Last leg to NZ

We finally got away on the 10th of June, a nice easy start with whales joining us for several days. Weatherwise we had a mixture, periods of calms but mostly we did good daily runs. Phil got his wish of stopping at Raivavae in the Australs but it wasn't quite the visit he had in mind. We had to do some stitching on the headsail and replace the topping lifts on the mizzen and pole. With the virus the locals were very nervous of us being anchored in the lagoon so we decided to stay onboard. It wasn't so bad as we had been there twice before but still a shame not to enjoy the great walking ashore and the usually friendly locals.

 

From there it was 715 miles to Rarotonga where we anchored in the lee of the island for 2 hours to refasten the sail track on the boom. We spoke to the Harbour Master and Customs knew we were there, but once again we stayed onboard and after doing the repairs and having a quick lunch we were soon on our way again.

Next stop was Beveridge Reef where Phil had to do some rigging repairs. In all the miles we have done in these last 6 years we have never had a run of repairs like this last leg to NZ.

Great sailing saw us arriving at North Minerva reef on the 5th July. We don't usually fish now but were hanging out for something fresh and as we approached the reef Phil caught this delicious Yellowfin tuna. There were 2 other boats in the reef which had arrived from NZ and were on their way to Fiji which had opened to cruisers.

The next day the Tongan Navy turned up and ordered us to sea. It was blowing very strong from the south and Phil said he wasn't going to leave. They came over in an inflatable and, keeping a safe distance, had a long chat, eventually allowing us another day. We were ordered to stay on our boats which was okay considering the lousy weather. The next day was flat calm and the other yachts motored on their way while we set about doing more sail repairs. We realized we wouldn't be finished by the deadline of noon, so Phil contacted our son and his brother in NZ who got on our case as the Navy was threatening to tow us out to sea. They flew a drone over us at one stage which felt pretty invasive. Phil grabbed a flare to blow it out of the sky so I called them up on the VHF and suggested they move it away quickly!!! Noon arrived and the captain ordered us to sea, Phil asked for 3 more hours which they refused and they said they were coming over to remove us. The High Commissioner in Tonga had been in touch that morning and NZ Rescue Centre who had told us to let off the EPIRB if we needed to, so Phil did that. Immediately the High Commissioner phoned and told us we could stay for 2 more days and to call up the Navy captain to tell him to contact the Commander back in Tonga. After that, they left us alone, but stayed close by. It was all pretty awful. Next morning we woke to SE winds so left at daybreak, followed by the Navy until we were past South Minerva. NZ were great, making it possible to stay and do our repairs before tackling the final 900 miles to Opua.

Of course we couldn't do this leg without some sort of problem! The wind dropped out, Phil centered the mainsail and the topping lift gave way, the sail ripped, luckily below the first reef so we sailed the rest of the way with a reef in. Days were getting cooler and we added another layer of clothing.

The last day we had a great breeze and arrived off Nine Pin rock in 45 knots, very little visibility. We finally tied up at the quarantine dock at 1830, in pouring rain which made it a bit miserable for the officials who had to come onboard straight away because of the border lockdown. They were great and soon decided we were safe enough that they could remove their masks and complete the paperwork. Next morning we got a call to say we would have to have the swab test done which happened that afternoon and just one and a half days later the results came through and we were free to go and raft up to our son's boat.

So here we are, after 6 years and 46,000 miles, back in beautiful NZ. It's great to be back amongst family and friends and we are looking forward to having a few months exploring this area before we set off south to Nelson. The sails go in for some major work next week, hopefully to be repaired and not to be replaced. We are enjoying the fresh fruit and vegetables, walking every day and hanging out with Argo.

 

 

NZ's Beautiful Fiordland

We left Windora in a snug harbour on the island of Askoy, a few miles from Bergen, at the end of October as the days started to grow shorter and the temperatures dropped. Phil was out hosing down the deck one afternoon and the water was freezing behind him so we were pleased to hop on a plane and head back to NZ to enjoy the southern summer.

We had planned to build a tiny home this year but have been able to stay in a cottage behind Luke and Ella's house which has been great as we get to see the grandchildren every day, a rare treat for us. Instead, Phil's energy is going into helping Luke get their converted fishing boat ready to start cruising next year.

Since we are not doing so much I thought I would post some pictures of our cruising in the fiords of NZ. We have done two trips down there, one in the winter where we were the only yacht, and a few years later when we enjoyed a very social summer cruise. The fiords are quite different from those of Norway, steeper and unpopulated. Only a few yachts venture there, but there are quite a few hardy fishermen. Our fiords are on the south-west coast of the South Island, with the first arm at 44 degrees south. Leaving Nelson at the top of the island, there is not much shelter until you get to Milford Sound 400 miles away. Westport is an option in good weather but that's when you don't need it! Otherwise there are a couple of bays with limited shelter, so picking the right weather is important. Ahhh, but once you are there it is magic!

 Milford is the only fiord that can be driven to, but nothing can compare to arriving from the sea. It rains in Fiordland....182 days and about 7-8 metres a year on average (one of the wettest places on earth) so the first thing you see are some amazing waterfalls. This one falls 150 metres! We always anchor in a cove by the local fishing boats under our own private waterfall. From there we can do several good bush walks, including the start of the world-famous Milford Track.

25 miles south of Milford is one of my favorite fiords, George Sound. 12 miles long, right at the head is a snug anchorage with a line to tie a sternline onto already set up. From there we can scramble up to Lake Alice where Phil's brother left a canoe many years ago when he was fishing in the area.It feels so isloated and peaceful, one of those magical places.  
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

 One of our best cruising stories happened here. We were rafted up to a fishing boat while it rained for 8 long days in the middle of winter and couldn't get ashore as the overflow from the lake was causing a metre high wall of water across our bow. I said to Phil that I could do with some female company, and would you believe it......the very next day a charter boat turned up with ten lesbians onboard!!! We had so much fun with them and were able to go adventuring up swollen rivers in their big dinghy, share meals and laugh all the time.

 Blanket Bay used to be a pretty social spot for the fishermen to meet. It had a freezer, fuel, shop, helicopter pad and pub but is now just a great spot to tie up to and get water.

 

The fishermen often set up permanent lines where it is too deep to anchor. Here we are tied alongside a line between 2 islands and below we are stern tied to an old wreck.

Preservation Inlet in the far south is full of history. There was once a settlement called Cromarty where a private lodge now stands and from there you can follow an old tram track to the remains of a mine. It is hard to imagine living here. Life must have been very hard. Here's Phil with some paua (abalone).

So that is a look at one of our favorite cruising areas. It isn't the easiest.....more bush-bashing than tracks, plenty of sandflies at times, no shops, but the friendly fishermen and stunning anchorages keep drawing us back there.