Our First Weeks in Aotearoa

The morning after our November 12, 2024 arrival, we were greeted with a Welcome Bag of goodies including honey, cards, coupons for free drinks and bread, and rum?!  Customs could not have been friendlier, funnier, or easier; as one agent on board disclosed his fishing hot spots and tips with Calder.  Biosecurity agents reviewed the time-stamped video of our hull cleaning, opened mostly bare cupboards, and provided education on why they have the restrictions they have; again, SO friendly. 

The weather system we were trying to outrun caught us as we tied up to the dock of Bay of Islands Marina in Opua, Northland, New Zealand.  Ecstatic to be here, we went to the Café and enjoyed a massive brunch and Flat Whites.  Exclaiming at the abundance of fresh produce (asparagus! avocados!) and beverages (IPA! red wine!) at the small local Market, we were definitely riding a high.  We had made it to Aotearoa and it was living up to expectations.  Along a coastal walking trail, it felt delightful to stretch our legs.  Wooden boxes line the trails to kill stoat predators of the kiwi bird. 

We continue to walk and run the copious well-kept trails of the area.  I am learning the songs of fantails and tui birds; the air smells of sweet Spring blossoms and our allergies flare up with the new pollens.

Winds and rain arrived, as we wore slippers, long sleeves, and pants; even turning the heater on one evening.  We rested into school and work, fine with blustery weather safely tied to the dock.  We have enjoyed a delicious time here thus far.  We realize how much we have missed fresh produce.  Lunch today we were amazed at the crispness of local apples and carrots.  The rice crackers aren’t stale and they have hummus.  The salad for dinner tonight is made of avocados (our first since Mexico), salad greens that are deep green (not just romaine), and cherry tomatoes!  The rice doesn’t have weevils.  We even found deer steak at the grocery store.  Cora and I went to a local café, enjoying soy chai and chocolate cheesecake; the chef came out to ensure we were enjoying it.  Oh yes, we are thoroughly enjoying these foods.

Our New Zealand adventure has evolved, as we have no real solid plans as we wait out the tropical cyclone season here.  Initially, we had planned to stay in the Opua marina for just a few days, maybe a week, but we have signed up for a month and purchased a Toyota Vanguard (vehicles are inexpensive here and easy to buy/sell), tent, and sleeping bags to explore.  We will get back out in the New Zealand waters, but land life for a while feels nice. 

Part of the cruising life is developing deep friendships, then saying good-byes along the way.  We gathered five families together at a rental house complete with 3 glamping tents that the ten kids took over.  

The house was in the Kumea region outside of Aukland, where Croatian immigrants kick-started NZ’s wine industry, and we had planned to meander through a few of vineyards.  However, quite appropriately, we found ourselves dealing with a dead car battery and getting that fixed; cruisers are always fixing something. 

We did manage to go to Westbrook Vineyard for wine-tasting and pizza, where the wine descriptions were pure prose – “Riesling…our muse. Tempting and attending with citrus florals, balmy tropical and pensive poise.  An off-dry, yet unctuous revelation laced with a dynamic freshness.” How can one not enjoy wine so poetic? 

We drove through the Northland countryside of lush green rolling hills dotted with sheep and cows. 

We shared late nights, laughter, and meals together; our goodbyes were a celebration of our experiences together cruising.

One highlight was a trip to the Aukland Civic Theater to see the musical production of Lord of the Rings, as Bilbo Baggins visited us in the audience before the start of the production.  The production is a stunning rendition of the classic story, both joyful and dark, with remarkable musical talent of the characters singing, dancing, and each playing their own diverse instruments.

Not ready to fully say goodbye yet, we enjoyed another two nights at Bethells Beach (Te Henga) with its black sands on the Tasman Sea with friends. 

We hiked over giant black sand dunes toward Lake Wainamu, where we boogie-boarded down, walked the beaches to Bethell’s Cave and O’Neils Bay, and enjoyed lunch at a delicious local food truck where we had lamb burgers. 

New wildlife from blue bottles (Man of War) to ram’s head shells (from the inside of squid that migrate nightly to the surface through buoyancy of these internal spirals). 

We wandered to a local market and art show, then walked a boardwalk trail through the head of New Zealand’s largest wetland where we watched massive long-finned eels in the river.  The long-finned eel is the largest freshwater eel in the world, growing up to 2m long and weighing up to 50kg.  They live for up to 100 years and reproduce only once in their lives, making a 4 month long journey to the deep trenches near Tonga (where we had just sailed from) to lay and fertilize their eggs before dying.  The eggs hatch and float on currents back here to NZ.  Another treat was seeing a family of Brown Teal on the water; these small endemic ducks were once the world’s rarest waterfowl with fewer than 300 left and now 3,000 in NZ due to breeding programs that release them into predator-controlled areas.

Back in Opua, we have mixed mellow land adventures with school and boat chores. We’ve wandered around Haruru and Rainbow Falls, ate roadside stand blueberries and avocados, and enjoyed delicious chocolates at the factory. Chris and Calder tore it up at Waitangi Mountain Bike Park.

Interestingly, there are shoe cleaning stations when you go in/out of the forest to prevent kauri (a native tree) dieback.

Sadly, Cora dislocated her knee again while just walking down some steps and we are awaiting an MRI and orthopedic consultation this week to determine whether she needs surgery.  The trajectory of that will determine when and where we travel while in New Zealand.  She is a great sport, walking along trails slowly, doing her exercises.

This Thanksgiving, we have much to be thankful for as we continue to cruise the world as a family, making friends along the way.