Our reunion with Nogal was nothing less than a sense of fulfilled anticipation and relief! Our flights were uneventful and smooth. We were feeling somewhat human after having slept a bit on the journey, but exhaustion was masked by our excitement. We took a van from the Whangarei airport to Marsden Cove Marina, about 35 miles southeast, to meet Nogal. We were quickly reacquainted, finding comfort and familiarity in her sounds, smells, and boundaries. 

Traveling…

Marsden Cove is a lovely marine village tucked away and sparsely populated, mostly with yachties and liveaboards. We have met the most friendly, helpful neighbors and locals. Everyone is resourceful and well-connected with the local marine network, offering advice and assistance with repairs, trades and reputable chandleries. 

Our neighbor, Maureen, has veggie pods! She grows veggies and herbs onboard- we’ve become fast friends!

We’ve been busy with multiple system repairs and appliance replacements- lots of work to do! John has embraced each task tirelessly and patiently. I have spent most of the days cleaning  and organizing the interior of the boat, provisioning, making meals and running errands. Dalton and Hall have been integral hands at washing the boat, running errands, filling out census paperwork, managing the water tanks, and slowly diving into school work and a routine. Each day has been task oriented at this point, but we are finding plenty of time to explore, read, play frisbee and soccer, read, do Legos, read… ! We’ve frequented the local restaurant at least once a day and have rented a car to run errands. The learning curve of the English driving method brought humor when John was pulled by the traffic police for swerving and using his cell phone to navigate. Luckily, pity resulted in a simple “warning!” We are having lots of chuckles as we learn the lingo and social ways of the Kiwis. Dalton and Hall have been practicing their accents daily!

We are all sleeping soundly and adapting to the slower pace of things. John and I are missing our routine workouts and wellness routines, but are finding time here and there to fit in a strength workout or a run. The weather is beautiful: sunny and in the 70’s most days.  We are hoping to have all of the major systems up and running by this weekend, so we can venture out for some island hopping, exploring nearby anchorages in bays and coves that come highly recommended by our experienced new friends!

Off to play frisbee!

Dalton off to run errands..

One of many beautiful sunsets…

Until next time,

s/v Nogal