Landfall in New Zealand

By Nicole

After spending 2 1/2 years sailing nearly 15,000 nautical miles through 11 countries on 1 little sailboat, we’ve arrived on the other side of the world. Hello, New Zealand!

On passage from Minerva Reef to New Zealand under a reefed main and jib

We made our approach to Opua, on the northeastern edge of New Zealand’s North Island, in the middle of the night. The stunning coastline we’d heard so much about, camouflaged by the darkness. We had it on good authority that arriving to the quarantine dock at night was no problem – the charts were accurate and the channel and dock were well lit – so we decided to go for it. There was no way we were waiting until daylight to make landfall!

Moments after arriving to the Q dock in New Zealand, and moments before the crack of Aaron’s anchor-down beer

Buzzy with the excitement of our arrival (in New Zealand!!), it took us forever to finally crawl into bed. But we knew the customs and quarantine guys would be coming in just a few hours, so we tried to chill out and get a little sleep. I was, of course, up with the sun like I always am. I peeked out the port light to see the sun rising over tree-covered islands and a flat-calm anchorage. Wow. Still in my PJs, I grabbed the camera to snap a few pictures (before exclaiming how freaking cold it was and sprinting back inside to find some socks and a fleece).

My first view of New Zealand in the daylight.

Despite the horror stories propagating around the cruiser community about checking in to New Zealand, our experience was super easy. Just follow the pre-arrival directions, don’t bring in anything you shouldn’t and you’ll be fine. It took less than an hour for both departments to visit and inspect us before we were cleared to leave the customs dock for our slip in the marina. (A slip in the marina! What a treat!)

Locals here joke that new arrivals from Tonga and Fiji are easy to spot with their tans and jackets.

View from our slip in the Opua Marina

Opua is a beautiful, quiet little place. It’s not much more than the marina, a café, a number of marine-related businesses and a tiny general store backed by scenic views in every direction. For us, these features made it the perfect spot to make landfall. The nearest town (where you can find shops, restaurants, ATMs and the grocery store) is a 10- or 15-minute drive away – or a lovely 2 1/2-hour walk along the beach.

Waking the beachside trail from Opua to Paihia

Nasturtiums along the trail

Towering tree ferns

One of the many (many) anchorages in the Bay of Islands

Cute little boatyard set back from the trail

We never actually walked the whole way to Paihia (we got hungry for lunch and turned around), but it was still fun. You know, this seems like the right time to tout the glorious trail system found throughout New Zealand. Kiwis love to hike, and that fact is evidenced by the abundance and quality of trails. Nowhere else (except maybe Niue) have we seen such well-manicured and well-signed trails. And they’re literally everywhere! It’s a hiker’s (and walker’s) paradise. Oh, but don’t call them “trails.” They’re “tracks.” And it’s not “hiking,” it’s “tramping.”

In order to take advantage of the tramping tracks and see some of this fantastic country, we decided to upgrade the dinghy. We bought a car! Taking the test drive was the first time in my life I’d driven on the left side of the road. EEK! Look out! No, it was actually easier to adjust to the “other” side than I thought it would be. And to this day, I haven’t yet signaled with the windshield wipers (unlike some other people I know … ahem, Aaron, Zack, Adam and John).

The Bella Star land dinghy. Our really old but new-to-us Honda Legend.

Driving on the “other” side of the road is fun! It’s almost like breaking the law, except not doing that.

Opua is part of the Northland district (I think they’re called districts, anyway), which I’ve seen referred to on signs and business names as the Far North. I love the term, since it makes me think of Hobbits and reindeer. In any event, we left Opua early one morning to explore the Far North in our new wheels. We didn’t come across any Hobbits or reindeer, but we did see some gorgeous countryside, TONS of sheep, a lighthouse and some killer sand dunes.

Northern NZ landscape of forests and sheep pastures (with giant sand dunes in the background)

Aaron takes this photo-op break to munch down a filled roll (Kiwi for sub sandwich)

Sheep. Are. Everywhere. Fuzzy sheep, shorn sheep, black sheep, white sheep with white faces, white sheep with black faces, SHEEP! They outnumber people by more than 7:1 today (down from, like, 20:1 a few decades ago).

When you can’t drive any farther north, you’ve reached Cape Reinga. This spot marks the confluence of the Pacific Ocean and the Tasman Sea, which separates New Zealand from Australia. The edge of the Pacific – how cool! And another thing, many of the signs here are in Maori as well as English. Also cool.

Where the Pacific Ocean meets the Tasman Sea

At Cape Reinga, overlooking a bay and more sand dunes

The Cape Reinga lighthouse

The North Island and the Pacific Ocean … conquered!

Tramping in jandals (oh yeah, “jandals” are flip flops here)

Hey, there’s Vancouver! We’re really far from home.

Flipping through the Lonely Planet guide for NZ, we came across the Te Paki sand dunes. They were just a short drive from Cape Reinga, so we knew we had to visit. We’ve spent time on the Oregon and Washington coasts and have seen some dune action, but nothing prepared us for these gigantic piles of sand. Holy crap, this place is crazy! We’d run up the steep face of one dune expecting to see the ocean, but no, all we’d see is another dune. And another. And another. Incredible. It was like the Sahara Desert (or as Aaron said, like Tatooine minus the Jawas).

Finally, after what seemed like endless dune scaling, we spotted the Tasman Sea way off in the distance.

Going down was way more fun!

Okay, so I’ve told you about the fantastic trail system, and now it’s time to share something else. Northern New Zealand has a semi-tropical climate, and it’s avocado season! You can also find oranges, lemons and macadamia nuts at the local farmers markets, and palm trees, ginger and exotic plants grow wild on the hillsides … I like it here.

Roadside on-your-honor avocado stand. Yes that says $2/bag.

Bella Star is now comfortably tucked into her slip in our “home” marina just north of downtown Auckland. We’re settling into the liveaboard lifestyle again, after being cruisers for the last 2 1/2 years. Aaron even bought a toaster! (Something we could never run without shore power.) Things like unlimited hot-water showers and easy access to washing machines feel normal again, although I’m not sure that’s necessarily a good thing. I am, however, looking forward to the next few months spent living and traveling here. Who knows what it will bring? Well, besides lots of guacamole …

Palms and crimson-flowered pohutukawa trees line the shore of our new marina. In a few weeks, the pohutukawa trees, known as the “New Zealand Christmas Tree” will be in full-bloom throughout the country. Happy spring!

New Zealand has sunk its teeth into us! I think we’ll be staying here for awhile.

Bora Bora, baby

By Nicole

After leaving Moorea and its cuddly stingrays behind, we bounced through the rest of the Society Islands, pinball style, quickly hitting the islands of Huahine and Tahaa before settling in on Bora Bora.

Looking back at Motu Toopua and the peaks of Bora Bora from the lagoon

The island, an extinct volcano fringed by a barrier reef and a handful of motus, is actually quite small – just 32 km around. And as it turns out, that’s the perfect distance for a bike ride. Spurred on by Mark from s/v Compass Rosey, we rented bikes and peddled our way around Bora Bora.

Circumnavigating Bora Bora by bike … the ideal way to see the island and meet a few locals.

Aaron poses with the powdered sugar sand and turquoise water off Matira Point

Consider Bora Bora conquered!

One of Bora Bora’s craggy peaks

We parked our bikes and walked down a short trail to this gorgeous overlook

So we’re riding along when we spot this blue cooler sitting on the side of the road. The sign taped to the front advertised iced coconuts for 200 francs (about $2US). Being that it was a warm day (and that we love coconut anything), we turned our bikes around and skidded to a stop. A family – dad, mom, son and a passel of dogs – came hurrying over from their house next door. We turned over the cash, and the dad hacked the top off a chilled coconut and inserted a bendy straw into the hole. The icy cold coconut water was slightly fizzy and incredibly refreshing. Gotta love a coconut break.

Iced coconuts? Yes, please!

Oh, yeah. That’s tasty.

Once we’d finished sucking down a liter or two of coconut water, we handed our now-empty coconuts back to the dad. He expertly sliced them open with a huge knife and scraped out the thick, sweet layer of coconut meat for us. So, so good. In the process of removing Mark’s coconut meat from the husk, a few prime pieces accidentally fell on the ground (where the dogs ate them). We weren’t worried about it, but they wanted to make sure we got what we paid for. So the dad grabbed two new coconuts and proceeded to fill a bag for us with the delicious coconut meat. While we were waiting, the mom ran off into the house and sliced up a fresh mango for us to snack on! How nice is that?

Aaron eating some coconut jelly with a spoon

Happy girl with a bag (and belly) full of coconut

We couldn’t resist stopping at a roadside maritime museum

Admiring the tanbark sails. Wait, is that Bella Star?

Ever since I first spotted them for sale in the Marquesas, I’ve wanted to buy a Polynesian pareo. It always felt a little touristy, so I resisted … until we rode past this woman selling hand-crafted pareos from her house.

The artisan (and her cute kid) showing us how she makes the pareos. First the white cloth is soaked in water, then it’s transferred to the white tubs (on the right), each full of a different color of dye. Think “tie dye.”

The dyed cloth is placed on a table to dry in the sun. Meanwhile, cut-outs of words, flowers, turtles, geckos and other images are placed on the damp cloth. The dye is absorbed by the cut-out material and voila!

Pareos blowing in the breeze

Decisions, decisions. I could’ve spent a good 30 minutes looking at all the designs, but I had two boys in tow.

So I picked this one and got lessons on how to wear it.

We were starving by the time we made it back to town (especially Mark, despite the fact that he stopped for two ice cream breaks along the way), so we grabbed baguette sandwiches at a little lunch spot. Right next door was an arcade, and the guys couldn’t pass up an opportunity to play foosball.

Mark hustling Aaron in the arcade (Aaron wants a rematch)

Oh yeah, and it was the Fourth of July! So that night, we took a mooring outside Bloody Mary’s restaurant and splurged on an delicious seafood dinner. Despite the fact that there were only three Americans and no fireworks, we still had a great time. Sand floors and a flip-flop check (no one needs a coat here) made it all the more fun.

Local canoe race in front of the Bloody Mary’s dock

Arm shot! On our way to dinner at Bloody Mary’s restaurant for the 4th of July.

The restaurant has pictures of all the famous (and moderately famous) people who’ve dined there.
This one was my favorite.

So, okay, we’d done the relatively easy bike ride around the island, hugging the base of the volcano. Now it was time to venture inland for a little hiking. Rising over 2,000’, Bora Bora’s peaks tower over the lagoon below and provide an impressive backdrop from any vantage point on the island.

How could we resist?

Sure the sign says that we’re strongly advised to hike with a guide, but where’s the adventure in that?! Besides, we read that a guide would cost over $120US, so we decided to go it alone. How hard could it be? Well, let’s just say that the goats who first trampled this trail didn’t believe in switchbacks. So, yeah, that basically means the trail goes from sea level to 2,000’ feet in a hurry. Going up was one thing, but coming down … holy quad workout! I’m still sore a week later. :)

The trail started out easy, with a saunter through a banana grove

Green bananas

But the trail quickly turned into a Bravo-style, four-paw scramble up tree roots and rock walls with a few strategically placed ropes along the way. This is the only picture we got during the hike, since our hands were a little busy keeping us attached to the mountain. At least we wore real shoes this time.

Lagoon and motu views from nearly 2,000’

Aaron builds a super cairn so future hikers can find their way

Sweaty arm shot. And look! Aaron got a haircut! From a Parisian dude with a downy-soft white poodle named Lulu who sported a glitzy pink collar and sat on my lap while the coiffeur worked his magic on Aaron’s locks.

Let’s transition to food for a minute. I’m a long-time sushi fan, but Aaron is a newcomer to the cuisine. For years I tried to get him to taste sushi, and for years I failed (“raw fish, ewww!”). But friends on s/v LightSpeed showed him the proverbial light by making us tuna rolls and sashimi when we reconnected on Hiva Oa a few months back. Lo and behold, Aaron loved it and couldn’t get enough. Which means he’s been pestering me to make sushi, like a lot. We’ve eaten sushi on Bravo a few times since Aaron’s awakening, and he came up with the clever idea to ask Cindi to give me sushi-making lessons. Our friends aboard m/v Mystic Moon joined in, and Cindi proved to be a stellar instructor … sushi night was a hit!

Sushi-making lessons aboard m/v Mystic Moon. Apparently it take the utmost concentration.

Cindi showing us how she rolls

Mmmmahi-mahi

Wine and wasabi … Mystic Moon's lovely table is set for sushi night

A prime specimen, moments before being dipped in soy and wasabi and inserted into my mouth.

Time flies when you’re having fun, and French Polynesia has been a blast. Our three-month visas are expiring, though, and it’s time to decide what’s next. We thought we had our answer – sail straight to the tiny island nation of Niue more than 1,000 miles away – but after chatting with friends and analyzing the weather, we’ve changed our minds. What? We’re allowed to do that.

Now we’re playing the waiting game, letting some super-strong winds move through so we can head to Suwarrow, a remote atoll and national park in the Cook Islands. Niue is most definitely still on the itinerary, but visiting an isolated, far-flung atoll – one with such a rich maritime history – is a rare opportunity. But we still may change our minds! Ah, the perks of cruising.

It’s time to head west toward that setting sun.