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Cruising NZ
  • Nathan Laurie
  • Vela Huang
  • Nathan Laurie
  • Vela Huang

Cruising NZ

Sailing a 45ft sailboat around NZ, exploring islands, diving, and sharing our experience with mates along the way Leggi altro
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  • Cruising NZ
    Awaroa Bay
    Dead pine trees along the Abel Tasman coastApproaching Awaroa BayBridge off the beachHop Federation HazyFood we didn't have to cook!Sneaky little bugger (Weka)Off for a snorkelUnhappy - heading back to Adele IslandRunning from the moody skies

    Awaroa Bay

    15 gennaio 2024, Nuova Zelanda ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    With Vela having Mondays off, we decided to explore a bit further afield. We're a little bit restricted during the week as we need to find settled spots with mobile reception so Vela can get her hours in. So we decided to head to Awaroa Bay and try the pizza at Awaroa Lodge.

    As we headed up the coast we noticed a bunch of dead trees, turns out they're pine trees that have been poisoned. They poison them rather than felling as it gives the surrounding forest a better chance to recover before the trees are blown over in a storm.

    We attempted to stop at Shag Harbor to explore the estuaries - we'd received a tip that you could find baby seals playing in the shallows too. Unfortunately with a slightly lumpy northerly swell, we weren't comfortable anchoring. We did see an adult and a baby seal from afar, but not close enough to get a photo.

    A little over an hour after we left, we arrived in Awaroa Bay and after a short relax onboard, we headed ashore for lunch. Nathan ordered a Hop Federation Hazy with a burger while Vela went for a Thai chicken salad. A cheeky Weka tried to join us for lunch as well.

    In the afternoon, we attempted a bit of snorkelling/spearfishing, but it was unfortunately very dead. The whole of the area was covered in a fine silt, and even the boulders in the shallows had no seaweed on them - all in all the marine ecosystem did not appear to be healthy... As far as marine life went, all we saw were a few little spotties, a marble fish, a couple of anorexic kina, and some starfish. Rather disappointing...

    We planned to spend the night at Awaroa Bay as there was good reception (which surprised us as the rest of the Abel Tasman has nearly no reception) but the breeze and swell got up and made the whole area very uncomfortable. The increase was forecast, but being from the East we thought we'd be sheltered. Unfortunately this wasn't the case.

    After a dodgy packing up of the dinghy (took three attempts to safely transfer the outboard from the dinghy onto Starling) we pulled up the anchor and headed back for the inside of Adele Island. You can see we were a bit annoyed at having to head back to the southern end of the Abel Tasman - but we very much need our beauty sleep. We had a big black backed seagull escorting us on our way down the coast - we named him Jason (Seagull).

    Adele Island may be the only sheltered spot on this entire bit of coast tonight, so we have a bit of a crowd, and there's still a bit of roll, but we definitely made the right call to move when we did. Fingers crossed we can get a decent sleep tonight - forecast has the wind and swell dropping away by morning.    Leggi altro

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  • Cruising NZ
    Vela hard at work - office view is alright I guess
    Old clogged pre-filter for the water makerAccumulator disconnected for drainingShortening the leech cord on the staysailWear on the cover of the genoa furling lineThe line should be on the left of the stainless steel feederYum!Movie time! (Death at a Funeral)

    Adele Island - Work Day

    16 gennaio 2024, Nuova Zelanda ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    Nothing too exciting today, we didn't even lift the anchor. Tuesday is Vela's busiest day with meetings and getting on top of her work for the week, so she spent most of her day in front of her computer screen.

    Meanwhile, Nathan was catching up on a bit of boat maintenance. Firstly and most importantly was sorting out the water maker which was only working intermittently, after a phone call and a bit of investigation it was a simple fix of replacing the 5 micron pre filter (which we carry a spare for) as the one in use was completely gunked up and black.

    Next was to sort the accumulator for our fresh water pump. The accumulator is mildly faulty, causing the pump to come on more quickly and for shorter periods than it should. The temporary fix is simple though, just draining the accumulator and we get a good 3 or 4 weeks of the pump working normally.

    Nathan had noticed the leech cord on our staysail needed to be re-tied at the head of the sail, so we dropped the staysail on deck and sorted that one out too. Nathan had also noticed some wear on the furling line for the big genoa, and on closer inspection spotted the line was run the wrong side of the feeder onto the furling drum. Not sure when that was done or how it took so long to notice, but it was an easy fix to re-run the line correctly.

    Vela then cooked a delicious lunch with scrambled egg, noodles and a chili garlic sauce. We hid from the sun in the afternoon, and made a plan to head over to Okiwi Bay tomorrow afternoon. We also started to do some research on heading through French Pass, which has the strongest currents anywhere in NZ (commonly 5 - 7kt, creating large whirlpools) and only a 20 minute window of slack tide being the safest time to traverse it. The plan is to head through on Thursday afternoon into the Marlborough Sounds, at roughly 2pm before the current starts pushing us in a northeasterly direction (helping) which gives us a little leeway.

    We ended our evening watching a movie inside - Death at a Funeral, we laughed from start to finish!    Leggi altro

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  • Cruising NZ
    Vela cool as a cucumber on the helm
    Top gun!Last hazy in the Abel Tasman20kt+ out there, doing about 7.5kt with main onlySmashing along, bound for Okiwi Bay9.2kt with main and staysailHazy conditions out hereReturn of Jason (Seagull)Approaching the harbor, very different landscapeYum!Ouch!

    Abel Tasman - Okiwi Bay

    17 gennaio 2024, Nuova Zelanda ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    It was starting to feel like it was time to make a move. Vela spent her morning QS'ing - sorting out contractors and being a superstar at saving her company time and money. Meanwhile Nathan played boat husband, sweeping, vacuuming, and otherwise sorting things out so we'd be ready to leave in the afternoon. We also had a very cool bi-plane give us a top gun style fly-by.

    After the hard work, Nathan cracked open a hazy (very nice drop by the way) and put the cricket on, watching the NZ batsmen smash Pakistan all over the park. Around 3.30 we motored away from Adele Island, pulled out some sails, and pointed our bow East towards Okiwi Bay. We had about 20-25kt of wind so started with just the mainsail, but once we were able to turn downwind a little further we pulled out the little staysail (re-tied leech cord working perfectly) and our speed was consistently around 8.5kt, reaching up into the low 9's.

    We were smashing it across Tasman Bay. Nathan decided to join in on the smashing and his little toe paid the price - our first injury on board and hopefully the worst we get (don't look at the last photo if you don't like feet/blood/injuries). Vela made a comment about the conditions being hazy, which reminded Nathan he was feeling thirsty so another hazy came out of the fridge.

    We were escorted by our friend Jason (Seagull) along the way. Which brought some laughs and smiles as he glided along behind us.

    As we approached the eastern side of Tasman Bay, the wind lightened off, so we changed up to the big genoa, and eventually had to start the engine. We had made great time and were heading inside the harbour a little over 3 hours after leaving.

    Once inside the harbour we seemed to be surrounded by wildlife. Nathan spotted a rather peeved looking seal just next to the boat (might have woken him from a nap), a penguin floating around, a shark fin gliding past our stern, and even a bunch of goats grazing the mountainside. The waters feel much more alive after leaving the Abel Tasman...

    Vela whipped up some more of her epic garlic noodles with eggs and cucumber for dinner and we dropped anchor in a beautiful, calm Okiwi Bay for the evening. Unfortunately the anchorage was quite rolly overnight (although it remained glassy and we couldn't see any of the swells causing the rolling), but we chose to tough it out. Tomorrow afternoon we're heading through French Pass and properly into the Marlborough Sounds - unfortunately it looks like we're in for a bit of wet weather for the next few days...    Leggi altro

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  • Cruising NZ
    Okiwi Bay in the morning
    15 minutes later in Okiwi BayApproaching French PassSyzygy after they just traversed French PassWe made it through! Sigh of reliefPicturesque in the Sounds1Where is the sky and where is the water?Completely different landscapeWilson Bay, beautiful anchorage - wonder if there are fish?No sunset tonight, but this was still amazing

    Into the Sounds! (Through French Pass)

    18 gennaio 2024, Nuova Zelanda ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    Today was a bit of a big one. We made the hop from Tasman Bay into the sounds. Nerves were a little bit high, because to gain entry, we had to travel through French Pass.

    French Pass is a very narrow channel between the top of the Sounds and D'Urville Island. The navigable section is about 100m wide, and if you traverse it while it's at its strongest you can experience currents up to 7 knots, whirlpools, eddies, and many strange phenomena caused by the strong current and irregular sea floor.

    We had been doing our research on the pass, obviously it's safest to travel through at slack water, but the window is only about 20 minutes. Due to a bit of an uncomfortable anchorage, Nathan was awake at 3am and went over all the documents and tide charts again.

    After doing some travel maths and allowing for a bit of safety time, we set off from Okiwi Bay. As we approached French Pass, we saw another yacht, Syzygy, coming through the pass from the other direction. Their speed on AIS jumped from around 6kt to over 9kt as they went through. Nathan radioed them to ask about the conditions, and they confirmed that we had our calculations and notes correct and our timing for slack water was right. Phew!

    Feeling better about everything, we slowed down a little to time everything correctly, had a bite of lunch and continued to approach. All in all it was a very uneventful passage (the result of good planning) and we pushed into only 1kt of current - we had experienced significantly more going around Cape Reinga. There were a few eddies and whirlpools which pushed us around a little, but nothing we couldn't handle.

    After heading through, we started navigating up Pelorus Sound, heading towards Havelock where we have a berth booked for tomorrow night. The landscape is very different to the Abel Tasman with tall mountains, narrow passages, and a lot more bird life (we must have dodged over 30 little blue penguins). We stopped overnight in Wilson Bay and enjoyed a fantastically calm and picturesque anchorage - now it's time to catch some fish!    Leggi altro

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  • Cruising NZ
    Sailing through the sounds
    The Gurnard putting on a display with it's giant pectoral finsLooking like a monster mosquito - note it's little leg-like feelersVery pretty pectoral finsGurnard - not only pretty, delicious too!Vela hauling in the KahawaiThe landscape of the SoundsThe world famous Mussel Pot (kitchen closed)Found a hazy to go with my pizzaMarinas can be very pretty, peaceful places at night

    Havelock

    19 gennaio 2024, Nuova Zelanda ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    Getting into Havelock was our main objective for today. Being a yacht and needing at least 2.2m of water to stay afloat, and some areas of the approach into Havelock having just 0.5m of water at low tide, we needed to plan this around high tide.

    So after our usual morning routine we started making our way towards Havelock. High tide was 4.30pm, so we weren't in any extreme rush, but we did want to get in with time to get to the four square for some essentials. Before we left, Nathan managed to pull in two very nice (and delicious) Gurnard. Fried in butter with salad made for a delicious and nutritious lunch.

    As we got closer to Havelock, we spotted a work up on the surface. Out came the Kahawai lure and we welcomed three mid size Kahawai aboard Starling. The Nathan got to work and we kept the fillets in the fridge for dinner tomorrow with Amin and Cil.

    We negotiated the narrow and shallow channel into Havelock, with just 0.6m under the keel at times. We made it to the four square before it closed and even had time for a delightful land-shower at Havelock marina before Amin and Cil arrived.

    We went into town for dinner at the mussel pot, but being 8pm in small town NZ, the three restaurant establishments had all closed their kitchens... We managed to get a couple of pizzas at the local pub before retiring to the boat for the evening.

    Early morning departure for tomorrow as the high tide is about 5am... Forecast is not ideal with wind and rain, but it will be preferable to be stuck out in the sounds rather than the marina.    Leggi altro

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  • Cruising NZ
    Pre-sunrise departure from Havelock Marina
    Pre-sunrise departure from Havelock MarinaDrizzly old morningThe rain stopped (but it came back later)Mini-continental breakfastFound a quiet spot for the nightHot pot and fried potatoesA drop of soju to wash it all down

    Exploring Pelorus Sound

    20 gennaio 2024, Nuova Zelanda ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C

    5am and the alarms were going off. Nathan got a good telling off from Vela when he turned the lights on to get dressed - he proceeded to return the telling off and hurry Vela out of bed so we wouldn't miss the tide. Outside was a steady drizzle, but no wind, so not too bad for getting out of Havelock Marina and the narrow channel.

    We negotiated the lights of the channel (too dark to see just yet) and slowly made our way out to deeper water. After an hour or so we decided to stop for a nap, Nathan fired up the coffee machine and stayed up, attempting to catch a fish.

    Another workup appeared and Amin pulled in a nice Kahawai to be added to the fridge. Cil and Amin prepared a mini continental breakfast with a range of delicious spreads and preserves (which absolutely hit the spot).

    We then continued on towards Portage, seeing close to 30kt from our wind gear, before finding a sheltered spot to stop for the night. All in all it was a little bit of a "meh" day because of the weather, but we introduced Amin and Cil to Catan, so that (along with some pina colada's) proceeded to take up the rest of the afternoon/evening - I think they're hooked!

    Vela cooked up the Kahawai in a hotpot with her famous fried potato dish for dinner, and we cracked a bottle of soju to share as well    Leggi altro

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  • Cruising NZ
    Mirror still water
    Enjoying the paddleboardEnjoying the paddleboardSent the drone up for a birds-eye viewEnjoying Vela's famous noodlesSailing homeAwesome view, nice to get the sails outEnjoying our anniversary dinner at the Mussel Pot

    Anniversary Day (Wedding Anniversary)

    21 gennaio 2024, Nuova Zelanda ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C

    We woke up to vastly different conditions. Barely a breath of wind around and the water was like a mirror. We got the paddleboard out before coffees and enjoyed gliding through the shallows. On his tour of the bay, Nathan spotted 3 eagle rays, one the largest he'd seen with a wingspan of at least 1.5m (maybe closer to two) and he also spotted a giant Short Tailed Stingray, he swears it wouldn't have fit in Starling's cockpit.

    The conditions were so still that Vela put the drone up to get a couple snaps of us anchored in the bay. Vela then cooked us her famous noodles for lunch. We had a final game of Catan and a quick swim before pulling up the anchor to catch the incoming tide. We were lucky enough to get the sails out for a short period before we lost the wind behind one of the many peninsulas throughout the sound.

    We made it back to Havelock in time for dinner at the world famous Mussel Pot (kitchen open this time), enjoying fresh mussels, calamari, and burgers before a dessert of tiramisu and cheesecake.

    One more night in Havelock Marina before we head back out to explore Pelorus Sound this week, slowly making our way over into Queen Charlotte Sound towards the weekend.    Leggi altro

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  • Cruising NZ
    Havelock Marina
    Eggs bene for breakfastGetting the washing dryFilling the water tanksThe locals checking us outFresh mussel deliveryAfternoon sun on the hillsEnjoying the clouds and the sceneryGrumpy old Gurnard (sound up for this!)A study on the cloudsBright orange sunset

    Havelock - Penguin Bay

    22 gennaio 2024, Nuova Zelanda ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

    After staying at Havelock Marina last night, we decided to make the most of the amenities and had a bit of an "admin" day. We started off with a cafe breakfast and coffee before stocking up on some more groceries and fishing tackle.

    We then headed back to the marina to make use of the washing machine, getting our bulky items (sheets & towels) along with some clothes clean and dry. We also topped up our water tanks, filled up on diesel, and vacuumed our holding tank. When the tide was deep enough, we cast off our lines and headed back out into Pelorus Sound.

    Penguin Bay looked a likely spot to stay, so we plonked our anchor down and settled in.

    A short time later the waters went wild, and Vela hooked a decent Kahawai which unfortunately self released right next to the boat. Straight back down went Vela's line, and immediately came back up, this time with a disgruntled (and it made sure to let us know) Gurnard on the end, which Nathan safely netted.

    Although the fish continued to break the water all around, nothing else wanted to bite. So as the sun went down we packed it in for what promised to be a very still, calm nights sleep... Or so we thought...    Leggi altro

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  • Cruising NZ
    Surprisingly nice day after a rude 5am awakening
    Big front right over us at 5am2Vela's officeClouds over the top of the soundsStunning afternoonNZ spiny dogfishBarracoutaBaby shark do do do... Gurnard!

    Penguin Bay - North West Bay

    23 gennaio 2024, Nuova Zelanda ⋅ 🌬 22 °C

    This morning started unexpectedly at 5am to the sounds of wind gales, pelting rain, and the boat getting itself on a 20-30 degree heel. Nathan quickly jumped out of bed to check everything was ok, and sliding back the companionway hatch was immediately soaked by rain getting in through the (closed) zips in the cockpit bimini. Nathan quickly gathered up anything precious, and got the pillows downstairs so they wouldn't get any wetter, unfortunately he wasn't quick enough to save a couple of items from blowing out into the water.

    After everything was secured, Nathan went back downstairs to wait it out and was met with a sleepy looking Vela. He sent Vela back to bed, saying everything was under control and it looked like an isolated weather front. About 20 minutes (and a bit of thunder and lightning) later, everything settled down and the day turned into a stunner. We resumed our usual Tuesday programming, starting with coffee service before getting into some work.

    We hopped spots a few times throughout the day, looking for stable internet and shelter from the wind which was still hanging around, but spent most of the day in Jacob's Bay which was surprisingly sheltered. After all Vela's meetings were finished, we made one final hop into North West Bay to spend the night.

    Nathan pulled in a nice Gurnard (which attempted to escape before getting unceremoniously flicked into the fish bin, and also a spiny dog fish (small shark) which we decided to fillet and have a go at cooking as well (tomorrow nights dinner). Nathan also pulled in a Barracouta, which was released. We chilled out for the rest of the evening, enjoying the peace and quiet of our anchorage.    Leggi altro

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  • Cruising NZ
    Motor sailing, leaving Northwest Bay
    Really enjoying the clouds at the momentMainsail and Genoa up and cruising alongEnjoying the tranquilitySpiny Dogfish & GurnardNice white flesh of the DogfishCloudless night as the sun went downOrion's Belt (aka the little dipper)Constellations above our mastSouthern Cross above the hillsStarlink passing over the tops of the hills

    Northwest Bay - Ketu Bay

    24 gennaio 2024, Nuova Zelanda ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    A typical Wednesday for us on board Starling. A very quiet morning enjoying the bay until Vela was finished working and we were able to migrate again for the evening.

    We left around 3pm and motor-sailed for a bit with the small jib. Nathan took a bit of a wrong turn and almost ended up going down one of the many dead ends in Pelorus Sound. After getting back on the right track, we were able to pull out the mainsail and the big genoa and turn the noisy engine off. It was very peaceful sailing the rest of the way, and we got our first glimpse of open water (Cook Strait) in a week.

    We plonked the anchor down in Ketu Bay for the evening, and enjoyed the Spiny Dogfish and Gurnard we caught last night for dinner. I can happily report that the Dogfish was delicious. It has a nice, firm, white flesh, and with no true bones (sharks are cartilaginous) was very easy to eat. We'll likely keep more of these if we catch them in the future!

    We topped off our evening with a movie and a bit of stargazing, testing out our phones night time capabilities, and spotted the latest Starlink launch just over the top of the hills.    Leggi altro

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  • Cruising NZ
    Morning coffee turned out quite nicely
    Beautiful water in hereHike collageLocal goatLocal sheep (not quite at "Shrek" levels, but getting thereView of the sounds from the topView north towards ParaparaumuMaking facesVela "droning" onDelicious nutritious Korean rice for dinner

    Ketu Bay Hike

    25 gennaio 2024, Nuova Zelanda ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    Today's challenge was to hike to the highest point around Ketu Bay - 417m above sea level. After Vela had finished with her meetings, we both launched the dinghy and headed ashore. We'd had a tip off from a friend about an awesome hike that started from the beach.

    We made our way up the nicely formed, gently sloping track. We walked through thick manuka trees, past a number of beehives, and even startled some 4 legged wildlife. The track eventually opened up into scrub land and we had some already pretty awesome views of Ketu Bay and the surrounding waterways.

    Nathan decided this wasn't enough so we continued up what became a very steep track. Both of us were struggling by this point with the heat and a lack of walking fitness. We soldiered on and eventually made it to the top where we had some amazing views north, even able to see part of the North Island (Paraparaumu we believe).

    On our way back down, Vela got her drone out and we took some footage before heading back to the beach. Once back on board the boat, Vela was pooped so she instructed Nathan in how to make the Korean rice dish she was craving. By all accounts it didn't turn out too bad either!    Leggi altro

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  • Cruising NZ
    Glassy morning in Ketu Bay
    Finally Blue Cod!Vela's drone footage from our hikeLeaving Pelorus SoundEnjoying the clouds as we approached Queen CharlotteRough waters at Cape Jackson29kt at the top of the mast (we think there was more)Shortened sail - much more controlNice flat anchorage in Ship CoveDelicious Blue Cod for dinnerNeat little bit of color on the clouds as the sun sets

    Ketu Bay - Ship Cove

    26 gennaio 2024, Nuova Zelanda ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    This morning was an absolute stunner. Glassy water, clear blue skies, and we pretty much had the place to ourselves. You can't ask for much more!

    Nathan made the most of the weather by jumping in the dinghy and heading over to the point where he finally managed to get into some blue cod. The point was just about swarming with fish, clearly shows you have to pick the right spot to throw your line in. Meanwhile Vela had edited her drone footage from yesterday's hike.

    Being Friday, and with some average looking weather on its way for the weekend, we decided to make the jump from Pelorus Sound over to Queen Charlotte Sound. So we hauled up the anchor, logged our trip with Coastguard, pulled out our sails, and set off.

    The sail started off with a leisurely motor sail, but as expected the wind built as we got into Cook Strait. We were able to turn the motor off and were averaging close to 9kt (we hit 10kt a couple of times) on a broad reach straight for the entrance to Queen Charlotte Sound. The water was spectacular and rough as we rounded Cape Jackson. A very tactical and safe gybe later and we were inside Queen Charlotte Sound.

    We expected the wind to start to die off once we were inside, but it continued to increase, with our anemometer reading 30kt, likely closer to 35kt in reality. We quickly shortened our sails, rolling our Genoa away to about 1/3 its full size, and the main to about 1/2. This was still plenty of sail but the boat was much more manageable. We were still hitting 10kt at times though.

    We made short work of the rest of our sail into Ship Cove and found it to be nice and sheltered with only the occasional gust coming over the hills. Nathan cooked up our first taste of blue cod for dinner with a side of fried veg - definitely in the top 3 of fish species we've eaten on this trip!

    We packed the boat up in preparation for some stormy weather on Saturday morning, and settled in for the evening.    Leggi altro

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  • Cruising NZ
    Rough awakening in Ship Cove
    4She's pretty intense out thereNot sure what all the fuss was aboutShip CoveVela getting stuck into some fishPina colada timeFish hot pot for dinner

    Stormy Saturday at Ship Cove

    27 gennaio 2024, Nuova Zelanda ⋅ 🌬 22 °C

    Saturday started earlier than expected for Nathan. At 4am he got up with a full bladder and while heading outside found that the wind had changed direction, leaving them with not a lot of room (about 20m to possible rocks, and 50m to the shore) behind them should the anchor slip. Feeling uneasy about this, and knowing the weather forecast was for worse to come, the anchor came up and we moved to a spot with a bit more of a buffer.

    With the anchor and all of the chain down, the forecast weather quickly came through and settled in. Unable to go back to sleep, Nathan made himself cozy in the saloon to keep an eye on things. The weather did get pretty extreme, but the anchor held. Vela got up and requested a coffee and some sesame porridge, but with the wild weather the food and drink didn't want to stay down.

    We went into hibernation mode for a few hours. Downstairs, wrapped up in a blanket and napping when we had the chance. Nathan jumped up a few times to check our distances to shore and make sure we weren't dragging. But our anchor held fantastically - fingers crossed it always does so!

    Late morning the weather started to clear, and by midday we had beautiful blue skies and it was time to explore Ship Cove. We launched the dinghy and went ashore, the humidity and heat from the sun, coupled with the beach and thick undergrowth made it feel very tropical. We did a little bit of exploration, checking out the wharf, the James Cook monument and the many bush chickens (Weka) that were hanging about. We also noted a short walk to a waterfall so we plan to come back tomorrow with some better footwear to check that out too.

    Afterwards we took the dinghy to the point for a little bit of a fish, Vela pulled in a baby blue cod which got sent back, and also another spiny dogfish. Back on board Starling and Vela was on a roll, fishing up another spiny dogfish, myriads of small Gurnard, and one extra Gurnard big enough to keep. No blue cod for the bin today unfortunately.

    We celebrated with a Pina colada, and Vela cooked up a little hot pot of yesterday's Gurnard and the last remaining blue cod.    Leggi altro

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  • Cruising NZ
    Fiery sunrise over Motuara Island
    Starling perfectly framed by the bushFound the waterfall2Happy Vela now she has her 4GPhoto courtesy of LissaLooks like we're enjoying the cruising lifestyleLissa and Andrew (not sure that one's big enough Andrew...)It was tasty...... While it lastedCute boat sheds and cool landscape of Waikawa

    Ship Cove - Waikawa Bay

    28 gennaio 2024, Nuova Zelanda ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    After Nathan's disturbed sleep from yesterday's stormy weather, he was up at 5am again this morning. The silver lining was that he was able to get some photos of a pretty spectacular sunrise!

    After Vela eventually woke up, we went through our morning coffee ritual before jumping in the dinghy to go for our waterfall hike. The hike was absolutely stunning, and if this is what the Queen Charlotte track is like, then we will have to come back one day and do the whole thing!

    Back on board Starling and we packed everything up to head for Waikawa Bay. Vela was very excited to get 4G again! On the way we spotted Lissa and Andrew from Cape Landing on our AIS, who were stopped for a fish at a reef. We opted for a sail-by, and teed up a little photo shoot with Lissa.

    After we arrived in Waikawa Bay, it was time to crack open a beer. While it was pretty tasty, the wake from one of the Interislander ferries sent it flying all over Nathan... Will have to send them the bill...

    We settled in for the night, with the lights of the marina and hillside houses setting a very different nightscape to Ship Cove.    Leggi altro

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  • Cruising NZ
    Calm morning in Waikawa Bay
    Watching the interislander heading up Queen Charlotte SoundShark (dogfish) curry for lunchStingrays outside the Jolly Roger at WaikawaAwesome iced mocha and toastie in Picton2Best sunset yet over WaikawaBest sunset yet over WaikawaBest sunset yet over Waikawa1Best sunset yet over WaikawaBest sunset yet over WaikawaBest sunset yet over Waikawa

    Wild Waikawa

    29 gennaio 2024, Nuova Zelanda ⋅ 🌬 21 °C

    The day started off beautiful and calm, and we relaxed watching some of the interislander ferries heading past. Lunch was leftover shark (dogfish) curry, which was absolutely delicious and I highly recommend.

    We had teed up with Amin and Cil to come and visit us for the afternoon, so before they arrived we headed ashore to visit Burnsco for some extra fishing supplies. We then crossed the road to the Jolly Roger where we enjoyed watching the resident short tailed stingrays park up in the corner (there were three all trying to park on top of one another). One of them was particularly large and awesome to watch - stingrays are one of our favorite animals to watch.

    After Amin and Cil joined us, we headed over to Picton where we were introduced to Toastie Lords, who make an epic toasted sandwich with salmon, pickles and cream cheese - highly recommend. And we washed this down with an iced coffee. While we were enjoying our food and drink by the waterfront, the wind really picked up. It was incredible watching it whip through the marina, causing boats to get an uncomfortable amount of heel on. The wind was strong enough to knock Vela's iced coffee out of her hand!

    The conditions had us a little nervous about leaving Starling unattended, but fortunately Lissa and Andrew from Cape Landing had eyes on from Waikawa marina so we knew she was alright (thanks team!).

    Afterwards we made a quick stop at the supermarket in Picton before we bravely launched the dinghy, said a final goodbye to Amin and Cil (thanks heaps for looking after us, we promise to come back and visit!) and headed back out. The chop was quite incredible, but fortunately the wind had dropped significantly from the 40kt recorded earlier. Vela sustained a minor injury to her toes when climbing out of the dinghy (caught between the dinghy and Starling's transom) but after a bit of ice she was fine.

    We settled in again for the evening and had probably the best sunset we've seen to date. I tried to capture a bit of how choppy the water still was at this point as well.    Leggi altro

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  • Cruising NZ
    Beautiful calm morning in Waikawa Bay
    Tough decisions...The Duncan's won out for nowNot a bad viewHeading out of Queen Charlotte Sound towards Tory ChannelInterislander cruising out of Tory Channel

    Waikawa Bay - Hitaua Bay

    30 gennaio 2024, Nuova Zelanda ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    Quiet day today where the biggest conundrum was deciding which beer to open. In the afternoon we packed up and headed to Hitaua Bay which is at the start of the Tory Channel.

    The plan is to cross the Cook Strait to Wellington on Thursday, where we have a berth booked for a week so we can sort visas for our post sailing adventures.

    Cool view of the Interislander ferries cruising down the channel.    Leggi altro

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  • Cruising NZ
    Peaceful morning at Hitaua Bay
    Heading up the Tory ChannelMade some friends along the wayDelicious "pow pow" for dinnerEvening paddleboard in the glassy conditionsNot a ripple to be seenOnly the fish making ripplesFunky beer for dessertLast sunset in the soundsOne final ferry for the evening

    Tranquility at Te Rua Bay

    31 gennaio 2024, Nuova Zelanda ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    Today was a much nicer day. Vela was hard at work getting everything in line as she's unlikely to be available tomorrow while we cross the Cook Strait. So to get out of her hair, Nathan launched the dinghy to try and find some fish for dinner.

    After floating around for a couple of hours, he only hooked three blue cod, and they were of questionable size so they went back into the water. Unfortunately two of these fish were poached by a squadron of shags that were following Nathan around. To be honest it was quite impressive watching the birds eat a fish that was twice the size of their heads...

    Back onboard Starling and it was time to haul up the anchor and make a little hop further down Tory Channel to shorten our travel time tomorrow. On the way down the channel we sailed past a group of NZ fur seals which seemed to be hunting a school of fish.

    We decided Te Rua Bay looked a likely spot to spend the night, so we parked up and settled in. Vela cooked up her Pad Kra Prao (locally called pow pow) for dinner which was delicious!

    Within a couple hours of arriving, the wind dropped away to nothing, providing us with amazing glassy conditions. Vela went for a bit of an explore on the paddleboard while Nathan enjoyed a funky cookies & cream beer as a sundowner (not very cookies and not very creamy...)

    We watched one last ferry gliding down Tory Channel while star gazing before turning in for the evening.    Leggi altro

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  • Cruising NZ
    First view into the Cook Strait
    Leaving Tory ChannelThe mobile office - literallyBig albatross chillingGetting distracted by the clouds and oceanYou can't beat Wellington on a good dayTomorrow's forecast not looking so nice

    Crossing Cook Strait

    2 febbraio 2024, Nuova Zelanda ⋅ 🌬 17 °C

    Today officially signaled the halfway point of our trip as we left the South Island and began our northward journey (even though Wellington is kinda to the South of Picton...) We left through Tory Channel and had some spectacular currents pushing the boat around as we made the most of the last south island landscapes we'll see on this trip.

    Again we picked a great weather window and had little to no wind and very slight seas on our crossing. Vela was even able to get a bit of work in while we were on the move. We spotted a small pod of dolphins off the southern coast of Wellington, but they didn't get close enough to identify the species. We also saw a big albatross relaxing on the ocean.

    Wellington harbor was completely glassed over, making it hard to believe that 40kt+ winds are forecast for tomorrow... Vela perfectly parked Starling into our marina berth and started chatting away making friends with a couple of marina kids - who we invited in for a tour.

    We walked to a nearby Indian restaurant for dinner, and finished off the evening working on some visa applications (Nathan's Chinese and Vela's Japanese), with a surprise video call from Mike & Cass in Vietnam to top it off.    Leggi altro

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  • Cruising NZ
    Ominous clouds on the horizon
    Vela not a fan of the Wellington windThe break water doing work today40kt at the top of the mast1Dinner time!Cocktails!Duck Island!Pretty rainbowThe other end of the rainbowBright little sunset cloud

    Windy Wellington

    2 febbraio 2024, Nuova Zelanda ⋅ 🌧 16 °C

    After arriving yesterday to glassy conditions, the wind built overnight and we got a proper taste of Wellington today. Our main objective today was to get Vela's Japanese visa submitted, so we bravely set off into the wind to the Japanese embassy.

    By the time we returned to the marina, we were getting gusts well into the high 30kt range. Nathan went to the breakwater to check it out and nearly got blown over as a wall of wind-whipped sea spray charged through. We saw a maximum of 40kt on our wind gear, but Wellington airport was reading around 48kt all afternoon.

    For dinner we met up with Emma and Josh, and enjoyed some Asian fusion, cocktails, and Duck Island ice cream. The weather settled and we got some pretty cool rainbows and a bright little cloud as the sun set. We finished off with a few board games on board Starling before bedtime.    Leggi altro

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  • Cruising NZ

    Wellington - Visa's & Games

    3 febbraio 2024, Nuova Zelanda ⋅ 🌬 13 °C

    This morning was taken up with "life admin" - washing, bathrooms, vacuuming etc. We spent the early afternoon sorting Nathan's Chinese visa and planning part of our China trip.

    Nathan's Mum and dad arrived in the afternoon and in the evening we went to the games cafe for dinner, drinks and a couple of different games. We retired back to Starling for an intense 5 player game of Catan where all players were on 9 points before Vela (white) got her nose over the line first.Leggi altro

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  • Cruising NZ
    View from the observation deck at Te Papa
    Playing around with the artObligatory hazy for lunch, boys were not brought to our yard...View from the top of the Wellington CablecarCool cloudsA collection of selfiesDolphins at the waterfront!Surfing around on the wavesMore cool cloudsGotta get the photo with the sign

    Wellington Sightseeing

    4 febbraio 2024, Nuova Zelanda ⋅ 🌬 16 °C

    This morning, while waiting for one last document for our Chinese visa applications, we explored Te Papa Museum. We particularly enjoyed the nature exhibits and the interactive art. We made a quick stop for lunch at the new Willis Lane Foodcourt (and obligatory hazy) before continuing on to complete today's number one priority (printing all the documents for Nathan and his parents Chinese visas).

    Afterwards we decided to explore a bit of Wellington. We took the Wellington Cable car to the top of Kelburn Hill for some awesome views of the city and harbour before returning to the CBD and walking back to the marina.

    Walking along the downtown waterfront we noticed some strange looking splashing in the water. As we got closer it became apparent that there was a huge pod of dolphins playing in the waves, surfing in towards the Quay before circling back out and repeating. There were at least 50 dolphins and they hung around for more than half an hour. We have really been blessed with our dolphins encounters so far this trip.

    We stopped at the Wellington waterfront sign for a couple of quick snaps before heading back to Starling to relax. Tomorrow will be the big day, submitting our Chinese visa applications! Fingers crossed it all goes smoothly...    Leggi altro

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  • Cruising NZ
    Route planning session heading to Hawke's bay
    Pretty cool tapsTasting paddle (give it a 6/10)Free pint... Looks dangerousNot sure what happened to these...Family dinner time!Cool pastel coloured sunset

    Visas & Family Day

    5 febbraio 2024, Nuova Zelanda ⋅ 🌬 19 °C

    Early start today to get over to the Chinese embassy. We got all of our paperwork submitted and no issues were raised, so that was this week's big job ticked off.

    We headed back to Starling for lunch and a trip planning session. Nathan and Vela made the call to head out from Wellington on Thursday afternoon. Going north to Hawke's Bay to wait out the northerly winds that are forecast for Saturday before continuing on Sunday around East Cape into the bay of plenty, plan is to be in Tauranga Monday evening.

    After this, Nathan and Ross decided it was time to find a cold beer. They headed to Fork and Brewer for a tasting paddle. The beer was nothing exciting to write home about, but the taps were pretty cool. They then headed next door to the sports bar for a couple more cold ones while watching the cricket.

    We all reconvened at dinner (yummy dumplings and noodles) where Nathan and Ross got in trouble with the girls for having one too many (who blamed the bartender for pouring the wrong beer and giving them an extra pint for free...) We headed back for Starling and enjoyed a nice pastel coloured sunset and a game of Catan before bedtime.    Leggi altro

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  • Cruising NZ
    Wellington chop
    Love the retro boat housesLocal eagle ray chilling on the rampRough around Oriental BaySpray whipping over the breakwaterI scream for ice creamBit of a headwind there?Learn to sail heading outBit rough?Yellow mellow fellow

    Oriental Bay

    6 febbraio 2024, Nuova Zelanda ⋅ 🌬 18 °C

    With all of our obligations completed yesterday, today was all about relaxing and enjoying Wellington. After a slow morning, Emma came to join us and we went for a walk towards Oriental bay. Walking past the old boat sheds is always very pretty, and we saw the local eagle ray chilling on the boat ramp.

    It was still a typical Wellington day, with wind up into the 30kt range. The chop was getting whipped up into Oriental Bay, breaking over the concrete breakwaters and crashing onto the beach.

    We had a nice family lunch at the boat cafe before walking along Oriental Bay to digest. On the way back to the marina we stopped for ice cream, before battling the rest of the way back through strong headwinds. One of the local learn to sail boats was heading out - they really are a different breed down here...

    An afternoon/evening of snack foods and board games ensued. And of course enjoying a tasty hazy.    Leggi altro

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  • Cruising NZ
    Couple of jellies hanging out behind Starling
    Swarms of jellyfish throughout the marinaEnough coffee and sugar?3Coke chickenWorld famous chilliObligatory fruity beerBet you can't guess which city...Early Chinese New Year dinnerClouds!Every cloud has a golden? liningEvery cloud has a golden? lining

    East Coast Passage - Prep day

    7 febbraio 2024, Nuova Zelanda ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    We woke up this morning to find the marina had been completely overrun by jellyfish. After being distracted by this phenomena (and pestering a few by tapping on their heads) we headed for the supermarket to prep for our passage up the east coast. Of particular importance is that our caffeine and sugar intake remains high, I'm not sure we've got enough...

    Back on board and Nathan whipped up some coke chicken as an easy snack while on passage, and a batch of his world famous chilli (easy to heat up and store the rest in the freezer).

    An obligatory fruity beer for the afternoon (difficult to keep the can still for the photo in the Wellington wind). We then went out for dinner to celebrate an early Chinese New Year, with Peking Duck and a couple of other dishes.

    A cloud photo and our last Wellington sunset to round out the day. Looking forward to getting moving again and back out into nature for a few days.    Leggi altro

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  • Cruising NZ
    Leaving Wellington
    Spotted! - photo by YannSpotted again! - photo by RossClouds and wavesEpic landscapes of the southern North IslandApproaching Cape PalliserEnjoying the lights on the cloudsEnjoying the lights on the clouds1Chilli for dinnerNight sailing!

    Wellington - Hawke's Bay (Day 1)

    8 febbraio 2024, South Pacific Ocean ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    Today marks the beginning of our journey homeward.

    Vela spent her morning tidying up some work items, while Nathan completed some final prep work - tying the dinghy down, topping up the water tanks, running the jack stays and sorting everything with the marina for our departure. We popped out for a bite to eat for lunch before saying goodbye to Nathan's parents.

    We walked back to the marina, cast off our lines, and headed out of the harbour for open waters. NZ is a small place and you can't do anything under the radar, we were spotted twice, once by our marina neighbour Yann as we left the marina, and also from the air by Mum and Dad as we were leaving Wellington harbour.

    Nathan enjoyed some more funky clouds, and also some big swells as we left Wellington. On our sail across to Cape Palliser we had two visits from dolphins, the first went like:
    Vela - "I really want to see whales... EEEEEEEK!" As a dolphin broke the surface less than a metre from our port rail.

    We are making good time, with speed consistently around 7 knots. We rounded Cape Palliser at 8pm and Nathan heated up a batch of chili for dinner.

    We're now settling into our night sailing mode, expecting the wind to build towards midnight. Looking forward to seeing the Hawke's Bay sometime tomorrow afternoon!    Leggi altro

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