Ruby Slippers

about the lack of new updates to our website!  Sorry.  We made it to New Zealand and were so happy to be here, we just started having fun without a thought of sharing it all with you!  There will be no more of that – we promise to keep you in our pockets at all times.

I (Jeanna) went home for a couple of weeks in November to see my family and friends, and purchase many new books, DVDs and boat parts.  Now I know what a pain it is to come visit us and have to bring all that stuff with you.  Jim and Molly and Jessie had Thanksgiving with some New Zealand friends and went diving for scallops.  The water is much colder here than anywhere we have been in the past year.  In fact, the weather in general is much like Seattle in early spring – cold, windy, and rainy.  The locals all say that they haven’t seen a Christmas season as cold as this one – ever. 

We bought a used car (cheap) and have been touring the northern tip of the north island.  There is a long beach on the west coast called 90-Mile Beach (although everything else is measured in kilometers).  You can drive the length of this beach at low tide, if you are so inclined.  We tried it for about 10 minutes and got bored.  It is much prettier by road.  At the top of the beach, there are some huge sand dunes.  We rented boogie boards and hiked up the ski slope-high hill and boogied down.  The climb up took about 10 minutes, and the ride down took about 45 seconds. 

 I had bought a tent at REI when I was home, so we went camping after our dune experience.  A six-person tent is just big enough for the four of us.  They have “Holiday” parks all over New Zealand, where you can pitch a tent or park a camper, close to showers, kitchen and usually, a lake.  It costs about $45.00 per night for the privilege of using their grass.  There are no other options – land is all owned privately or by the government.  A Motel 6, with only the barest of creature comforts, is $125 per night.  Things are pretty pricey here on this little island.

It has been nice being on a dock, with unlimited water and power, but we are getting antsy to be “out and about” again.  We anchored for a couple of nights this past week; it was great to see gorgeous mountains and no boats in our “yard”.  Jim and Molly dove for more scallops – they came up with 99 of them!  Jessie and I opted for warmer entertainment, baking cookies. 

Molly and Jessie went camping this week with the same friends who had them over for Thanksgiving dinner.  We will pick them up at the campsite on December 23^rd, and make our way down the coast toward Auckland.  We will be at some remote (hopefully) island for Christmas.  We hope that your Christmas season will be filled with joy and relaxation.  Life flies by pretty quickly, so take time to savor each day!

It’s been a while since we have posted pictures, so there are several new groups in the media gallery.  Happy Holidays!  ~  Jeanna

Ours was very nice. We were underway, heading down the east coast of New Zealand. We anchored in a couple of beautiful bays, but it is very shallow on this coast. We bumped the bottom twice at low tide, and had to keep moving the boat to higher water. We cooked the full-meal deal – turkey, and all the trimmings. It is a bit of a challenge on a moving boat, but everything turned out great. I was thinking how much easier it is here than it would be in Tonga or one of the other South Pacific islands. Groceries are so plentiful and fresh here – just like in the states. I don’t think I ever saw a turkey in the South Pacific! Well, I can think of a few boaters that fit the description…

We are now moored in Gulf Harbour Marina, near Auckland. It is a first-rate facility, with some nice hikes and parks close by. We have an appointment to haul the boat out in early January, to paint the bottom, wax the hull and do a little maintenance. Got to keep ol’ Ruby Slippers sparkly!

We said goodbye to our friends from the boat “Coconut”. They have ended their 4-year journey from Norway to Australia. They have already shipped their boat back home and are flying to Norway today. It is a bittersweet time for them; they are anxious to see friends and family, but have enjoyed every bit of their cruising experience. Their children, Camilla and Colin have become good friends with Molly and Jessie. It was kind of sad to see them say their farewells. To think we might never again see some of the cruisers we have met is quite sad. Making friends seems to be accelerated on the ocean; you meet, discover much you have in common, and form a bond very quickly. You might spend weeks together, anchored in the same bay, and communicating by radio or e-mail when you are apart. Reunions are joyous occasions, especially when kids are involved. Then, all too soon, we must say goodbye, most likely for good! We have gotten to know sailors from all over the United States, Europe, South Africa and Australia. It’s been a great cultural experience for all of us.

A funny thing about the way New Zealanders talk is that both “i” and “e” have the long “ee” sound. So, it might be pen or pin; might be ten, tin or teen, might be win or wean, it might be lip or leap. If your teen got a score of 10 on a test, it all sounds the same! We were looking for a store called “meetahteen” that someone told us about; we finally discovered that it was Mitre 10, a hardware store chain. We are slowly catching on.

We hope 2008 brings many adventures to your life, along with peace and happiness!
~ Jeanna