New Zealand North Island Tour - Whangarei, Matamata, Rotorua, Taupo, Ohakune, Wellington

JANUARY 12 – FEBURARY 25, 2015

WHANGAREI MARINA AND NORSAND BOATYARD

NEW ZEALAND, NORTH ISLAND

THEO

I flew to New Zealand earlier than Wanda to bring Et Voila to the Norsand Boat Yard for maintenance work. This has been our first cross-ocean trip and the boat needed quite a few repairs and adjustments. The most important item was the replacement of the Yanmar saildrives. The SD50 saildrives proved unreliable, as they started slipping in Tonga, to the point that I could not control the boat in a crowded mooring field with gusting winds. I cannot even imagine what would have happened if the saildrives started slipping while we were entering an atoll with narrow entrance and high winds. I had about 400 hours on the drives and Yanmar recommends having the clutches re-lapped at 500 hours by a certified Yanmar mechanic… In case you are wondering, there are not many Yanmar certified mechanics in the South Pacific, and the few that exist are usually far away. So, I decided to replace the saildrives with the new SD60 model which have different clutch design to address the problem I experienced, I hope.

Boat on the hard.

After a grocery store run.

Other repair items included sail work (minor holes from standing rigging and UV covers replacement), fixing the non-working freezer (thermostat problem), bottom paint and propeller prop speed (will see how this holds up), fixing hull leaks at the chainplate areas, installing two SilentWind generators, moving the watermaker intake (the existing one was sucking air when the ocean was rough), checking the standing rigging, replacing the Raymarine VHF with the Icom M506 (the flybridge remote was crashing the whole system), extending the bow roller (the chain was cutting into the crossbeam aluminum “U” bracket), some gelcoat work (aluminum hull dinghy against fiberglass), get New Zealand shore power certification (in order to connect to shore power) etc., etc… This was in addition to the list I had for myself to do, like servicing all the engines, checking the running rigging, re-checking everything, fixing things I no longer remember, etc. Wanda would have gone nuts if she was here with me. Thank goodness she stayed back home.

Since I was alone, I did not think twice about living on the boat while all this work was done. This meant I had to use the yard facilities for everything except cooking. I also had to catch the grey water (dirty water) from the sinks. All in all, it was not bad, and there were a lot of other boaters around to distract me. My biggest problem was the FLIES!!! For some reason, flies like boats and they would come in numbers. There were tiny flies, medium flies and finger nail size (large) flies, which would buzz around and manage to miss the open doors and hit every window at full speed! I cannot understand how they do not get a head ache, or head & neck problems. Did I mention the large ones buzz really loud? Well, while staying at the boat yard, I realized that I really do not like flies. Then, there were the mosquitoes. Did I mention that I do not like mosquitoes? I think they follow the flies around but they take over when you, or the flies, go to sleep. Then, there was the heat. A boat on the water is nice and comfortable when it’s hot out. A boat on the hard is miserable. Then, there was the dust.  There was no escaping the dust. It gets everywhere. By the time I left the boat yard, everything was covered with dust. There was no use trying to clean it because every time the wind blew it would bring more dust, together with flies, mosquitoes and heat.

Other than that, it was nice in the boat yard. even though there is something unnatural about being on a boat that is not moving. Much needed work was getting done. The people were knowledgeable and nice. I really enjoy Kiwis. They like to talk to everyone, something I am not good at. For instance, when I would go to the grocery store, the cashier would always ask how my day was and she never expected “fine” for an answer. She really wanted to hear how my day was going and then she would go on about her day (while people are waiting in line behind me)! Wanda thinks she is flirting, but I don’t think so. Most New Zealanders I meet are that way... They really like to talk. Now, if I can only understand what they are saying!

Speaking of accents, before I took Et Voila to the boat yard, I zeroed in on a car for our land based exploration of New Zealand. If you need a car for a few months here, it is cheaper to buy one and sell it when you leave than to rent one. So, I found a 2002 Toyota RAV4 AWD, which I thought would be great for us. It was sold at Turner’s auction. I had never been to an auction before, but I understood the concept. As I mentioned, I have a hard time with the Kiwi accent. An auctioneers’ accent is Kiwi to the tenth power.  I did not even know what language he was using! I had a friend with me (a local of course) and I told him to nudge me when I was supposed to raise my hand. He nudged me. I raised my hand. I bought the car. The rest was a Kiwi blur.

Our ride for the next few months

Anyway, I digressed; I was at the boat yard for about month and a half. I had two failed attempts to escape, both due to the new saildrive leaks (fixed now). The first time, I was put in the water to be taken back out right away. A week later, I made it to the Whangarei  Marina (paradise, after the boat yard) and started celebrating (beer), only to find out there was another slow leak. So, I went back to the boat yard for another week. That was torture!

Coming from the Norsand boat yard to the Whangarei marina, you have to cross an opening bridge, something I have not done before. You have to call Bridge Control on VHF 64 and tell them who you are, mast height and that you want to pass under the bridge. The crossing area is kind of narrow, especially for a 26 foot wide catamaran, and the mast looks like it is going to hit the raised bridge. It was pretty nerve wrecking the first time, but as with most things in boating, the result was worth it. I finally made it to the marina with no leaks. I was now within walking distance to the town and stores. I had one day (two actually, but I celebrated and talked to fellow boaters for a day) to evict the flies, mosquitoes and wipe the dust (even from the ceiling) before Wanda arrived.

Boat Houses on the way to Whangarei Marina. Some of the boats, even sailboats, rest on the mud at low tide.

FEBRUARY 26, 2015

AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND

NORTH ISLAND

WANDA

I said good-bye to family, friends and LAX and boarded an 11pm flight to Auckland.  I took my seat, listened to some music, ate, watched a movie and then went to sleep. When I woke up, there was coffee, breakfast and an announcement over the intercom thanking passengers for flying Air New Zealand and welcoming us to Auckland airport. It is 8 o’clock in the morning… I love red eye flights!

Me and my giant duffle bag leaving Los Angeles airport

After customs, I went to baggage claim and gathered my giant duffle bag full of “stuff” that Theo requested for Et Voila. I was very excited to be back in New Zealand to start a new adventure and I was also looking forward to seeing my husband again. He had left home in early January with the purpose to bring our boat to the boatyard and have some much needed maintenance work done. We had been apart for 6 weeks and I don’t think we have ever been away from each other for that length of time before.

I exited the terminal and searched faces, but no Theo.  I checked my phone and saw a message that he was in Auckland traffic (brutal) and making an intense effort to get to the airport, but he was still about one hour away.  I took my backpack and giant duffle bag to the nearest barista, ordered a flat white and sat down to people watch. There are many aspects of New Zealand that I like, but I think one of my favorites is how casually people dress. Almost everyone looks ready to spend a majority of their day walking the town, or even ready to tackle one of the many tramping tracks. Clothing and shoes are meant to be comfortable and practical...nothing flashy. I blend in very well and I truly love that.

Theo finally arrived and when I hugged him I got a familiar sense of comfort… it was great to be together again. He looked really tired though. He had woken up at four o’clock in the morning to get to Auckland on time to meet me… Oh well. Since we were already in Auckland, we decided to drive to the immigration office to apply for extensions of our tourist visas. We knew for sure that Theo would outstay the three months that he was permitted in the country, even if I didn’t. We have learned to just be on the safe side… no need for problems in case we needed to stay in New Zealand longer than expected. Auckland is big, busy and congested, especially when you are in the city center as we were.  After finishing with immigration, we lunched on some fresh New Zealand green lipped mussels, and then continued driving through the traffic to our floating home in Whangarei Marina.

Whangarei Marina... Et Voila is on the end.

LESSONS:

-If you are going to have to wait one hour for your ride from the airport, use the restroom BEFORE you get your giant duffle bag from baggage claim.

-Do not say “bathroom” or “restroom” in NZ. If you need to relieve yourself ask where the “toilet” or “loo” is.

-If you are planning to pick someone up from Auckland airport early in the morning, drive there the night before and stay in a hotel nearby.

QUOTES: TOILET WISDOM

KIWI TERMS:

-Sweet As = Awesome or It’s all good

-Rellies = Family/Relatives

-Bach = A holiday home

-Tramping = Hiking

-Bust a Gut = To make an extreme effort

-Flat White = Café Latte

-Knackered = Tired

-Sparrow Fart = Crack of dawn or very early in the morning

-Bathroom = A place in a home where you will find a bath, shower or hand basin (sink)

-Restroom = A place in a home where you rest

FEBURARY 27 – MARCH 7, 2015

WHANGAREI MARINA, NEW ZEALAND

NORTH ISLAND

Et Voila felt larger than I remember her. Theo had “busted a gut” cleaning after the long stay in the boatyard, but it was clear that there was still a lot of work to do.  We spent our days wiping the boat down, organizing, visiting with other sailors, walking the lovely trails nearby and resting. We know many of the other sailboats here. Like us, people have gone home to visit family and, lately, have been returning back to the marina and their floating homes. Every Tuesday night there is a pot luck dinner at the marina office. Whoever wants to join in brings some food for the barbecue and their drink of choice. It is a nice way to spend an evening and catch up with what everyone else is doing.

We also attended the wedding of some friends that we met in Bora Bora.  Phil and Sara are traveling on the sailing vessel Lochmarin and were married on March 6^th. It was one of the most relaxed and entertaining celebrations we have ever been too. Phil and Sara are from the UK and they managed to find a band that played very fun Scottish dance music.  We spent a majority of the evening dancing … even Theo!! It was a fantastic time and everyone was very happy. We are grateful to have been a part of the celebration. Congratulations Phil and Sara! Thank you for a lovely and memorable party.

Me, Sara (the bride) and Joyce at Sara's Hen party two days before the wedding

The crazy New Zealand weather cooperated during the vows

Phil and Sara celebrating at the Butter Factory in Whangarei

Wedding photos to remember...who are those people?!

While I was in the United States, Theo went to a car auction. Despite the fact that he could not understand a word that was being said, he bought a 2002 RAV4. The car was in pretty good condition…except for the layers upon layers of what we think is dog hair embedded in the upholstery, and the unrelenting cologne smell that we could not seem to remove from the driver side seat belt. While driving, my allergies did bother me a bit (sneezing and itching in my throat), but otherwise the car seemed okay. It had all-wheel drive for rough terrain, air-conditioning and wasn’t too expensive.  In the end, everything worked out alright… hopefully it will get us through our New Zealand adventures without any surprises!

We are leaving soon to tour the Islands with our car. The ferry from Wellington to Picton (South Island) has been reserved for March 15^th, so we had better get going!

QUOTE:

KIWI TERMS:

-Dear = Expensive

-Panel Beater = Auto Body Shop

-Petrol = Fuel

-Bonnet = Car Hood

-Boot = Car Trunk

-Bun Fight = A social gathering with food

-Piss Up = A social gathering with alcohol

  

MARCH 8 – MARCH 15, 2015

Leaving Whangarei Marina

Driving South towards Wellington, NZ

Theo and I are not planners. Before we leave for a trip, we have a specific goal we want to achieve and an approximate return date, but everything in between is usually left up in the air. We do this purposefully so we are not on a strict schedule and can change paths along the way if we feel like it. That being said, this time we went to the Information Center here in Whangarei and met Jackie. Jackie was very willing to help us plan an itinerary for our tour of New Zealand, especially since we had not booked anywhere to sleep along the way. We decided to give it a go, and she graciously planned our driving trip towards the Capital of New Zealand…Wellington.

I have to say that New Zealand makes everything so easy if you are a tourist. Every city and almost all of the larger towns have an Information Center (I – Site). All of their services are free and they will arrange transportation, show you driving routes, book tours and accommodations. Basically, anything you may need! This is so convenient and Theo and I have never experienced this anywhere else that we have travelled before. They have really got it together. Theo made me laugh really hard when he said (in a very serious voice), “What do you mean? Italy has I-Sites everywhere!”  Well, if you had been with us during some of our crazy experiences in that country, you would think that statement was funny… but explaining that would be a completely different blog!

MATAMATA (North Island)

Anyway, we gathered our itinerary, backpacks, tramping shoes and cooler and packed them into our car. Once we filled up with petrol, we began driving to our first destination… Matamata. The Lord of the Rings was filmed throughout New Zealand, but Matamata is where Hobbiton, the hobbit village, was built for the movie. It is on private farmland, so after filming was over, the owner of the land arranged to keep some of the original hobbit holes and opened it to the public as a tour. This is now known as the Hobbiton Tour and is the heart and soul of Matamata (along with dairy, cows and sheep). Theo and I were more than happy to start our adventures as true tourists and visit Hobbiton. It was a great start and a fun time!

In tourist mode

In Hobbiton...actually, this home is just my size!

ROTORUA

Next was Rotorua. This is a bigger city with MANY tourists. Rotorua is like the Las Vegas of New Zealand. You will find every extreme sport here. Sky diving, bungee jumping, caving, rock climbing, jet boating and I could go on and on. If you visit here but don’t feel like being too physically active, you can always go Zorbing. All you have to do is sit in the center of a gigantic, transparent plastic ball and they will roll you down a hill…seriously …I saw this happen!

Click here to see it: Rotorua Zorbing

 Rotorua is a great opportunity to learn about the Maori people. It’s a bit commercialized here, but it is the best way to experience New Zealand’s indigenous culture. So…we bought our tickets to visit the Tamaki Maori Village and we really enjoyed the evening. We were taken by bus to the village and once there, were taken on a tour that explained Maori history, art and customs. All of this was followed by a concert and a traditional (and impressive) hangi feast.

Entering the Maori village 

Rotorua is also a thermal wonderland and, yes, it does smell like rotten eggs in most places. We walked Wai-O-Tapu and also tramped along the Waimangu Volcanic Valley. If you are here I recommend seeing both. They are unique and beautiful. Just know that if you are visiting during high season the trails will be busy. Be patient because it is worth it!

Images of Wai-O-Tapu. Amazing colors!

Wai-O-Tapu Geyser

We also went to the Astrodome Farm Show. Here we were given a tour of their property and got to interact with the animals. They familiarized us with the many different types of sheep, showed us how a sheep is sheered and (my favorite) got to watch the dogs herding them. Here are some pictures of that day.

 Merino Wool comes from this gorgeous creature

Four legged friends

Feeding a deer by hand!

A kiwifruit orchard on the farm

There is a lot to do in Rotorua, but if you are visiting here and have time, I recommend walking the loop at Hamurana Springs. Not only is the track gorgeous and peaceful, but an added bonus is that the water is cold and pure. It is a leisurely walk and at the end you can drink the cleanest water there is!

  

Crystal clear, pure drinking water

Theo filling up our water bottles with cold water

Tramping through the Redwood groves

TAUPO

Next was a one hour drive to a Euro style lakeside town called Taupo. It is postcard-perfect here. New Zealand is truly breathtaking and a fantasyland if you love being with nature and enjoy outdoor activities. We were very tired from our hikes, so we just had a leisurely walk around the lake, dinner at a bistro and rested for the next day. At this point we decided we had done the right thing letting Jackie help us with our accommodations. At least we did not have to spend time searching the town for a place to lay our heads. Thank you Jackie!

TONGARIRO NATIONAL PARK

The weather had turned overcast and rainy as we drove two hours further south towards Tongariro National Park. We stayed just south of the park in a small ski town called Okajune. Our intention was to drive to the entrance of the park in the morning and go tramping on the beautiful trails, but when I woke up the next day, I felt like I had been hit by a truck. My eyes, head and throat hurt and I had a high fever.  I could barely keep my eyes open and most of my strength was gone. Theo began calling around town to find a doctor that had some time to see me. He quickly found out that there were no doctors in Okajune, so he drove me to the next town where he was told to go to a green building on the corner of the main street. When we got there we realized that there are many different shades of green and there are also many street corners. Anyway, we eventually found it and we were told it would be 60 NZ dollars to see him. No big deal… I was truly miserable. When we met the doctor… he was a comedian. I sat down on the examination table and here is how our visit went:

DR: Where are you from?

ME: Los Angeles

DR: I’ve been there! Wow, that airport is crazy!  I was going down the stairs and there was a great big picture of Obama’s face! I was expecting him to be wearing a crown or something!

ME: (staring at him with no words and mouth slightly open)

DR: What’s your name?

ME: Wanda

DR: Like the fish!

ME: Yep (my skin was crawling from the fever)

DR: (to Theo) Are you Iranian?

THEO: No, I’m Greek.

DR: Oh, have you seen the movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding? (Then he pointed at me) Why don’t you just spray her with some Windex?

THEO: I should have tried that before driving all the way here to see you.

(The fluorescent lighting in the bright, white room was painful to my eyes, so I started exaggerating my cough with the hope of speeding things up)…

DR: Don’t cough into your hand, cough into your elbow so there is less chance of you getting someone else sick if you touch them.

THEO: Too late.

DR: So, is this your trip of a lifetime… New Zealand?

(At this point, I was glaring at Theo and thinking… Pleeeeease don’t!  Just say” Yes” and let’s get out of here!)

THEO: Well, actually, we sailed here from Catalina Island our catamaran.

(SHIT! I thought I was going to pass out right there and then. The doc was very interested to hear about our sailing trip… they went on for what felt like an eternity. It is Theo’s favorite thing to talk about after all. I just leaned my back against the wall and closed my eyes.)

DR: (Finally) So, Wanda, there are some serious brain viruses that you might have… is your neck stiff?

ME: My neck has been stiff for eleven years.

DR: Have you been to Africa?

ME: No

DR: Have you been with anyone that has been to Africa?

ME: No… (cough)

DR: Okay, here is some Tylenol, antibiotics, cough syrup and my phone number in case things go funny… now go rest.

DR: (to Theo) Let her watch whatever she wants on the telly. There is a cricket match on today!

(Then he went on to say that if we had Cricket in the United States, it would revolutionize the world… I think if Theo and I would have met the doctor under different circumstances, we would have had a great time together!)

The next day I continued to feel very ill, but my fever was better. Unfortunately, Theo was getting sick as well. Our itinerary had us booked on the ferry early the following morning, so we drove the four hours to Wellington. We were looking forward to beginning our tour of the South Island.  It was March 14^th and we had just heard reports that Cyclone Pam has devastated Vanuatu with 230 km/hr winds and 13 meter seas...surreal. Meanwhile, the winds in Whangarei Marina reached 35 knots, so no harm done.

LESSONS:

-After having traveled the North Island with an Itinerary, I think it best to have one. It keeps you on a schedule and moving along.  We would have lingered longer at some places, and because of lack of time, would not have seen as much as we did.

-Bring antibiotics with you.

-There is no negotiating with Mother Nature. She is the boss.

QUOTES:

-“I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by.” –Douglas Adams

KIWI TERMS:

-Chillybin = Cooler

-Two sammies short of a picnic = A bit crazy

-Lorry = Truck

-Crook = Quite ill

-Dreaded Lurgy = the Flu or Head Cold

-Go Funny = Take a turn for the worse

-Telly = Television