We have been the show boat for Discovery out here and enjoyed it very much as it has given us a chance to meet the locals.  Bill Pollett and his family have been exceedingly hospitable, inviting us  on their motor to boat to watch the racing and back to their gorgeous house for drinks afterwards.  Bill invited Jonathan to do the local RBYC Wednesday evening racing with him on his J105, I was able to take some ‘photos from the yacht as they sped past, they also came first!!   We then all met up at the RBYC for dinner and drinks after which turned into a very merry evening with a good crowd.  Martin Tasker turned up at the club as well and joined us, it was good to see him again having not seen him since we left NZ.

We took Aqualuna out to watch the J’s racing, such magnificent yachts.  They are all at Princess Marina so we have a front view of them coming and going.

Paul Coleman, another possible Discovery buyer, took us out on his boat to do a walk along the old train track to Mangrove Bay, we had a lovely afternoon with him.  Below are some photos taken from the walk and one of one of the old stations along with one of Paul on his boat which he built in his garden, he said the space is useful to transporting things like Fridges to his house which is on one of the islands.  Many locals commute to work by boat, what a life!  It is such a shame they got rid of the railway as it would have been a huge tourist attraction and very good for the locals to commute from one end of the island to the other. Much of it is now built on or as foot/cycle paths.

We also saw Janice Floyd and her friend who took us for lunch to a private beach club/golf club.  Below is a picture of the beach with the softest white/pink sand.  The rest of the photos are off the fleet that Jonathan raced in off the club and of some of the many private houses with waterfront gardens and one of one of the many very large private motor yachts which are here at the moment.