Cleared Out

Where Next?
Bob Williams
Wed 5 May 2021 01:20

Noon Position: 35 56.0 S 174 34.5 E
Course NE Speed 5 knots
Wind: calm   Sea: calm   Swell: negligible
Weather: sunny, mild
Day’s Run: 5 nm

This morning we cleared out of New Zealand and we are now on our way back home – I hope. I thought I had adequately researched the requirements for returning to Australia from New Zealand, including sending emails to the Department of Home Affairs and to the Australian Commission in Auckland over a month ago asking whether there were any special requirements I had to fulfill. In both cases I was referred to websites which I did my best to negotiate but it seems I have either misunderstood or missed something, or the rules have changed, because last night I received an email from NSW Health advising me that I had to request an exemption from quarantine. Well that has now been done and hopefully we will receive a positive reply in due course. Of course it would have been a good idea to have sorted this out before our departure but with the need to obtain Oli’s export permit and the extant weather forecast, we were pretty well locked into today’s departure.

Regardless, in the meantime it is a beautiful day though at the moment there isn’t much wind. We have had to rely on the BRM to get us started on our voyage back across the Tasman but we are just starting to get a faint breeze from the ENE, so I have unrolled the jib and we are now sailing at just over a knot. At least if it is a slow trip we should satisfy self-isolation requirements by the time we get to Australia.

As the more faithful followers of my web-log would be aware, Kate is remaining in New Zealand to do a bit more exploring in her “hippy-truck”. So last night we shared a final pizza and movie night on board and made some tearful farewells this morning, not least of all Kate in saying goodbye to Oli for an unknown duration. With a little luck, we will rendezvous again somewhere in the not too distant future for a few more adventures together.

All is well.