

We had to call the Coastguard - twice!
It was a loooonnnnng day! We left Napier at 7.00am and planned to stop in Gisborne as the weather was such that stopping at Mahia, our original plan, was not possible

Napier – the “Art Deco Capital of the World”!
During my unexpected visit back to Auckland, there was an excellent weather window for the Nelson departure and Geoff decided to take advantage of it and get the boat over Cook Strait.

Water Taxis, Planes and Automobiles…..
At 2pm I was having a leisurely time enjoying the sunshine and scenery and by 3.30pm Brownie turned up in his water taxi to whisk me back to Havelock!

Awesome Abel Tasman !
Geoff, Nick, Ralph and I hopped into the car for a drive down to the beach and a swim, then it was a quick lunch at the Boat Shed, before we dropped Geoff off at the Marina

Stunning Nelson – I’ve returned!
I’ve had some wonderful family time with my kids and delicious granddaughters and grandsons in both Auckland and Havelock North, and now it’s back to Salanjo in Nelson.

The Sunshine, Golden beaches and National parks of Nelson
An early start to get the good weather at Cook Strait and the right tide at French Pass – we were up at 6.15am and off.

Magnificent Marlborough Sounds
We made it! Finally in the Marlborough Sounds. A long, but very pleasant cruise north, we came into the Tory Channel about 7.15pm

Lyttelton - the Gateway to Canterbury and “The Meal of Crayfish” - Kaikoura
We had an easy, cruise up to Lyttelton – how beautiful Banks Peninsula looks from the boat, with its endless green hills, bush, bays and cave.

Akaroa est charmante!
It was a big day today – we had hoped to get into Akaroa before dark, but it took a lot longer than we anticipated. Having said that, as we came up to Banks Peninsula we were rewarded with the most stunning sunset

Picturesque Oamaru with its delightful Victorian Precinct
We cruised out of sunny Port Chalmers around 7.45am and by 2.30pm we had arrived in Oamaru.

Charming Port Chalmers
We made good time over Foveaux Strait, which I’m pleased to say, continued to be pretty smooth, so it was also a chance to get the dusters out and give Salanjo a bit of a spruce up after a busy few weeks on the boat.

So Long Stewart Island…..
It’s been a busy few days since my last blog. On Monday I made my way home back to Auckland….dinghy into Golden Bay Wharf, a walk over the hill into Oban and I checked in for my flight on Stewart Island Air.

Isolated and Untouched - Pristine Port Pegasus
A much needed, quieter day today after the frantic laundry/shopping/cleaning day yesterday.

Those darned Seals and elusive Kiwis!
Off we motored, past Shelter Point, Rukawahakura Island, the Muttonbird Islands and now we’re heading into Tikotahai Bay where it looks like we can get off the boat and have a walk.

Glorious Glory, plenty of adventure in Port Adventure and nestled in Abraham’s Bosom!
An easy day today, we’re just cruising around we left Glory Cove and went around the corner to Big Glory Bay and found a nice place to anchor opposite Bravo Island

Overnight in Oban and the start of Stewart Island exploring…..
Once the Shit Show was over and we were showered and all polished up, we up anchored and set off for Oban around the other side of the island.


Stewart Island – we’re coming for you!
Up at 5.00am for an early departure, what a beautiful sunrise to signal the end of our amazing time in Fiordland.

Doubtful, Dusky, Cooper, Sunday, Sportsman, Cascade, Luncheon, Pickersgill - breathtaking Fiordland!
It was all worth the rough seas! Doubtful, Dusky, Cooper, Sunday, Sportsman, Cascade, Luncheon, Pickersgill - breathtaking Fiordland!