A final summary of New Zealand 2018

It is now just over a month since returning from New Zealand and time to summarize the trip.

Thank you to my travelling companions Hugh, Caroline, George and Michael to whom I am most grateful for their encouragement and their company for making this such an enjoyable trip.

For me the highlights were:

Demonstrating that we could tramp (the New Zealand word) 80 KM in four days carrying 25 lbs.

The varying landscape so different from British Columbia.

Experiencing different climate zones - forest, higher alpine (above the bush line), rain forest etc.

The Tangarioro Alpine crossing with its volcanic terrain.

Observing briefly Queenstown in a heat wave with its multiple adventure activities that are available (although we mainly went tramping).

Comfortable Youth Hostels that are part of YHA New Zealand.

A very comfortable AirBnb in Wellington with a swimming pool in 26C weather.

The train journey from Wellington to Auckland.

A jet boat to "A bridge to nowhere" with interesting commentary from the Maori family who owned the business.

A visit to the New Zealand Yacht Squadron to view the Americans cup that will be held in Auckland in March 2021.Americas Cup Protocol.

A tourist boat tour of Auckland Harbor on another hot day. 

Chartering a 31 foot boat for five days sailing in the Bay of Islands.

Chance meeting with two young people associated with the Ocean Cruising Club.

Meeting many very likable New Zealanders.

Meeting young people (mostly under 30) from 42 different countries and states.

Learning the history of the Russell area in the Bay of Islands

A few lowlights:

One day of rain and wind on the Kepler Track.

A day of gale force winds needing to stay on a mooring in Russell.

Realizing once physical endurance limits on the Kepler Track (If I go to New Zealand again I would plan for day tramps rather than overnighters). 
The Raven 31 we chartered needed a lot of TLC but she sailed very well.

Enduring the long air flights to and from New Zealand.

   
  

Russell Museum

This very well organized museum has a 1/5th model of Endeavor in which Captain Cook sailed into the Bay of Islands in 1769.

Russell

The history of Russell dates back to before it was named in 1844 . When Captain Cook sailed Endeavour into the Bay of Islands in 1769 the town was already an established settlement for the Ngare Raumati people.

There is a famous pub the Duke of Marlborough which to-day has been greatly renovated and we enjoyed  dinner there. The first licensee John Johnson, a time-expired convict, established a grog shop there in 1827. We hiked up Flagstaff hill which has an extraordinary history of the British four times erecting a flagstaff and each time it was chopped down by the local Maoris. Eventually the Maoris put a flag staff up themselves and after that there was peace.(It was too wet to take photos of the flagstaff).

There is also a Swordfish Club which became world famous as a result of the angler Zane Grey promoting it. Each year they have an International Billfish Tournament. We had dinner there on our second evening in Russell.

There is a wonderful group of mainly volunteers who operate Russell Radio - Great Escape Charters requested us to check in with them each day and inform them of our float plan.

Motuarohia Island

Motuarohia Island, also known as Roberton Island is mostly a National Park. It also has Cook Cove in it where Captain Cook first landed in 1769.
We went for a hike on a windy day.

Five days cruising in the Bay of Islands.

Sailing in the Bay of Islands was something that many ocean sailors plan to do as it is a natural place to stop after crossing from Tonga and Fiji in about November, prior to the cyclone season in the south pacific ocean.
We had four days of great sailing in warm weather. For three of them the wind was more than 20 KN and so we had two reefs in the mainsail most of the time. We also sailed downwind as much as possible. Going up wind the sea was lumpy and we motor sailed to make it more comfortable.
On the  fourth day a deep weather front came through so we picked up a mooring and spent the day in Russel. In the evening while we were ashore there was torrential rain for about an hour then miraculously it stopped so that we could get back aboard in the dingy without getting soaked.
The first night we anchored in Wharengaere Bay, the second night in Motuaohia Island (Roberton Island), the third and fourth  nights in Russel and the fifth on a mooring at Opua.  Each day we also anchored for lunch in mostly deserted bays.

On the last day we met up with Nina and Tony (Ocean Cruising Club Port Officers) with their Nicholson 45 in which they had sailed from Portsmouth England in 1991 with their four children aboard.

On to the Bay of Islands

In order to see the country we took a four hour bus ride to Paihia and the Bay of Islands. After one night in another hostel we picked up our charter boat at Great Escape Yacht Charters.
Great Escape Yacht Charters

Just after we had gone aboard we were joined by Celia for a visit. As the coordinator of the Ocean Cruising Club's Youth Sponsorship Programme I had helped her obtain a grant to enable her to join an OCC boat in Fiji and sail to Opua in the Bay of Islands. Meeting her was a remarkable coincidence. Although I have helped several youth during the last few years to obtain these grants I had never met one in person as all the applications are handled by Email. Celia normally lives on the island of Guernsey but has decided to have an extended stay in New Zealand before returning home.

A tour of Auckland harbour

It was a very hot day - 26-30C - so we decided to take a boat tour of the Auckland Harbor. Great views.

The Americas Cup

It was of  interest to visit the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron where the Americas Cup is on display. The next Americas Cup Race will be in Auckland in March 2021.
2021 Americas Cup Protocol

On to Auckland

After our two days in Ohakune tramping and jet boating while staying in the Station Lodge YHA we boarded the train again for another half day north to Auckland. Here we had booked into an AirBnb close to downtown Auckland within walking distance of the water front. The AirBnb was owned and managed by Rene who was severely visually impaired. He was a very helpful host and even walked us to his favorite eating places. It was then that we realized how little he could see. He has a guide dog and a white cane. It was remarkable to see how he managed. We were happy with the AirBnb although not nearly as nice as the one we had stayed in in Wellington.

Whanganui River Adventure

We booked a tour bus to take us the 35 KM or so to Pipiriki. Whanganui River Adventures is operated by a Maori family. We travelled in a jet boat 32 KM up the Whanganui river to “A bridge to nowhere”. The bridge was built in 1936 to join what was to be two roads that ended up not being built. We had a most interesting account of the history of the area from the driver Tom - the son of Tom senior who had driven the jet boat in 2014.

We encountered many canoeists. One group of 28 people doing it and the prime organiser had done this every year for about 42 years! The canoe trip takes about five days. All the canoes have to have waterproof containers as they often capsize. We witnessed a group of about four capsizes and our jet boat even helped to rescue one pair in which there was a somewhat frightened young girl.

Tongarioro Alpine Crossing

This hike in Tongariro National Park in the center of the north island is extremely popular. It is however fairly challenging - 19.4 KM and about 1000 meters climb. The weather was perfect - sunny and fortunately a cooling wind at the top. There are buses which drop one off and pick one up at the end of the trail. Our driver estimated that about 2000 people did it this day. On weekends they sometimes get up to 5000 people doing the crossing. Views were spectacular. Hugh and I did this and had to keep going. We felt reasonably fit after doing the Kepler tramp. Caroline sensibly decided her knees were not up to it.

Train to Ohakune

We were now retracing a trip that I did on my own in 2014 because I thought that Hugh and Caroline would enjoy it. Kiwi rail takes about eleven hours from Wellington the Auckland. We broke the journey for three days at Ahakune and stayed in the YHA there. The train winds its way through spectacular scenery and crosses several gorges where the train even slows to give passengers a view.

Wellington cable car

This cable car was built in 1902 and is worth a ride up - we then walked down through the botanical gardens. After this we saw the Parliament buildings (known as the beehive) and down on the waterfront did a quick tour of the Wellington Museum. A free museum funded by Wellington City Council. The maritime part was interesting particularly the account of the Wahine disaster in about 1957 when an inter island ferry foundered in a storm at the entrance to Wellington harbour.
We returned to the AirBnb then went back to the waterfront for dinner that evening.

Riding the cable car.

A panoramic view from the top of the cable car.