Summer in NZ sure beats an Irish winter

I am writing this in sunny Nelson while Windora is sitting out the worst of Northern Ireland's winter in Strangford Lough, not too far from Belfast and under the care of good friends Danny and Hannah. Life has been extremely busy since we flew in mid-November. First Luke and Ella's wedding which was a lovely day and then 3 weeks of hard work renovating Cliff and TeRina's townhouse. Now we are enjoying a few lazy days leading up to Christmas Day which will be spent beside a popular river close by before we start the next project. Helping friends and family is one of the things we enjoy.

As the end of the year approaches we are starting to think about next seasons cruising.There are so many wonderful destinations in the North Atlantic but we can't see them all, or can we???  The deciding factor really is something we are continually discussing....how much longer do we want to keep cruising? It's a dilemma all cruisers face at some stage. We have our health, enough funds and plenty of places that would be hard to sail past, while at the same time feeling the strong pull of family and friends back in NZ. Whether we decide to be home in 2 years or 4, there will be plenty to share with you as we cruise the North Atlantic and beyond. Scotland, Iceland, Greenland.......all  places full of history and stunning scenery.....and that is just the start of the voyage west towards home.

Windora is perfectly landlocked on a mooring to the left of Sketrick Island in Strangford Lough.