These last four days have been full of fun meeting up with old friends and joining in the Royal Cruising Club Rally.  Now the largest RCC Meet in the southern hemisphere.  We had an RCC member staying with us on board, Paul Kennerley.   Ginny and Tim Le Couteur were fantastic hosts and arranged three great days.  We started off by gathering in Aran Bay on Waiheke Island, where there house is, for an evening BBQ party.  The following day we sailed just a few miles across to Rotoroa Island, which was once a Salvation Army island for people who needed to dry out from alcohol. It is very beautiful and now a nature reserve leased by a couple of benefactors for a hundred years.  We took a picnic lunch and walked to Ladies Bay, despite the cold wind it was sunny and beautiful.  It even has a gas BBQ for the use of the public on the beach.  After a walk to the north tower peak we headed back to our respective yachts and set sail for Connells Bay Sculpture garden owned privately but open for guided tours.  Photos to follow as they are on my iphone. It was amazing and beautifully laid out.  We finished the tour with a cocktail party in one of the pavilions by the beach.  We all then sailed over to a more sheltered cove, Chamberlain Bay, for the night, Sea Rover sent out an invite for drinks on board so we all piled on to their yacht for a very crazy evening, not sure the rest of the yachts in the bay were that impressed!  New Zealanders usually have very early nights.  A bit of a late rise the next morning and a sail to 'Man O'War Bay' where there is a very good vineyard/winery.  We gathered for some wine tasting and lunch and the end of the rally came at about 3.30 pm.  Lots of good-byes and lots of arrangements to meet up in other places.

Jonathan and I set sail for the Coromandel Peninsular, gently cruising along making fresh water with our desalinator to fill up our tanks.

We spent the night in Colville Bay along with 'Sea Rover' good rally friends Mike and Devala Robinson's yacht and also met up with David Mitchell on 'Shandon' who for various reasons was unable to make the rally meet.  They all came on board us for pre dinner drinks and left at midnight!! cold meats and cheese were served when we started to get hungry.  David went on his way the next morning as he needs to get to Nelson.  The Robinsons and us set sail for Great Barrier Island.  Fishing lines out, racing along at 8.5 - 9 knots and we caught a couple of 'Kahawai' fish both hitting the lines at the same time.  A brought the yacht up to wind, in a big swell, nothing between us and Chile about 5,000 miles away, rolled in the genoa and helped Jonathan bring in the fish.  The fish are not over popular as they are strong but good for a curry.  Eventually we got into sheltered waters through Man O'War Pass a narrow pass between islands.  We then cruised to Kaiarara Bay to meet up with Mike and Debbie Gray who were up here over this last weekend with a few other friends on their yachts, because of the RCC Meet were unable to join them.  Mike and the others were hiking up to Mount Hobson, a long hard walk we did last year here, Debbie stayed on board so she was there when we sailed in.  I went over for coffee with her whilst Jonathan finished gutting his fish.  When the others returned we motored over to an unnamed bay south of Kirikiri Bay as it was more sheltered.  We had invited the Grays and Robinsons who were in the bay next door over for dinner, but first the Grays had organised a drinks party on board for all their friends and invite us and the Robinsons along as well, champagne was consumed as it was one couples 38th anniversary.  We headed back to Aqualuna early to prepare dinner of Szechwan Aubergines, yellow rice, pak-choi, hoisin spar ribs and a papaya salsa.  The wind dropped enough which enabled Jonathan to BBQ the ribs on deck (or dick as the NZs pronounce it)  More wine consumed and lots of chatter and banter.  

The following day we said 'goodbye' to the Grays who had to get back to Auckland but their friends from two of the other yachts came on board for coffee which was great fun.  They suggested we go with them to another bay for a walk and the join them in the evening, but both J and I have decided our livers need a bit of rest and we also need to get the yacht tidy again, laundry done and a bit of cleaning below and on deck.  We have their phone numbers so may meet up with in a day or so.

This afternoon the wind was gusting heavily down the mountain into the bay we were in so we have moved back to Kaiarara Bay for more shelter.

Tomorrow we plan to do a hike if the weather is good and the rain, which is falling this evening, stops.