Ready To Go.....

Welcome to our Blog. Our latest entry always comes up first... 
Click this link if you want to start at the beginning:
FIRST BLOG ENTRY
If you want to start at the beginning of our trip:
START OF TRIP
If you want to see the story of our trip from South Carolina
(where we bought the boat)
 to Lake Ontario Click this link:
  SOUTH CAROLINA

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Today we are anchored in a protected bay near Russell, NZ.  We have filed our departure paperwork with the New Zealand Government and our arrival paperwork with the folks in Fiji.  All we need now is a weather window that will allow us to complete the 1000 nautical mile journey north. 

We thought we had a window that would have allowed us to leave today, but it looks like there is some iky (that is a technical sailing term) weather between here and there.  we will keep checking the weather daily until we think we can make it....  (Thank you Bill C.)

In the mean time, we are fully provisioned and the boat is ready to go.  we will a little more exploring here in the Bay of Islands until we get our window.  Our Visa's for New Zealand expire in 23 days....

Over the last few weeks we have made our way from Whangarei to Opua (where we first arrived in November).  The days are getting shorter and the temperature seems like it drops a few degrees every day...  It IS time to go!

On our way north we stopped a few times.  Our first stop was in a bay called Tutukaka Bay.  This was a hotspot for sport fishermen.  Most of the boats were all about deep sea fishing.  They even kept a big board in the club house keeping track of peoples luck!

A notice in the marina!

We did catch a few tuna so far, but nothing really big...

The next night we stopped in Bland Bay (where we stopped when we came south).  We dinghied to the beach at low tide and scored a BONANZA of Pipi's... Good eats!

Last Friday we arrived in Waipao Bay and caught up with our good friends, Amy & David from s/v Starry Horizons.  (http://outchasingstars.com/).  We spent a few days catching up with them and exploring Moturua Island.  

Starry Horizons & Blowin' Bubbles...

Admiral Amy...

Together we moved to Opito Bay and hiked 12 kilometers to a beautiful waterfall...  

The Stone Store - Continuously in business since 1836!

David & Amy (s/v Starry Horizons)

The first waterfall....

Really? This is what we hiked all this way for?

Keep going!

OK.... This is better!

Super Bunny! - This guy had NO FEAR!

Yes... now we have to hike back....

We made it!

Thinking we were going to check out today, we packed up and headed to the marina in Opua on Wednesday.  Shelley did some more provisioning.

Macadamia Nuts!

Now we wait...
Cheers!