A Bug, An Endless List, Recipes, and the Wringer

February 9 - 22

Owen ached all over, was weary. He took afternoon naps and ran a low fever in the evenings. He was totally out of it for 4 days with a new flu. Another New Zealand bug, we have had more bugs run through the boat here than anywhere since Mexico. He got it, I got it - fever for 5 nights, then Griffyn got it (and wore us all out - he was so needy). Tamsyn had it for  a day. It was hard to tell she was sick. Needless to say, Owen didn't get much done on his long list of things that needed fixing (while we are in New Zealand). 

A number of port gaskets have failed and need to be replaced. The number of ports we can open (with out losing a gasket or risking a major port leak) has dwindled considerably since we first replaced all the gaskets in Mexico. The salt water pump in the kitchen leaks - on to the countertop - not serious but annoying. Neither the forward hatch over the V-berth nor the butterfly hatch over the salon are water tight, both need some repair. When it rains heavily, there are still drips from ports, hatches, and other mystery leaks in the deck that need to be discovered and caulked. There is a hole in a cockpit scupper large enough to fit Owen's pinky finger (it's just above the quarter berth where Tamsyn sleeps) that needs to be stopped up and caulked. 

The aluminum pedestal base which holds up our steel steering column is cracked and disintegrating so badly that it must be fixed (we wouldn't be able to steer the boat with the wheel!) - a high priority before further travel. Our refer doesn't work and is a huge enclosed, and empty, mildew ridden space in our tiny galley. The refer uses 4-6 amps per hour when running to keep things cold, that is a lot of power even with our 4 large solar panels, so we debate the need of a frig as we continue to discover more and more foods that do not need to be refrigerated in this cool NZ summer. None-the-less it is on Owen's list. (We do miss fresh meat, we cannot store it and rarely get to a grocery store with a butcher.) A local fisherman has shared his catch a couple of times. We've eaten shark (no bones!) and a less tasty fish. 

There is a tiny crack in a stainless steel tang (part of our rig in the bow) that must be welded - another high priority before we depart NZ. First we have to lift up the roller furler to get at the tang. Our fresh water tank is so full of sediment that when Owen changed the Seagull filter for our fresh water pump, it completely clogged up within two weeks (it should last a year.) We need to clean the tank - a two person job which must be done by hand with hand made tools near a dock with lots of fresh water. 

We have an electrical problem near the head bulkhead that is seeping deeper into the cabin electrical system. Our radio/CD player comes on mysteriously whenever it wants to as if it were alive (which burns through our power.) We would love the use of the radio again some day. It's on the list. I would love to get the vacuum cleaner fixed so we wouldn't have to sweep the rug daily (our whole cabin is carpeted in an old but well made custom rug, the bottom of which is disintegrating.) Every time we sweep, we probably inhale a tiny bit of old carpet in addition to all the other dirt that we walk in. This repair job is not on Owen's list - after all we have a whisk broom, dust pan and a small boy who needs daily chores to earn his allowance. 

In March marina moorage rates go down (high season is over), so we will move into a slip and get these big high priority jobs done. We have a lot to do before we sail far from land with skilled labor, handy marine supply stores, and a multitude of knowledgable cruisers. And we would love to see South Island before we leave. But that would be an expensive trip in an expensive country (and we may not get to see the "Lord of the Rings" landscape in person or penguins.)

We do read a lot when we are sick. Tamsyn is reading Harry Potter on the kindle, (we have all of 'em.) Owen and I are reading our way through all the paper backs we pick up at the launderette (where there is a free box - which we visit EVERY time we are onshore. Lots of goodies there!)  Larry McMurtry's "Texasville" is hilarious and well written, I laughed 'til I cried with that one.  "Welcome to the World, Baby Girl" by Fannie Flag is insightful, well written - another good read - to name a few. And we've read about the last royal wedding (Prince William to Kate - 'the commoner' - she's a bloody rich commoner though). Being in a British Commonwealth country, there is a lot of coverage of the royals (and the Kiwi's who were lucky enough to be invited to Westminster Abbey.) We watch more movies, the sickest person chooses. We cannot rent movies here, everything is in PAL (a different format than VHS / DVD). But we have plenty on board. We eat comforting foods. We make quick meals and fresh green salads. We eat a lot of rice and it's pretty dull so I've been working on making it tastier over the past year and I have finally perfected it. 

Coconut Curry Rice

1 1/4 cups white Rice

165 mL Coconut Cream (coconut milk is less rich)

1 1/2 tsp. Curry powder

1 Chicken stock cube (if substituting bullion - omit salt)

1/4 tsp. Anise seed

1 tsp. Brown Sugar

1 Tbsp. dried Parsley

2 tsp. Oil (not Olive Oil)

Water

salt to taste (if using bullion - omit)

Pour the coconut cream into a large measuring cup, then fill it with water up to 2 1/2 cups. Pour the mixture into a sauce pan and add all ingredients except rice. Turn on the heat and stir well as it comes to a boil. Try to break up the stock cube and help it dissolve. Add rice when the water boils. Stir. Cover and simmer on low heat for 15 minutes (or as long as recommended for the rice you have). Taste for saltiness before serving.

We eat a lot of beans too. Here's our two favorite beans recipes. 

Tuscan Beans in a Pressure Cooker

1 cup dried Cannelini Beans

1 splash Champagne (about 1/4 c.) - my birthday party left overs

1/2 Onion, chopped

3 cloves Garlic, minced

1 Chicken stock cube

liberal sprinkle of Tarragon (dried)

6 Black Peppercorns

water

salt (maybe)

Bring dried beans to a boil in a pressure cooker, covered but not under pressure, in at least 4 times as much water as beans. Boil 5 minutes.  Leave the lid on and let them soak for at least 4 hours. Drain beans. Add the rest of the ingredients and water to cover well. Pressure cook until the beans are tender. Depending on how old the beans are - about 12 minutes in high pressure (15 lbs./inch). If the beans are tender but there is too much liquid, reduce the liquid by cooking them with the lid off. Taste to see if they need salt. Serve warm.

Vegetarian Baked Beans in a Pressure Cooker

1 1/2 cups dried Navy Beans (Boil 5 min., covered, and soak overnight)

2 Tbsp. Molasses

1 Tbsp. Oil

2 tsp. Cider Vinegar

1 Bay leaf

1 heaping tsp. Dijon Mustard (Maille brand is the best - it's French but worth it)

2 circular squirts of Ketchup (squirt continuously in a large circle into the pressure cooker)

3 cloves Garlic, crushed

1 Beef stock cube

1 Onion, quartered

1 tsp. Worchestershire sauce

2 drops Tobasco

hot Water

Drain the soaked beans. Put beans into a pressure cooker and add the rest of the ingredients. Cover the beans with water and bring to a boil. Cook under high pressure until beans are tender (generally 20-30 minutes depending on the age of the beans, the amount of water and the lbs./inch of your pressure cooker.) We are not vegetarians - if you have bacon or salt pork, by all means add it and omit the oil. We rarely have fresh meat at hand, thus the "vegetarian" beans.

Another favorite of mine is Kasha, cooked buckwheat groats. Buckwheat is a very hearty grain - good for chilly weather and endurance. My favorite pancakes have buckwheat flour.

Try this when you have some Tahini on hand.

Kasha with String Beans and Sauce Istanbul (serves 4)

1 cup Buckwheat Groats 1/3 cup Tahini

2 scant cups Water 1/3 cup cold Water

pinch Salt 1 Tbsp. Tamari (or Soy sauce)

1/2 lb. String Beans

Dry roast the buckwheat groats, stirring often, until they smell roasted. A cast iron pan works well. Sometimes they will pop in the pan. If you cannot dry roast them - that's ok, they will still taste great. Bring salted water to a rolling boil and add the buckwheat groats. Turn the heat to low, cover, and cook 15 minutes. While they simmer, simmer the washed and halved string beans in water for 8 minutes. While the beans cook, make the sauce. Put the Tahini and Tamari together a small bowl, stir well - it will thicken to a paste. Add the cold water a little at a time, stirring thoroughly between each addition. Serve the hot Kasha on a plate add a layer of string beans, then pour the sauce Istanbul over both and eat. Delicious!

A quick salad dressing for a simple green salad (side salads for 4)

In a large serving bowl add the following: 

cover the bottom of the bowl with Extra Virgin Olive Oil (about 1/4 inch thick)

pour in Cider Vinegar - make a circle 1/4 the size of the oil

add a small blob of honey (about a heaping tsp.)

add ground black pepper

add salt (1/2 tsp.)

add an herb (oregano or marjoram or basil) about 1 Tbsp., dried

Stir with a fork until thick, then swirl around the bowl.

Then add your washed ripped greens.

Then add what ever else you have on hand - craisins, chopped nuts, shredded carrot, chopped tomatoes, etc.. 

Toss well and eat instantly.

Our new Wringer

Why do we wear clothes? I suppose it's because it is so chilly here. Our laundry pile (we named it spencer because it seems to be alive) grows much quicker than it did in the tropics. And I seem to have a knack for picking the windiest days to do laundry. We would do it onshore, but at $8-10 per load, we have decided to do it on the boat. Water is free here and labor is cheap (me, Tamsyn and Griffyn). On windy days, it is much harder on your body to squat next to an eight gallon plastic tub and yank a load of wet soapy clothing around in cold water until it seems washed. 

The washing tub with a wringer attached, sits on deck near the mast. There is no protection from the elements. It requires three people to operate. It doesn't fit in the cockpit, in the shade, out of the wind. It needs to be near the 5 gallon gerry cans of fresh water, which live on the rail. So we sit around the tub as I feed clothes through the wringer. Chilling winds howl and ultra violet rays of sunshine above thinning ozone burn skin quicker than anywhere on earth - sunscreen and wide brimmed hats tied on help some. Griffyn turns the handle (turning the rollers) and Tamsyn catches the clothes as they come through. If Griffyn turns the handle too quickly or unexpectedly my finger tips get caught in the rollers, I yell out ,"Please - watch what I am doing! Don't turn the handle too fast." If Tamsyn misses the beginning of a pair of underwear as it comes through the rollers, it will go around again and Griffyn has to back it out and give her another chance to grab it. If he turns too quick she'll get her fingers pinched - and screech. 

We have had the wringer now for about a month and the kids are beginning to understand that we must all work together, not to hurt each other. We wring each load three times (wash and two rinses). Then I hang the clothes. We have strung lines all over, from shroud to shroud, from inner stay to shroud, from shroud to boom gallows. If it is super windy, I only hang clothes low, along the life lines, which limits what can be washed that day (no sheets). So far we've only lost one pillowcase to the wind in NZ - and many a clothespin. Both Tamsyn and Griffyn cried loud and long when that pathetic old pillowcase floated under (I wasn't diving for it). Both kids have difficulty letting go of anything. I gather it is because they each have so little on the boat that everything seems more precious. In Tonga, Bora Bora, Tahiti (warmer water) I dove for things that fell- but it is cold water here and murky with big fish swimming underneath.

Carrie signing off.

Sunshine and Epiphanies

Attention - The hike and family visit blog entry has had numerous PICTURES added - so go check-em out!


February 8

This morning as I crawled out of bed - completely exhausted from fighting the wind while doing the laundry yesterday - I wanted cry even though the sun was shining, the winds had died down. My sides ached so much I thought I had hurt my back. Then a nono bit me while I made breakfast. I took some Excedrine. School would be starting late this morning- I was just too sore to move quickly or with enthusiasm. The drug began to take effect as I finished my decaf. We decided to begin with the elective today (Science for Tamsyn and History/Geography for Griffyn). Owen and Tamsyn got started in the salon while Griffyn and I went up to the cockpit table. 

I read to Griffyn about Christopher Colombus, his voyage, a flat world and other beliefs from 1492. As I read to him and showed him where Colombus's ships sailed, I began to see it all come together. Griffyn had sailed across an ocean - so when the text told us how hard it was to travel that "slow" way - he knew. He knew about what it felt like to see land after 30 plus days at sea. He knew what it meant to provision for a long voyage. He knew what it meant to get somewhere and not speak the language, to not know what the money would be like, to trade with Native people (we traded seeds for eggs and other fresh food in Tonga). Griffyn was so excited by what we read about, Colombus, Indians of North America, "the Indies", voyages, that he wanted me to keep reading after we had covered our lesson. He said, "No! we have to read more!" when I said it was time to quit. So we read about the Mayflower and Pilgrims. 

Then it was recess and snack. After the reading lesson with him, I took some time (during lunch break - a whole hour) to write about what I felt teaching History to Griffyn. I realized what we have been working so hard for, what is finally beginning to happen (at least I can finally see it not just believe it.) This trip is their introduction to the world - live. They aren't getting it from books - they are living it. The home schooling helps them have context for all the learning they get first hand. It's like endless field trips with readings to support what we see and experience. 

Way back before I left WA, when I was sitting in the REECAS office talking to Allison, my co-worker, about this trip and how it would be good for the kids. I didn't really  - I mean really - know how it would benefit them. I just believed it would. Owen has had so many more life changing foreign experiences than I have and my co-worker has too, that they both had a much better understanding of how much this would impact the kids. But for me what happened in our history lesson feels like the kind of epiphany I've been waiting for. The kind you have when you know it is all worth it. This life on a tiny boat is hard, many days I want to pack it in. The learning curve has been ferocious and arduous. But today, I can say with my whole heart, that I am so glad we are here, stuck in windy New Zealand, in this little boat, learning to live in the big broad world. We are building a foundation for them that will enable them to live anywhere, to better understand their world. 

We went to shore today, after school ended. The kids were given their allowance. Owen and Griffyn played football. I chatted with Sue (S/V Fugue) and we bought a bit of fresh food for dinner. Then we came back to our boat, ate dinner, watched a movie together (it's hump day). And went to bed - I write in the evenings.

Nonos, Boat School, Wind and Cabin Fever

Attention - The previous blog entry has had numerous PICTURES added - so go check-em out!

January 30 - February 7, 2012

After Wendy and John left us we were very tired and mostly slept for the next three days. We slept very late each morning, getting up around 10AM, having brunch around 11:00 and getting our day started around noon. We weren't up particularly late each night, just very tired. We all felt a little down at finding ourselves by ourselves again - with no excuse to spend money on pizza or anything fun like that. It was time to hunker down and start home schooling again. The school year in New Zealand begins at the end of January.

We were also being plagued by nonos, tiny black flies that leave a nasty mosquito like bite (although much more itchy). The nonos in New Zealand seemed more persistent than anywhere else we have been. In the tropics, they only bit if we went on land and walked through their territory. In New Zealand, our boat seems to be their territory. They do not make a sound like mosquitos. The only time you notice them is when they are biting you and by then it is too late. They show up the minute the wind dies down or twilight - which ever comes first and they do not leave. So if they didn't manage to get in a good couple of bites before bed, they bite you while you sleep and then again the minute you wake up and walk into the galley with bare feet. Oh, they also have a penchant for exposed skin below the knee. We have some theories about why they mostly bite very low. The best theory is that they are poor flyers - and the lower - the more accessible. They also seem to like foreigners better than the locals here in New Zealand. So all the cruisers are constantly scratching (and in private swearing). Owen's bites have turned into nasty scabs, some have even gotten infected. Mine just itch to the point where I want to scream, (calamine lotion has no effect.) Luckily our kids for some reason are not as tasty to them. When we finally thought we'd loose our minds, the weather changed.

But before I tell you what the weather changed to, I wanted to tell you more about our home schooling. We begin our day around 9:30 AM with Math (30 minutes). Owen works with Tamsyn and I work with Griffyn. Griffyn is on track to be half way through Kindergarten and Tamsyn is working through third grade problems. The Math class varies in content each day of the week. For instance Wednesdays (allowance day), Math is all about counting out the proper change (currently using U.S. currency). The kids solve problems to purchase candy. The candy is real and they are very motivated to learn to add, subtract, multiply, divide and count back change correctly. On Tuesdays we work with visual aids like clocks (learning to tell time), calendars (to discuss how February is different in New Zealand than in Washington), an abacus (or other historical methods of solving math problems). On Mondays and Thursdays we work on equations, the bread and butter of most arithmetic. After Math is recess (15 minutes) - which means that Tamsyn and Griffyn must leave the cabin, go above, and play by themselves on deck. They usually swing on a black halliard (which we do not use at anchor). Often Owen or I go up with them and play "Captain Says," which they love and of-course 'the best listener' wins. 

At 10:20, Tamsyn sits down to work on a writing project while Griffyn and I work on his reading lesson. Tamsyn is currently working on a "How To" assignment in which she must write down the directions for someone to make something. She is writing to Aunt Kelly (specifically) about how to make a 'Saturday Snake'. We will post her project once she has finished. Her writing projects usually take a week. She spends at least 45 minutes a day four times a week on them. The writing projects provide many opportunities for learning new skills and practicing old ones. She has to write out the project, correct her punctuation and spelling, revise and edit her writing, write a final draft in cursive, and then present it to us before it ends up on the blog. Tamsyn spends the first 25 minutes (of 45) by herself while I work with Griffyn on his reading lesson. After that I work with her on her writing while Griffyn takes a break. Griffyn is reading at a 1st grade level and it is very tedious. At this stage, he still must sound out most words. His lessons vary depending on how frustrated he is with the first effort we make. We are working our way through "Green Eggs and Ham" - but if he is really struggling after a couple words, I will revert back to our lesson book, "Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons" (a reading curriculum I cannot say enough good things about!) And sometimes we skip both of those and chose a pictorial encyclopedia. I read him the captions of each type of spider (for instance) if he counts the sentences, the capital letters, and sounds out a couple words. We make it a game and he learns about reading in a playful way. 

At 11:05, it's snack time. Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 11:20 Owen sits down with Tamsyn while I sit down with Griffyn to work on an elective (40 minutes). The electives are: History, Geography, and Science. (Every Thursday we study Music at this time.) The elective is taught for a week or two depending on the topic, before another elective is studied. Currently Owen and Tamsyn are delving into the basic concepts behind scientific investigation. I have over heard some of it and Owen has the perfect background for this discussion. He also found a 5th or 6th grade student Science activity book which is too advanced for Tamsyn, but a good resource guide for them. I am reading a chapter on History & Geography from the "Everything your Kindergardener Needs to Know" series with Griffyn. This is another great series of books for the home school teacher. I am not as fluent in History and Geography as Owen, nor do I have a curriculum for these subjects other than what they learn by traveling, but this book is great for a child just beginning to learn about the world and U.S. History. I also have a "Children's Atlas of the World" to provide us with maps and facts about what we read, an inflatable globe and other children's non-fiction to help us locate important sites and read more in depth. So far Griffyn has a terrific grasp of "countries" (which each have their own flag and currency). For each country we have visited, the kids have made a flag and collected some coins (in addition to what they spend on candy while in country). 

At noon it's lunch time - and school is over for the day unless we started school late or are still engrossed in a project. Sometimes the kids continue working on the 'elective' on their own. Sometimes we finish school around 2:00PM due to something unforeseen like running out of water (which pushes ahead the start time). On Fridays we have Art Day. Fridays begin at breakfast with sharing about what we have learned during the week in our elective studies, our writing projects, or stories we have read. At some natural break in the day, Tamsyn gets computer time (30 minutes). But most of the day is devoted to art. Generally the kids make art in the morning and by afternoon are finished. We let them watch movies so that Owen and I can continue working on our own art projects.

Both Owen and I need to make more art than we have been able to thus far - we are both artists - so we decided we needed a whole day each week for art. I have tried a number of different home school schedules, over the past year, and most of them didn't work for long. I kept trying to teach too many subjects in a day or in a week. I was trying to emulate an elementary school schedule (designed for 25 students per class, a teacher and parent volunteers). It just never worked. I couldn't teach in such short bursts and really cover anything while teaching two age groups at once. Every interesting or fun project we started always went too long and messed up the schedule. And there are so many things that interrupt school while traveling (like the days before disembarking - which must be devoted to boat maintenance/repair, provisioning, laundry and stowing). I never found time for myself much less art, when I was emulating these school models (and doing all the domestic chores). Domestic chores on a boat, take twice as long as they do in a house or apartment. I make bread (because often there isn't a bakery handy). I do the laundry - completely by hand. We do not have any electronics for the kitchen - no dish washer, microwave, toaster, blender, coffee grinder or any other time saving domestic devices like washing machines or dryers. We have to do everything by hand. And grocery shopping may take all day if we have to walk a couple miles or hitch hike or share a ride. Home maintanence (on a boat) takes up a lot of Owen's time plus he has to work for our income. Often over the past year, I felt totally overwhelmed by the school schedule in addition to my chores. This latest school schedule allows us enough time each day for chores and has built in time for the teachers to regenerate. This schedule focuses on the most important subjects of an elementary education (reading, writing and arithmetic) as well as the other subjects that are introduced (History, Geography, Science, Music). And because we home school, the kids get more one on one time than they ever would in a classroom. 

Now back to the weather change and how it relieved us of our nonos. Sometime about half-way through the last week, the winds picked up and a gale set in. (Gale winds are upwards of 25 knots - blustery day!) The winds blew so hard that the nonos couldn't land on the boat! Thank God!!! But the gusts continued to blow in the 30 knot range for days. Now despite how much we hated living day to day with nonos, continuous high winds with occasional rain and consistently overcast skies can wear one down. The winds were so bad that Owen camped out on the starboard settee for most of the week just to be near the GPS - so he could hear the drag alarm (the alarm attached to our GPS system that starts beeping if the boat moves beyond the scope of the 'normal' anchor swing.) I woke up a couple of times during the night just because the waves were knocking the boat around so much I couldn't sleep. (Once I had to take Meclazine - seasickness medicine - before I could fall back asleep.) When winds blow 30 knots for any length of time the long fetch here near the Opua Marina gathers momentum. Try balancing on a bouncing deck while reaching up to hang out a soaking wet queen sized flat sheet. If it doesn't smack you in the face - then you are not experiencing 30 knot winds on a sail boat (our boat changes direction because of the river currents and the winds so often that I have had to learn to dodge my laundry as quickly as I hang it.) We had a couple days where white caps around our boat were the norm for the day. As big waves make for very wet dinghy rides, we weren't too eager to jump in and get completely soaked with salt water and then frozen by the winds just to go ashore. We also worried about the boat dragging when we were ashore (the one time we left the boat), so mostly we just hung out. Owen went in twice (alone) to fill gerry cans with water because we were out and because we needed to wash clothes - otherwise we stayed put. The winds were so annoying, so consistently too strong, that we are now all taking sea sickness medicine just to survive on the boat. The main symptoms of sea sickness at anchor are irritability, stomach upset, drowsiness and short tempers. Despite all of our efforts to curtail Griffyn and Tamsyn's antics during this week - with planned snacks, school schedules, and recess - it is likely that they could be thrown overboard if we do not soon go ashore. By tonight (hopefully the last blessed day of this God-forsaken wind) we are all showing signs of cabin fever. We WILL leave the boat tomorrow come Hell or high water! 

Grandpa John and Aunt Wendy's visit to New Zealand

January 20 - 28, 2012

Grandpa John and Aunt Wendy's visit to New Zealand

We are taking a break from home-schooling while Grandpa John is visiting us in New Zealand. Owen met Grandpa at the airport in Kerikeri (a town about an hour north of Opua). John had a rented car reserved so Owen drove a very tired Grandpa to his hotel in Opua. John's aggregate flights took 27 hours from Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA to the Kerikeri airport on the North Island of New Zealand. He was a tired puppy. Not too tired to see his grandkids though, so after Owen deposited Grandpa, he drove down the hill, hopped into the dinghy and rode out to the boat to pick us up. We were all excited to see Grandpa John who had braved the long (and expensive) flight to visit us on the bottom of the world. We left the US a year ago. After outfitting the boat, it took us 8 months to sail here (with visits to remote islands along the way). It took Grandpa 27 hours to fly. 

Grandpa handed out Christmas gifts (and birthday gifts to me). Grandpa's favorite gifts are movies and the kids of-course love them. We haven't seen a TV since we left the US - so movies are our favorite way to relax together (or apart). He also brought Daniel Smith watercolor paints that Owen bought me for my birthday. (Daniel Smith watercolors made in Seattle are the best I have ever used.) Then Grandpa John needed to sleep - so we left the hotel and went back to our boat. 

The next day Grandpa wanted to purchase a phone in Kerikeri, so while Owen and John checked out the phone stores, Tamsyn, Griffyn and I found a hike that wondered though Kiwi habitat. It began at the Waitangi Treaty grounds and ended at Haruru Falls.

On this hot and sunny day, the hike felt wonderful. It was good to be walking through a forest again. I have missed walking and especially walking on a trail, through a forest rich in diversity. It reminded me of the forests that I missed in the Pacific Northwest. I fell in love with the tree ferns and took many pictures of them. 

The ancient fern with a trunk a foot wide and 8 foot fern branches is a primeval species. It was around when dinosaurs walked the earth. Walking under them made us feel very small as if we had shrunk and were now wondering through a garden like spiders looking for a spot to weave a web. The tree fern canopy spanned the path often and sometimes we would step onto a huge jagged shadow. We felt like hobbits walking through another world. 

They were epiphytes growing in huge clumps on trees with branches hanging low over the river. There were enormous yucca like plants with wide sword like leaves as tall as me and a central stalk of flowers much taller. 

Owen has told me I was surrounded by tea-trees (one of the many trees that make up this forest) - like these.

I was too enamored with the ferns of all sizes to wonder at the other trees. 

We traversed an old bridge crossing a river leaving the forest to wander the mangroves on the other side. To walk through a mangroves you have to walk above the water on a board walk much like the board walks in Yost Park, Edmonds, WA. 

Mangroves have a simple beauty unlike the diversity of the forest, they are made up of few species. They grow in mud (at low tide) or in water (high tide). At low tide you see the tips of the next generation penetrating the mud like a million sticks sticking straight up.

 Only a few have leaves and these are surrounded by the mangroves bushes or trees that are full grown. In a way it is like walking through a desert it is so different from a lush forest. After a path through the mangroves we were back in the forest again. 

The "whine" of the cicadas were so loud that we thought we might loose some hearing. A couple times a very large bug would fly by my head and I wondered what on earth could be so loud and large (and still fly). 

Griffyn found a dead cicada on the path. It was an inch long. Griffyn carried the dead cicada very carefully all the rest of the way. 

The hike ended at a water fall, Haruru Falls, where Grandpa and Owen met us. Grandpa had brought small magnifying glasses for each of us. We all looked at the cicada in great detail. They are quite beautiful when seen up close, they have golden hairs on their bodies and heads. They have two sets of eyes, tiny red ones and larger green/black ones. Their bodies colors are green, blue, black, and gold. Their transparent wings reflect the colors of the rainbow.

After a quick look at the falls, it was time to head back to the hotel. That night we ordered a couple pizzas. Griffyn (and the rest of us) were so excited, we hadn't had pizza since La Paz, Mexico. We thought it tasted great - what a treat! Thank you Grandpa!

On Sunday, Grandpa said we needed to go to the airport again to do some paperwork on the rental car and we had to be there at 10:40 AM sharp! So we dragged the kids out of bed at 8:00 AM, ate breakfast, got dressed, packed lunch, water and snacks, and around 9:20 got into the dinghy. We chained up the dinghy at the dinghy dock, deposited our garbage, walked through the marina and up the hill to Grandpa's hotel by 9:45 AM. Then we all piled in the car and drove to Kerikeri. We got there a little early, but Owen assured me that the car rental place would open even on a Sunday - once the plane arrived. So we were waiting around a little airport (a bit of grass with a fence around it) for a little airplane to arrive so that we could fill out some more paperwork. I was beginning to think this was tedious. Grandpa walked over to the area where passengers deplane after a plane landed. We followed him... then Aunt Wendy (Owen's sister) walked off the plane toward us. I was in total shock, my jaw hung down for a full 10 minutes. Wendy had told us a month ago that she couldn't get the time off work. We were quite sad that she wouldn't be coming - but here she was!!!!! We were all overjoyed!  We hugged her and kissed her and told her how happy we were that she was here. After a trip to the grocery store, we spent the rest of the day helping her get settled in Opua. She was staying with Grandpa in the hotel.

The next day Grandpa wanted to head up north to the beaches at the tip of the North Island to see if we could see any sea birds. He loves birds and his photos of them left me speechless (see his website "Morning Earth"). We were happy to take a road trip to see more of the area. Our first stop after a lunch break was the quick mart - because what is a road trip with out Doritos. Owen purchased one bag (they only had one) and we, the back seat, immediately confiscated it. Another treat - we hadn't had Doritos since the US. (We did share with the front seat.) We loved seeing the scenery of New Zealand - it looks as if rural southern Wisconsin married rural Montana and was governed by English farmers. The hills are more rugged and more often than anything in the midwest but the small cattle and sheep farms share the land equally with the vineyards and corn and squash fields. And there are hedge rows everywhere made of bamboo stands, large deciduous trees or pines. 

The first beach we found, "90 Mile Beach",  is on the Tasman Sea (on the west coast of New Zealand between Austalia and New Zealand). 

It was extremely windy and very long (hence the name) with headlands way off in the distance. The beach itself was sandy and flat for a long ways out to sea. Tamsyn and Wendy ran full speed over the dunes, down to the water and were wet to their waists by the time Owen and I reached them with Griffyn. We had not thought about swim suits or towels. Tamsyn & Griffyn live in salt water - so they thought nothing of getting a little wet. The wind chilled us through before long and we headed back to the car to dust the sand off and get in. 

The warm drive to the next beach felt wonderful. "Henderson Bay" is on the Pacific side of New Zealand. This beach was absolutely stunning. 

The dunes are high and full us grasses and bushes and wildlife. We had to walk a quarter of a mile through them to reach the beach. Our shoes were full of sand. The colors of the water were turquoise, deep blue, and lighter blue - patches of water of differing depths. The beach was a soft red and white barking sand in and around outcroppings of dark brown lava. 

Griffyn all on his own created a piece of environmental art using these amazing tumble weed like things and a still pool of water.  

Our own Andy Goldsworthy.

Large branches of seaweeds floated in the shallows and Wendy, skirting the waves, played out  sword fights and monster chases with Griffyn and Tamsyn. I was in heaven, the beach was so beautiful to look at, the day was perfect, warm and sunny (on this beach anyway), Owen was exploring marine life in tidepools with Grandpa and I loved watching Wendy run around with the kids laughing and giggling like she was 12. 

I was content to take it all in while wading through the sea weed and swirling water. I had a moment where I had to run ahead and see what was around the next bluff - the same impulse that convinced me to sail the seas - to see what there was to see. 

The next day, Tuesday, we had a birthday party to attend (we were invited before Grandpa arrived) to "Puddy Tat", a catamaran owned by a couple from Zimbabwe (Sylvie) and Great Britain (David). We first met them in the Marqueses and have run into them a number of times on our island stops across the Pacific. The have become very dear to us. Grandpa and Wendy decided to have a day with themselves. They went back to Haruru Falls and hiked the path half way through before turning back. I'm sure they enjoyed their day.  

We really needed a day on the boat, the laundry was piling up and I had offered to bring a chocolate cake to the party.  A couple days previously I had bought a ringer from another cruising couple who were selling it. I was dying to try it out. So I spent the day baking and doing laundry. When ever I bake I never make just one thing - it is a waste of propane (it takes 45 minutes just to heat up the oven.) So that day I made oatmeal cookies (with chocolate chips and coconut) and a double layer chocolate cake with chocolate icing. We ran out of propane just as I was baking the last pan of cookies, just as I was about to put the cakes in - so we called Puddy Tat and asked if we could finish baking over there. They offered to give us a propane tank to use. So Owen jumped into the dinghy and rode over to get their propane tank, bring it back and hook it up as quickly as possible. The oven only lost 75 degrees - he was fast!  The cakes turned out great and I was able with the help of the kids to get two large loads of washing, rinsed twice and hung before we had to leave for the party (5:00 PM) and Tamsyn and Griffyn had made gifts for the birthday boy (David) who was turning 50. Owen spent the day working on his website and advertising. His website has had a huge overhaul and looks great - check it out:     http://www.InterpretiveServices.com/    It was a busy day for us and the party was a lot of fun. We stayed quite late and drank too much and the kids watched three movies. So we were all quite satiated when we dropped off to sleep around 1:30 AM. 

Next morning, Wednesday, we received two email invitations - one was from Grandpa requesting the presence of Tamsyn at the hotel for the night (a sleep over). Grandpa had suggested this prior to his visit and the kids had been asking non-stop since he arrived. Wendy sent another invitation requesting Griffyn's presence (for the night) at her hotel room. So that morning consisted of packing. The kids spent at least 2 hours packing their backpacks and planning their evenings. They were so excited it was like Christmas all over again. After lunch we finally left the boat and headed up the hill to Grandpa's hotel. While Owen and Grandpa drove to Paihia to fill our propane tanks so we would be able to cook again on the boat, I asked Wendy what she wanted to do while she was here in New Zealand. She said she really wanted to ride a Jet Ski. I was thrilled, I did too and I knew Owen didn't want to. So we hatched a plan for the afternoon on Thursday. When Owen and Grandpa returned, Owen and I spent a couple hours chatting. Then Owen and I each took hot showers (none on the boat) before we kissed the kids good night and walked back down the hill to the marina. We were on our own for the first time since we left the US. We hardly knew what to do with ourselves - well not exactly - we could think of a few things. 

Thursday morning I finished a bit of laundry (it's all handwashing - well now using a ringer!!!!) and hung up things to dry while Owen stowed things so that we could have the boat a little more ready to sail (tomorrow). When you finally arrive at your destination (after a passage) you unload all those things that were stowed  - like laundry buckets and bins and rain catchers and tons of other things that you use daily when you are not sailing. We had a lot to stow yet. It was good to have a little time without the kids around to be able to get stuff done quickly. 

That after noon we went up the hill to the hotel and met up with the kids and Grandpa and Wendy and made the appointment to jet ski. I had worn my swim suit and was ready to go. Everyone went to the beach in Paihia (a pretty very touristy town in the Bay of Islands with a huge beach.) The kids were going to swim while Wendy and I shared a Jet Ski on a Tour of the bay. Our guide was great, he said, "speed is your friend on a jet ski." 

Wendy drove first - I figured she would be better since she drove motorcycles, but the waves were very choppy that day and the bay lead straight out to the ocean (I thought there were some swells too). Wendy drove for a bit and then I took over when she was struggling with the chop. I felt pretty good on the water - I guess it is the sailing and all those dinghy rides. I definitely had a feel for the waves. I took us through the worst of the choppy waves and we entered a more sheltered area about 20 minutes into our 1 hour tour of the islands. The guide told us a little about a couple of the islands as we neared them. The water was much smoother in that more sheltered bay. It was great to see the islands up close too. I can't wait to take out boat out and anchor near some of them. Soon. I loved the Jet Ski - especially on smooth water. We got soaked and continuously sprayed with salt water. I'd have to slow down just to clear the water out of my eyes. After we had seen three islands it was time to head back. Wendy drove the way home - she took us up to 70 km/hour! Wow! I thought I'd loose a filling each time we slammed down into the trough. (I had only taken us up to 50 km/hour - which was fast.) She was having a great time! I was too and eager to get back. I knew I'd be tired the next day. That night the kids stayed at the hotel again with Wendy and Grandpa. Owen and I headed back to the boat for a late supper, a movie sans children and some more stowing.

Friday morning - sailing day. The challenge was to get Grandpa into the boat from a bouncing dinghy (he's somewhat disabled). We put Grandpa into a bosun's chair, Owen hauled him up the side, while Wendy stayed in the dinghy helping to place his feet on deck. I was on deck next to Grandpa to give him a shoulder. It worked well and after a view from the bow, he sat down to stay in the cockpit. The day wasn't shaping up as nicely as we had hoped - the forecast was for gusts of up to 30 knots, rain and swells. The trawler on a mooring ball next to us was swinging all over the place getting dangerously close. Boats were dragging and moving around so much that a number of boats were pulling anchor and moving just to avoid potential collisions. It was a rough day out. I was very eager to pull anchor as was Owen. Despite our plans to sail it was good to get out of the way of the heavy M/V Craig Isle. So as the wind whipped us and every boat around us, we pulled anchor and drove backward as quickly as possible to move away from an impending disaster. A little scary -but hey I wanted Wendy and Grandpa to have a real sailing experience - they were gonna get one. 

As we drove out of the anchorage and past the marina the sun came through the clouds a bit just to taunt us. It gave Wendy a sunny view of the boat while Tamsyn showed her around below deck. Then we threaded the needle (at the narrowest passage coming into a bay I can remember - only 50 feet wide - the first time we came through at 2:30 AM - so I didn't really "see" how close those markers were to each other), while racing boats careened past us on both sides (the locals here - like everywhere else - pay no attention to the channel marker buoys). 

This was race week - there had been sail boat races all week - today was the last day. These huge fancy boats with 10 people all wearing the same shirt sitting on the windward edge feet dangling just above the water cruised past us at top speed - it was a windy day. Our heavy boat under power just left in the waves. We finally put up sail after we past a huge cruise ship parked outside of Paihia (one of those 12 decks high ones like Princess Lines). Once we put up sail we shut off the engine and sailed at around 6 knots for about 3 hours before we had to turn back. The weather declined and it began to rain. Wendy and I went below and I made coffee and showed Wendy what it was like to cook at an angle. She understood why sometimes I don't want to boil water. 

Then as if it was planned something broke - some thing always breaks during a passage - often many things break (hopefully not all at once). Our compass stopped moving. Owen banged on it, I made the old joke about showing them a "real" sailing experience and eventually his banging restored it's movement. I hope that one isn't actually beginning to fail - we need a compass in the cockpit! (We have enough to mend while we summer over.) We were heeling over a bit and making a good speed - it was fun. I love the waves and sailing (provided they are reasonable - but even that sense of reasonable has stretched considerably in the past year.) 

Wendy and Grandpa seemed to thoroughly enjoy their sail despite the rain and frustrations we had anchoring again once we returned to area we had left earlier that day. We dropped the anchor and it dragged and we had to re-anchor and it dragged and then seemed to catch. It was around 8 PM by the time we finally all tumbled back into the dinghy and were able to ride to the marina. Grandpa had offered to buy us all dinner at the marina cafe (fabulous food). And we were all happy to accept. Another late night but it was a fun day.

Saturday morning Wendy's plane took her back home. We brought her to the airport, saw her walk onto the plane and fly away. We all felt sad to see her go knowing it would be a long time before we would see her again. We were all tired and left Grandpa at the hotel to rest. He wasn't leaving until Monday. 

On Sunday we all drove to Whangarei. Whangarei is the nearest medium sized town in New Zealand. It is an hour south of Opua. Owen and I wanted to check out the town, it's marina and anchoring sites as well as the headlands near by. We had heard of other cruisers staying in Whangarei for their summer over. We wanted to know if it would be a better place for us than Opua. Opua is little more than a good marina with much of what a cruiser or yachty needs to repair their boat in a beautiful setting. There is a general store, but not much else. It is a hamlet especially designed for the yachty (tourist or local). 

Whangarei is indeed bigger than Opua, yet we were a little sad to see what looked just like another "American" city with franchises and modern construction. We have spent most of our time in the last year in small villages and have come to like them quite a lot. Whangarei had a lot of shops and services, yet it didn't seem to have much character. Just driving through the city, I felt the way I generally feel in modern cities - the pressure to spend money on things we wouldn't need, things that were nicer than the ones we already had. There were very few boats that anchored near the marina and even fewer out at the headlands. We cannot afford to be on a dock. We drove home (to Opua) feeling a little disappointed that what we had seen was less than what we had hoped for. On the other hand we were happy to be anchored in such a lovely place, with lots yet to explore over the summer. We made a couple stops along the way to let Grandpa photograph birds and the kids to play at a park. When we got Grandpa back to the hotel, we all took showers and said our good byes to Grandpa John. 

Monday morning early Owen left the boat to drive Grandpa to the airport.  Thanks for coming you guys!