Arriving into Tauranga

After waking up this morning, we had a couple of quick coffees before pulling up the anchor and heading for Tauranga. It was a fantastic morning and the water turned glassy as we approached the mount.

We have a berth booked at the bridge marina for a week so we can catch up with friends and fly back to Auckland for the weekend. Bridge marina is a tidal marina, meaning there is significant current flowing through the berths. We were advised by the marina office to wait until slack water at high tide (11.40) to berth. At about 11am we thought the current would have slowed enough for us to berth... We were wrong.

After realising how much current was pushing through the marina, we made a quick 180 and headed back to the channel to wait another 30 minutes until the current was properly slack. Our second parking attempt was exemplary (great job Vela) and we set about tying lines and tucking Starling safely into bed. Nathan made his first attempt at cooking Chinese style garlic noodles, and by all accounts it was a success!

Nathan was picked up by Tauranga locals Dave & Oakley later in the afternoon, and they headed for Mount Maunganui golf course to play a few holes. Turns out the best thing for your golf game is to not play for 9 months, then rip your first drive 250m straight down the fairway...

While Nathan was at the golf course, Vela got picked up by Momo and William and headed to Zozo for Valentine's dinner. Nathan joined, slightly late, and forgetting his wedding ring in Dave's car... Despite this, we enjoyed a couple of cocktails and a great meal with William and Momo.

Afterwards, we were taken on a tour of William and Momo's new lifestyle property in Welcome Bay, before they delivered us back to Starling for a much needed sleep.Read more