Around The World On Hokule'a

New Zealand

Hokule'a Itinerary has been updated. Tonga is no longer on the itinerary.

Monday, April 30, 2012– Opua, New Zealand

Looks like our weather window has arrived and tomorrow morning we set sail for Fiji. We are hoping to be able to stop at Minerva reef on the way. Its about 700 miles from here to Minerva and then another 400 or so to Savusavu in eastern Fiji. Hope to make landfall in Fiji in roughly 2 weeks.  As with most long passages we are both a little excited and a little nervous, but most of all we are very thankful for the amazing time that we had in New Zealand. Haere rā Aotearoa!

Saturday, April 28, 2012– Opua, New Zealand

After a few days at Great Barrier Island we made the overnight trip up to the Bay of Islands. With its hundreds of gorgeous anchorages, you could literally spend a lifetime exploring this area. Unfortunately we only had a few days as we needed to get into Opua to try to get our chartplotter fixed. The bad news is we could not get it fixed, but we were able to find  a replacement unit and have it sent up from Auckland.

It has been really fun being back in Opua and reconnecting with a lot of our friends who we sailed with last season. It’s sort of like first day back at school in the fall and you get to find out what everybody did over summer break. The only difference being is that in a week or so everyone will be heading off in different directions whether it’s to Niue, Tonga, Fiji, Vanuatu, Australia, etc. That’s the great thing about living in New Zealand as there are so many tropical destinations at your doorstep.

It looks like we have a weather window opening up for us to leave for Fiji early next week. We will keep you posted….

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Monday, April 16, 2012– Great Barrier Island, New Zealand

Well we finally escaped  Gulf Harbour yesterday morning and while we really enjoyed our time there ,it felt really good to be heading out onto the ocean once again.  It was also sad to be leaving Bill and Solstice, but we know that we will be rendezvousing  again somewhere in Fiji. Bill is off on a planes, trains and automobiles tour of the South Island and has crew flying in towards the end of May for the sail to Fiji.

Ironically,  one year ago today we were waving goodbye to our friends and family, cutting the docklines, and leaving the city that we called home for over 20 years.  In some ways that day seems like iwas a million years ago and at times it seems like just yesterday.

Tonight we are celebrating our “anniversary” at anchor some 50 miles off the coast of New Zealand at an amazing island known simply as “the Barrier”.  We are anchored in a place called Forestry Cove which is probably the most sheltered place that we have anchored on this entire trip. The cove is surrounded by thick forested hillsides and is only exposed to the ocean on one side by a thin gap between those hillsides.

Finding that thin gap from the ocean side today was another story as our chartplotter/GPS/Radar stopped working several miles off of the island. At the time, Jackie and I were discussing where we thought the entrance was and which way to steer the boat. We were both looking at the screen when it went black. We looked at each other, we looked back again at the black screen, I smacked it a few times (like that ever works with electronics) to no avail and then we scrambled to try to find our back up handheld GPS. As frustrating as it was, we were glad that it happened now instead of waiting until we were half way to Fiji.

 

New photos (74-158) added to New Zealand Photo Album

Hokule'a Itinerary has been updated. Check it out to see where the adventurous sailors will be traveling in the upcoming months.

Wednesday, April 11, 2012– Gulf Harbour, North Island, New Zealand

It is hard to believe that we have been in New Zealand nearly 5 months and it is even harder to believe
that a month has gone by since we got back from the South Island. But it has been a very busy month, mostly consumed by working on Hokule’a to get her ready for this upcoming season. A few people have asked for details about what that work entails so there is a list at the end of this entry. But for the rest of us, the work generally consisted of preventative maintenance, inspections, some minor repairs, waxing and varnishing. Re-provisioning the boat took quite a bit of time also.

We did manage to mix in a little fun too. We went to the annual Pasifika Festival in Auckland which is one of the largest pacific island cultural events in the world.  They basically convert a large park into a mini-South Pacific with 10 separate “villages”, each representing a different pacific island nation.  It was a day filled with live music, dance shows, and lots of local foods. It was so cool to be able to go to Samoa for a while, then go to Tahiti for a dance show, and then hop over to Fiji for lunch. Can’t do that on a boat.   

We also were able to go to a few of the events for the Volvo Ocean Race which is regarded as the world’s toughest and longest ocean race. It’s an around the world race that is broken up into 9 different legs with one of the stopovers being here in Auckland. The six boats raced here from China and left a week later heading off to round Cape Horn on their way to their next stopover in Brazil. We got to see the boats up close at the departure ceremony and watched the start of Leg 5 to Brazil. The boats are70 foot long super high tech racing machines that can reach speeds of up to 30 knots. They have a crew of 10 plus a dedicated media person (who also does all the cooking and cleaning). For the spectators the Auckland stopover is basically a week long party in the Viaduct with bands, paradesnd various activities centered around the sport of sailing. For the racers it’s a few days of trying to catch up on sleep while coordinating repair work on the boats, giving media interviews and attending sponsorship commitments, followed by a few days of in-port racing and last minute preparations. The nice thing is they have a whole shore-based support team that does all of the work on the boat. Jackie and I are still trying to figure out how to get one of those.

As most of you know, I have collected a number of tattoos over the years from places around the world that have been special to me. They have always been my souvenirs that I never have to worry about losing. New Zealand has definitely been special, so I found the time to get my New Zealand tattoo. It is a Maori design that talks about my life, our journey on Hokule’a, and it incorporates a number of different thingsthat are important in my life.   

So as of today the boat is finally ready to go and we are leaving in the next day or so to head out and explore some of the offshore islands on our way back up to Opua.  Opua is where we first made and fall in New Zealand and where we will wait for a weather window to head back to the tropics. We will be without internet for the next week or so, but you can always keep track us on the Where’s Hokule’a page.

The Short List

• Engine maintenance - change oil, oil filter, fuel filters, pencil zincs, top up tranny fluid and coolant, clean out raw water strainer
• Engine inspection – check for leaks, hose condition, loose bolts, motor mounts, etc
• Replace valve cover gasket as a result of inspection above.
• Replace raw water vented loop
• Generator maintenance and inspection – similar to above
• Steering – inspect, check for leaks, bleed system and top up hydraulic fluid
• Tighten helm pump tension and replace rudder bearing as a result of inspection above.
• Sails – inspect, lube tracks, replace worn tell-tales, replace a few slide car connections
• Repair stay sail bag
• Replace roller furling lower bearing
• Disassemble and lube turning blocks
• Rigging inspection – tighten forestay
• Re-seal chain plates
• Inspect and tighten lifelines and stanchions
• Re-seal 2 deck prisms
• Inspect ground tackle and replace missing length markers
• Install outlet for secondary anchor light
• Sew covers for jerry jugs
• Replace AC master circuit breaker
• Rebuild spare raw water pump
• Build screens for remaining 3 hatches (ran out of wood after 2)
• Varnish cap rails
• Wax deck house (ran out of time and energy to do hull)

 

 

Friday, March 9, 2012 – Gulf Harbour, North Island, New Zealand

Unfortunately our vacation did not get extended as the brunt of the storm blew through the Picton area during the night. There were still gale force winds in the morning, but the ferry went anyway. Needless to sayit was a pretty rough trip back to Wellington.

We spent our last night of vacation in the town of Lake Taupo at another one of my infamous B&B’s. I say infamous because when we were planning the trip, we talked about sleeping in the tent when the weather was good, sleeping in the car when the weather was bad, and occasionally staying in a B&B. Evidently Jackie’s definition of a B&B and mine were a little different.  See the photos of my infamous B&B in Dunedin.  True to my word, we did have a bed and I served toast and yogurt for breakfast.

But tonight after 4 weeks and driving over 3,300 miles, we are back home on Hokule’a and really looking forward to sleeping in our own bed.  Tomorrow we return Junior to the rental car company and get working on Hokule’a to get her ready for the trip from New Zealand and back to the tropics. I guess vacation really is over, but what a great one it was.

Wednesday, March 7, 2012 – Picton, South Island, New Zealand

After leaving Abel Tasman we wound our way along the top of the South Island, camped  for the night at Tahunanui Beach in Nelson, and today drove the incredibly scenic (and winding) Queen Charlotte Dr. that runs alongside the Marlborough Sounds  enroute to Picton.  Picton is where we started our South Island visit nearly 3 weeks ago and it’s a little depressing knowing that our “vacation” is almost over. Tomorrow we are scheduled to take the ferry back to the North Island, however there is a storm warning for the Cook Straits (the area of ocean between the North and South Islands) and we don’t know yet if the ferry will be running. Looks like vacation may get extended after all.

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Monday, March 5, 2012 – Marahau, Abel Tasman, South Island, New Zealand

Able Tasman is the smallest of the 14 national parks in New Zealand. But it is by far one of the most popular, primarily because of the Abel Tasman Coastal Track. It takes about 5 days to hike the entire Track and, unfortunately, we only have one full day here. The good news is that from our campsite here in Marahau we can take a boat out to a section of the Track, hike all day and have the boat pick us up when we are done.

The crazy thing about the boat ride is that you actually board the boat on land while it’s on a trailer connected to a large tractor. It seemed pretty silly, because the tractor just towed us down the street to a boat ramp and then backed us in to the water. The need for the tractor would not be apparent until we returned later that afternoon.

We took the boat out to Bark Bay which is about a third of the way along the Track. From there we hiked south passing through thick forests, walking on beautiful golden sand beaches, traversing rocky headlands, and crossing a large river on a swing bridge. We ended up in a place called Torrent Bay, where if the water had been 20 degrees warmer you would have sworn that you were in the tropics. The diversity of the terrain along this particular section of the Track was absolutely amazing.

The boat picked us up in Torrent Bay and when we got back to Marahau things had changed dramatically. Apparently, this part of the South Island has the largest tidal range in all of New Zealand with up to a 20’ difference between high tide and low tide. So the boat ramp that was so convenient this morning, is now high and dry with nearly ¾ of a mile of sand between it and the water. But not to worry, the tractor and trailer were there waiting for us in waist deep water to pick up the boat (with us still in it) and drive us back to the campsite. After hiking all day the ride was greatly appreciated. We finished off the day with a great meal at a small restaurant (actually the only restaurant in Marahau) listening to some live local music being performed by one of the waitresses that worked there.  It was a great day.

Sunday, March 4, 2012 – Marahau, Abel Tasman, South Island, New Zealand

After leaving Franz Josef we drove up the west coast of the south island through the rain forest, past the famous Punakaiki Rocks, and up to the coastal town of Westport where we had a glass of wine at the Bay House and then spent the night at a beach side campsite. Today we headed inland through the Vicoria Forrest, stopping at the Buller Gorge swing bridge (the longest in New Zealand at 360 feet), enroute to the famous Abel Tasman National Park. Marahau is the gateway to Abel Tasman, so we are going to camp here tonight and hike part of the Abel Tasman Coast Track tomorrow.

Friday, March 2, 2012 – Franz Josef Glacier, South Island, New Zealand

When we were researching and planning our trip to the south island, one of the things that I really wanted to do was to go hiking on a glacier.  This was probably the lowest thing of interest to Jackie (except maybe for sleeping in the back of a car for a month). She was actually a little frightened about walking around on a giant chunk of ice, fearing that she would slip and fall into one of the deep crevices never to be seen again. But being the good sport that she is, she agreed to go with me anyway.

I didn’t bother to tell her that what she really should be concerned about is how quickly the glacier is moving. At anywhere from 4 to 18 feet per day, Franz Joseph Glacier is one of the fastest advancing glaciers in the world. This makes for a very dynamic environment on the glacier, one that changes daily and in some cases hourly.  For this reason, you must have a guide to go on the glacier.

From town it was a 15 minute drive and then an hour long hike, before we strapped on our crampons at the base of the glacier. From a distance the glacier didn’t’ really look that big, but up close you realize that it is massive. It’s hard to capture in a picture, but take a look at the people in the lower right corner of the photo titled “ Franz Josef Glacier”.  

We spent about 3 hours on the glacier winding our way over, around and between mountains of ice, including one really long and narrow crevice. We occasionally had to stop and wait for our guide to cut out new “steps” for us.  Like I mentioned earlier, because the glacier is moving so quickly the “steps” that had been cut earlier that morning had already moved/eroded away. Probably the highlight for me was going through a 50 foot long ice cave. The entrance was only about 3’ tall but it quickly opened up to about 6’ tall. The exit of the cave was nearly vertical and as you climbed out all of the ice was the most amazing shade of blue.  It was an awesome experience to climb around on this glacier.  Jackie was very glad she went, though she’s still not crazy about walking around in crampons.   

 

Thursday, March 1, 2012 – Franz Josef, South Island, New Zealand

So it’s the first day of fall in New Zealand and this morning we awoke in Queenstown to fresh snow covering the mountains. Ordinarily this would be amazing, except that this morning we are supposed to head out on a 6 hour drive to Glacier Country through those same snow covered mountains. The road we had planned to take was closed due to the snow, and the alternate route added another 2 hours to our trip. But it ended up being a blessing in disguise as the drive was undeniably our most scenic drive thus far.

Over the 8 hour period the landscape changed dramatically. Starting in Queenstown with snow covered alpine mountains, through Wanaka with its glaciated lakes and thick forests, over the barren rocky pass through the Southern Alps with views of Mount Cook (the tallest mountain in New Zealand), then descending into a sub-tropical rainforest with views of the Tasman Sea, and ending up in Franz Josef staring up at some of the steepest glaciers in the world.

Tomorrow morning we will be strapping on the crampons  to get an up close view of those glaciers…

The Drive From Queenstown to Glacier Country

Wednesday, February 29, 2012 – Queenstown, South Island, New Zealand

It didn’t take long to figure out why Queenstown is the number one resort destination in all of New Zealand. First of all it is in a beautiful setting right on Lake Wakatipu and surrounded by majestic mountains. It’s a snowboarding/ski town in the winter, a water activity mecca in the summer, and year round it is known as the adventure capital of New Zealand. Queens town is where bungy jumping originated and today there are hundreds of adrenaline junkie activities including skydiving, hang gliding, jet boating, zorbing, river surfing, white-water rafting, sledging, mountain biking, zip-lining, etc.  There are also tons of terrific restaurants, cafes and bars. Above all Queenstown is a lively town just buzzing with energy.

We also visited nearby Glenorchy, which is best known as the starting point for several of New Zealand’s famous hiking trails including the Routeburn, Greenstone, Caples and Rees-Dart tracks. Glenorchy is also where much of the Lord of the Rings trilogy was filmed, so needless to say this place is gorgeous.

 

Monday, February 27, 2012 – Te Anau, South Island, New Zealand

I certainly must sound like a broken record at this point, because all I keep saying in these journal updates is how beautiful the scenery is in the South Island. But it is so true and every morning when we pack up Junior II and head out on the road, I say to myself that there is no way that today could top what we saw yesterday.  Well everyday thus far, the island has proven me wrong.

However, the island has a monumental challenge tomorrow, as today I am convinced that we just saw one of the most beautiful places on earth… Milford Sound.

Milford Sound is located in area called Fiordland along the southwest coast of the South Island. Fiordland is one of the most rugged, remote and inaccessible areas in all of New Zealand because of its steep forested mountains that are separated by deep fiords and glacial lakes. At nearly 3 million acres in size, Fiordland is also New Zealand’s largest national park.

We camped in Te Anua  last night and this morning took the 3 hour bus ride to Milford Sound.  Typically a 3 hour bus ride sounds like a really boring affair, but in this case the scenery along the way was incredible and almost as impressive as Milford Sound. Almost.

Once we got there, we boarded a boat called the Milford Mariner and headed out on the 10 mile trip through the Sound and out to the Tasman Sea.  One of the first things we learned is that Milford Sound is incorrectly named in that technically it is a fiord not a sound. The difference being that sounds are flooded river valleys and fiords are carved by glaciers.

Photographs can’t begin to do this place justice and even the touristy magazine photographs look lame in comparison to the real thing. It is just impossible to capture the true beauty and vastness of Milford Sound. As a guy onboard our boat said as we entered the Sound… “Wow, this (place) makes you feel a tad bit insignificant”. I couldn’t’ agree more. For example, check out the photo to the right called “Stirling Falls”.  The tiny little waterfall in the background is over 500 feet tall, that’s 3 times taller than Niagara Falls.  It only looks so tiny because the  mountain to the right of it is almost 5000 feet tall.

Along the other side of the Sound is Mitre Peak, which rises nearly vertically out of the water and is over a mile high (5518’) from the waterline. The amazing thing is that the sheer rock walls of Mitre Peak continue below the waterline for another 1000’or so. In fact, the average depth of Milford Sound is just over 1000’.

After an hour or so of winding our way through the sheer rock cliffs while gazing at glaciers and waterfalls, we reached the Tasman Sea. The Tasman was un-characteristically calm today and allowed the Milford Mariner to go out a little further than normal. From this perspective it was difficult to look back and discern the actual entrance into Milford Sound. Apparently Captain Cook had the same problem, sailing by Milford Sound twice and never seeing it. Too bad he missed it, because it is absolutely stunning.

 

Saturday, February 25, 2012 – Bluff, South Island, New Zealand

Upon leaving Dunedin we decided to continue south, in lieu of what most people do at this point, which is to head west on the more direct route to Queenstown. Assuming no stops, the direct route takes about 4 hours whereas the southern route takes about 15. We drove roughly 1/3 of the way and tonight we are camping just outside the town of Bluff. Bluff is the southernmost town on the South Island and it is famous for its seafood, in particular Bluff oysters.

The drive here was amazingly beautiful as the landscape changed from rural farmland to dense forest to rugged coastline. Around every turn of the road was yet another scenic vista. Probably the most amazing thing was the 4 hour stretch of road where we didn’t see another car or human being.

The highlight of the drive ended up being a spot called Curio Bay. Curio Bay is apparently known for its petrified forest, where at low tide you can see the fossilized remains of 180 million year old trees.  However, after 10 minutes on the cliff overlooking the bay trying to figure out which rocks were trees and which were rocks were just rocks, we gave up on the petrified forest and went for a walk on the beach.

Thank goodness we did because about a 2 minutes into our walk we saw several penguins in the brush along the beach. These penguins were huge (about 2.5 feet tall) and as we got closer we could tell that they were Yellow-eyed Penguins. After visiting two different Yellow-eyed Penguin reserves in the past week  and seeing nothing, we finally get to see the rarest penguin in the world by simply walking down the beach at Curio Bay.

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Friday, February 24, 2012 – Dunedin, South Island, New Zealand

Our preconceived notion about the south island was that it was all about seeing wildlife and amazing natural scenery.  So when we were planning our trip, the city of Dunedin was simply going to be an overnight pit stop to rest up for the long scenic drive around the bottom of the island. We certainly didn’t expect Dunedin to have some of the most amazing historical architecture in all of New Zealand.

Dunedin was settled by migrants from Scotland in the mid-1800’s  and between 1870 and 1910 some astonishing Victorian and Edwardian style structures including churches, municipal buildings, railway stations, and even a castle were constructed. Most all of these buildings are still in service today and in certain parts of the city it literally feels like you have gone back in time. Dunedin is also home to the Cadbury chocolate factory, so a visit to the factory for some chocolate tasting was essential. Good thing there was not a winery next door to Cadbury, as we may never have left Dunedin. As it was, we ended up spending 2 days here.

East of Dunedin is the Otago Peninsula where we had hoped to catch a glimpse of the rare Yellow-eyed Penguin that is occasionally sighted along its eastern shores. But alas, they do call them rare for a reason. We were however fortunate enough to see several Royal Albatross, as the Otago Peninsula has the only mainland Albatross nesting colony in the world.  We have often seen Albatross on our passages throughout the Pacific, but without a frame of reference, you don’t realize how huge these birds are. With an average wingspan of 10’, a Royal Albatross would be rather intimidating if one ever landed on the boat. Good thing they spend 85% of their lives in the air.

Wednesday, February 22, 2012 – Oamaru, South Island, New Zealand

Our next stop on the road trip was in the town of Oamaru, about a 5 hour drive south of Akaroa. While Oamaru has some great historical architecture, the main reason we came here was to see penguins.  In particular, the smallest penguin in the world the Blue Penguin.

The Blue Penguin only grows to about 10 inches tall and can be found in southern New Zealand and southern Australia. Oamaru is one of several places on the South Island where the Blue Penguin comes ashore to breed. The challenge with seeing Blue Penguins is that they only travel on land in the dark. Just before dawn they leave their underground burrows along the shoreline and waddle down to the ocean where they head offshore to feed. Just after dark they return to the beach and waddle back up to their burrows.

So tonight, Jackie and I went to a special viewing area and watched as the little penguins would catch a wave, land on the beach on their bellies, bounce to their feet, then waddle and hop their way up the beach and around the rocks to a flat grassy area. Very nervously they would wait until a small group had collected and all at once they would run across the grassy area that separated the beach from the brush where their burrows were located. It was amazing and very entertaining to watch. In just over an hour we saw about 70 penguins.

We did not get any pictures, because the flash of a camera will startle the penguins sending them fleeing back into the ocean or causing them to regurgitate all of the food that they spent the day collecting for their chicks waiting back in the burrow.  We were, however, very fortunate to see and photograph several Blue Penguins earlier in the day that had stayed close to home to watch over their chicks. We learned that female penguins usually lay two eggs that are incubated for 36 days, with both parents sharing the incubation and feeding duties. The chicks are guarded by one parent for the first several weeks, after which both parents must go to sea to collect enough food for the chicks. The Blue Penguins feed on a variety of schooling fish, squid and crustaceans. Fortunately for the parents, the chicks grow very rapidly and can fend for themselves after about 8 weeks.

Just south of Oamaru we visited a geological anomaly known as the Moeraki Boulders. Here you are driving along the coast seeing miles and miles of beautiful sandy beach and then all of a sudden there is this small area of beach with these large spherical boulders scattered about. The boulders range in size from 3’ in diameter to 13’ in diameter. According to Maori legend, the boulders are baskets used to carry food onboard the great ancestral wakas (large sailing canoes) that brought the Maori to New Zealand from their spiritual homeland of Hawaikai. This particular waka was shipwrecked just offshore and the baskets washed up on the beach. While there are a number of scientific explanations for how the boulders got there, I prefer the Maori explanation.

Tuesday, February 21, 2012 – Akaroa, South Island, New Zealand

We had originally planned on staying in Christchurch a few days to see the city. However, due to the earthquake last year, much of the central city is still shutdown as reconstruction efforts continue. We did make a pit stop in the city to trade out the leaky Hokule’a Junior for another vehicle that is hopefully a little more water tight. We are simply calling the new vehicle Junior II.

Just south of Christchurch is the Banks Peninsula which juts out some 25 miles into the Pacific Ocean.  This peninsula is stunningly beautiful and has a number of large protected bays and harbors.  Near the tip of the peninsula is the town of Akaroa where we camped for the night. Akaroa is the only location in New Zealand where France attempted to establish a settlement. The story there is that in 1838 the captain of a French whaling ship negotiated with the Maori chief to purchase the Banks Peninsula. The captain returned to France, obtained French government support, and arranged for 60 French settlers to make the return trip on his boat. By the time the captain and the settlers landed in Akaroa in 1840, the British had already colonized the Banks Peninsula. The French settlers were allowed to stay and to this day the town has a very French flair to it, right down to the street names and its architecture.

Monday, February 20, 2012 – Kaikoura, South Island, New Zealand

It was still raining when we got to Kaikoura yesterday afternoon, so needless to say we did not sleepin the car. We contacted the place where we rented the car in Auckland and they have arranged for us to pick up a replacement car in their Christchurch office. We plan to pass through Christchurch in a few days anyway.

Kaikoura is located on the east coast of the South Island and part of what makes it so picturesque is that you can stand on the beach and look out at the ocean, or you can turn 180 degrees and look at some of the tallest mountains on the South Island. The mountains are so close to the ocean. Butthe stunning views here (even in the rain) are not the reason we came to Kaikoura. Just offshore there is a continental shelf where the sea floor plunges  from a depth of about 300 feet to over 3000 m deep. This shelf combined with a warm current coming from the north creates a nutrient rich environment that supports an astonishing variety of marine life including many different species of seals, dolphins, sea birds, and whales. Our friend Andy (who we stayed with in Wellington) asked us why in the heck we would go to Kaikoura to see marine life when we just spent 7 months on a boat surrounded by dolphins, sea birds, and whales. My answer was simple…spermwhales.

Of all of the types of whales that I have either been in the water with or have seen from a boat, I have never seen a sperm whale. I want to see the stereotypical whale, the whale that sank the Essex. I want to see Moby Dick.

So at 6:30am this morning, with a full gale forecast for later in the afternoon, we boarded a power boat and headed out to sea to look for sperm whales. Let’s just say that Jackie was not thrilled, but she went along anyway.

Sperm whales are one of the deepest diving mammals in the world (up to 9800 feet deep), so the challenge with finding them is that they can hold their breath for up to 2 hours on a dive and typically only remain on the surface for only 8-10 minutes.  We motored about a mile offshore, just beyond the continental shelf, where the captain stopped the boat, put on a set of head phones and lowered a directional hydrophone (underwater microphone) into  the water. Sperm whales use echolocation to find food and to keep track of other objects in the water. Their echolocation sounds like a series of loud “clicks” and with the hydrophone the captain can determine roughly where a whale is and if the whale is near the surface or on a deep dive. After a minute or so of listening with the hydrophone, we sped off to the south for a few minutes and the boat slowed down just as a large sperm whale surfaced off of the port side of the boat. The first thing I noticed about the sperm whale was that its spout blew forward at nearly a 45 degree angle off of the water, whereas most of the whales that I am familiar with have nearly vertical spouts. The second thing I noticed was that its head was enormous relative to the rest of his body. Nearly 1/3 of the whale was its head. After swimming alongside the boat for 5 minutes or so, the sperm whale dove, raising its huge fluke (tail) out of the water. Check out the short video clip Here.

We were extremely thankful in that we got to see 3 sperm whales and a pod dusky dolphins in a very short 2 ½ hour trip and also that we made it back to the harbor before the sea conditions got too bad (although a few seasick people on our boat might disagree). Jackie even forgave me for getting her out of bed so early….

Here are a few other facts that we learned about sperm whales today:

• They are the largest toothed animal in the world.
• They have the largest brain of any animal in the world.
• They have 20-25 pairs of cone-shaped teeth.
• Their teeth are used for holding prey and fighting other whales, not chewing.
• They feed on octopus, giant squid, and rays.
• Males can grow up to 67’ in length.
• They can live as long as 80 years. 

 

Sunday, February 19, 2012 – Robin Hood Bay, South Island, New Zealand

We arrived at the loading area for the ferry at about 7am yesterday morning and it was really weird driving a car onto a boat. Granted it was a very big boat. More like a cruise ship actually, with multiple restaurants, bars, a casino and a movie theatre. We pulled out of Wellington Harbor at 0830 and 30 minutes later were out into Cooks Strait. It felt really good to be out on the ocean again after 3 ½ months of being in a marina, even if we were on a giant power boat.  Two hours later we entered the protected waters of the Marlborough Sounds at the northern end on the South Island. Words cannot even begin to describe how beautiful the Marlborough Sounds was on this day.

The ferry docked in the town of Picton and we drove southeast until the paved road ended and then headed north for an hour on a very narrow, windy, and at times steep dirt road, to a spot called Robin Hood Bay. I can’t imagine a more picture perfect introduction to the South Island, a gorgeous bay and a fantastic beach, with towering green mountains in the background.

We spent the day at the beach relaxing and fell asleep that night to the sound of the waves crashing on the beach. I love that sound and it is so nice to be able to hear that sound and not be concerned. When we are on the boat the last thing you want to hear is the sound of crashing waves as that usually means you are too close to something and that you and the boat are in a potentially dangerous situation.

 I slept like a rock, but at some point before dawn I was awakened by the sound of a large wave crashing on the beach and the feeling that my feet were under water. My first thought was that we were on the boat, had hit a reef and we were taking on water. It took me a few minutes to realize that we were actually in Hokule’a junior (the car), it was pouring down rain, and that my feet were wet because the roof of the car was leaking. This did not go over so well with Jackie, but with a trash bag and some duct tape we were able to divert the incoming water under the board that supported the mattress. This got us through until morning, but something tells me we won’t be sleeping in the car when we get to Kaikoura later today…..

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Friday, February 17, 2012 – Wellington, North Island, New Zealand

Wellington is located at the very southern tip of the North Island and it is where you catch the ferry to the South Island. We stopped here not only to see the city, but to visit with our friends Andy and Lisa. They have just moved to Wellington after sailing their boat with 3 other friends (Don, Leslie and Carl) from California to New Zealand.

Wellington is an amazing city.  In addition to being the actual capitol of New Zealand, it is also known as the cultural and coffee capitol of the country. Wellington has it all, from amazing architecture, art galleries, theatres, impressive museums, great restaurants, night life, beaches, and gorgeous harbor and hillside views.

Yesterday we visited one of Wellington’s museums called Te Papa Tongarewa, which in Maori means “treasure box”. In addition to a significant collection of historical and cultural artifacts, it was by far the most interactive museum that I have ever visited. We spent half the day there and only got to see part of the 4th floor. There are 6 floors in all. We spent the rest of the day wandering around the streets of Wellington admiring all of the late 19th/early 20th century architecture. Even the Burger King here was impressive.

Andy and Lisa took off work today and gave us more of the “locals” tour of Wellington.  The weather was perfect, so we got to see a lot of the city on foot which is a great way to experience the energy of Wellington. Today is also Lisa’s birthday and to celebrate we rode the cable cars up to the Wellington Botanical Gardens where we saw an outdoor performance of Shakespeare’s 12th Night. We took a blanket, some wine, a picnic dinner, a birthday cake, and had a fantastic evening under the stars.

We have to be up early tomorrow to catch the ferry. Thank goodness Andy and Lisa’s place is close to the ferry terminal….

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Wednesday, February 15, 2012 – Hawkes Bay, North Island, New Zealand

Hawkes Bay is New Zealand’s oldest and second largest wine producing region. It is known for superior quality red wines and grows over 80% of the entire country’s Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah grapes. With over 150 vineyards and 90 or so wineries, I guess it’s no secret why we wanted to visit this area. Unfortunately we only had one day here, but we were able to visit 4 of the top wineries – Craggy Range, Te Mata, Church Road, and CJ Pask. After a short visit in the town of Hastings and the beautiful Hawkes Bay Opera House, we headed to Waimarama Beach to camp for the night.

Tuesday, February 14, 2012 – Napier, North Island, New Zealand

In  February of 1931, the city of Napier was destroyed by a 7.9 magnitude earthquake. A massive rebuilding effort took place from 1931 to 1933 where nearly the entire city was re-constructed in a low-rise Art Deco style with a little Spanish Mission style mixed in. Many of those buildings are still in existence today and Napier attracts Art Deco fans from all over the world. In fact, this coming weekend is their annual Art Deco Weekend which is filled with 1930’s themed dinners, drinks, dancing, bands and balls. It’s only Tuesday and people are already showing up in vintage 1930’s cars and costumes. While I absolutely love the architecture, I am glad we are getting out of town before it turns into the Great Gatsby.

Monday, February 13, 2012 – Napier, North Island, New Zealand

Our first night in Hokule’a Junior, was surprisingly comfortable. As you can see in the photo (and as suspected by the Web Master), I do have to bend my knees a little in order to get the door closed. We are planning to sleep in the car when there is rain forecast and sleep in the tent when it is not raining. From the looks of the forecast we are going to be sleeping in the car a lot. Today we are off to explore the town of Napier which is known for its Art Deco heritage.

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Sunday, February 12, 2012 – Gulf Harbour, Whangaparoa, New Zealand

Finally our long awaited trip to the South Island is here and in a couple of hours we will start heading south. We picked up our “Micro-camper” on Friday and it is loaded up and ready to go.  The micro-camper is basically a small station wagon where the back seats fold down and make a bed. It also has a canopy that encloses the back of the car when the hatch back door is open. Since the micro-camper is going to be our home for the next month or so, we have nicknamed it
Hokule’a Junior, although a more appropriate name might have been Vaka Junior (Vaka is the name of our 11’ dingy and the car is not much bigger).

We have figured out a way to have the “Where is Hokule’a” page of the website actually track the progress of Hokule’a Junior as we explore the South Island. Check it out when you have a chance...

(Comment from the Webmaster: Jake wasn't exactly clear as to whether he and Jackie will be sleeping in Hokule'a Junior, but I would certainly like to have a picture of that if they are. Sounds as if it may be long enough for Jackie, but Jake is going to be sleeping in a fetal position and then there won't be room for Jackie. Just saying........................)

New photos (50-73) added to New Zealand Photo Album

Monday, January 23, 2012 -  Gulf Harbour Marina, Whangaparoa, New Zealand

Our friends Pinkie and David from Los Angeles stayed with us onboard Hokulea’a for a week to celebrate Pinkie’s birthday. I won’t say how old she is but let’s just say that it was a very special birthday. Actually for those of you who know Pinkie well, then you know it’s really her 4th birthday. We had an amazing week filled with trips to Waiheke Island, downtown Auckland, and a number of different wine regions. At one of the wineries we visited, someone told us about “planking”. Planking is apparently a craze that is going around Australia and New Zealand (probably worldwide) but we had never heard of it. As it was explained to us, you lay down on something with your hands at your side and get your picture taken. The more unique the location, the better the plank. So of course we had to try it. Check out the updated photo gallery for more photos of a very fun filled week with Pinkie and David.

Unfortunately now it is back to reality as we get ready to haul the boat out for new bottom paint and a new depth sounder. Not to mention all the other not so fun stuff like getting our visa’s extended, my passport renewal, and trying to figure out how to do income taxes from 6500 miles away.

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New photos (17-49) added to New Zealand Photo Album

Thursday, January 5th, 2012 -  Gulf Harbour Marina, Whangaparaoa, New Zealand

Lois and Jean left yesterday and it was so sad to see them leave. We had a really great time with them and we got to see a lot of the central part of the North Island. The New Zealan summer still did not arrive, but we did not let that slow us down.

The day after they arrived (Wednesday), we hopped on a ferry boat and headed out to Waiheke Island. There are 46 other islands in the Hauraki Gulf, but what makes Waiheke special is that it is home to 24  wineries.  We spent the day wine tasting and enjoying incredible views of Waiheke’s hillsides, vineyards and beaches. We also went to an olive orchard took a tour of their olive oil production facility. Of course we had to do tastings there also. The other nice thing about Waiheke is that it has its own micro-climate which makes it warmer while it was raining back in Auckland. For that reason alone we could have spent their entire vacation on Waiheke, not to mention the other 21 wineries that we didn’t
visit.

 The weather forecast for Thursday called for heavy rain, so we spent most of the day at the Auckland Museum. It has an amazing collection of both Maori and Pacific Island artifacts including an 80’ long war canoe. They also have a Maori cultural performance with singing, dancing, and haka. Haka is a traditional Maori war dance that was performed by Maori
warriors before going in to battle. It is said that sometimes the haka was so fierce and intimidating that the other side surrendered before the battle ever began. Today the haka is used in ceremonies to welcome visitors, celebrate achievements, express identity, and of course before rugby matches.  Most haka’s incorporate what is called a pukana, where the “warriors” open their eyes really wide and stick out their tongues. The pukana is depicted in
many of the historical artifacts throughout the museum.

It was still rainy on Friday, so what better way to spend the day than more wine tasting? This time we drove out into the countryside west of Auckland to an area known as Kumeu. Where as Waiheke is mostly known for its red wine varietals, Kumeu is better known for its whites.  After trying some really good Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, we decided to keep heading west to show Lois and Jean the Tasman Sea from Muriwai Beach. Muriwai is a huge black sand beach on the west coast of the North Island and in addition to being a good surfing spot, it also has one of the largest Gannet colonies in all of New Zealand. Gannets are large seabirds that begin life with an incredible adventure. At only 16 weeks of age, the juvenile gannets from this colony take their first flight….to Australia!  Literally the first time that these young birds leave the ground, they jump off of a cliff and start flying some 1700 miles to Australia. They spend anywhere from 3 to 6 years in Australia and then fly back to Muriwai where they mate and remain for the rest of their lives.

For New Years Eve we had wanted to drive into Auckland to watch the fireworks buy decided against it because of the weather (yep, it was still raining). Instead we rang in the New Year at a restaurant next to the lodge where Lois and Jean were staying. They had a live band, dancing and great food. Our friend Lynn returned from the South Island to join us and the six of us had great evening.

New Year’s Day we headed out on a road trip and drove 4 hours south of Auckland to Taupo. Taupo is an active volcanic area and home to the largest lake in New Zealand. A fun fact we learned about Lake Taupo is that the lake is about the same size as Singapore (approximately 250 square miles) and that New Zealand and Singapore have roughly the same size populations ( 4.2 vs. 4.8 million), so in theory the entire country of New Zealand could live in Lake Taupo. We
spent the night in Taupo (not in the lake, but in a hotel next to the lake) and spent the next day exploring as we slowly orked our way back north to Whangaparaoa. To spare you from having to read 10 more pages about everything we did along the way back, here is a short list of the highlights. Also be sure to check out the photo gallery for more pictures.

-Huka falls near Taupo
-Craters of the Moon geothermal area
- Butchers Pool (hot springs )
-Rotorua
-Green Lake and Blue Lake near Rotorua
-Giant Redwoods forest near Rotorua
-Hamilton Gardens in Hamilton
-Sky Tower in Auckland (tallest structure in the southern hemisphere)

 

Tuesday, December 26th, 2011 -  Gulf Harbour Marina, Whangaparoa, New Zealand

After opening all our presents and having a wonderful Christmas breakfast with Bill, Christmas morning
took on a very somber note as we learned that our dear friend Joyce Jerome had suddenly passed away.  Joyce was scheduled to visit us during the second week in January, but had cancelled the trip about a month ago due to some health issues. Little did we know or understand how serious those issues were.

It’s hard to believe that just over a year ago we were with Joyce at the memorial service for Jeep (her significant other and very close pal of mine).  Joyce and Jeep were huge supporters of our plans to go cruising and had always encouraged us to go sooner rather than later.

Joyce (I know that you are still reading this somehow) please know that we love you, we miss you, and that we take comfort in knowing that you and Jeep are together giving blow-up boat rides to everyone you meet in heaven. A hui hou.

Our friends Graham and Avril picked us up in the afternoon and took us into Auckland where they are house sitting for some friends. We had a wonderful afternoon sitting outside in the sun shine (for a change) followed by a huge Christmas dinner, Old English Christmas Crackers, and a sleep over. I had never seen Christmas Crackers before, but they are small tubes wrapped up nicely with a string coming out of each end. You pull the two strings, the thing pops open, and  shoots a small toy into the air. Half the fun is searching around the room to try to find the toy afterwards.

My Aunt Lois and her boyfriend Jean arrive tomorrow from Los Angeles for a visit. I really hope that the elusive New Zealand summer will arrive while they are here, but the forecast is showing more rain.