Time to Say Goodbye

29th June 2022

After the best part of three years the day finally came when it was time to bid farewell to Whangarei, the place we’d come to love and call home for such a long time. It was a very emotional time for us leaving behind the wonderful  Kiwi friendships we’d made.

It was a drizzly Wednesday afternoon when we let go our dock lines to the sounds of hooters and hollers of goodbyes from the Town Basin Marina staff and friends on our dock. Slowly we made our way downstream towards the Hatea River opening bridge and the bridge operator raised the span for GWTW as she glided through for the final time.

Fourteen kilometers further downstream we pulled into Marsden Cove Marina where NZ Customs Officers were based for departing vessels only. Our initial plan was to complete our departure forms and check out of the country the following morning. The weather gods though had other ideas. So we stayed for another day and had a lovely farewell dinner with our fellow cruisers most of whom were heading to Fiji where as we would be heading to : Plan A Bundaberg in Queensland Australia direct, or Plan B New Caledonia Direct or  Plan C New Caledonia via The Minerva Reefs, 800 miles NE of NZ. The later was our final decision.

Goodbye New Zealand

At 2pm on July 1st after topping up our fuel tanks with 437 litres of duty free diesel we dropped and lines, headed out onto the big blue highway and bid New Zealand goodbye.

With an ok weather forecast we set off with a sail configuration of full Jib and a double reefed Mainsail into a bitterly cold SW wind and a night as black as the inside of a cow. Our second  day and night at sea were again bitterly cold and we were rugged up to the hilt. The sea state was starting to change and now there was a moderate chop as the wind began to back around to the SSE.

Sunrise day two

By day three the wind was coming at us from the ENE and our fleeting moment of taking out the second reef yesterday faded from our memory. Back we went to two reefs yet again and now only one quarter of a jib was pulling us along. The sea began raring it’s ugly head as we raced forward at  boat speeds of 15kts. The motion of GWTW was now very uncomfortable to the point where we decided to make camp up in the saloon rather than take our off watch time in our comfy bed in the port hull. It seemed like a good idea but even so neither of us got any sleep as the waves battered GWTW’s hulls and she groaned and creaked in response.

Sleeping in comfort on the lounge

Day four was no better with the wind now picking up to sustained 25 kts and gusts even higher at 33kts. We didn’t sign up for mother nature to hurl this at us, we want to get off this roundabout!

Trying to stop the sea coming in through the port

As a result of the rough weather and big waves the port in our shower took a beating and came unlocked. 

The ingress of the Pacific Ocean was coming in fast. Liam tried to shut the port but to no avail, so we duct taped it shut, a temporary fix at best. 

A few hours later the tape completely failed and the port opening was swinging open with every wave.

Plan B, Liam managed to get one of the latches shut and we taped up a large Vacuum seal storage bag to the shower stall ceiling and onto the glass door of our shower and that seemed to do the trick. No more salt water flying over the shower door and landing on the bathroom floor.

During the changeover from day four to day five at zero dark hundred Genny our generator called it quits. She apparently had had enough of the rough ride too and her partner in crime, the starboard engine alternator did likewise.The sole responsibility of charging our batteries and keeping all our systems running now lay in the hands of our port side engine and alternator

Day five dawned with a beautiful red sunrise, even though the saying goes “Red sky in the morning, sailors warning” we didn’t care. With only 29 miles to run to South Minerva reef we could almost see the finish line. As we’d been motor sailing on the port engine for hours and hours our watermaker had been  busy churning out gallons of fresh water all the previous night so that we could do washing and give our girl a well earned bath once we had the anchor down.

South Minerva reef on the horizon

One of many kamakazi Flying Fish on the deck

Anchor down, we've arrived

At 11am we entered the South Minerva Reef pass after the wild ride which took us 4 days and 22 minutes.

 The wind had dropped to and easterly breeze of 12 kts and ahead of us lay the flat calm aqua waters of South Minerva.

 Pure Bliss!

The catch of the day

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South Island Road Trip New Zealand 2020

Hokitika to Invercargill

August 6th –16th

Having left the west coast behind we headed up to the start of the Alpine Highway and inland to the famed Arthur's Pass. This 231 klm stretch of road at it’s highest point of 920 metres is known as Arthur’s pass and connects the east and west coasts and is one of the three major routes to do so.

After a quick bite to eat at the historic Stagecoach Hotel we continued on stopping at the major attractions along the way. We marveled at the incredible feat of engineering named the Otira Viaduct, which spans 440 meters of unstable terrain below.

This  area is prone to rockfalls

The mighty Viaduct

Once 

Across the Viaduct was yet another Kodak moment and the chance to get up close and personal with some very cheeky birds known as Kea. These cute parrots love to chew on anything that takes their fancy including rubber on van roofs. 

They are also adept thieves stealing hiking boots left outside trampers tents as well as pulling out the tent tiedowns in the middle of the night. But they are so cute you have to love them anyway.

From here we continued on to Arthur’s Pass Village and got the low down from the friendly folk at the tourist info hub on a few hiking trails and waterfalls to stop at on our journey east.

 First up was the Chapel of the Snows and Millennium Falls which occasionally freezes over in winter, but not today. 

After an overnight stop at the DOC campground at Klondyke Corner which was nothing spectacular, it was back to the village to visit Bridal Veil Falls and Devils Punchbowl Falls then further east to the DOC camp at beautiful Lake Pearson, passing by alluvial deltas and snowcapped mountains along the way.

Our next target was Mt Cook, New Zealand’s highest peak, but not before we stopped at the famous Kiwi Pie shop in Sheffield. Wow what a delicious collection of pies they make. No wonder there was a line up to get in the door.

 From Sheffield we turned right passing through the quaint towns of Geraldine and Fairlie before a quick stop at Lake Tekapo, and inland again to Mt Cook where we stopped for the night. It had been a long day’s drive through drop dead gorgeous countryside of the Canterbury Plains. The DOC campground at Mt Cook was the dearest we had stayed in so far at $30 per night but it was the only gig in town to be on the doorstep of the Hooker walking trail.

The famous Pie Shop

Chowing down on a pie

Above & below walking the Hooker Trail

The trail is10klm round trip and took us roughly three hours to complete. Treking over three swing bridges with views over Lake Mueller and past avalanche prone Mt Sefton the trail winds through old moraine ridges with the vegetation changing as the valley floor becomes wider. The trail ends with fab views over iceberg speckled Hooker lake. We sat there for a while and even dipped our hands in the very ice cold waters. Then it was time to retrace our steps back to our trusty RV for a spot of lunch and some well earned quality time with our diesel heater.

Mt Cook & Tasman Glacier

Next on the agender was a short drive to the Tasman Glacier. 

 Liam was all walked out when we got there but I soldiered on and tackled the 367 steps to the top for the “had to be seen to be believed” views over the alpine lake and with the glacier and Mt Cook in the distance.

The 23 klm Tasman Glacier is the longest in New Zealand. A half way stop on the way down at the Blue Lakes which have now turned green due to algae growing  was greatly appreciated by my poor old knees.

Tasman lake with Iceburgs & giving my knees a rest after all those stairs

The Church of the Good Shepherd on the shores of Lake Tekapo

As the day was wearing on and we were to be overnight guests with fellow cruisers, from Dash, Starlet and Ocean Fever who had rented a house in Wanaka for a weeks skiing, so we needed to get cracking, 

Our last stop of the day was at Lake Tekapo with its beautiful light turquoise colours thanks to the snow melt and glacial silt. 

It reminded us of the water colour in the Bahamas. Here’s a fun fact, Lake Tekapo is one of the sunniest places in New Zealand with sunshine hours averaging more than 2,400 each year. File that little gem away, you never know when that question will come up in a quiz or on The Chase.

Heading to the Lindis Pass

After a fun night and great dinner  with our buddies we headed off to Queenstown via the Lindis Pass which links the Mackenzie Basin with Central Otago. The actual pass crosses a saddle between the Lindis and Ahuriri rivers at an altitude of 971 metres. 

The scenery was outstanding with a dusting of snow on the surrounding mountains. The pass was closed later in the day due to black Ice and snow, so were lucky to get across. 

Arriving into Queenstown we checked into the Lake View Holiday  Park which we’d call home for two nights. We rode the Skyline Gondola to the top, for excellent views over the township and lake with The Remarkables as the backdrop. This gondola boasts as being the steepest cable car ride in the southern hemisphere, yet another little bit of trivia for you. While in town we also caught up with friends Jennifer and Mark from Starlet as well as Kellie and Mike from Dash who had now moved camp to Queenstown for more skiing and we splurged on an exhilarating helicopter ride to the top of the Crown Mountain Range landing on the snow. Man was it cold up there.

View from the top of the gondola ride

Drinks with cruising friends from Dash & Starlet in Queenstown

Up ,Up and away

Leaving Queenstown behind we headed south and then east to Fiordland and the major attraction of Milford Sound.  

From Te Anau it was a long drive into Milford 120 klm each direction with many roadworks along the way but the scenery was just jaw dropping. 

Part of the road had subsided

Not wanting to drive after 3pm because of icy winding roads we stopped at Walker Creek campground for the night. Having booked a cruise on the sound for 10am the next day we hit the road early and made it there with half an hour up our sleeve.

The cruise lasted a couple of hours and we saw dolphins, seals, penguins and got up close, personal  and wet with a couple of waterfalls as well. 

Having seen what there was to see in this sleepy little place we retraced our journey, back through the Homer Tunnel which is yet another feat of engineering which took 19 years to build and along the winding roads to the campground at Deer Flats.

Mitre Peak  in Milford Sound

The Homer Tunnel entrance

The tunnel is 1.2 klm long and passes through solid rock of the Darren Mt Range

Next morning we awoke to the big freeze.

 Yep overnight the temps had plummeted and all around us resembled a winter wonderland of glistening frozen vegetation. It was just beautiful with the sun shinning on it.

Along the way back we stopped at Mirror Lake which as the name suggests reflects a mirror image of the snow capped mountains across the valley in the still waters of the lake. 

The Mirror Lakes

By the time we got back to the junction town of  Te Anau our tummies were rumbling.We found a lovely park along the shores of Lake Te Anau backed by the snow capped mountains of Fiordland and set up for a very scenic lakeside BBQ lunch.

Deer farm on the way to Bluff

Day 20 of our roadtrip had us arriving in Bluff, the most southern town on NZ’s South Island. 

It is famed for it’s huge Oysters but do you think we could buy them anywhere in town ..not a chance. The oyster season we found out runs from late March to August. Oh well there were still other things to do in town.

We checked out the Maritime museum, drove up to lookout on Bluff Hill, stopped at the Pilot station and visited Sterling Point with its famous mileage signpost for many cities across the globe and yes we got the photo. 

Next stop was Invercargill for the night. We explored what was on offer in the town, that being Queens Park, a 80 hectare parkland which includes a Japanese garden, an animal farm, a waterpark, a myriad of sculptures and bird aviary and the list goes on. We spent a couple of hours here and still didn’t see it all.

Just up the street was 1889 Water Tower, that actually looks more like a lighthouse. It was built to supply water to the town in the event of a fire.

 

Leaving Invercargill in our wake our next major destination would be an area known as the Catlins. So stay tuned for the  next blog post.

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