Log Date: November 9, 2005

Location: Opua, New Zealand

We arrived in Opua, NZ one week ago today.  The 7.5-day trip from Tonga was fantastic.  We had some strong winds but nothing that wasn't manageable. This particular passage touts almost every type of weather so we are fortunate to get a good weather window without any "drama".  It was nice to have an additional crewmember for the journey.  Our crew is a good sailor and gave us many tips on how to make the boat sail faster.  We have now dubbed Susan the "sail trim Nazi".  If boats could smile, Mystic Traveler had a big grin the whole way.

Opua, NZ has many of the advantages of "modern life" yet it is more akin to being in a tourist town upstate in New Hampshire or Vermont.  Things are bountiful but fairly expensive since this is the tourist area and things are starting to get busy due to this being the start of their summer season.

NZ has very strict rules about what you can bring into the country.  They have no rabies and have a strong agriculture business that they don't want ruined by imported diseases, insects, etc. from other countries.  So, we were advised to throw out all of our vegetables, fruit, plants and meat product prior to arriving.  During inspection they also wanted our popcorn and all items purchased in Panama.  They took these items bagged and sealed them to be sent to the airport in Auckland to be steam sterilized prior to disposal.  They are the first country that has really paid any attention to what we have brought into their country.

The countryside is fabulous.  We rented a car to see the other side of the island before our crew departed.  The roads are windy and narrow and the Kiwis drive on the left hand side. The roads are just wide enough for a small vehicle and everyone drives FAST. Especially since we have had limited vehicle transportation for over a year, we felt like we were on a roller coaster and were almost "land sick".

If we had to sum up NZ from what we've seen so far, we would say, it is green with cows, sheep and rolling hills.  Once out of the town areas it get rural quickly and it's mostly farmland. We must mention the MANY one-lane bridges.  Traveling at a high rate of speed you see a sign that indicates who has right of way on the approaching bridge that is only one lane and truly only wide enough for a small vehicle (no wide body Cadillac's here!).  So, if it is not your right of way you must stop to give way if someone is coming. Can't even begin to imagine these in the States.

We have been on a dock in a marina for a week now.  It is great being able to get off the boat without having to use the dinghy to get to shore as well as cheap laundry facilities (washer and dryer - no bucket necessary to wash cloths), a luxury that we don't often get.  Third world countries and small islands in the South Pacific just don't have these facilities.

There are so many places to go in the Bay of Islands.  They have so many anchorages with tramping/trekking (aka hiking) trails that we are perplexed where to begin.  It is cold here.  We have been in long pants, sweaters and jackets since we arrived.  The temperatures are like that of North Carolina in April/May, so you can get a warm sunny day with a cool night or like today overcast, rainy and cold. This is the beginning of spring so we only hope that things warm up quickly.  It's funny to think that now a warm breeze is from the north and a cold breeze is from the south and that the further south one travels the colder it gets.

Being in New Zealand, we keep remembering..."You gotta have a dream to make your dream come true."

Enjoying Life Onboard.

Susan and Laura

SV Mystic Traveler