KimiMoana & Philip

About 5 years ago Phil visited the town of Russell in the Bay of Islands. With the help of local residents and new friends, he settled.

One day he found the derelict KimiMoana, beached and half sunken. Being a gentle soul, he took pity on her, and, with the help of the redoubtable Butch, she became his true love.
Like all love stories, it was not easy. Kimi was full of water and sludge with lots of funny things living in and growing on her. She had been deserted by her previous lover in a fit of pique and had lain, forsaken and discarded for 15 long years. Gone from her were the sounds of children playing on her decks, the smells of cooking rising from her galley, the contented sounds of a peaceful family at sleep in her strong, safe hull.

The local people rallied to help Phil bucket out approximately two tonnes of salty algae and water, and lots of weird stuff. Mark thought he was helping for a few hours. It took a few days, But they bucketted on. Then, miracle of miracles........she floated.
To her aid came a yacht built by Kimi's builder and she was towed off the sand into deep water.
To Phil and Mark's delight and wonder they found, engraved on a bulkhead, the proof of her former glory, the registration marks of a proud New Zealand SHIP!!!

If you look carefully you can see the marking between the two bedraggled and tired looking grinning faces.

So now, after having her bottom scraped and and antifouled she is moored in deep water while Phil works to buy her new stuff to fix her decks and rebuild her interior. But, at least , she is obviously, a lady.

Mark has gone awandering and Phil starts the long , hard slog to start the next stage of Kimi's refit ..... engine, skin fittings, propellor, fuel tanks, batteries, deck house, more anti fouling. This is no fairy.....this is a full blown 54ft ferro-cement DIVA. But faint heart ne'er won fair lady and all that stuff .

So here she is showing off her true form, and it is beautiful.

As she goes back into the bay, her neighbours look on at the change from a bedraggled ragamuffin to a fine lady waiting for her new clothes. As Phil sits in his deckhouse he knows the end is in sight.

To see a dream coming true is a magnificent sight !!

Goodbye, Bay of Islands, until next time!!

The Rock

It has been a bit bleak the last couple of days and Phil and I were sitting in the shelter of the doghouse drinking coffee and having a discussion on something totally forgetable when we heard something quietly and consistently splashing near the boat...... not boisterous so not dolphins.
On investigating we saw a blonde girl slowly sidestroking past.
Thinking that no one in her right mind would don bathers and get into water that was about 10 deg
I asked her "Why?'
" Exercise" she replied.
"Where are you from?"
"Canada. This is warm".
We think she may have come from the "Rock", a two story converted car barge that is a floating hotel.
Maybe that would be something nice to try next visit (the Rock, not the swim).

Weird and wonderful New Zealand

Just before I left Auckland to come to Russell I went to the preliminary trials for the annual Soap Box Derby. The ultimate winner of this series goes to Ohio USA to compete in the world championships.
Down here is a very special school run and staffed by very special people for children with special needs. It is called Somerville Special School. These children never have a chance to compete with other children.
This time they did. Maybe the other competitors thought they were not a force to be reckoned with. But the local businesses sponsored them and the parents worked hard, as they do, to have a first class racer ready
In the prelims one little boy, Jordan, made it to the finals
This little speedster was 1/100th of a second behind the fastest child in New Zealand.
The parents and staff are on cloud nine. And, I bet, they are planning to be out there next year.

On the 4 hour bus ride I sat next to a stunning Maori 13 year who was telling me about Maori legends. Then she told me about pink sheep. Now, I hadn't seen many sheep to date, and certainly no pink ones. And remembering that Kiwis were on a par with Aussies for leg pulling I was a bit noncommital. As we came to Whangerai, where my story teller would be leaving me I saw, in a small paddock near the road side... PINK SHEEP!!

Amused by my wonder, she said " Watch out for the striped cows".
"Pull the other one" I thought
The sheep, of course, were dyed as an advertising gimmick, but striped cows???

On we went and I settled down to watching the unbelievable scenery, monstrous ferns, rolling hills and beautiful bays when
There they were!! Striped cows!!!
These are a recognised breed of belted cows but New Zealand stories are not to be taken too lightly.

As the weather changes the yachts in Matauwhi bay are thinning as the families plus kids are up and away to the Pacific islands and the warmer weather Marg tells me it is around 29 degrees during the day. Here is is tops 25..
Bye for now

Still in Heaven!

Rained rather heavily so stayed below and rocked and read.
My neighbours, with small children, got their washing out to catch the first sun and breeze.
There are several cruising boats with chidren on board. The boats are rigged so that adventurous kids can't go overboard.
These children will probably spend the coldest months cruising Fiji.

The hull of Kimimoana is unlined at this time so it is like sleeping in a coolroom..... about 10 cms of concrete and steel between me and the coooool sea.
Reading by candle is best because the cost of batteries is pretty high.

Good Fiday and Phil and I went up to have lunch with Pip and Oliver, one of the first commercial charterers here, both of my generatio. Their home is beautiful, Pip's cooking is superb. Raising children and sailing has made her pretty efficient and a gourmet cook. They keep a smaller yacht at the bottom of the hill. They have a small B&B overlooking the bay. Watching the yachts sail by with a small glass keeps them in touch with the comings and goings :))

Easter Saturday and the children from "Rat bag" were cheering as their mum rowed them out to meet our visitors on a bright sunny morning. In cas you can't see them to well..... four dolphins playing up for the kids :))))

Russell aka Heaven

First Sunset in Russell

Well, I am here at last. After a 4 hour bus ride I arrived in Pahia. As this was the day after daylight saving finished I managed to get it wrong! It was too dark to try to scramble on board so I slept on Janet's couch. Next day was the first day aboard Kimimoana.
The work below decks was unbelievable. While quite primitive ( no power, floor unfinished and plumbing to be done), it was dry, snug and comfortable. Gas cooking on the galley stove courtesy of HMSNZ(?) Canterbury.
The shopping is done via a 15 min ride in a dinghy to the Russell yacht club and a 20 minute walk into Russell. The coffee is good but the bread shop always seems to be sold out of really good stuff by the time I get there!!
Martine had Phil's hair cut and his beard trimmed in Auckland about a week before I arrived.
He looked really beaut.
The sunset on the first day was unbelievable. Maybe being so close to the water.
I am still trying to work out my little computer so my email and blog is getting further behind.
Thommo, (big flash yacht chartering to tourists) gave me some good info re charging. Love to all
Mea

The Longest White Cloud

The Tamaki river has some spectacular cloud formations forming above it.
Here is a spectacular long white cloud.It took Mitch three frames and a lot of editing to get this remarkable photograph.

Afterbeing in Auckland for nigh on 3 weeks it seems to be one of the most well ordered and beautiful cities I have ever seen. Nestling in a beautiful bay with Rangitoto visible from nearly every hill, surrounded by higher extinct volcanoes it is truly memorable. The oldest buildings in the city are happily merged with interesting modern architeture. The bridges are decorated with ornate Moari patterned concrete friezes. People are friendly.
Little rivers and streams head into the sea everywhere. Trees and gardens are lush and public areas beautiful and well kept. Soon I will leave for Russell to spend Easter (and longer) with my son on his yacht (still building) Kimimoana.

SKYPE Ahoy!

On my travels I have a magic little eeePC, about the size of a thin library book. Learning to manage a tiny keyboard and juggling data between a 4gb hard drive and a USB flash drive has not been easy. I turned on my tiny PC with wireless internet connection and I heard a voice say "Mea, are you online?" There, in a little window, was John and Fran Hewitt from Hamersley, WA. He had walked past his computer as I had come on line. After exchanging our suprised greetings,courtesy of SKYPE, he said he and Fran would be leaving in a few days to visit New Zealand on the way to England via America and Canada.
Martine picked John and Fran up from their hotel in central Auckland and took us up to the top of Mount Eden, the highest of the extinct volcanoes surrounding Auckland. After driving through other gardens we had afternoon tea at St Heliers, overlooking a beautiful bay with Rangitoto in the centre.
A few days later I received another call from John and Fran in their hotel room in Canada. Fran and her daughter-in- law will celebrate their birthdays in early April in England and then celebrate Jim's retirement before returning home.