We've Turned our Dorades Around...

Dorades are those funnel shaped protrusions you sometimes see adorning the coach roofs of boats. The idea being that they funnel air, but not spray, down into the boat keeping it cool and ventilated. As the sun set early after another beautiful but cool day in the Abel Tasman, we thought it was time to turn ours around. They were wafting us with cold air that sent us scurrying for our jumpers and thinking with more urgency that we must head north.

We'd had our shake down cruise. We'd seen a little of Pelorus Sound including Duncan Bay; listening out for the mating calls of the deer. We'd transited French pass and had spent a few days in the Abel Tasman national park, meeting with friends new and old. But autumn was here.

Duncans bay

Sailing in the Tasman Bay

Mending the depth sounder by Adele island, it's co-ax socket had pulled off

Torrent Bay and the Anchorage, Abel Tasman

After spending a quiet night in D'Urville island, with a light and favourable forecast we set off for Wellington. Wellington has an infamous reputation as a wind factory but we both had fond memories of the city so we wanted to pay it a visit. We were also running perilously low on eggs!

Windy Wellington certainly lives up to its name; it took us fourteen tacks to beat our way in under double reefs. Then after our brief visit we were whooshed out by a forceful wind; fortunately it was behind us this time. The forecast had been for 15kn but the gale we encountered was strong enough to break another of Beryls (our Aries wind-steering mechanism) wooden vanes. This one had barely been used but probably snapped because we were hand steering so it was held still against the wind. Good job we're not short of spare ply to make more. Certainly, New Zealand's South island is beautiful but it has cost us dearly in these vanes.

Shock horror, one night in a marina in Wellington.  Very nice showers!

We find it easy transitioning between our lives on Impetuous and back on our narrowboat. We never particularly miss anything whilst in either one of our homes. But there are some things you forget how much you enjoy. When I let the fishing line over and within minutes saw the huge splash behind the boat as an albacore tried to free itself from our hook I instantly remembered the thrill of fishing. It got off unfortunately as did the next two; both about a meter from the boat, but we did land two more. One weighing in at around 15lbs which I know is not gigantic but certainly fills our fridge and has now filled our bellies for over a week.

The next destination was Napier, where we spent a couple of days meeting up with a childhood friend who has emigrated there and his family. We also enjoyed lots of walking along Hawkes bay and around the art deco neighbourhoods. We stocked up at some of the fantastic speciality shops that both Wellington and Napier have to offer us keen cooks, in preparation to head back into the South Pacific.

Despite crossing back from the sub 40° S the dorades are still facing the wrong way. We have a 'to buy' list for jobs we'll be doing over the next 6 months or so, and a few little jobs to complete before leaving New Zealand in the next couple of weeks. We're spending the weekend on the lovely Kawau island then we'll press on to Whangarei back to the metropolis and other boaters. Its amazing to think that in all the six months we have spent down in southland we only met one other foreign couple.

Fjordy wonderland part 2... Doubtful Sound

Doubtful sound covers a very large area with three arms off the main sound and connecting with both Thompson and Bradshaw sounds so we thought it deserved it's own post.  It has also been one of our favourite with it's high peaks, interesting walks, friendly few people and large wildlife population. As is often the case we ended up staying longer than anticipated.

We entered through Thompson sound and dropped anchor in Deas' cove as darkness fell.  Our next days walk was very hurried due to the huge population of sandflies we encountered.  In such circumstances you really have to move fast, or even better go for a sail which solved the problem perfectly.

There was a mounting onshore land breeze such that when we arrived in Deep Cove, the terminus at the inland end, we did not like the look of the recommended 'all weather' anchorage.  We sailed around finding only very deep water.  We furled our jib and motored another time around right up close to the steep sides and were hailed by the captain of a big motor boat.  He suggested we take a buoy over by the hostel and invited us for coffee the following morning before his tourist trips.  The buoy looked so near the shore that we'd discounted it as for a dinghy!

It was really interesting talking to Paul and his crew about their lives there.  They worked 7 days on, 7 off and lived together in a house provided by the company whilst at work since the only access to Doubtful sound is either by sea (a long way) or as the tourists do; a ferry ride across lake Manapouri followed by a 21km coach ride on the unsealed road.  They need to have the boat ready before the day trippers arrive.  He was filling up with fuel.  This boat uses 300 litres of Diesel per hour (about what we've used since Bora Bora) and so he fills up 3,000 every other day!  One of the reasons the tourist day package is a pricey one.

Paul was really helpful in suggesting where we might be able to anchor in each arm and what we might hope to see.  He was originally a fellow Brit but now lives in Te Anau with his family on his weeks off and has had sailing boats himself.

Once their passengers arrived we went over to meet the hostel manager Billy and also the relief manager as it was his fortnight off and he was preparing to go tuna fishing.  They were both really friendly and helpful.  We were able to buy internet time and hot showers then find out about all the local trails.

The short walks from deep cove were some of the most fun of our whole trip.  The pouring rain wasn't able to dampen our spirits since it just made the waterfalls better!

Our comedy yellow mac has come in very handy over the last few weeks.  Not so suitable for the more demanding walks but it's great as a wind and rain stopper whilst we're sailing.  The walk just above Deep cove hostel really stood out for us both.  It was a rugged track that though well marked really kept you on your toes and ended at the steep rock face of the hanging falls.

See the orange triangle?  The waterfall IS the track!  The temperate rainforest bush of this whole area is beautiful, peaceful and full of life going about it's quiet or sometimes quite noisy way.

Yes indeedy, a photo of something other than a mountain or waterfall! *1 task completed...

After some heavy socialising with Billy and his friends we sailed up Hall arm, reported to be the most spectacular.  It may well be, we couldn't see much... so when the wind died completely we had to motor most of the way to the end of crooked arm.

From the end of Crooked arm at Haulashore cove there is a trail (of sorts) across to Dagg sound (Dy'a like Daggs? 'Snatch')

We lost the track for a bit so got pretty wet and seed covered on this 'tramp' *2 Task complete, walk between two sounds...

Then we ran away from the sandflies that were chasing us to Snug cove in First arm where we awoke to a beautiful sunrise.

There are several islands in the wide entrance to Doubtful sound so on our way out we decided to stop and try our *3 task and dive into the icy depths.... I can tell you that we weren't disappointed, the variety and amount of life in the rocky steep sides of the Fjord were amazing, however, we didn't linger.  We stayed just long enough for Duncan to snag this guy, a huge spiny rock lobster.  He was so big he needed a new cooking method and fed us for three meals. * 4 tasks complete... 7 more to go...

Fjordy Wonderland Part 1...

We're about halfway through our adventures in Fiordland and are mystified as to why no other boaters are here.

There are the Sandflies of course...

The Sandfly ranger! They may be small but there can be huge numbers of the little bitey critters at times.

And the rain...

Though it's only rained three days in the fortnight we've been here.

The katabatic winds (those created by the land heating during the day and cooling overnight where the sea temperature stays stable) are difficult to predict and make the offshore forecasts somewhat academic at times. We had to abort an attempt to leave Milford Sound as it got too late in the day and we've had to use Pip (the engine) more than we usually would but generally the weather hasn't been a big problem.

Milford Sound

Bligh Sound

A rock lobster or crayfish given to us by a friendly hunter in Bligh sound

Everyone we've met has been super friendly, generous and fun. This area really is an unspoilt wilderness so there's been plenty of quiet seclusion too...

Anchorage cove, George Sound

Alice Falls, George Sound a very windy anchorage but beautiful walks and lovely mussels along the shoreline

We've decided to give ourselves some challenges for the second half of our trip to broaden our experiences...

• Don wetsuits and brave the icy depths
• Spot a penguin (we've kept an eye out and seen plenty of seals and dolphins but no whales or penguins yet)
• Think of some boat jobs to do in the rain or when there's too much wind to trust the anchor
• Take a photo of something other than waterfalls and mountains
• Eat a meal which contains NO fish or seafood
• Meet a fisherman and endeavour to understand what he or she says...
• Spend an evening in a hut with hunters and a fire
• Dive for a crayfish in said icy depths (we've been given loads)
• Walk between two Fiords
• Catch our own blue cod (we've been given one and have caught a LOT of Albacore Tuna)
• Find out what a Paua is

On our way out of George sound.

So far we've visited Milford, Bligh, George, Thompson and some of Doubtful sounds, we plan to see more then move on to Breaksea, Dusky and then Chalky and Preservation inlet before we sail on to Stewart island. There's a huge amount here to be explored.

Looking back towards Milford sound in the distance