Christmas Catch-up
Last Christmas was spent anchored at Motutapu Island (in the Hauraki Gulf attached to Rangitoto so quite close to Auckland really) and included fresh scallops (dived for the previous day), drinks and a meal with friends, petanque on the beach and dolphins swimming in the bay. We spent just over a week sailing around Motutapu and Waiheke, getting as far as Hooks Bay at the other end of Waiheke and back to spend New Years Eve at Oneroa. The fireworks were surprisingly good and we enjoyed some bubbly with Whimsy.
After a brief period back at work I went up to do the Tall Ships Race in the Bay of Islands and the sail back to Auckland on Breeze. Breeze is a 60 ft brigantine, one of the maritime museum boats, that Jim and I (although lately just me) volunteer on. Over Auckland anniversary weekend we were back on Breeze to take part in the Mahurangi Classic Boat Regatta and then I sailed her back to Auckland. Despite light wind to begin with, once past Tiri the wind picked up and we raced along past Takapuna with full sail up, sailing in company with Aotearoa One, a replica voyaging waka.
Our initial plan was to take a holiday in Feb when the weather is usually at its’ best. However, what with one thing and another it was Easter before we got away. The first task before we set off was to find the cat. CP is not a fan of boats that move (so she doesn’t often have a problem really!) and at the slightest hint that something is up so she will be off to her hidey-hole. The flaw in her plan is that we know where she hides (but normally can’t get in), this time we were early enough so that the people in the shop she hides under could let us into the basement. The flaw in our plan was that it is very difficult trying to catch a cat in near darkness that not only doesn’t want to get caught but knows you can’t see her if she stays still! We got her eventually and armed with reluctant feline set off for two weeks sailing in the Hauraki Gulf.
After the obligatory first night at Isy Bay and a meal with friends on Waterdragon we set off for Barrier. We spent several days at Barrier, relaxing, tramping and diving before heading across to the Mokohinau Islands to the north of Barrier. We did some really nice diving there with the best vis we’ve seen in NZ for a long time. There were some very cheeky wrasse which would come right us to us and check whether we were edible. The second evening we took drinks and nibbles up to the lighthouse and watched the sunset. We finished our trip with a few days at Kawau Island and Tiri Tiri before heading back to Bayswater.
We got away for 2 winter excursions, a long weekend tramping and skiing with friends and a second week long trip. During the week we went across to Taranaki and climbed up to the crater of the mountain (just about killed us). Then we went to Ruapehu and hired some short skis which we carried into one of the huts and had great fun mucking around on the skis on the ‘slopes’ behind the hut, the ‘slopes’ included trees, bushes, streams and other such obstacles not normally encountered when skiing (note: ski-boots weigh a tonne!). We spent a couple of days skiing more conventionally before tramping with the skis part way up Ngarahoe (unfortunately the clouds closed in and prevented us from going higher) and then skiing down as far as we could before the rocks became more numerous than the snow. We made several unplanned stops as the tips of the short skis dug into the soft snow!
Over the course of the year we’ve been out sailing for a few more weekends (with variable weather!), done some kayaking, some canyoning, some work on the boat including re-rigging, went to U2, enjoyed the marina barbeques, had friends to stay and caught up with other friends and family.
Wishing everyone a great Christmas and New Year, hope you are enjoying life whatever you are up to.
Jim, Tori and CP
Yacht Elenya
After a brief period back at work I went up to do the Tall Ships Race in the Bay of Islands and the sail back to Auckland on Breeze. Breeze is a 60 ft brigantine, one of the maritime museum boats, that Jim and I (although lately just me) volunteer on. Over Auckland anniversary weekend we were back on Breeze to take part in the Mahurangi Classic Boat Regatta and then I sailed her back to Auckland. Despite light wind to begin with, once past Tiri the wind picked up and we raced along past Takapuna with full sail up, sailing in company with Aotearoa One, a replica voyaging waka.
Our initial plan was to take a holiday in Feb when the weather is usually at its’ best. However, what with one thing and another it was Easter before we got away. The first task before we set off was to find the cat. CP is not a fan of boats that move (so she doesn’t often have a problem really!) and at the slightest hint that something is up so she will be off to her hidey-hole. The flaw in her plan is that we know where she hides (but normally can’t get in), this time we were early enough so that the people in the shop she hides under could let us into the basement. The flaw in our plan was that it is very difficult trying to catch a cat in near darkness that not only doesn’t want to get caught but knows you can’t see her if she stays still! We got her eventually and armed with reluctant feline set off for two weeks sailing in the Hauraki Gulf.
After the obligatory first night at Isy Bay and a meal with friends on Waterdragon we set off for Barrier. We spent several days at Barrier, relaxing, tramping and diving before heading across to the Mokohinau Islands to the north of Barrier. We did some really nice diving there with the best vis we’ve seen in NZ for a long time. There were some very cheeky wrasse which would come right us to us and check whether we were edible. The second evening we took drinks and nibbles up to the lighthouse and watched the sunset. We finished our trip with a few days at Kawau Island and Tiri Tiri before heading back to Bayswater.
We got away for 2 winter excursions, a long weekend tramping and skiing with friends and a second week long trip. During the week we went across to Taranaki and climbed up to the crater of the mountain (just about killed us). Then we went to Ruapehu and hired some short skis which we carried into one of the huts and had great fun mucking around on the skis on the ‘slopes’ behind the hut, the ‘slopes’ included trees, bushes, streams and other such obstacles not normally encountered when skiing (note: ski-boots weigh a tonne!). We spent a couple of days skiing more conventionally before tramping with the skis part way up Ngarahoe (unfortunately the clouds closed in and prevented us from going higher) and then skiing down as far as we could before the rocks became more numerous than the snow. We made several unplanned stops as the tips of the short skis dug into the soft snow!
Over the course of the year we’ve been out sailing for a few more weekends (with variable weather!), done some kayaking, some canyoning, some work on the boat including re-rigging, went to U2, enjoyed the marina barbeques, had friends to stay and caught up with other friends and family.
Wishing everyone a great Christmas and New Year, hope you are enjoying life whatever you are up to.
Jim, Tori and CP
Yacht Elenya
posted by Elenya at 4:46 pm
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