NORDLYS - Still in New Zealand

Still in New Zealand

NORDLYS

David and Annette Ridout

Mon 16 May 2005 05:41

LEARNING TO BE PATIENT

OPUA MARINA

16TH MAY 2005

The weekend of the 7th, 8th of May saw us ready to be off north. However we were committed to handing over our trusty Toyota Rav on the Saturday to its new owner. The Rav we have shared with the Ingrams for the last eighteen months has done us well and over 38,000km has been added to its mileage with no troubles. It crossed the waters of Cook straight eight times between us. One crossing being in some of the worst conditions in which the ferries ever run.

However the weather gods were not being kind and it became apparent that those who did not get away on the Friday or early Saturday were in for some three to four hundred miles of no wind followed by a lot of strong northerlies. Lots of yachts stayed and Stuart and I decided the answer was to hire a car and get away from the marina for a few days to let the low through and hopefully go on the back of this depression with south westerlies. The result was a delightful four days spent based in a two bedroom cottage on a vineyard near Kaitaia. We visited the only forest of huge Kauri trees in existence. We drove to the entrance of Hokianga harbour on the exposed west coast where the sand bar entrance has seen the death of many ships as they tried to get in to deliver their cargoes and take on new loads in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. In those days the sea was the only way to ship out farm and forestry produce. Yachts seldom if ever go in to this huge beautiful inland sea due to the dangers of the bar. We went up to Cape Reinga and did a very active coastal walk that had our muscles aching. This was done in brilliant sunshine and as we looked out to the north the sea was indeed as glassy calm as the forecasters had predicted. Finally we hired quad bikes and had some fun on the sands and dunes of the southern end of 90 mile beach. I have to confess I did have a very angry wife sitting behind me as I managed to get stuck at the top of a steep precipice of sand and scrub grass. All ended well and I learnt that it is possible to safely descend very steep slopes in control. Whether Annette and Stuart who were hauling on a rope attached to the back of the vehicle to act as an extra brake would agree with this is debatable. They had sand in many places that sand is not supposed to go.

We finished off this mini holiday with a picnic beside a beautiful beach of white sand and turquoise water after a good bush walk out to a peninsular. Crayfish salad, half a Cray each and a bottle of chilled local Sauvignon Blanc added to the pleasure of the scene.

So back to the marina and reality. Rain, wind and no signs of any sensible time to depart for another week. Yet again we are learning that South Pacific weather has a mind of its own and we now have lows coming off Queensland, crossing the Tasman towards us giving northerlies and then not continuing East and giving us the desired south westerlies but diving south and another low forming giving more northerlies. Patience is needed to be sure. There must be over twenty boats in the same predicament, in fact the duty free booze shop manager told me he has some twenty five orders waiting to be delivered to yachts when they have cleared out with customs.

Email tells us of windy cold weather at home so we are not expecting any sympathy. As Annette says 'in my next life I am going to chose an occupation that is not so weather dependent for enjoyment'. I am not sure what that would be but I am not about to have a discussion on the dependence of gardeners on the weather.

Happy times to you all from

Nordlys.