Balls up at Denarau

Well, that didn’t work out well. Despite several emails and a couple of phone calls, just as we entered the channel to pick up our reserved mooring at Denarau Marina, we were told we were too big. I assume they meant the boat and didn’t aim that as a personal insult.

I told them we are 16 metres on an email, form, and phone. No problem. But when I called them on the radio when in the channel (too late to turn around) they told us that 16 meters is too big. In fairness, they offered a marina berth, but I didn’t fancy getting underwater to clean the hull while bashing my bonce against marina bits. So, we turned around where the super yachts hang out and headed out to anchor for a while. Then we went over to Vuda Marina to shelter from the rough weather soon to arrive.

Reunions at Vuda

The blunder at Denarau worked out well. Not only did we see our old boat, Lady Jane (now called Bella), at Vuda Marina. We also met her new owners, not the people we sold her to, but a couple of New Zealanders. They were in the process of replacing the rigging and re-antifouling her. It was great to meet up with them – and to recapture some of our fond memories of being on the boat that brought us all the way from England to French Polynesia. That boat is still looking good.

Our old Lady Jane
Our old Lady Jane

We also came across Nick, who we last saw in Nuku Hiva as he prepared to bash his way from French Polynesia to Canada. He has now seen the light or suffered the cold and drifted back to the Pacific.

You never know who you are going to meet up with
You never know who you are going to meet up with

Vuda Marina seems like a great place to get things done. They have a haul-out facility, but they also have engineering, painting, rigging, and cleaning services. And they have a good restaurant and, if you are inclined, yoga in the morning. However, Maria wasn’t too convinced about the merits of breathing through one nostril and out the other.

Later, we headed over to Musket Cove so that I could get out the scraper and bash off my barnacles. Fortunately, there weren’t many.

Wilson!

After knocking off the barnacles at Musket Cove, we headed over to Yanuya island for permission to visit the neighbouring island, Monuriki, where Castaway was filmed. Getting permission involved a small Sevusevu ceremony with the chief’s wife and the handing over of 20 Fijian Dollars per person: 10 for Yanuya and 10 for Monuriki.

As we approached the beach, a group of kids waded into the water to help us land our dinghies. This might have been cause for concern in some countries, but here, definitely not. All they want to do is help. And they did, by dragging each of our dinghies up the beach with hardly any participation from us ‘elders’.

The chief wasn’t there to collect the kava and take the cash because he was at the Rugby Sevens tournament at the nearby playing field. Good timing for us. Not that the chief wasn’t there, but because we could watch some rugby.

Sevusevu ceremony with the Chief’s wife
Sevusevu ceremony with the Chief’s wife

After being formally welcomed into the village and given permission to visit Monuriki, the local kids helped us again by guiding us to the playing fields. There, the men took over and herded us to front-row VIP seats. We didn’t expect that. It was very welcome, of course. Then, one of the people officiating the event explained to us this was a fundraiser, and all donations were welcome – a message reiterated over the loudspeaker several times. So, I still can’t reconcile whether it was warm Fijian hospitality or another opportunity for cash extraction. But whatever it was, watching Rugby 7’s in the country famed for its high-level performance in the game was a brilliant thing.

Line up
Line up
Line out
Line out
Scrum
Scrum

The next morning, we headed over to Monuriki. Anchoring off Monuriki island isn’t the easiest thing – and that gets worse when the tour boats arrive. So, the Catweazle and Northern Roses headed over there in their boats, and we rumbled across in our dinghy.

Catweazle parked up at Castaway Island
Catweazle parked up at Castaway Island

In the Castaway film, Tom Hank’s woolly-jumpered character is seen wandering around the beach with a parcel in hand, trying to get his bearings. We tried to recreate a frame from that shot, substituting Maria as the film star. The photo below is the best we could do without a FedEx package – and there was no way Maria was going to wear a woolly jumper here.

Tom Hanks has changed a bit
Tom Hanks has changed a bit
Help Me!
Help Me!
Castaways Pat and Glen
Castaways Pat and Glen
Monuriki
Monuriki

I think Tom Hanks might be a bit short-sighted. If he had looked over to the north to the northeast, he would have seen a substantial inhabited island with people more than happy to help.

Northern Rose
Northern Rose
Heading back to Jamala
Heading back to Jamala

Mana Island

After a couple of hours as castaways and a dip for Harriet from Catweazle to retrieve our dinghy anchor, we dropped Pat and Glen back off at Northern Rose, zipped back to Jamala and headed off to Mana (or Mama) island – a strange place with a weird hotel and an expensive restaurant.

After tying our paddle boards to the restaurant and walking over to check out the hotel, we saw a young boy eyeing the boards. I walked back and asked him if he would like a go. Then, after a few minutes of tuition, he was on the board and paddling away. We left him to it and sat on the hotel sun loungers for a while.

Not bad for a first timer
Not bad for a first timer
View from the jetty
View from the jetty

We didn’t stay here long, opting instead to get back to Musket Cove to photograph the hull for the biosecurity people in New Zealand.

Last visit to Musket Cove and clearing out

Underwater photos were done – no mean feat when using an iPhone in a ziplock bag – it was time for last-minute meet-ups and more farewells and see you laters.

The Searoses came to the party
The Searoses came to the party
Ant murders in the making
Ant murders in the making
Blue sky at night
Blue sky at night

And an impromptu blood pressure check on Jamala.

Medical for Miranda - frustratingly healthy blood pressure
Medical for Miranda – frustratingly healthy blood pressure

In preparation for our arrival in New Zealand, as well as the formalities, we bought a car. We purchased our boat remotely, so buying a car this way didn’t seem much of a stretch. And it belonged to the person we had booked to do some upholstery for us, so there was a fair chance all would be well with it. We plan to be in New Zealand for the best part of 6 months, so we didn’t want to leak cash on car rental.

Then, it was time to clear out at Denarau. That was surprisingly simple: We went to the customs office the day before clearance, and he arranged everything for us when we called back the next day. There was no wandering around to different offices scattered around town; everything was done there. And after getting our clearance papers, we were off.

Roughing it to New Zealand

The passage from Fiji to New Zealand is renowned for bad weather. The consensus view is to head slightly north of New Zealand so that you won’t be struggling against the wind later in the passage and to take any passing lows on the chin and well out of the sight of land and hope for calm weather on arrival.

My instincts were telling me to do exactly that. After all, we started well and could have carried on directly towards the northern tip of New Zealand for at least a few days. But our weather router thought otherwise. So, we took a more southerly route. No doubt that was quicker, but it was a bit feisty at times, beating into consistent winds in the high 30s.

A mild breeze
A mild breeze
A brisk sail
A brisk sail

During this constant barrage from wind and sea, we discovered water in the bilge near the forward heads. It’s not welcome, particularly offshore. From other’s experience, I know that water from the bow thruster gathers here. So I checked up front and saw that every time the bow slammed into a wave, a tiny amount of water leaked past the bow thruster seals. That small amount became a large amount of water after a few days, so I had to bail out the bilge and tighten the bow thruster seal to stop any seepage. I’d like to see that added to one of those greatest warrior programmes on the telly – that’d sort out the winners from the whiners. Every day is a learning day.

Then, during a particularly lively combination of rough seas and high winds, both the bread maker and ice maker detached from their mounts and launched themselves across the saloon. Surprisingly, no damage was done to the boat or the machines. But rather than risk a repeat performance, I left them where they landed and locked them in place with a forepeak cushion.

Gadget protection
Gadget protection

As we progressed further south, things got cooler, then downright cold. First, the fleeces went on, then the trousers, the thermals, mid-layer, and anything else we could find to wear. The blankets were out, and the heater occasionally on.

Eventually, though, the weather calmed down. For the last couple of days, we gently motorsailed towards Whangarei, where we once again met up with Antinea, who we found hanging around outside Whangarei heads to sort some things out before heading upriver.

Antinea waiting to go into Whangarei
Antinea waiting to go into Whangarei

Our trip down the river to Marsden Cove marina to clear into the country was unremarkable in that it went almost without incident. The only casualty was the fender step that gave up under the heft of the biosecurity officer who came onboard to check for forbidden fruit – literally – and other things not allowed in New Zealand.

A few hours after arriving, we were cleared to leave and did so a bit sharpish. The Northern Roses told us the best time to get to Riverside Drive is an hour before high water – and we wanted to arrive before our friends on Fat Susan (whom we last saw in the Marquesas in 2020) went on a night out, leaving no hands to help us tie up. Fortunately, we experienced no delays at the bridge when requesting a lift, and when we arrived at the marina, the full complement of Fat Susans were there to help us. I wish we had retained the presence of mind to take some photos, but we were knackered.

But here we are in New Zealand, having achieved a goal we have had in mind for many years. And it is a lovely place. It’s still a bit cold, though.

First Week in New Zealand

Here’s what we got up to in our first week in New Zealand:

  • We got the car.
  • Insured the car
  • Bought AA membership, because you never know
  • Transferred the registration of the car at the local AA office (free)
  • Joined the marina people at the Sunday night barbecue
  • Got the generator fault diagnosed. Diagnosis dead. Need a new one
  • Installed Starlink
  • Ordered stuff from Amazon Australia
  • Arranged for our dinghy to be refurbished
  • Registered at the doctors
  • Had check-ups at the dentist
  • Eye tests at Specsavers (free with AA membership)
  • Went for dinner with Bertrand and Pascale
  • Excavated the bikes and went for a ride in town
  • Arranged travel to Australia to see our old friends

Maria’s Birthday

It was Maria’s birthday at the end of our first week, so we picked up Bertrand and Pascale and headed to the Bay of Islands. On the way, we stopped at the Kawiti Caves, also known as the Waiomio Glowworm Caves, home to thousands of glow worms (I know how to treat a girl) in a 200-meter limestone cave. We couldn’t take any photos inside the cave, but it was fascinating. Those little fellas give off enough light to see the hand in front of your face.

Blue trousered brothers
Blue trousered brothers
Our guide
Our guide
Cave dwellers
Cave dwellers

Then, we were off to Opua, but only to get the car ferry to Okiato – the old and very short-lived capital of New Zealand – and then to the Omata Estate Winery, where we had a reservation for lunch.

Car ferry terminal
Car ferry terminal
The only capital - for just a year
The only capital – for just a year
And what’s left of it
And what’s left of it
Pascale on the vines
Pascale on the vines

And then we drove up to Russel for a stroll around town. This is home to the best fishing gear shop in Northland, we found out later (after we got back to Whangarei).

Says nothing about other bodies
Says nothing about other bodies
Plenty of boats in Russell
Plenty of boats in Russell

And that was our first week in New Zealand. As you might be able to tell, things are easy here. We can understand why people keep coming back.

But our next destination is by plane – to Melbourne – to spend time with our expat friends from Singapore.