Pos 35:13.02S 174:13.53E

Paradise Bay

 

 

We have had a very intence week here in Opua.

 

It started straight away on Friday when we arrived at about 14.00. For some reason we were two hours out.

The quarantine, immigration and customs procedure is very efficient and we were soon allowed ashore.

 

That is when the PARTY started that has been running every night for the last week.

 

   

                  Proud Mary on the top of the pilothouse.   

 

We have managed a couple of things though. We hired a car for one day and toured the surrounding area.

We visited a nice waterfall and off course a couple of nice pubs.

 

    

                         Our car trip.

 

  Alice got a tattoo, inspired of the Dawnbreaker stamp.

 

One day we went to a winery for wine tasting.

 

   

                      Going to the winery.                                                                                        Sauvignon Blanc

 

 

   

                            Wine tasting.                                                                                  After wine tasting you need a bottle or two.

 

    This years harvest is still tiny.

 

We met lots of new friends. The Dawnbreaker kids seems to attract a lot of nice sailors.

 

Among our new friends is Jesse, an american who is very attracted to young french women. He sails OBELISK. I helped him a little with putting up his new forestay.

The attraction turned out to be mutual and Alice jumped ship after a few days. We are sorry to lose her but “c’est la vie”.

 

   

              Obelisk.                                                                                                                        Kristoffer at the lead.

 

 

  

                          Up she goes.                                                                                                    Our friendly rigger sorting out the top end.      

 

 

We also met Mark a friendly sailor from Brighton, UK. Mark have borrowed a small sailboat called HERRANI

 

 

Other new friends are Kristoffer och Inger a great couple from Norway. They were on the hard fixing their boat. I ended up spending one

day antifouling their boat, AUD after his grandmother.

 

    

 

One day there was a yacht race in the harbour. As we were anchored almost on the startline we got a great view of the race.

 

  

                       The race is on.                                                                                                     First to finish.  

 

 

   

                          Second                                                                                                                           Third

 

                          and fourth.

 

One night we got this great idea that as we are all going south, lets sail together for a few days. This means we are taking the party with us. Jesse and Mark has also

booked in 5 backpackers to sail with them to Auckland. They are Adele from UK, Thomas and Olivia from France and Kim and Ida from Sweden. We are now 15 persons in 4 boats

sailing together. What a partry!!!

 

Friday night there was a BBQ night in the Marina. We had a good time meeting more happy people.

 

   

               Sanna introduces Adele to “Proud Mary”                                             >From left Tif, Kim, Ida and Mark

 

    

                     Diego and Tif.                                                                                          Kristoffer with Maya and Finn.

 

                        Inger and Maya.

 

Saturday morning 23/11 we left Opua and sailed to Paradise Bay on Urupukapuka Island.

 

Lars with kids and friends.