Maitai Bay, New Zealand 8 Dec 2010 34.8253S 173.4114E

and yesterday Whangaroa Harbor: 35.0093S 1737296E

We’re working our way up and over the northern tip of New Zealand. Our ultimate destination this round is Nelson on the northern tip of the South Island. We’ve been doing little, one night, one day stops, hopping along cove to cove. We’re trying to time our arrival at the north tip of the North Island, with the arrival of some north winds up there to send us on a 3 day non-stop trip south (the west coast here is not a boat friendly coast, so no little one day stops on that side). It’s an odd thing to be driven forward from these beautiful, sometimes dramatic, spots by a wish for nice winds – never a promise of nice winds. Each spot we’ve stopped at so far, is worthy of at least a week’s vacation. But since we’re not on vacation really – just cruising – school, sailing, boat repairs, cooking, cleaning, all must happen in a given day. Some days we get a couple hours worth of vacation squeezed in too, with kayaking and stomps in these coves and hills. The view from our backyard is always excellent.

Stomps is a term we learned from English friends on Zephyrus. It means – a vigorous hike – one where you really step out and get the heart rate up, where the path is “difficult,” according to the guidebook scales. Before algebra the other day, we had an amazing morning stomp up the Duke’s Nose (in Whangaroa Harbor). The last bit was more climb than stomp with a convenient chain anchored to the face of the rock cliff to help the less qualified climbers up (me, and still I was challenged). From the top of the Duke’s Nose, Silver Lining looked like a toy boat. I did get some fun pictures, which I’ll post when we get back to WiFi land.

Right now the coastline is desolate, very few houses, no boats in sight (although we did share an anchorage with the police boat last night – safest anchorage we’ve been in yet). We’re sailing north now with flat seas 10 knots of wind, making an easy 5 knots. It feels like lake sailing. I guess a day this beautiful counts as a vacation day, but with no stores, I do need to go work on a loaf of bread to fill the stomaches I hear growling in the background. Too bad I can’t just pour the flour and water down their gullets; that would be a lot quicker, and I’d be free to go watch the coast slide by.

Hmmm, should have packed some Space Food Sticks, do they still make those? I guess today they’re called energy bars.

xoxomo