Getting Back To Normal

Whatever normal is, that is to say.
Here we are past the middle of February already and it feels like we have only just got back to Tutukaka It has taken us quite a long time to settle down and get into projects again. This may have something to do with the weather which has been HOT with awful humidity. It is best to get the walks done early in the morning now. Today it rained - that slow misty drizzly rain. It looks so refreshing but it is only increasing the humidity.
The schoolchildren are back at school but the holiday-makers are still around. the marina is quite full and there are usually campervans in the carpark. The local camping ground seems to be still busy, too.

The anchor winch was hard to get out ( see last posting "Bay of Islands" ) and there is now a hole in the nicely refurbished wood in the forward cabin - but that too is fixable. The winch went to Auckland and there were parts that had to be ordered for it. So, many dollars later, it was put back but failed to work so it had to go back to Auckland. We now have it back and reinstalled and it is working perfectly. The person who fixed said it will be good for another 25 years now - that's good - it will be nice if we are still doing this when we are ninety.

John is being kept busy with his new responsibilty as Chairman of the Tutukaka Marina Trust.

I have been out walking since we have been back in order to do some "damage-control" after all the holiday festivities. I go early before the sun gets much of a chance and I usually walk the ridge above the marina. The views are great and the sea never seems to be the same. I took my new camera (Christmas present from Santa) with me last week and here are a couple of photos near the end of the ridge.


Here are some boats coming through the Tutukaka heads. Yes, it is a fairly narrow passage and there are days when the sea is too rough. Plenty of "bricks!" It is too dangerous to go on the other side.

That's the Hen andChicks out on the horizon.









And this is slightly further along looking across the entrance. The oblong building is part of the "Pacific Rendezvous" holiday motels where Zane and Ange and Liam stayed for part of their time here the year before last.

In the distance that almost conical shape is Bream Head which marks the entrance to Whangarei.








The weekend before last was a busy time for Tutukaka. There was a big game fishing competition on all weekend and on the Sunday night the Village Green in front of the hotel was the venue for the "Wine Tour" concert featuring Dave Dobbyn and Tim Finn on stage together, plus others who seem to be famous but I didn't recognise the names. I was a bit bemused because we are a marina and not a vineyard - but there are a couple of vineyards somewhere in Tutukaka so I suppose that made it all right.
There was no point trying to sleep until the concert was over so we all sat on our boats listening. They had to finish by 10pm. Ticket-holders were admitted into a closed off area which was all set up with stands providing all sorts of meals and bar facilities so it was no small job getting it set up.


Somebody caught a marlin. It did not count because it was Ladies' Day and they didn't even have a female on board. However, it is here to be weighed and photographed with the angler.

These fish usually go away to be smoked which seems to be the preferred way to eat them. We have tried it - it is quite delicious.








Talking about fishing - John and Ken go out as often as possible usually taking other guests on Ken's boat. They have not caught any marlin or anything like that (yet) but now and then they do get a large one.

Here Ken is struggling to hold this Hapuka. It was part fileted and part cut into steaks after the photo was taken


Look at those big chunky steaks.

All this was watched by the other residents of E pier and after all the cleaning up was done Ken very generously offered it to feed everyone for dinner. After a mad flurry by all the women to provide salads etc we all sat out on the pier where the fish was cooked on the back of "Seaforth II" and then enjoyed the communal dinner. The photo is taken from the deck of "Irrepressible."

Bay of Islands

After our time in Whangaroa Harbour we pointed the good ship "Irrepressible" southward intending to go back to Tutukaka but stopped for a night in Whangamumu where we stayed on the way up. We knew that our Tutukaka 'E' Street neighbors and friends were there and that Ken was going back the next day as was our intention. However, came the morning Ken got away and 'Fred and Nigel were all set to go up to the Bay of Islands and were quite persuasive about why we should go too. Every time we had been there in the past the weather was not the best so we had decided that we did not like the Bay of Islands but ended up agreeing to give it another chance. So glad we did because the weather was lovely all the time we were there and it made all the difference. The whole Bay was full of boats but apart from the hoons that sped around everywhere making rough wake for everyone else and endangering people trying to dive or swim or kayak it was all very tranquil and pretty.

And would you know it - lots of boats from E-Street there so it was sort of home away from home.
We gathered most nights on Nigel and Fred's boat "Seaforth II" because it is the biggest (see photo). One evening there were about 15 of us gathered and we ended up having a communal BBQ dinner (mostly sausages and bread with tomato sauce!) and then nobody wanted to go back to their own boats. A BeeJees video went on and so the evening turned into a dance party. I felt a bit sorry for 'Fred and Nigel but on reflection I think they love to be the hosts of a successful gathering.
We got together again on another night because somebody
had a birthday and the spouse had cooked a cake and wanted everyone to be there.

We went into Russell a couple of times. In colonial days it was dubbed "The Hell-hole of the Pacific" and was not a safe place to be in but now it is a very charming and picturesque seaside village. There are a couple of 4-Square supermarkets there so we were able to keep up supplies of fresh goods. There is also a very good museum and lots of arty sort of shops, lovely old colonial buildings and good eating venues - not to mention the coffee.

The annual Tall Ships Race took place while we were there which is rather fun. It is a sail boat race and it attracts really old boats and interesting boats. This event is always followed at the end of the day with a "Hangi" in the next cove. Sandra and Graham usually go to that.

Erin and Ivan sailed down from Whangaroa for a couple of nights before we left and we cooked a roast on our boat one night for them and Sandra and Graham.

Out anchor winch developed odd noises which caused us to make the decision to head off home. We were afraid that using it any more than we had to might make whatever was wrong worse and we did not fancy hauling up the anchor by hand if it failed altogether. 'Fred and Nigel decided to head homeward too and we risked using the anchor again in Whangamumu (hoping the winch would get it up one more time) for another night.
The offending winch did get the anchor up all right the next morning ( but the noise was a worry!) and we got back to Tutukaka at a good time to tidy up the boat a bit and do some washing.
The electric appliances came out and the whistleing kettle and camp toast maker went away until next time. We collected our mail and plugged in the TV and now we are caught up with the rest of world.

CHRISTMAS / NEW YEAR 2009 - 2010

Cooling off on the public wharf after the shopping trip in Kaeo.

We went north again this Christmas in the boat in order to spend Christmas with Erin and Ivan who are on their boat in Whangaroa - including Tom who was staying with them.
We took the trip over 2 days dropping the anchor in a lovely little bay called Whangamumu which is just south of Cape Brett and is a favourite with boaties who want to break their journeys. Next day we went round Cape Brett and passed the entrance to the Bay of Islands and headed straight for Whangaroa via the Cavalli Islands. The wind came up from a perfect direction and we had a great sail and arrived ahead of schedule.
We had a great time with Erin and Ivan - didn't do much except eat and drink interspersed with fishing , sailing and wandering around ashore. Erin and Ivan have got Dad's old flounder net and a lot flounder were caught and frozen for Tom to take back with him when he left and we were able to freeze some to take home as well. Yum.

We took a few trips into the township ( a pub, a motel, a small marina, a game-fishing club, and a small store where emergemcy stuff MIGHT be available) . One time we left Ivan & Erin's boat on the public wharf and we went into Kaeo in their car to do some more serious shopping at the 4-Square store there. Normally Ivan and Erin like to go into Kerikeri once a month to stock up at the bigger supermarkets

When there is a dog on board these shore trips need to happen reasonably often. This is Maisie - Tom's mates bought her for him after his lovely big black cat died.

Terry and Cathie drove up from
Auckland and stayed with Erin and Ivan. We rafted both the boats together on New Year's Eve so we could move back and forwards easily
without having to worry about using the dingy.

Here we all are inside "Masada" with
the camera set to take us all. Tom had left by this time.

We all parted company after New Year. Terry and Cathie drove back to Auckland and we headed off south towards Tutukaka.