Overdue update just before departing NZ

A quick update to restart the blog after 6 months.  A lot has happened since we arrived in NZ early November last year.

The first 3 weeks were spent in the marina at Opua getting boat things sorted, meeting fellow cruisers from all over the globe and attending activities put on by local businesses in the marine precinct to promote their services and products.  This was part of the Bay of Islands All Points Rally which is to promote the region as a destination for cruising yachts from the Pacific Islands.  Very informative, great socializing, free beer & wine plus numerous sausage sizzles.  The final day included many prize draws for the participants.  Guess who won the major prize…!  Not that we needed it but someone came and offered to buy it before the event was over.  A great outcome.

Time to head out into the Bay of Island to explore the many great anchorages and islands with National Park walks.  Unfortunately fate dealt an unexpected hand and on day 3 Cran is experiencing serious abdominal pain so off to the doctor.  The next day back to the doctor’s for a follow up and Cran is in an ambulance heading to Whangarei Hospital and Ann is left with the boat at anchor at Russell and needing to get the boat back into the marina at Opua on her own.  Thankfully she was able to contact a fellow cruiser we had met who came up in his dinghy and helped get the boat back.

The next day Cran had surgery for a twisted bowel and was in hospital for 2 weeks.

Fortunately Ann was able to base herself at Lyn’s, an aunt of Cran’s, not far from the hospital.  We also had the use of Lyn’s place after Cran was discharged from hospital and was convalescing for a couple of weeks before coming back to the boat. This was over Xmas, Lyn was in Sydney with family and we had Cran’s sister and cousin, Sherrie & Rhonda over for Xmas & New Year.  Xmas was at Lyn’s and New Year out on the boat.  Cran was on light duties only for 6 weeks after his surgery so our boat was a motor boat during that time, no working the sails.  What frustrated Cran most was going fishing with Rhonda and being restricted to only baiting hooks and taking fish off hooks as he wasn’t able to do the heavy winding in of fish.  Although he reckons that's normal when fishing with Rhonda.  ;-)

After Cran had been back to out-patients and gotten the all clear from the surgeon, we were able to get out and enjoy some great cruising around the Bay of Islands, Great Barrier Island and visit friends at the Coromandel Peninsula where we experience the locals up close and performing and caught some great fish.

Matthew and Patrick, 2 of Ann’s brothers, joined us 3 May for a planned departure to Tonga on 6 May.  Unfortunately, Cyclones Donna and Ella plus several other major Pacific lows delayed our trip and the guys had to return back to Australia as we had run out of time for their return flights from Tonga and commitments back home.  In the 2 weeks they were with us we managed a couple of days out in the Bay of Islands on the boat plus a couple of road trips to explore the northern NZ region.  In between trips we put them to work on boat jobs getting the boat ready for the trip – we really appreciated their help and owe them big time as they couldn’t get to do the trip.

We are doing our Pacific circuit trip as part of the Island Cruising Association Pacific Rally and after 2 weeks delay the Rally finally has a safe weather window to leave tomorrow for Tonga via Minerva Reef.  Will post progress on passage via our satellite email.