Bodhran anchored by herself in Urupukapuka Bay:

Ahhh, if only we’d been able to leave Monday. Here I sit in the Bay of Islands having a grand time with Delaware Johnny and Marissa, but I’m ready to get underway to Fiji. Too bad the weather’s not going to cooperate right away. There was a high southwest of NZ which created some favorable winds last Monday, but Johnny and Marisa had just got here and customs requires you to give a 4 day notice before departing so that they can do a background check on the crew and make sure that there’s no outstanding fines or warrants on any of the crew before departure. Now the high has slowly moved to the northwest and is shutting down the wind north of here. A low is coming up behind it which will bring northerlies at the beginning of it, but should have favorable winds on the backside. So hopefully early next week we can be getting underway.

Johnny and Marisa hiking around Urupukapuka Island:

So in the meantime, we’ve been out exploring the Bay of Islands a bit more. There has been lots of good sailing, lazy mornings, music making, hiking and figuring out different ways of cooking mussels. So far steaming them open, breading them and frying is the best, but they’re pretty good just on their own. We spent one night on Motorua Island and two more on Urupukapuka. Yesterday we were treated to a beautiful sunny day. Seeing how we were anchored off a long sandy beach, it would have been criminal not to take advantage. Today’s cloudy and cold again. So it goes. I’d say the climate here is starting to mirror what it’s like back home right now. Surely a sign to be on my way.

Bodhran anchored off Motorua Island:

Another classic pastoral New Zealand landscape with sheep grazing right down to the beach:

Johnny and myself on Urupukapuka Island:

We’re back in Opua to grab some internet, weather, and supplies. Then we’ll head back out in the islands for a few days. Hopefully next Monday or Tuesday Johnny and I will be on our way up to Fiji. We won’t have much time when we get up there though. Johnny’s got to fly out and start guiding on Ranier by May 17th and I’ll be hauling Bodhran and coming home to work by the end of May myself. I’m really looking forward to the passage, but it’s going to be nice to be on my way home again and see everybody in a month or so.