36:50.641S 174:45.535E New Zealand at last

Shaya Moya
Don & Susan Smyth
Mon 5 May 2014 05:09
Finally got around to writing the closing blog entry of our voyage to New Zealand in 2011.  The weather has been absolutely perfect, sun shining, clear moonlit nights, but no wind so motoring along at 7kts. Reece fishing as usual. We have given New Zealand customs our ETA as the 18th. They asked us what yachts were anchored at Minerva reef as one was late in arriving. Luckily they did finally arrive, as we found out later.



Then it all went pear shaped. The wind came, quickly building up to gale force and bringing an icy chill with it. We back in foul weather gear, but sailing along nicely at 8-9kts towards our waypoint NE of North Cape, the northernmost part of the North Island. There is an ugly swell running with every 7/8 wave breaking. Lots of water over the deck, wet and miserable. 




This is about the worst weather we have had on the trip. Don got his little finger broken when a rogue wave threw him about. Reece gave expert medical advice, "its not broken Dad, just dislocated, here let me put it right" with an energetic tug of the finger we both came to the conclusion that it was in fact broken. The good thing is that the jury rig is holding up despite the force of wind in the sail. Gavin has been monitoring our progress online with AIS, an automated message system. He's texting every few hours, looks like he and Christine are just as anxious for us to get there. Finally see the New Zealand coast as night falls. We arrived in Opua just before midnight on the 18th. As we were not allowed off the boat until we had cleared customs we had a landing drink onboard, watched movies and ate popcorn, while emailing everyone that we had arrived in New Zealand. Great excitement.




After clearing customs and refuelling the next day we set sail for Auckland. This was an uneventful overnight trip, although really cold with the wind not being too kind to us by blowing on the nose. Motor sailed almost the entire journey as we both wanted to finish the voyage of a lifetime. What a beautiful site Auckland is from the sea after 17200 nautical miles(32000km), one year and 10 days. 
 
On the dock in Westhaven Marina to greet us was Gavin and Christine with a welcome gift of good old South African biltong from the Tannies with no neck. They then proceeded to host Reece and I most royally. Showing Reece the sights and feeding us up. After a couple of weeks in Westhaven we moved to the Lighter basin in the Viaduct marina which is in the heart of Auckland city, where we have been for the last two and a half years.

This then concludes the first half of a boyhood dream of sailing around the world in my own boat. I am so fortunate to have such a loving and generous wife whose encouragement and support motivates me to be living the dream.