new Queen had arrived in port, so we motored over to look, it was the Queen Elizabeth II, she was built mid sixties just a passenger ships were heading for the bone yard, but she has kept her allure and is a real beaut. She actually looks like an ocean going ship unlike the cruise behemoth's of today. We took the bus to Auckland, picked up our car and headed south. We had no real itinerary and headed for Hamilton, the first town of any size. On arrival we found out there was a huge rugby game on featuring the local team and some other major event. All rooms booked. Beth went into one place and they very graciously called several places and actually found a room. Believe it or not directly across the street from the rugby stadium which holds 18,000 fans. This is one of the biggest games of the year. We had a drink down the street at a pub full of fans, then went back for dinner once the game had started, no one there, but look out afterwards. Pics below are of the ship and view from our driveway. L
Got up early, had to set the alarm, on the move by eight. Overnight a new Queen had arrived in port, so we motored over to look, it was the Queen Elizabeth II, she was built mid sixties just a passenger ships were heading for the bone yard, but she has kept her allure and is a real beaut. She actually looks like an ocean going ship unlike the cruise behemoth's of today. We took the bus to Auckland, picked up our car and headed south. We had no real itinerary and headed for Hamilton, the first town of any size. On arrival we found out there was a huge rugby game on featuring the local team and some other major event. All rooms booked. Beth went into one place and they very graciously called several places and actually found a room. Believe it or not directly across the street from the rugby stadium which holds 18,000 fans. This is one of the biggest games of the year. We had a drink down the street at a pub full of fans, then went back for dinner once the game had started, no one there, but look out afterwards. Pics below are of the ship and view from our driveway. L
Friday
Friday last sailing day
We had a near catastrophe yesterday evening, Beth spilt a glass of wine which formed a puddle that my book was in. I finally realized it and spent thirty minutes drying the last thirty pages or so. On inspection this morning all is well and I'll be able to finish the book. Woke up at the usual 9am, it was flatter than the proverbial plate, even the bay outside the barrier islands was very flat and devoid of swell. We motored out about eleven hoping the sea breeze would come in from the SP (that's South Pacific) and it did. We had a lovely sail out in the ocean although it looked more like the Lake of Two Mountains. Long downwind leg, five miles or more wing and wing with no whisker pole and some swell, tricky helping, when we came in, there was another cruise ship in town, we sailed right by her and anchored around five. Went over to what we think is Ritchie's yacht and left a note in a bottle in the cockpit. Final swim trying to keep our bathing suits dry so they're easier to pack. We return the yacht in the am and then take the bus back to Auckland, and then on the road for five days in the North Island and then take the ferry o the South Island for sixteen days there. We're two thirds done, it's been busy but fun. L
We had a near catastrophe yesterday evening, Beth spilt a glass of wine which formed a puddle that my book was in. I finally realized it and spent thirty minutes drying the last thirty pages or so. On inspection this morning all is well and I'll be able to finish the book. Woke up at the usual 9am, it was flatter than the proverbial plate, even the bay outside the barrier islands was very flat and devoid of swell. We motored out about eleven hoping the sea breeze would come in from the SP (that's South Pacific) and it did. We had a lovely sail out in the ocean although it looked more like the Lake of Two Mountains. Long downwind leg, five miles or more wing and wing with no whisker pole and some swell, tricky helping, when we came in, there was another cruise ship in town, we sailed right by her and anchored around five. Went over to what we think is Ritchie's yacht and left a note in a bottle in the cockpit. Final swim trying to keep our bathing suits dry so they're easier to pack. We return the yacht in the am and then take the bus back to Auckland, and then on the road for five days in the North Island and then take the ferry o the South Island for sixteen days there. We're two thirds done, it's been busy but fun. L
Hitch hiker belwo
Thursday
Thursday
Woke up to a beautiful sunny morning. Larry still asleep. It was a little cool to start but didn't take long to warm up. Boat next to us had Mom and Pop and probably their kids with partners. They all went swimming, so after my coffee, I decided too. Swam to the beach and back to the boat. It can be deceiving how far it is. Normally, I have Larry be on stand by but their was a whole boat load next door. Glorious! Water is very refreshing and clean. Just sitting here watching all the boats coming and going is interesting. We have seen some magnificent boats.
Stuck around at our anchorage and swam and read. Out for a sail near the ocean and to our anchorage by 4:30. Quiet anchorage . Beautiful evening with a soft breeze. We had been sailing on a beat doing 4-5 knots and then on a beam reach doing at least 5. Expected Flipper to show up or a whale but to no avail. We will try again tomorrow for the last time.
Larry says looking around our anchorage, the coast looks Algonquin Park. Lovely.
Until tomorrow mates.
Beth
Woke up to a beautiful sunny morning. Larry still asleep. It was a little cool to start but didn't take long to warm up. Boat next to us had Mom and Pop and probably their kids with partners. They all went swimming, so after my coffee, I decided too. Swam to the beach and back to the boat. It can be deceiving how far it is. Normally, I have Larry be on stand by but their was a whole boat load next door. Glorious! Water is very refreshing and clean. Just sitting here watching all the boats coming and going is interesting. We have seen some magnificent boats.
Stuck around at our anchorage and swam and read. Out for a sail near the ocean and to our anchorage by 4:30. Quiet anchorage . Beautiful evening with a soft breeze. We had been sailing on a beat doing 4-5 knots and then on a beam reach doing at least 5. Expected Flipper to show up or a whale but to no avail. We will try again tomorrow for the last time.
Larry says looking around our anchorage, the coast looks Algonquin Park. Lovely.
Until tomorrow mates.
Beth
Wednesday
Wednesday
Today was what we came here for, up early 8:45 sailing by 9:45, out into the bay and straight offshore, I think Beth was trying to loose sight of NZ. Two metre seas nice breeze, warm, finally turned around, the mate made lunch on the way in, he doesn't get seasick, nearing shore we saw two tour boats and realized there were dolphins swimming with them so we hardened up and sailed between them with dolphins on both sides of us. I'm sure Flipper was one of them. Stopped in Russell for supplies, food and booze, we were having a beer while the guy at the cafe charged Beth's Ipad for free and we met a very nice couple Peter and Claire, and their two kids Benedict and a daughter whose name escapes me I'm sorry, but it starts with A, from the UK who had emigrated to NZ about fifteen years ago. They had considered Canada, but I think they made the right choice, it sure is nice here. We left Russell and motored out to a beautiful bay where we are spending the night. It's absolutely stunning this evening, warm sun calm, the galley slave is doing her thing and probably using every dish on the boat to keep me on my toes with the dishes. There was also a huge ship here anchored off of Russell just like the one we were on full of terrorists.
Tuesday, 24 February 2015
Our Yacht
We have chartered a Davidson 28, designed by Laurie Davidson of New Zealand. She's 28 feet, beam 9 foot 4. Not sure of mast height but a lot less than the 26. However she's designed for blue water cruising, 9,000 pounds, double the 26, very heavy mast section, large diameter shrouds, huge turnbuckles, baby stay, windlass, self tailing winches, new Garmin moving map GPS, auto helm, electric refrigeration, very spacious saloon table for four, two quarter berths, table converts to a double plus a spacious Vee berth and a very functional galley with two burner propane stove, pressurized fresh and salt water. The wood work inside is very good, lots of stowage. We even have a great cook, Beth and a super dishwasher, me. Sometimes we reverse roles. All the safety stuff including EPIRB, VHF, cel phone , stereo, and virtually everything for cruising except playing cards, binocs tool kit, spare parts, extra engine oil, fishing equipment (will not be used by me) the whole nine yards. Powered by a Yanmar 18 horse diesel, roller furling, plus a dinghy with a two horse outboard, extra fuel, cockpit table, BBQ with fuel, fresh water hand held shower in the cockpit for bathing, dodger, boom tent, teak swim platform probably two feet wide including a good deep ladder, you name it we have it, and clean as a whistle when we picked her up. This is a fairly remote area with only small towns and very little extraneous light, therefore the star gazing is unreal, every night for the 3am pee we have good look at the southern sky, it's quite amazing..
More pics to follow
Tuesday
Tuesday
Left our anchorage around 10:30 after getting up at 9:15, we had a fairly tricky channel to navigate between two reefs, just a we were approaching it the rain started and visibility reduced so we spent 30 minutes or so going around in circles till the vis improved and off we went. We made it, but a bit unnerving exposed reefs on both sides. After we were through a really nice sail in 15 knots along the coast and out of the bay, the swell was about two metres and Beth could have kept going forever, next stop would have been New Caledonia but we didn't have enough wine so we came back and anchored in Deep Cove. We had to get really close to shore to find ten metre deep water. Our anchor dragged twice so we left and returned to near where we had set out from. The skipper and mate had some disagreements over tactics but we kissed and made up. We wound up next bay over from where we started but we did lots of miles sailing. Beautiful evening, sun is out, Barbie is on, all is well.
Beth here. The sailing was phenomenal. We had seas of 2 metres and easterly winds at 15-18 knots. The winds seemed to deviate all the time due to the coastal mountains. I don't think I have sailed the ocean since I sailed with my father, Teddy and Larry taking my Dad's Ranger 33 to Jamaica from Florida. I loved it. Larry wanted to go in as we had to find an anchorage. I could've stayed out all day. No sea sickness, but I didn't go below. Actually , I was looking for whales and dolphins. Didn't see any. Damn!.. We sail the ocean blue tomorrow as long as we have favourable winds. By the way, once we left the islands, we were really sailing in the South Pacific. Yahoo!!!!!
Larry 's is cooking sausages on the barbe and we have found a great radio station of oldies. Very nice.
Left our anchorage around 10:30 after getting up at 9:15, we had a fairly tricky channel to navigate between two reefs, just a we were approaching it the rain started and visibility reduced so we spent 30 minutes or so going around in circles till the vis improved and off we went. We made it, but a bit unnerving exposed reefs on both sides. After we were through a really nice sail in 15 knots along the coast and out of the bay, the swell was about two metres and Beth could have kept going forever, next stop would have been New Caledonia but we didn't have enough wine so we came back and anchored in Deep Cove. We had to get really close to shore to find ten metre deep water. Our anchor dragged twice so we left and returned to near where we had set out from. The skipper and mate had some disagreements over tactics but we kissed and made up. We wound up next bay over from where we started but we did lots of miles sailing. Beautiful evening, sun is out, Barbie is on, all is well.
Beth here. The sailing was phenomenal. We had seas of 2 metres and easterly winds at 15-18 knots. The winds seemed to deviate all the time due to the coastal mountains. I don't think I have sailed the ocean since I sailed with my father, Teddy and Larry taking my Dad's Ranger 33 to Jamaica from Florida. I loved it. Larry wanted to go in as we had to find an anchorage. I could've stayed out all day. No sea sickness, but I didn't go below. Actually , I was looking for whales and dolphins. Didn't see any. Damn!.. We sail the ocean blue tomorrow as long as we have favourable winds. By the way, once we left the islands, we were really sailing in the South Pacific. Yahoo!!!!!
Larry 's is cooking sausages on the barbe and we have found a great radio station of oldies. Very nice.
Monday
Monday
Larry here
BBQ'd rump steak last night,it's very popular down here, and delicious, calm night except for the dinghy knocking against the side of the boat, had to go out and move it, however I didn't wear a fur coat. Rain squall this am around ten, I'm not sure what's going on here but the biggest cat you've ever seen has just anchored near us, plus this other great big thing, looks like a ferry. Another big terrorist cat has come in. The island is un inhabited so I guess there here to explore. We'll go in later depending on the wind, it has switched so we're on a lee shore. First rain in six weeks, however it's still tee shirt weather. I just figured out why the big boats are here, at the end of the island is a geographic feature called hole in the rock, so anchor here and go to the hole by tender. Maybe we can sneak aboard the cat for lunch, probably better than our rations. We went ashore and hiked up,to the top of the island, lovely view, lots of stairs. Motored over to another anchorage, we have to run the engine 1.5 hours per day to keep the refrigeration running (very important). Rain showers continued off and on til 4pm. Weather forecast is good the rest of the week. Our position is now. 35 13.074S 174 13.615E. Managed to loose my bathing suit it was blown overboard by one of the many gusts while I was trying to dry it. Lucky for the populace I have a spare. At least a dozen yachts overnighting in this bay, we are amongst the smallest. Lots of forty footers around, and of course some really big stuff. Tomorrow we'll be out beyond the islands in the open part of the bay. Beth is desparate to see flipper and his family.
Larry here
BBQ'd rump steak last night,it's very popular down here, and delicious, calm night except for the dinghy knocking against the side of the boat, had to go out and move it, however I didn't wear a fur coat. Rain squall this am around ten, I'm not sure what's going on here but the biggest cat you've ever seen has just anchored near us, plus this other great big thing, looks like a ferry. Another big terrorist cat has come in. The island is un inhabited so I guess there here to explore. We'll go in later depending on the wind, it has switched so we're on a lee shore. First rain in six weeks, however it's still tee shirt weather. I just figured out why the big boats are here, at the end of the island is a geographic feature called hole in the rock, so anchor here and go to the hole by tender. Maybe we can sneak aboard the cat for lunch, probably better than our rations. We went ashore and hiked up,to the top of the island, lovely view, lots of stairs. Motored over to another anchorage, we have to run the engine 1.5 hours per day to keep the refrigeration running (very important). Rain showers continued off and on til 4pm. Weather forecast is good the rest of the week. Our position is now. 35 13.074S 174 13.615E. Managed to loose my bathing suit it was blown overboard by one of the many gusts while I was trying to dry it. Lucky for the populace I have a spare. At least a dozen yachts overnighting in this bay, we are amongst the smallest. Lots of forty footers around, and of course some really big stuff. Tomorrow we'll be out beyond the islands in the open part of the bay. Beth is desparate to see flipper and his family.
Day 2
Day 2
Beth here
Not a great day for sailing. Rain off and on. Morning better than the afternoon. Totally overcast, cool. Motored to our next anchorage. Lots of gorgeous boats, my dreamboat just left because the weather was crummy. I have a picture I'll post. Nothing to do except drink wine and read. We can do that. I like to swim several times a day but it's too cold right now. Guess we exhausted the warm weather on the North Island. Can't have everything. Bye for now.
Beth here
Not a great day for sailing. Rain off and on. Morning better than the afternoon. Totally overcast, cool. Motored to our next anchorage. Lots of gorgeous boats, my dreamboat just left because the weather was crummy. I have a picture I'll post. Nothing to do except drink wine and read. We can do that. I like to swim several times a day but it's too cold right now. Guess we exhausted the warm weather on the North Island. Can't have everything. Bye for now.
HMCS Minnow
HSS Minnow
We have a beautiful anchorage in the Bay of Islands.
By the time we got ourselves organized and provisioned, we didn't have much time to sail. So we motored not far away and anchored off another island. The wind had dropped and there was no sun. Went for a cold swim, dinner, and early to bed.
Weather was gorgeous this am with a nice wind and some sun. Breakfast, then swim. I was hoping to see Flipper. I kept calling him, but alas he did not appear. I want to swim with them. So where are they?
We are lucky that we did not have the weather of last week. Sun was relentless and no wind most days. We had wind here every afternoon and cloud cover off and on. Temp. About 24 degrees. The boat doesn't have a Bimini but does have a tarp to put over the boom. If the sun is out even for 5 minutes it is too hot to be in it.
The Minnow has landed on Gilligans Island and the crew has deserted me for a snooze. So I can write anything I want. There are no buoys to snuggle up to, so we have to anchor every where we go. The anchor windlass is electric but you have to baby sit it. The water is clear but you can't see to the bottom. I guess it's be because of the depth.
For cruising, I would say that this is ideal except there are no corral reefs to see. The water is cold but nice. There are many beaches to visit and lots of walking trails. It is a very safe area. In the afternoon, there is always a good wind.
We had some swell today, about one metre, widely spaced and very gentle. The forecast for the next few days is similar, up to two metres in a few days but the wind dies every evening and there are lots of protected anchorages. Other than a couple of small grocery stores we're on our own, anchoring every night. There was a large yacht flying the maple leaf anchored near Russell, no one on board. Yacht's name Helen Margaret from Victoria, it wouldn't surprise me if it is Robbie and Tanya Ritchie's boat. His mother's name was Helen.
We have a beautiful anchorage in the Bay of Islands.
By the time we got ourselves organized and provisioned, we didn't have much time to sail. So we motored not far away and anchored off another island. The wind had dropped and there was no sun. Went for a cold swim, dinner, and early to bed.
Weather was gorgeous this am with a nice wind and some sun. Breakfast, then swim. I was hoping to see Flipper. I kept calling him, but alas he did not appear. I want to swim with them. So where are they?
We are lucky that we did not have the weather of last week. Sun was relentless and no wind most days. We had wind here every afternoon and cloud cover off and on. Temp. About 24 degrees. The boat doesn't have a Bimini but does have a tarp to put over the boom. If the sun is out even for 5 minutes it is too hot to be in it.
The Minnow has landed on Gilligans Island and the crew has deserted me for a snooze. So I can write anything I want. There are no buoys to snuggle up to, so we have to anchor every where we go. The anchor windlass is electric but you have to baby sit it. The water is clear but you can't see to the bottom. I guess it's be because of the depth.
For cruising, I would say that this is ideal except there are no corral reefs to see. The water is cold but nice. There are many beaches to visit and lots of walking trails. It is a very safe area. In the afternoon, there is always a good wind.
We had some swell today, about one metre, widely spaced and very gentle. The forecast for the next few days is similar, up to two metres in a few days but the wind dies every evening and there are lots of protected anchorages. Other than a couple of small grocery stores we're on our own, anchoring every night. There was a large yacht flying the maple leaf anchored near Russell, no one on board. Yacht's name Helen Margaret from Victoria, it wouldn't surprise me if it is Robbie and Tanya Ritchie's boat. His mother's name was Helen.
Ship of Fools
Ship of Fools
It was a 4 hour bus ride to the Bay of Islands where we were to pick up our boat. Larry had chartered a Davidson 28 . Not very big, but the other ones which were 33 plus were twice the price. Well, talk about going from the lap of luxury to camping afloat. The boat is 25 years old and looks it although it is in fairly good condition. It's a good thing I'm a sailor and a quasi camper. I have learned to be resilient through the years with Larry. There is always a.challenge ahead somewhere. But, I am not complaining, mind you. I am sailing in New Zealand, in the Bay of Islands, one of the most beautiful places to sail in the world, looking wistfully at the 33's as we leave the harbour. We do not have a shower (except for a little hose in the cockpit), nor do we have a coffee pot. Shiver my timbers. I have to make instant coffee, so I bought the expensive stuff (you know the packages of instant cappacino). I figure, I an handle a challenge like that as long as I have my wine and my wits.
Now, there is a problem of who is the captain and who is the mate. I figure the one who makes the drinks is the mate. Consequently, I stay out of the cabin. We will eventually have to take turns with this over the course of this cruise for various reasons. Like when we want something, you can take the chance of being subordinate if you get something out of it. When the Aussies say gooday mate, I figure it means they are talking to the mate of the ship. Therefore, I say it a lot..Gooday Mate! To Larry and he'll get the message.
Although Larry has the knowledge of sailing the ocean blue or turqouise as in this case, I still think I'm the boss. I said "Larry, do you know where we are?" And he says, " Not really, do you know where we are, Beth?" Hence, Ship of Fools. Hopefully, we will find our way back to port without any mutanies going on or getting lost.
I have been told there are no man eating sharks, although there are sharks who don't pester you. You are allowed to swim with the dolphins and seals, but not the whales. I hope I get to swim with the docile marine life. Otherwise, I ain't going home.
It was a 4 hour bus ride to the Bay of Islands where we were to pick up our boat. Larry had chartered a Davidson 28 . Not very big, but the other ones which were 33 plus were twice the price. Well, talk about going from the lap of luxury to camping afloat. The boat is 25 years old and looks it although it is in fairly good condition. It's a good thing I'm a sailor and a quasi camper. I have learned to be resilient through the years with Larry. There is always a.challenge ahead somewhere. But, I am not complaining, mind you. I am sailing in New Zealand, in the Bay of Islands, one of the most beautiful places to sail in the world, looking wistfully at the 33's as we leave the harbour. We do not have a shower (except for a little hose in the cockpit), nor do we have a coffee pot. Shiver my timbers. I have to make instant coffee, so I bought the expensive stuff (you know the packages of instant cappacino). I figure, I an handle a challenge like that as long as I have my wine and my wits.
Now, there is a problem of who is the captain and who is the mate. I figure the one who makes the drinks is the mate. Consequently, I stay out of the cabin. We will eventually have to take turns with this over the course of this cruise for various reasons. Like when we want something, you can take the chance of being subordinate if you get something out of it. When the Aussies say gooday mate, I figure it means they are talking to the mate of the ship. Therefore, I say it a lot..Gooday Mate! To Larry and he'll get the message.
Although Larry has the knowledge of sailing the ocean blue or turqouise as in this case, I still think I'm the boss. I said "Larry, do you know where we are?" And he says, " Not really, do you know where we are, Beth?" Hence, Ship of Fools. Hopefully, we will find our way back to port without any mutanies going on or getting lost.
I have been told there are no man eating sharks, although there are sharks who don't pester you. You are allowed to swim with the dolphins and seals, but not the whales. I hope I get to swim with the docile marine life. Otherwise, I ain't going home.
Thursday, 19 February 2015
Rotoroa pics
Not many pics as the I Pad was full
Gordon is it possible that these
are glued together?
PS. Off sailing tomorrow for the week, not sure about blog posts. L and B
Rotoroa
Kiddleywinks - Rotoroa
The captain of the ferry who took us to the island Rotoroa called the kids who got on board kiddleywinks. They were going to Rotoroa on a field trip with their teachers. This island is yet another island that is accessible from Auckland.
We had planned to take the ferry to the bird sanctuary, Tiritiri Matangi. But, stupid us neglected to notice on the pamphlet that you have to book in advance. Drat! I really wanted to go there. Maybe next time around.
At any rate we had a marvellous day going to this island. It is a sanctuary for wildlife. You cannot take any food. Etc to the island and the only thing on this island is water and a couple of bathrooms. You cannot leave anything behind either. They are trying to encourage the growth of natural florae as well as to reintroduce gannets which are native to New Zealand and to promote the proliferation of the kiwi bird. This kiwi bird looks like a weird chicken. We could hear the call of the gannet on our hike but it was a recording to induce any gannets nearby to resettle here.
We had yet another amazing hike on this island. We arrived by ferry at 10:40 and hiked for a couple of hours until we came to a beach called the men's beach. Nearby was the lady's beach. Reason for this is this island was run many years ago by the Salvation Army as a rehabilitation for alcoholics. This was started about a 100 years or more ago, so I guess men and women were segregated at that time.
The panoramic view from any hike there was extraordinary. I thought Waiheke was special but this far surpassed that. It was again a beautiful day with a nice breeze. We were impressed about how hard they worked to keep this island pristine as was Waiheke. Guess I was looking through rose-coloured glasses. We saw a man spraying on the paths. We found out that they use round-up for the paths. I was not happy, but the. Girls who work there said that there is only 6 of them to maintain the island. C'est la Vie!.
Sushi for dinner again, it gets really cheap after 6pm. Larry got stuck in the elevator. To make the elevator move you have to scan the chip in the room key card, I had gone up stairs with it while Larry went to the store. When he got in the elevator he asked a man in the elevator to use his card and select our floor. He misunderstood and selected the wrong floor. Larry was stuck for about five minutes waiting for,someone else to call the elevator. Gordon if you see the picture of the sculpture how would they hold these rocks together? They're real rocks at about a forty five degree angle.
Making plans for the next phase of our trip. Weather doesn't look great. We might have to rearrange our plans. Day after tomorrow we will take a bus up to the north for the Bay of Islands. I have looked forward to this part for months. Although we have had great weather so far, this is the time when we really need it.
I must admit I am a little homesick. It is probably for our family (especially Annie and Alistair). I miss them terribly. We check the weather at home regularly, so we'll soldier on here.
Until next time. Happy trails to you and yours.
The captain of the ferry who took us to the island Rotoroa called the kids who got on board kiddleywinks. They were going to Rotoroa on a field trip with their teachers. This island is yet another island that is accessible from Auckland.
We had planned to take the ferry to the bird sanctuary, Tiritiri Matangi. But, stupid us neglected to notice on the pamphlet that you have to book in advance. Drat! I really wanted to go there. Maybe next time around.
At any rate we had a marvellous day going to this island. It is a sanctuary for wildlife. You cannot take any food. Etc to the island and the only thing on this island is water and a couple of bathrooms. You cannot leave anything behind either. They are trying to encourage the growth of natural florae as well as to reintroduce gannets which are native to New Zealand and to promote the proliferation of the kiwi bird. This kiwi bird looks like a weird chicken. We could hear the call of the gannet on our hike but it was a recording to induce any gannets nearby to resettle here.
We had yet another amazing hike on this island. We arrived by ferry at 10:40 and hiked for a couple of hours until we came to a beach called the men's beach. Nearby was the lady's beach. Reason for this is this island was run many years ago by the Salvation Army as a rehabilitation for alcoholics. This was started about a 100 years or more ago, so I guess men and women were segregated at that time.
The panoramic view from any hike there was extraordinary. I thought Waiheke was special but this far surpassed that. It was again a beautiful day with a nice breeze. We were impressed about how hard they worked to keep this island pristine as was Waiheke. Guess I was looking through rose-coloured glasses. We saw a man spraying on the paths. We found out that they use round-up for the paths. I was not happy, but the. Girls who work there said that there is only 6 of them to maintain the island. C'est la Vie!.
Sushi for dinner again, it gets really cheap after 6pm. Larry got stuck in the elevator. To make the elevator move you have to scan the chip in the room key card, I had gone up stairs with it while Larry went to the store. When he got in the elevator he asked a man in the elevator to use his card and select our floor. He misunderstood and selected the wrong floor. Larry was stuck for about five minutes waiting for,someone else to call the elevator. Gordon if you see the picture of the sculpture how would they hold these rocks together? They're real rocks at about a forty five degree angle.
Making plans for the next phase of our trip. Weather doesn't look great. We might have to rearrange our plans. Day after tomorrow we will take a bus up to the north for the Bay of Islands. I have looked forward to this part for months. Although we have had great weather so far, this is the time when we really need it.
I must admit I am a little homesick. It is probably for our family (especially Annie and Alistair). I miss them terribly. We check the weather at home regularly, so we'll soldier on here.
Until next time. Happy trails to you and yours.
Fashion
Fashion
Beth, of course. The fashion in Australia and New Zealand. I was very impressed with the clothes that I have seen in both countries. People watching is something everyone does in a different country. Of course, in the cities we watched the city girls on their way to work. Most dress in skirts and dresses with incredible looking shoes. They all match their dresses with their high heels but their shoes which we have seen in Montreal are not necessarily comfortable looking. Lots of colour but black as well. I have never seen so many different skirts and dresses that have a different flair. I don't think Montreal is the fashion plate of the world. Also, everyone looks in shape. Little obesity. Maybe it's because they are young and walk to work. I don't know. It's just what I have seen. Even when we are in the country, people dress with more pride. It's only people like us who are on vacation who dress differently. (Modestly, shall we say) ?
We have also seen the other side of the coin. Tattoos are very popular. We have seen people with tattoos covering their whole bodies including their shaven heads.
Hairstyles are another story. I thought I had seen everything but, Holy mackerel! Some are weird.
Beth, of course. The fashion in Australia and New Zealand. I was very impressed with the clothes that I have seen in both countries. People watching is something everyone does in a different country. Of course, in the cities we watched the city girls on their way to work. Most dress in skirts and dresses with incredible looking shoes. They all match their dresses with their high heels but their shoes which we have seen in Montreal are not necessarily comfortable looking. Lots of colour but black as well. I have never seen so many different skirts and dresses that have a different flair. I don't think Montreal is the fashion plate of the world. Also, everyone looks in shape. Little obesity. Maybe it's because they are young and walk to work. I don't know. It's just what I have seen. Even when we are in the country, people dress with more pride. It's only people like us who are on vacation who dress differently. (Modestly, shall we say) ?
We have also seen the other side of the coin. Tattoos are very popular. We have seen people with tattoos covering their whole bodies including their shaven heads.
Hairstyles are another story. I thought I had seen everything but, Holy mackerel! Some are weird.
Larry's tan line
Tuesday, 17 February 2015
Crazy people number two
There is a very high observation tower outside our window and just for fun people jump off of it. Here are some pics, they are guided by two cables and come down on a third that so far has braked them to a stop just above a raised platform above the sidewalk. When they jump mg here is usually quite a Geronimo or Tarzan yell. You wouldn't hear that from me if I jumped. I don't think you can make much noise when having a heart attack or a stroke or both at the same time as I'm sure I would. L
Crazy people
This is a short post on some of the crazy buggers in our neighbourhood. First the window washers hanging off the rope to wash our windows. I guess they like the thrill as he could just as easily come in the door and washed the windows from the balcony, but nooooooo, I like me ropes mate. He's been at it 23 years and admits his helmet wouldn't help much. PS we're on the fifteenth floor.
The bridge
Here are some pics of the bridge of the high speed catamaran ferry. It looks like the skipper is on the bridge of the Starship Enterprise. 27 knots
Throttles at full power and he steers with the joy stick in his right hand, also engine controls on both bridge wings for docking.
Waiheke Island
Oh, My God!
I must've said this a million times on this trip, so I'm going to call this, "The Oh My God" trip. We went to an island by ferry called Waiheke and went for a hike. We got a little lost and ended up taking a path that was a little more challenging than we had hoped. I said "Larry, do you know where the hell we are?" And Larry, said Beth, do you know where the hell we are? Anyways, we came to a compromise after a few arguments and ended up taking the most beautiful hike I have ever been on. Some people love mountains, some love lakes and rivers and some love oceans and seas. Today I was treated to my favourite which is oceans but by hiking up and down small mountains, I had the most spectacular views with everything combined. I have mentioned before that every place I have been to has a special fragrance to it. Here , it is heavenly. The flora is very different. The salty air and warm sunshine are a part. We were near vineyards and olive trees, so that must've contributed to the smell. We were at the most westerly end of the island right along the coast. We could see the ferry but were a long ways away. As we were walking there were a few really nice romantic spots under these big beautiful trees with the beach right underneath. We noticed 1 or 2 couples taking advantage of these spots. OH, TO BE YOUNG AGAIN. This must be one of the most beautiful romantic places for a couple to enjoy and make plans. SIGH!
Larry here, we were on the bus today, beside us was a couple from France, I started speaking to, them in French and lo and behold, the guy in front of us is from Montreal, met three more young women from France in the village, lots of students over here on work Visas, plus while walking the streets it's not uncommon to hear French being spoken by tourists. I've included a couple of pics of the bridge of the high speed cat ferry. It looks like the bridge of the Starship Enterprise. Twenty seven knots. On the way back to the apartment we saw a line up at sushi place, everything goes on sale for half price at 6:30, so guess what's for dinner.
We can't say enough about these efficiency apartments or hotels in Australia and New Zealand. We have saved a bundle on food by eating in while we are here and going out for an occasional dinner. Anyways, we both said we get sick of rich and expensive food and we don't enjoy it. On the ship the food was 5 star and portions were small, but even then we got tired of it. Also, we have this washing machine we call Mabel. She washes and dries but takes forever and as I think I wrote before sounds like a jet taking off. But at least We have clean clothes without it costing anything.
Resting today and doing some shopping. Tomorrow we will go on another jaunt. There are a ton of islands here and much to see. We will go to a bird sanctuary and tramp around there for the day. We are certainly getting our exercise.
Love to all. Beth and Larry. Oh, no! 5 weeks to go.
I must've said this a million times on this trip, so I'm going to call this, "The Oh My God" trip. We went to an island by ferry called Waiheke and went for a hike. We got a little lost and ended up taking a path that was a little more challenging than we had hoped. I said "Larry, do you know where the hell we are?" And Larry, said Beth, do you know where the hell we are? Anyways, we came to a compromise after a few arguments and ended up taking the most beautiful hike I have ever been on. Some people love mountains, some love lakes and rivers and some love oceans and seas. Today I was treated to my favourite which is oceans but by hiking up and down small mountains, I had the most spectacular views with everything combined. I have mentioned before that every place I have been to has a special fragrance to it. Here , it is heavenly. The flora is very different. The salty air and warm sunshine are a part. We were near vineyards and olive trees, so that must've contributed to the smell. We were at the most westerly end of the island right along the coast. We could see the ferry but were a long ways away. As we were walking there were a few really nice romantic spots under these big beautiful trees with the beach right underneath. We noticed 1 or 2 couples taking advantage of these spots. OH, TO BE YOUNG AGAIN. This must be one of the most beautiful romantic places for a couple to enjoy and make plans. SIGH!
Larry here, we were on the bus today, beside us was a couple from France, I started speaking to, them in French and lo and behold, the guy in front of us is from Montreal, met three more young women from France in the village, lots of students over here on work Visas, plus while walking the streets it's not uncommon to hear French being spoken by tourists. I've included a couple of pics of the bridge of the high speed cat ferry. It looks like the bridge of the Starship Enterprise. Twenty seven knots. On the way back to the apartment we saw a line up at sushi place, everything goes on sale for half price at 6:30, so guess what's for dinner.
We can't say enough about these efficiency apartments or hotels in Australia and New Zealand. We have saved a bundle on food by eating in while we are here and going out for an occasional dinner. Anyways, we both said we get sick of rich and expensive food and we don't enjoy it. On the ship the food was 5 star and portions were small, but even then we got tired of it. Also, we have this washing machine we call Mabel. She washes and dries but takes forever and as I think I wrote before sounds like a jet taking off. But at least We have clean clothes without it costing anything.
Resting today and doing some shopping. Tomorrow we will go on another jaunt. There are a ton of islands here and much to see. We will go to a bird sanctuary and tramp around there for the day. We are certainly getting our exercise.
Love to all. Beth and Larry. Oh, no! 5 weeks to go.
Sunday, 15 February 2015
Haircut day in Auckland
Haircut day in Auckland
Quiet day, laundry, reading, facetime, out for a walk.
We both went to get our haircut today. We started out in the shopping centre where they wanted $55 for Larry, too dear for him so we just went down the street and found a his and hers hair stylist, $25 for Larry. The young barber had a bit of an accent, turns out he's from France so I had a nice chat with him in French. My sandals had failed so yesterday at the Katmandu outdoor store the girl there was also over from France on a work permit. Great city. Off walk around the waterfront, and then the grocery store, roast pork for dinner. La vie est belle...L..here are the before during and after pics
Well, there's a first for everything. I think it's the first time we have ever had our hair cut in another country and believe it or not, in the same place at the same time. $75 for 2..Larry can't remember the last time his hair was not cut at The barber at Poiriers
Quiet day, laundry, reading, facetime, out for a walk.
We both went to get our haircut today. We started out in the shopping centre where they wanted $55 for Larry, too dear for him so we just went down the street and found a his and hers hair stylist, $25 for Larry. The young barber had a bit of an accent, turns out he's from France so I had a nice chat with him in French. My sandals had failed so yesterday at the Katmandu outdoor store the girl there was also over from France on a work permit. Great city. Off walk around the waterfront, and then the grocery store, roast pork for dinner. La vie est belle...L..here are the before during and after pics
Rainbow Warrior
While out walking we came across this memorial to the Rainbow Warrior which was sunk in Auckland harbour in 1985 by French Government agents, as she had been leading protest against the French nuclear test program in the South Pacific, one photographer died. The French eventually stopped the testing...
Saturday, 14 February 2015
Pics from Tauranga
Here are some more pics, showing the narrow channel from the top of the hill, plus how close our bow was to the ship ahead and some harbour traffic. In pic two you can see the surf line
Arrival Auckland
We arrived Auckland 6am. The ship is sailing this evening back on the same route with a new bunch of terrorists, then it goes around Australia and then up to Japan for the summer.. We have a great efficiency apartment a ten minute walk mostly uphill from the harbour. Off to the market to buy some normal food for a change. Lots to do here. View from our balcony on the fifteenth floor.
Little cruise boat docked next to us
Back on board
We climbed that small mountain in the picture, somewhat of a grunt, quite steep in places. Second ship coming in since this am,Lu's one departure, busy port. We have to pack our bags and put them in the passageway (nautical for hallway) before dinner and just keep the minimum for the am. We debarked last at ten am hoping we can check into our apartment in Auckland early so we're not homeless too long..Not the best financial news, the NZd which has been trading at about .88 cdn for a long time is now at par, sooooo not much we can do about that.
There's one thing that's somewhat like HYC, beautiful waters, nice warm summer day, nice breezes, and hardly any boats on the water. We can see the yacht harbour from here, and it's pretty big with some nice looking yachts at the piers. The Royal Carribean ship that was berthed just ahead of us has. I guess we finally have to start packing, and horror of horrors set the alarm, we have to be out of our cabin by 8am, wow that's early.
Cruise ship leaving, view from the hill, bottom
Sleeping beauty, check the tan lines on her feet
There's one thing that's somewhat like HYC, beautiful waters, nice warm summer day, nice breezes, and hardly any boats on the water. We can see the yacht harbour from here, and it's pretty big with some nice looking yachts at the piers. The Royal Carribean ship that was berthed just ahead of us has. I guess we finally have to start packing, and horror of horrors set the alarm, we have to be out of our cabin by 8am, wow that's early.
Sleeping beauty, check the tan lines on her feet
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