New Zealand update

Whilst in Auckland we had planned to carry out warranty work that was still outstanding and also essential maintenance to ensure the boat is in tip top condition before we continue onto the next leg of the rally. We left Declan on board to supervise the work and headed to the South Island for the month of November. We flew into Christchurch which was devasted by a huge earthquake in 2011 and is still undergoing major construction work today.We picked up our camper van which was going to be home for a fortnight and set off on our travels.

We spent the first two weeks travelling around the north of the island. Luckily the weather was much better than in Auckland and using the camper van as a base we did a lot of mountain biking and hiking. We went right up to the North coast and the boutique wineries and craft breweries of Nelson and the stunning coast line of the Marlborough sounds. A cycle tour of the vineyards of Blenheim was a great way to taste a variety of wines but it was a little wobbly on the way back!

We sampled fantastic sea food - the huge green lipped mussels of Havelock, local oysters and scallops washed down with plenty of the local Sav Blanc!

Back in Christchurch our next mode of transport was the Trans Alpine Railway which connects East to West coasts. We had booked into a lodge in Arthurs Pass national Park which is the halfway stop on the line. Surrounded by white capped mountains the scenery was stunning and we did some real leg stretching walking. We then continued on our train journey to the west coast and picked up a rental car.

Our first stop was the glaciers where we had booked a helihike, unfortunately there was low cloud and the helicopter was cancelled so we hiked to the base of the glacier instead. From there we headed to Queenstown which is a playground for adrenaline junkies! We sampled some of the activities on offer including jetboating through a narrow canyon and white water rafting down grade 4 rapids - we drew the line at bungee jumping though! We travelled by light aircraft to Milford Sounds and enjoyed a cruise around the Fjords. Our last stop was Mount Cook, the highest peak in New Zealand - we struck lucky with the weather because usually the top of the mountain is shrouded in cloud but it was a sunny clear day and the views were amazing.

After being away for a month it was nice to get back to the boat, all the work had been completed and we set off for a few days cruising around the islands close to Auckland. We had arranged to meet some friends there and spent a very pleasant few days anchored by Waiheke where we did some great hiking and of course more wine taisting!

We left beautiful summer weather in New Zealand and arrived back to winter in the Uk and snow! Its lovely to be home and see everyone, we're looking forward to Christmas with the girls. We're then heading to Sydney for New Year and then back to New Zealand and the boat in early January.

We wish everyone a very merry Christmas and a happy and healthy New Year. The blog will continue in 2018.