New Zealand 2020 - part 1

We finally returned to New Zealand at the end of January this year - a trip we had intended to make a couple of years ago. We had promised our friends Roz and Holger to visit them and take home items we had left with them when we sold our sailboat in New Zealand in 2014. We also planned to do some camping and to visit other friends on the North Island.

The Covid-19 pandemic was just beginning  and was mostly confined to China but we brought masks with us and wore them in the airport when a plane from Shanghai joined us in the customs line.  We rented a cheap car (15 Canadian dollars a day!) near the Auckland airport and drove to our friend's farm near Whangarei. Over six weeks we were to spend about two weeks at their farm, two on their sailing boat 'Melody', and the remainder visiting with another NZ  sailing friend, Jo Woollacott and hiking and camping in the Northland.

We came across this bird en route to Whangarei from Auckland

One of our first activities was to extract honey from Roz and Holger's bee hives. Rani is suited up to help with the smoker and to brush bees from the frames.

Rani pumps smoke to calm the bees while Holger removes the frames from the first hive.

Inside their newly built 'shed' Rani removes comb from the frame.

Holger squeezes honey through (unused) pantyhose. For small amounts this apparently works better than using a spinner. It is hard work as we found out when we both tried our hands at this.

A somewhat disturbing birthday party for Holger

Our sailing friends from Picara (now sailing and living on Fairsky) - Mike and Marni - dropped by for a visit and a game of pickup sticks using offcuts from the garden

Tension builds and advice flows freely

Roz proved to be a talented 'pick up sticker'

Rani enjoys a lively sail on Melody

Holger at the helm with Roz navigating

Historical plaque/sculpture in Bay of Islands

We saw this kiwi on an island in the Bay of Islands

The kiwi was quite unperturbed by our presence.

We sailed north to Whangaroa Harbour and climbed the 'Duke's Nose'. I had been here a few times but this was Rani's first vist.

Panorama from the Duke's Nose

Holger hikes everywhere in bare feet

On the trail to the light house at Cape Brett

Rani and Holger enjoy the view near the lighthouse

Such grace...

Back on board melody for a well deserved home-made beer

This crazy rock 'head' with it's own hairdo is on a coastal ridge trail that runs from near Urquharts Bay to Ocean Beach.

   I will save the pictures from our car trip up to the north tip of New Zealand for Part 2