Sledding in Shasta with Family Circus Sailors!! Tons of fun!

Heading back to the States for a year

All checked in at the airport - 8 suitcases, 8 carry ons, 8 people, and lots of "personal items." They had Vitality and Valiant sitting together, but no adult for 3 rows, thankfully they were able to change seats, so they wont be sitting alone. Just waiting to board! Kids are doing great considering its 10:15 pm here.

Swinging

There are any number of great ideas for catamaran play!

Cave Photos from Family Circus

Went with Lil' Explorers and their 5 kids under 10 to go for some glow worm cave exploring, hiking and picnicing... It's nice to be in New Zealand... It's nice not to be the largest family on the dock... Hee Hee

Abbey Caves

Fun day in the Abbey Caves with our new friends on Family Circus!! They are Americans with 4 kids onboard. Ironically, we met the boat in Panama when it was named On Delay and had been struck by lightening. It sailed up to San Francisco, then got turned over and came out across the Pacific to meet with us again!! We had a great time with spelunking through a river, glow worms, a picnic in a gorgeous field, a nice hike, and in the final cave Cassidy and Courage claim to have been up to their chest in water with an eel (but they only could see by headlamps, so the eel could have been any creature, right??) Got some pictures, will try to share.

Ready to haul Out!

So we came out smooth, but at the end of the day. They got the bottom pressure washed and we are parked on the trailer at the top of the boat ramp for the night. In the morning, we'll be placed into our "permanent" position. But for tonight, we are heeled at about a 15% angle to the starboard. Feels strange.

Whangarei Sunset

Our beautiful sunset from our cockpit.

This is a pretty great place to enjoy the wonderful island of New Zealand.  We are loving our last 10 days here.

Courage

Thanksgiving

We had an awesome Thanksgiving here yesterday. Courage helped friends haul their boat while we cleaned, prepared dinner, and met with friends. Caught up with lots of great friends who even went out of their way to drive down from Opua to visit! Awesome potluck dinner at the boatyard which was a wonderful venue, tons of kids to play with, and easy clean up. Then we moved on to Lil' Explorers where we had 8 overnight guests, caught up with our wonderful friends talking over wine in the cockpit until midnight. Then today we got lots of errands done, while playing and catching up. Then this evening all those dear old friends had to leave and 3 new kid boat gaggles came over for movie night!! Watching an old classic as English is the second language for many of these amazing children and they prefer a movie that is already familiar to help them understand. Love cruising families!!

Cruiser's Rally

Great day today at a cruiser's rally. Saw old friends Fluenta (with 3 kids) last seen over a year ago in Niue. Got to meet up with Armagh last seen almost 2 years ago in Panama - they got towed in last night after engine failed 2 days ago, but they sailed nicely to the harbor entrance. Met Honey (we've met their 2 kids onshore in Vanuatu, but not officially met the parents) and Tangaroa (with 3 kids) who are new to us. Yeah for meeting old friends and family boats!! The kids were in the jumpy tent or at the petting zoo all day long other than a brief pony ride. Everyone fell fast asleep in the car immediately on our way home.

Meeting the Loveridge Family

Our Excellent Adventure meeting the Loveridge's and seeing their catamaran being built! What a lovely New Zealand family! We had 10 cruising kids together - scootered until we got bloody knees, picnicked at the bridge, saw the museum, the art gallery, played, and played, and played with the dogs, trampolines, tried a 3D puzzle, legos, colored, and everything a kid could imagine!

Hobbit, NZ

Our visit to Hobbiton!! Great day, fun touring, perfect size homes for us!!

Weekend Roadtrip

Had a great weekend!! Caught up with Field Trip for Michael's 8th birthday, then met a new cruising family with 4 kids who were brave/awesome hosts at their house where they are building a gorgeous 50 foot cat!!! 14 people, 1 bathroom, excellent hospitality and wonderful family!! So excited to see them on the water and hit the islands with them!! Then on to geothermal exploration in Rotarua and finally Hobbiton where we toured the Hobbit holes. Photos to come. . .

Valiant was warned many times not to touch the fence at Hobbiton, it was electrified. He kept touching along it, finally hitting the wire and crying from the shock. Later on the tour, he was told not to touch the fake cheese on a little table stand (Hobbiton, everything was just his size). He touched it anyway declaring, “It not hurt me!”

NZ Road Trip

Celebrating Michael's birthday party in NZ with a cruising family we have not seen in a very long time.

All packed up for our road trip!! Going to meet up with a cruising family we haven't seen in about a year and a half and celebrate Michael's 8th birthday, then on to meet a new cruising family with 4 kids that are building their own catamaran out in the Taranaki region. Very excited to catch up with old friends, see new places and meet new people!!

Whangarei

Our New Home for the Week -

We've arrived in Whangarei yesterday and tied up to the courtesy dock. Today we have a spot between two pilings that we tie front to back. It's pretty cozy, short trip to the dock, big park with lots of great toys just off the dock and huge grocery store with everything we could need and more!! Warm showers for everyone this morning at the marina, refilled water and washed a load of laundry, we are feeling good!!

Shannon

Great Park!

Everyone loves the park!

Good Times

Having beautiful days in the Bay of Islands!

Yesterday the wind was gusting into the low 30's. We even drug the anchor twice, once into the channel and once into the shallows. So we will be upgrading to the Rochna anchor which "never drags"

Tasman Sea and Pacific Ocean

This is where the Tasman Sea and Pacific Ocean meet.  Had a great hike to the light house and enjoyed rolling around some huge sand dunes!

Beach Time

Enjoying some beach time.  We even practiced pushing it out of the ocean!

More photos to follow.

Courage

90-Mile Beach -

Great day exploring 90 mike beach (which is only 55 miles long) on the north peninsula. We played on the beach, hiked to a lighthouse, picnicked in a park, climbed up and slid and ran down the dunes, and drove on the beach. Now camping in a cute little cabin in a campground where blankets cost extra, who knew? But it's perfect! Gives us a great sleep and launch place for tomorrow's exploration!! Free warm showers, so we should be in great shape!! Beautiful country!

Shannon

So the time finally came. We headed up the coast in our little van to explore the "90 mile beach". Rumors are that you can only do it with a four wheel drive. But we were not easily dissuaded.

The beach is incredible! Hard packed sand with no speed limit. Basically vacant, and truly gorgeous! Unfortunately though not all the ramps to the beach were hard packed, so after driving an hour or so, we found that the exit that we hoped to take was deeply rutted and not passable without a 4x4 with high clearance. There was another option that a motorcycle stunt driver told us about. All we had to do was straddle some largish beach rocks. With some pushing, and building of a sand ramp we were all set.

Then there was the hotel. My expectation of a hotel room is that it has everything needed to get a good nights sleep. Well here you need to rent blankets, and sheets if you want them. It reminded me of the time we were in Italy and Vision ordered a pizza, but did not specifically request tomato sauce and cheese thinking that was standard. Can't take anything for granted!

We are loving this wonderful island, and looking forward to every day's adventure!

Courage

Socks

Valiant learned a new word today. Socks. He's never seen or worn them until today. We dug them out since it was cold and we were going to town in shoes. Real shoes, not flip flops or crocs. His got wet in the dinghy and he was telling me that his "this" got wet and kept pointing, so I gave him a name for those funny things on his feet. 3 years, almost 3.5 years without ever coming across socks. Atta boy!!

The pool at Bahia De Oro!