"Tip Toe,Through the Cow Pats..."

The Adventures of the Good Ship Equinox
Cate and Chris Galloway
Fri 7 May 2010 07:04
Hi All,
 
Still in Islington Bay where we will most likely remain until Wednesday, courtesy of a series of ridges which are passing through creating strong to gale force north easterlies over the weekend and into next week. Fortunately the bay here is the perfect shelter and there is  plenty of  grey, sticky mud to hold our nice new anchor to the seabed.
 
The walks here are very good as well. This afternoon we tok a short exporatory walk across the causeway to Motutapu Island which is a working farm in addition to being a conservation area. This means that the walking tracks are live cow paddocks, requiring a measure f concentration to avoid stepping into a cow pat (of which there are many).
 
Tomorrow. weather permitting, we will make the assault on the summit of Rangitoto Island, the dormant (rather than extinct) volcano which dominates the Hauraki Gulf.
 
All are well and the kids are cracking on with school. We have intorduced the jelly-bean discipline program; every day the girls start with 10 jelly beans, and for every behavioural transgression or failure to focus on a given task, either Cate or I eat one. Working well so far, especially when random "bonus beans" are awarded!
 
planning for the South Island adventure is proceeding apace - at this stage we will spend most of July and August touring the South Island - if anyne has any good ideas about places to visit, let us know.
 
Anyhoo, dinner beckons, so TTFN.