Friday, March 14, 2008
Kiwiland
Auckland is the largest Polynesian city in the world. It is the home to 1.5 million people in New Zealand’s fastest growing region. Auckland accounts for 1/3 New Zealand’s economy, yet it is a stone’s throw to magnificent beaches, sparkling blue waters and sparcely populated islands.
In the heart of Auckland one can find bustling activity in the financial section or unlimited selection of fresh sea food at the fish market. Prices seem high, but similar to San Francisco. However since tipping is not expected and the exchange rate is about .8, and we get GST tax exemption on many items, the prices are really quite reasonable. The land prices have really skyrocketed here though and beachfront property prices rival those in the Bay. The climate is about 75 - 80 degrees Fahrenheit daily and the water temperature is about 70 degrees - perfect for snorkeling and swimming.
February 21 - 24 - STORMY, RAIN, WINDS - up to 50 knots. We are snuggled up into Waitiatia Bay on Waiheke Island watching the ferries from Auckland (about 45 minutes by ferry) battle the waves. Exciting, but glad we are safely anchored in the Bay. This is the rain they have been waiting for all summer. Most people on the Island depend on rain, which they collect from their metal roofs into large tanks. They do have electricity, phones to the mainland, and internet cafes at Oneroa. (plus nice restaurants and wine from the 14 wineries here on the Island). We will stay here for a few days to wait out the storm, reading, sleeping, playing cards and other stuff, then go onto Coromandel once the winds calm down and shift to the southwest. Or, as they say here, “Once the weather is fine”.
Over the last 2 ½ months we have been enjoying the countryside and cruising habitats of the North Island. We originally thought that once we reached Auckland, we would take off for the South Island to visit the cruising holes there, but there is so much to see in the North Island that we have scraped our plans to visit the South Island (at least this year). Once we left the Bay of Islands, we stopped at Tutukaka on our way to the Great Barrier Island. Each place we have visited has its own unique charm and interest. Tutukaka boasts that it is only 30 minutes from the best marlin fishing in the world, Great Barrier Island has dozens of bays, coves and hiking trails that one could spend months exploring. Waiheke Island is less than an hours ferry trip from Auckland, yet is a rural, quiet community similar to Bodega Bay where many of the 8000 residents commute to “the city”. The Coromandel Peninsula hosts a few small towns, but is largely just a beautiful, uninhabited place where sheep and cattle graze. Most of the New Zealanders own boats - no surprise where thousands of beautiful anchoring spots can be visited within hours of Auckland. We have just touched the scenic beauty of this marvelous land and have genuinely been given the “red carpet” by the locals. We are very comfortable with our Seawind 1160 even in 3 to 4 meter seas. Most of the warrantee items have been resolved by Royce Black, Seawind factory representative, who came to Auckland to resolve the issues and help show Seawinds in the Auckland boat show. We have found provisioning fairly easy. Of course linking up with a great Kiwi couple, Alec and Ann Waring, who also purchased a Seawind 1160, has been extremely delightful and helpful.
We continually talk to people about our next ocean crossing to Tahiti, and most of them say, “Why not join us and dozens of other cruisers who venture to Fiji from here each year?” Maybe we are a little nuts, but it seems that taking the tough part first (3 weeks to Tahiti from here), and then relaxing while going downwind through the Tuamotus, French Polynesians, and maybe all the way to Samoa, is a reasonable thing to do. We will have to find a front traveling through New Zealand, follow the back end of it (southwesterlies) until we hit 150 degrees West , then head north to catch the trade winds to Tahiti. At least, that is the plan, but we are cruisers, and cruisers need to be flexible.
Tom Hanson and Merrie Bailey will be joining us next week after their tour of Australia and the South Island. Tom, along with Ted Stuart, will be crewing with us as we head East at the end of April. In the interim, we are checking with the locals to find out how they catch all those huge red snappers.
In the heart of Auckland one can find bustling activity in the financial section or unlimited selection of fresh sea food at the fish market. Prices seem high, but similar to San Francisco. However since tipping is not expected and the exchange rate is about .8, and we get GST tax exemption on many items, the prices are really quite reasonable. The land prices have really skyrocketed here though and beachfront property prices rival those in the Bay. The climate is about 75 - 80 degrees Fahrenheit daily and the water temperature is about 70 degrees - perfect for snorkeling and swimming.
February 21 - 24 - STORMY, RAIN, WINDS - up to 50 knots. We are snuggled up into Waitiatia Bay on Waiheke Island watching the ferries from Auckland (about 45 minutes by ferry) battle the waves. Exciting, but glad we are safely anchored in the Bay. This is the rain they have been waiting for all summer. Most people on the Island depend on rain, which they collect from their metal roofs into large tanks. They do have electricity, phones to the mainland, and internet cafes at Oneroa. (plus nice restaurants and wine from the 14 wineries here on the Island). We will stay here for a few days to wait out the storm, reading, sleeping, playing cards and other stuff, then go onto Coromandel once the winds calm down and shift to the southwest. Or, as they say here, “Once the weather is fine”.
Over the last 2 ½ months we have been enjoying the countryside and cruising habitats of the North Island. We originally thought that once we reached Auckland, we would take off for the South Island to visit the cruising holes there, but there is so much to see in the North Island that we have scraped our plans to visit the South Island (at least this year). Once we left the Bay of Islands, we stopped at Tutukaka on our way to the Great Barrier Island. Each place we have visited has its own unique charm and interest. Tutukaka boasts that it is only 30 minutes from the best marlin fishing in the world, Great Barrier Island has dozens of bays, coves and hiking trails that one could spend months exploring. Waiheke Island is less than an hours ferry trip from Auckland, yet is a rural, quiet community similar to Bodega Bay where many of the 8000 residents commute to “the city”. The Coromandel Peninsula hosts a few small towns, but is largely just a beautiful, uninhabited place where sheep and cattle graze. Most of the New Zealanders own boats - no surprise where thousands of beautiful anchoring spots can be visited within hours of Auckland. We have just touched the scenic beauty of this marvelous land and have genuinely been given the “red carpet” by the locals. We are very comfortable with our Seawind 1160 even in 3 to 4 meter seas. Most of the warrantee items have been resolved by Royce Black, Seawind factory representative, who came to Auckland to resolve the issues and help show Seawinds in the Auckland boat show. We have found provisioning fairly easy. Of course linking up with a great Kiwi couple, Alec and Ann Waring, who also purchased a Seawind 1160, has been extremely delightful and helpful.
We continually talk to people about our next ocean crossing to Tahiti, and most of them say, “Why not join us and dozens of other cruisers who venture to Fiji from here each year?” Maybe we are a little nuts, but it seems that taking the tough part first (3 weeks to Tahiti from here), and then relaxing while going downwind through the Tuamotus, French Polynesians, and maybe all the way to Samoa, is a reasonable thing to do. We will have to find a front traveling through New Zealand, follow the back end of it (southwesterlies) until we hit 150 degrees West , then head north to catch the trade winds to Tahiti. At least, that is the plan, but we are cruisers, and cruisers need to be flexible.
Tom Hanson and Merrie Bailey will be joining us next week after their tour of Australia and the South Island. Tom, along with Ted Stuart, will be crewing with us as we head East at the end of April. In the interim, we are checking with the locals to find out how they catch all those huge red snappers.
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