Happy Christmas

Christmas day is a gloriously sunny day here. There's not a cloud in the sky at our anchorage here at Revolver Bay, Preservation Inlet. We can see inland to the mountains of the southern alps. We have just returned from a dive in the nearby "Narrows". This area is a narrow bend through which Fiordlands third longest fiord flows. Strong flowing currents in this area give rise to colonies of filter feeders. Today we saw many forms of these, Sea Pens, Lace Coral and most all the Strawberry holothurians.
These Strawberry holothurians look just like strawberries but have finger like tentacles instead of a stalk. These are used to collect food from the water. The holothurians are on the rocks in about 3 to 10 metres of water and are quite dense. When seen they are in expansive areas like fields hence the name they have as the Strawberry Fields. Its a beautiful sight as you look up at them from below, the sun shining through the water (as much as it can here) and everything colored a lovely red.

Our anchorage is also proving good with little wind, but enough to keep the sandflies away. The area is all ours as there are no other boats are anywhere near , our closest neighbours being at the lodge about five miles away. We will probably have some nice Blue Cod for dinner and hopefully be able to enjoy a glorious evening outside.

We hope all is going well for you. To all our friends a Happy Christmas and we look forward to catching up with those we can in 2009.

For my family in the UK (and those in NZ) I hope its not too cold! I'm sure you will be having a family Christmas and we shall be thinking of you all.

To all of Tori's family in Gisborne I hope its not too hot! We will hopefully stop in to Gisborne on our way back from the Southern Islands after Chatham Island if we are able.

Have a great time over this Holiday.

Puysegur Point

Today was an absolutely glorious summers day so we took the opportunity to take the dinghy down Otago's Retreat and walk up to the Pusegeur Point lighthouse. We had some nice views as we headed out, looking down the sound back towards the hills with the last vestiges of snow on the mountains in the far distance. I'm not sure whether it was an anticlimax or not to see Puysegur Point in relatively calm weather with only a bit of swell rolling in (although I won't complain if that's the weather we get
when we head out and round to Stewart Island in a few days!). The walk up to the lighthouse was pretty with views out to sea and lots of birdsong and butterflies and flowers. From the lighthouse we could see out to sea, up the coast to Chalky Island and down the coast to the Solander Islands. We walked further along to the beach where Sealers No. 1 Creek meets the sea, a golden sandy beach. I ventured in for a swim - maybe just so I could say I have swum at Puysegur Point but not out very deep as
there was quite a rip running and this was not exactly swimming between the flags! We also had a look at Sealers No. 2 Creek where we were dive bombed repeatedly by a pair of NZ falcon. I heard the rush of wings as one went for Jim and another time I was forced to duck as one skimmed the top of my head. They weren't selective as a paradise duck got similar treatment.

We are currently anchored at Kisbee Bay in Preservation Inlet, far enough out that we are not bothered by sandflies much. Kisbee is the site of Cromarty, a former mining town flourishing in 1895, which with the demise of gold and coal prospecting has disappeared into the bush. The only signs remaining are at the site of the Kisbee hotel where you can see a bit of the foundations and lots of broken bottles. There are also large rhododendron bushes which are in full flower, one bright red and the other
white. There is quite a bit of red foliage breaking up the green at the moment as the southern rata is starting to bloom and we can see intense bursts of scarlet scattered in the trees which is the mistletoe in flower. Other relics around Cromarty include an old boiler from the sawmill.

Yesterday we walked up the the site of the Alpha Battery gold mine at the head of Sealers No. 1 creek. All the equipment had just been left in place after the mine became uneconomical, the stamper where the quartz ore was crushed and other machinery including the pelton wheel (think water wheel), bowl crushers, pipes and an old safe are all still there. We took the longer route (from Kisbee rather than further up at Te Oneroa) which made it a seven hour tramp just a bit further than our normal stroll
of about 40 feet! In Preservation Inlet we also visited the old Tarawera smelter where, among other remains, a reclining chimney built of brick still stands.

On our way round from Dusky to Preservation we spent a few days in Chalky Inlet. In Chalky, we anchored in North Port near the hulk of the Stella. The Stella is an old steam ship which used to service the region and was purposely beached in North Port. One night a fishing boat anchored nearby which is the first time we have really shared an anchorage (as opposed to eg anchoring near tourist boats on their moorings). We haven't seen a single yacht yet and very few pleasure craft although we are starting
to hear other yachts in Fiordland on the radio. No doubt as we head towards Stewart Island with the Christmas season approaching this will change.

Zero shopping days to Christmas!

We have no shopping days until Christmas.

At present we are awaiting this latest southerly to blow through and will then depart for Chalky Inlet, Preservation Inlet and then on to Stewart Island for New Year. Well that is the plan anyway. We have spent a lot of time in the outer part of Dusky Sound. We spent some time in Pickersgill Harbour. A walk around Astronomers Point showed stumps of trees still visible from when Cooks men cut them down to allow him to make repairs to his ship and undertake his observations. You had to use your imagination
to see the stumps but guide book said they could be seen.

Luncheon Cove, another of Cooks hang outs has been a good base for us. We have been further north to Cormorant cove and explored the tidal mud flats within the marine reserve. A trip back to Luncheon Cove saw us visit all the small coves and inlets. This included Facile Harbour, site of the first ship wreck in NZ history. The "Endeavour" in 1795, not Cooks Endeavour! We stopped and anchored in 'Little Harbour' for lunch and a lazy afternoon. This harbour was used by sealers as it was close to the
sealing grounds. As the wind died that evening the sandflies found us. We got underway and left via a small gap in the islands about 10 metres wide. Quite typical of the anchorages here is the narrow but clear entrances.

Back at Luncheon Cove we have been enjoying it's lack of sandflies. We spent a day snorkeling with a few seals joining Tori and getting closer than she wanted in some cases! A few crays were in easy reach so one was brought back for dinner! We have undertaken two dives on the wreck of the "Waikere". This Union Steamship Company Passenger vessel sank in 1910 after hitting a rock. It lies in 6 to 18 m of water and is an easy dive. We could identify mooring bollards, ship side frames, lightening holes,
boilers, derricks and even some blocks and shackles on one mast. The teak decking was still visible and the teak that remains was in very good condition. The wreck is in an advanced state of decay but has faired well.

Luncheon cove lies within Anchor Island, a predator free island. A walk on the island allowed us to see Yellowheads, Saddlebacks, NZ Robins and Kakariki. The island is also home to Fiordland Crested and the Blue Penguin, of which we have seen many. The cove itself is a shelterd anchorage and has allowed us to relax for the first time in a long time. The cove is protected from all directions although has been gusty at times. It is home to many seal colonies. We have several just 20 to 50 metres away.
We have been watching the interaction of the seals including mothers with pups suckling. A remarkably noisy event (like Goff or Mark'o at lunch time).

The boat has been proving its capabilities well and has looked after us well. In the last 50 days we have had 10 days with FX winds less than 30 knots (Force 6), 30 days with winds 30 to 45 knots (Force 7 to 9), and 10 days with winds more than 45 knots (Force 10 and over). A solid lump of vessel is nice!

We will not be in phone coverage until New Year but will post a message to all family and friends on Christmas Day, and I will phone home to UK as soon as we are in phone coverage Mum, and to Gisborne Maire.

Its stopped raining! oh no wait it's just started again!!

We have been busy doing all sorts of things since our last update. We are often asked by family and friends exactly how do we spend our time? I'd like to give a long list of things that we do and how each day is filled to the brim with activity. This would allow me to explain my lack of any correspondence and convincingly show I'm on the level. Unfortunately the list looks a little lame when I do put it together.

1. Getting up! this is obviously the third activity of any day. In order to get up you first have to wake up, which can take at least an hour in itself. All good activities require planning (second activity of day) so it is better not to rush them. We plan each "getting up", that is after we have actually decided that we should get up.
2. Breakfast. This has to be planed the day before as you may need bread or yoghurt, in which case you have to make them first. Breakfast is also a good time to look at the rest of the day and plan anything you wish to do. The weather plays a big role so we don't plan until we can look at the weather that is actually happening each day. Rain, Heavy Rain, Torrential downpour etc.
3. Lunch. Always important to ensure you are fully capable of doing what is required so lunch is always on my list of daily activities.
4. Activity. Whatever you actually planned to do for the day.
5. Dinner. After a hectic day doing there is nothing like a good feed to cap the day. This allows reflection on the day and a bit of thought about what you could have put in a letter to your family if only you had the time.
6. Rest and relaxation. An important part of every day. Nothing like a comfy couch or bed to read a good book or magazine like "Boating New Zealand".

I'm sure you can start to see the hectic fully filled days that transpire in the cruising life. We do enjoy having the ability to take the time to relax and enjoy the day, each and every part. A lot of time is spent doing mundane things. Laundry takes a wee bit longer ass I have to do it all by hand. This also needs a fair bit of water. No problem with water here as there is rather a lot of it! Mind you running ashore in the dinghy to fill drums from a stream, while be eaten alive by the sand flies,
then returning to the yacht and lugging it to the deck do take a bit of time. Once all the laundry is soaked, scrubbed, rinsed and hung up you then have a boat you cant move as it is massively over-canvassed and will capsize in the slightest breeze.

A reasonable amount of time is spent securing the boat each night. We have been cruising at a time some would consider less than sensible to be down here. This is because the weather is even worse now than it is in the summer, wind, more rain etc. In some locations we have been lucky to use permanent shore lines and moorings put in for fishing boats. Always in good locations and made for boats far bigger than ours so no strength problems. In other locations we have to weave a lattice of long ropes
to various trees, rocks etc to hold us. All while the sand flies take a quick snack. The worst locations for me are those perched on the narrow ledges of mud at the head, and some sides, of each fiord. Here you may be anchored in 20m to 30m of water. The only problem is if you drag the anchor off the shelf you have all your chain and anchor hanging straight down, or if you drag towards shore you have little room between you and the shore. We had the less than 1 meter between the shore and our rudder.
We were fine but it is a little unnerving.

We have managed to get some more good dives in since our last update. The locations we pick have tended to be those that are protected as a reserve or no anchoring zone. In Doubtful Sound we had a couple of dives in a narrow channel called "The Gut". This area has a high tidal flow and has a good selection of black coral, red coral, sea pens and other suspension feeders. The strong current meant we only saw a small part of the area but I would recommend this site if you dive. Breaksea Sound provided
a good location to get a feed of scallops for Tori. Wet Jacket Arm provided a couple of dives and Dusky sound has provided one so far.

One thing you notice about diving here is the quantity of things that are missing from places like the Hauraki Gulf. Fish and Crayfish for example. There ar plenty of good sized fish down here. Crayfish are everywhere. On one dive I gave up counting them at 42 legal sized crays that I could see from one spot looking in one direction. They literally are on and under everything. We have taken one Cray since we have been here and I am told it was very good.

Fishing, not a great success for us in normal circumstances, has provide some nice meals. We decided to have a go with our handline whilst anchored two days ago at Supper Cove in Dusky Sound. Our lure which is normally towed had provided nothing in the last two months. We attached a couple of hooks with coloured plastic on them (the guy in the shop 8 years ago said they would be good!) to our hand line and dropped it to the bottom 50 metres below. Within a couple of seconds we got our first bite,
then after a minute our first fish. This turned out, after winding up 50m of line, to be a small (read very small) fish. Having released this we got the line to the bottom again. This resulted in 3 seconds fishing and winding up 50m of line onto our handline. Looked like the same fish to me! Having discovered the small fish were not the subject to a size limit by MOF we decided to leave them on the line. Within a few minutes of getting the line back in the water we got a big bite. This turned out
to be a Groper about 90cm long. Yummy too!! We dropped the line to the bottom and caught two more in about 30 mins. After that we managed to get two sharks, one about a metre long, which luckily got themselves of the line. We stopped fishing at that point. Its the first place I have ever seen that you can drop a hook in the water, the bait will swim onto the hook and tea will obligingly eat the bait so you can haul it up.

We have seen a few other (4) recreational craft over the last few weeks. This is a change from our first month when we saw nothing other than the tourist boats. All the recreational craft have been small, about 6m to 7m, fizz boats. There are also a number of medium size charter boats here. One of these managed to hit a rock a few days ago and is now 300m down on the sea floor. In general we will see about one boat a week.

Whilst all the fiords have a lot of history we are now entering the southern fiords which we have a good book on (thanks Alisdair) and are looking forward to exploring some of the once bustling towns, sealing and mining areas. We have also been using the Mana Cruising Club Guide and the NEW Fiorlands marine guide "Beneath the Reflections" which has been excellent (available from DOC or at www.fmg.org.nz).

Whilst we prepared well for this trip, fingers crossed, there are two dangers I never thought of. These were obvious the other day as we explored in the dinghy. We had stopped at one anchorage and went to look at the other nearby anchorage and also the river. About 200m from the second anchorage there was a slip. The slip was about 200m wide and had seen about a 200m thick part of the cliff slip away. The cliff was 400m high. That is a large bit of rock! Good job we weren't anchored under that. Across
the other side of the fiord, about 500m away, the bush had been destroyed to a height of about 3m above high water. This appeared to be caused by a 'wave' created by the slip.

I'm not sure if the time away isolated is good or not. I, who really do not like cold, was heard to state "Its' quite mild today". This was on a day that saw us wearing two wool tops, two polar fleece, a rain coat, wool hat, long johns, trousers, thick wool coats and boots!

I'm not sure Tori truly described the magic of our "misty river trip". We went for a quick trip just to look see, but ended up about 3km inland up the river. The cooling night air saw a marvelous veil of mist about 3 metres high form on the river. As we paddled back down the river in almost silence we could hear every sound from the forest and air, the mist opening up in front and closing in behind us again. The slowly fading light gave a marvelous show as trees became shapes became outlines became
part of the general blackness. The marvel continued as we paddled back across the river mouth flats with the stumps and debris appearing out of the dark about a metre before we bumped into them. Every now and then a scraping from below the dinghy was the only sign we were passing over something.

From Our location here at Dusky Sound we plan to spend another week or so exploring before moving on to Chalky and Preservation Inlet. New Year is looking like Stewart Island prior to checking in with DOC in Bluff and a restock and repair period prior to departing (hopefully) to waters south.