Last week, Mark and I borrowed Axel’s spacious car to visit
friends two hours north of Auckland. For the occasion, the car was turned into
our closet, kitchen, lunch counter and internet café, while we visited boating
friends. Due to a cold front, the weather was very chilly and rainy, but the
company of our fellow cruisers made up for the discomfort. After two nights on
SV Amandla in Gulf Harbor, hanging out with Fabio and
Lisa, we continued north
to Whangarei, taking a somewhat scenic road, and stopping a few times along the
way.
It was fantastic to see the
SV Iona family again after a year! Cute Leili had grown a bit, Dylan more than a bit. For the next two
nights, we stayed on their cozy boat, while Chris cooked for us and Katie was a
gracious host. We combined some work in the local library (good WiFi), with
being part of their lovely family, and enjoyed the warmth of their home and
personalities. One afternoon, we all drove out to Whangarei Heads for a beach
walk and picnic. The scenery was spectacular and the faint sun very welcome!
On the day we left, back south to appreciate the hospitality
of our friends Fabio and Lisa once more, Mark and I tried to organize our
imminent accommodation and transportation needs for a few hours and had just
enough time left to check out Whangarei Falls. This was an easy and beautiful
detour, so we decided to walk the trail to the Kauri forest, instead of driving
there. Some fresh air was just what we needed and the exercise was very
welcome. Along the boardwalk in the forest, we gazed at the tropical vegetation
– I love those “fern trees” – and the ancient Kauri trees, which are hundreds
of years old. Ah, to be in nature again…
After a last night on the Amandla boat in Gulf Harbor, it
was back to Auckland, for a change of pace and lifestyle! :-)
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| Whangarei Marina lies along the river. The red boat is "Guppy", Laura Dekker's ketch she sailed around the world as youngest circumnavigator |
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| Upon arrival in this boating mecca, we ran into Chris, who showed us the way to SV Iona |
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| Mark and Leili, cute as ever... |
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| It was so great to see mother and daughter again! |
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| Tall teenager Dylan, 2 days before his cast came back off |
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| Family outing to the beach at Whangarei Heads - just like in the "old" Marquesas days! |
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| Tall and sturdy pine trees |
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| The beach - Where shall we eat our picnic? |
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| Trying to find a spot out of the wind - The sun feels good! |
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| Climbing the sand dune - We will have lunch on the top |
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| Picnic spot with a view (and "waves" of extra sand) - Crunchy sandwiches! |
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| Looking left... |
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| ... and looking right. |
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| Dylan, Katie, Liesbet, Leili and Mark on a NZ beach! |
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| Choppy anchorage - We are glad to be on land |
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| The longest food bridge in the Southern hemisphere |
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| Whangarei Falls |
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| Nice walk to the AH Reed Memorial Park |
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| Crossing one of the rivers without getting our feet wet |
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| Kauri forest |
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| A majestic and ancient Kauri tree |
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| Looking down onto a "fern tree" from the canopy walk in AH Reed Memorial Park |
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