The days are getting longer, the weather warmer and the gardens are in blossom. It can mean only one thing, Christmas down under! 

I have received a lot of email from friends asking what I’ve been up to the last few months and how is Moonshadow progressing. It’s about time I got off my bum (butt) and did some writing.

Moonshadow: The repairs to her hull are nearly complete. I expect that they will begin to replace the furniture in a week or so and then begin the monumental task of replacing all the electrical wiring. The mast was damaged beyond repair so almost everything above the deck will be replaced. The new rig has been specified and ordered and will be installed in January. The boat will go into the paint shop just before Christmas and will be completely repainted, top and bottom. Then she will go into the water for the remaining commissioning. The interior teak will be refinished and the main salon will be reupholstered. I have been selecting updated communication and navigation electronics to be installed. We will also replace some other dated components such as the anchor windlass, deck hatches, dinghy and outboard. The entire sail inventory has been lofted and will be checked and repaired (including the spinnaker we blew out during the Pacific crossing). I expect to be cruising Moonshadow version 2.0 in New Zealand by some time in February.

Sailing: I have been doing a lot of yacht racing in regular events sponsored by the Ponsonby Cruising Club and Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron (temporary home of the America’s Cup). Occasionally I have been filling in as crew on one of two all women’s boats in races sponsored by the Royal Akarana Yacht Club. It’s a dirty rotten job, but. . . All in all, the racing here is very competitive, intense, fast and heaps of fun. I could write a book alone on some of the characters I’ve met during and after these races. These are a breed of men and women that you just don’t find in the States. I was on a boat last weekend with three others who between them had combined sailing experience of 130 years! As I mentioned the racing is competitive and intense and contact between the boats is common. One group of guys has stickers that they proudly display on their hull for each “kill.” A little red boat sticker means you hit another boat, and a little green boat sticker means you were hit. All the yelling and ranting and raving on the race course quickly turns to warm, lighthearted humor back at the club after a few rum & cokes. Some of these guys have been racing against each other for thirty years. Sometimes the owners swap boats, sails or crew just to make the event more interesting. Sailing to the Kiwis is as common as football or baseball to us “Yanks.” It is required elementary school curriculum in many parts of New Zealand.

Road Trips: In October, my good friend Laura popped over from the States to accompany me on a road trip to the South Island. The only word that can truly describe the awesome beauty of this unspoiled New Zealand island is unbelievable! I’ll do my best to tell you about just a few of the highlights of our journey. Some photos of the trip are in an attached file for you to download and view at your convenience.

On our first day out, we took a leisurely drive to Napier in the famous Hawke’s Bay wine region. Napier, which is situated in middle of the east (Pacific) coast of the North Island, was flattened by a major earthquake in 1931 and beautifully rebuilt in the art deco style of the era. The warm breezes blowing across the land from the west make for good wine growing and give the town a lovely resort feeling. We sampled some wines from the local vineyards and enjoyed the beautifully maintained architecture of the city center. We did a “home stay” with a lovely couple who had very comfortable house on a hill overlooking the ocean. A room and breakfast for two was about US$ 35. 

The next day we followed the Pacific coast south to Wellington, the nation’s capital. It was a gorgeous day, and a beautiful drive. The deep blue Pacific Ocean to our left, green hills and snowcapped mountains to our right, and a narrow winding road ahead. We arrived in Wellington, at the southern tip of the North Island, in the mid afternoon. Wellington is called “the Windy City.” For about four months a year, the westerly “roaring forties” winds whip through the narrow Cook Straight, between the bottom of the North Island and the top of the South Island producing near gale force winds almost on a daily basis. The locals, being a hearty lot, don’t seem to let it stop them from their penchant for outdoor activities. Wellington is the political and cultural center of New Zealand. It has just one city center, unlike other cities that have smaller centers in the suburbs. The result is that everybody seems to come into town to shop, dine, enjoy cultrual activities and socialize. With only about 350,000 residents, it still has an opera, symphony, ballet, national museum, lots of great restaurants and a lot of other amenities of cities ten times it’s size. It’s the biggest small city or the smallest big city I’ve ever visited.

We were on the ferry to the South Island early the next morning. The three hour trip from Wellington northwest to Picton on the South Island was very comfortable, relaxing and scenic. The ferry has all the amenities: cushy lounge chairs, bars, restaurants, a movie theatre, casino, a travel agency, children’s play area, and even a quiet room where you can plug in your computer and work. The last half of the trip through Marlborough Sound is quite picturesque. Sitting on a boat watching the beautiful scenery going by made me long to be back aboard Moonshadow.

Ferry tied to the dock, it’s “gentlemen start you engines” and on the road again. We cruised through kilometer after kilometer of rural farmland and small towns on our way to Christchurch. The locals abbreviate it ChCh. We saw lots of sheep. Then more sheep. Then lots more sheep. Many of the small towns have a BIG icon as you enter. One had a trout fish that had to have been fifty feet tall. Another had some assorted fruit with pieces that were easily twenty feet in diameter. Every town has a clean public restroom in the town center. What a concept! And they all seem to have a little cafe that serves excellent food. We’re not talking burgers and fries, but real fine dining! All of the larger towns have a staffed tourist information center where you can get maps and directions or the staff will arrange accomodations or activities for you. And the people are soooooo nice. Laura and I constantly looked at each other in amazement at how friendly and helpful everyone was to us. 

Christchurch is a very quaint English style city. Sort of a Stratford-upon-Avon in the middle of the South Island. There is an interesting blend of old and new architecture, great pubs and restaurants, and a beautiful lush park with a great botanical garden, and of course the “Wizard” of Christchurch. This colorful character lectures outside the cathedral, seemingly endlessly, about all sorts of issues, but I think one of his favorites is about the “South Up” theory. Most modern maps and charts depict North as up. He disagrees with this and will be happy to tell you why and sell you a map depicting Australia and New Zealand near the “top” of the map. He is articulate, interesting, highly opinionated and usually draws a pretty good crowd. We rented bikes for a little exercise and a nice tour of this gem of a city. On our last evening there, we hooked up with Vernon, an old friend from the States who is lecturing at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, and his lady friend Gabriella who is a major account manager for a local office supply company. It was fun to catch up with Vernon and compare notes with Gabriella. For those of you who just tuned in, I used to be in the pencil and paper clip business.

Heading south from Christchurch towards Queenstown, the terrain becomes more mountainous and even more beautiful. Most of the open land looks like a well manicured golf course anyway, so give it a bit of relief and it becomes spectacular. And they say this was a drought year? The roads get narrower and one lane bridges become the norm. Some even share the one lane with the railroad tracks. This is also gold country and there are quite a few historic little towns to explore. There are thousands of rivers and streams, and they all flow to the sea or some beautifully placid lake. And did I mention that there are heaps of sheep? The baby lambs are so cute you just want to hug them.

We hit Queenstown in the late afternoon. Queenstown reminds me of Tahoe without the sprawl. It is the outdoor activity capital of New Zealand. Sort of like an adult Disneyland. There are more fun and exciting things to do here than you can shake a VISA card at. Let’s see, there’s skiing, luge, paragliding, jet boating, bungee jumping, fishing, hiking, climbing and anything else you could possibly do when you have water, mountains and lots generation X’ers who are avoiding “reality.” Oh, and quite an array of excellent hotels, restaraunts and bars. We opted for a scenic flight/cruise to Milford Sound and jet boating. 

The next morning blessed us with beautiful weather. We jumped into the six seat Cessna and took off from the local airport which was mostly turf. It looked like it had been designed by Robert Trent Jones. After climbing out between rugged mountain ridges we leveled off a few feet above the mountain tops and a few feet below the broken cloud layer. In a half an hour, we were on final approach inside the spectacular fjord called Milford Sound heading for a runway that would have given an aircraft carrier pilot sweaty palms. Having defied what appeared to be imminent death, and heart rate back down to the aerobic zone we boarded a bus to the boat terminal for a “three hour tour.” We boarded a modern tour boat and proceeded to enjoy a few hours of gorgeous scenery. Cruising past sheer rock walls plunging into the sound, we poked our nose out into the Tasman Sea, glided by numerous multi-hundred foot waterfalls gushing their runoff and witnessed all sorts of wildlife, all while we enjoyed a light lunch of wine and cheese. At one point, the boat went right under one of the waterfalls. Beats a brush and a hose, I guess. We returned to Queenstown on a different plane, by a different and more scenic route that took us by the spectacular Sutherland Falls and over the calm, blue Lake Wakatipu.

Next, it was on a bus to the Shotover River for jet boating. After donning a rain suit and being instructed not to stick our hands or heads out the side of the boat, we were off for a, well, E ticket can’t even come close to describing this ride. If you’ve ever gone river rafting, just imagine doing the same run in a power boat at 45 miles per hour. One moment your in six inches of water, the next the entire boat is airborne, the next you are going through bends in the river just inches from rocks strewn along the sides and bottom. Every now and then, the driver, who I would describe as young, good looking, highly skilled and certifiably insane, would throw in a 360 degree turn for the heck or it. This is a ride that will never be replicated in some theme park. It takes about an hour for the grin to wear off your face when it’s all over.

Leaving the fun, and excitement of Queenstown, we drove up the west (Tasman Sea) coast by Mount Cook and the Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers. It is quite spectacular to see these glaciers work their way down so close to the sea. We continued to work our way up the coast to the Pancake Rocks, which is a small area with a very interesting layered rock formations, right along the coast. The sea has carved out some pretty cool blow holes in the area. The evening was spent in the seaside town of Westport and after dinner we had a long chat with the publican (pub owner) who told us all about the history of the area and stories about some of the local characters. Again, we couldn’t believe how nice all the people were.

The following day, we drove along a very windy road through the mountains, across the island to Nelson (named after the famous British admiral) and on to Blenheim and the Marlborough wine region. We did some tasting at a couple of the local vineyards and then enjoyed, hands down, the best meal of the trip at a small restaurant called “Corral.” Rack of lamb to die for! And, of course, the people were so nice.

Up early the next day and on the ferry back to Wellington. We popped out of the ferry and drove up to Lake Taupo, in the middle of the North Island. Taupo is similar to Tahoe, as it is two large volcanic cones joined together. Very pretty and good fishing, skiing, boating, tramping (hiking) and only a few hours drive from both Auckland and Wellington.

Returning to Auckland the next day, I looked at the odometer and noticed we had done over 3500 kilometers or about 2200 miles. New Zealand is not as small as it looks!

I later had a chance to do a couple of quick trips up to Russell, in the Bay of Islands and out to the Coromandel Peninsula. Coromandel is like Monterey/Carmel, with better weather, fewer people and a lot of offshore islands. These are both prime cruising areas, so I will fill you in more when we get there on Moonshadow.

If this hasn’t yet cured you of insomnia, I’ll leave you with a few more tidbits.

Kiwi Advertising: The Kiwis being the innovative lot they are, have some fun and creative advertising and company names. Here’s just a few. A lawn mower shop called “Mowtown.” A sign company called “Signing Up Rocket Signtists.” A fish company with a slogan “our fish are so fresh, their next of kin haven’t been notified.” A service to surfers and divers called “Down Under Wetsuit Repair.” A bar-b-que called the “Captain Cook.” A wholesale produce company called “Lettuce Deliver.” A cat kennel called “Catsablanca.”

Speaking of cats (^..^)~ MaiTai is doing well and will be returning to Moonshadow next May. Thanks Barbie! She just had an identifcation microchip installed and I wonder if she got a sticker that says “Intel Inside.” 

More KiwiSpeak: Girl=shiela, bird or blouse. Guy=bloke. Smart mouthed=cheeky. Sidewalk=foot path. 7up=lemonade. Candy=lollies. Cookies=buscuits. Fanny=female genitalia. Jerk=wanker. First thing in the morning=sparrow fart. Pint of beer=handle. Wrench=spanner. Die=pop your clogs. POM or POME=British person, an acronym for “prisoner of mother England.”

Kiwi Trivia: Over half of all Kiwi households have at least one moggy (cat). Two-thirds of all Kiwi households are occupied by their owners. Handguns are illegal in New Zealand. Private yachts leaving New Zealand must be seaworthy and have reasonable safety gear before they will be granted clearance.

Well, I’ve been here in New Zealand now for just about eight weeks so I thought I’d give you an update on Moonshadow and share a few of my impressions and experiences of this wonderful and unique country. 

New Zealand may appear to be just a couple of specks on the world map, but is acutally about the same size as Japan or the British Isles. It has all the sophistication, infrastructure, technology, culture and amenities of the United States but with one main thing missing-population. There are endless beaches, tropical waters and rolling green hills, it is virtually an entire worare but 3.4 million people in the whole of New Zealand. Don’t tell anyone, it might start a land rush. With rain forests, deserts, alpine mountains, fjords, forests, almold unto itself. The first thing one notices here as you get off the plane (or boat) is the pace. It reminds me of the United States about 30 years ago. People aren’t as competitive or stressed out and seem to make the time to take a sincere interest in others. They take huge pride in their work and seem to go out of their way to be helpful. The Kiwi’s warmth and friendliness is almost disarming at first, until one realizes that that’s just the way people are around here. The Kiwis keep a keen eye on the USA, or “the States” as they call it. The largest paper here, The New Zealand Herald, runs daily articles on Zippergate and what’s happening on Wall Street. What happens in the States greatly affects life down under. When the US sneezes, New Zealand gets pneumonia.



Moonshsadow Arrives

After nearly two months of agonizing delays, we were finally able to get Moonshadow loaded aboard the container ship Columbus Olivos in Papeete, Tahiti. Rather than bore you with the sordid details, suffice it to say that when you are cruising, usually nothing goes quite as planned. Cruise in remote parts of the world and it’s amazing that anything happens at all. Even the delays were delayed. I’ve learned a few things through all of this: 1) Expect delays and be patient. 2) Follow up, because you can’t assume that anyone will keep their word. 3) Be patient. 4) Politely stay in the face of the people who can make things happen. 5) Be patient. 6) Do something to keep your mind off the wait. 7) Did I mention, be patient. On September 22, six days after she left Papeete, Moonshadow was unloaded onto a truck trailer in Auckland and made the 20 kilometer trip to the Salthouse Boatbuilders yard in Greenhithe, a suburb of Auckland. Even though she looked pretty tired from the trip, I was elated to have her on the same island as me once again. Now is when the wallet hemorrage begins. Salthouse is one the most respected custom boatbuilding yards in the world. They have built a number of sisterships to Moonshadow. It is a small, family owned company that turns out about one boat a year and refits a few others. Ain’t no ‘sembly line here.

New Zealand Driving

I purchased an old Honda to give myself some freedom and the ability to see some of this awesomely beautiful country on my own schedule. It took me a few weeks to train myself to look to the right and leave other cars to starboard. It’s sort of like trying to learn to write with your opposite hand. It’s not difficult conceptually, but in practice it feels like some nerves have been severed between the brain and the extremities. So far no accidents, a couple of scuffed tires and a few birds flipped by other motorists. Of course, the yuppie is alive and well and also resides (and drives) in New Zealand. In addition to the standard Bimmers, Mercs, Lexi, Range Rovers and right hand drive versions of Jeep Cherokee Laredos and Ford Explorers, are some vehicles like Griffins, Holdens, Scodas, Ladas, Hillers, Hillmans, Vauxhalls and Bedfords, that don’t seem to make it to the States. Sixties and seventies muscle cars and Harley Davidsons from the US are prized.



Kiwi Sailing

The Kiwis are “keen” sailors. That means they love it and they do it well. These are the people who imported the America’s Cup from the US in 1996. In addition to Steinlager Beer and other corporate sponsors, the general public funded a significant portion of the winning team’s campaign through the purchase of special red socks, a trademark of Russell Coutts, the skipper of the Kiwi challenger Black Beauty. One of the local brew pubs depicted a picture of Dennis Conner (the losing skipper) with red socks stuffed in his mouth. I have been crewing regularly on a couple of boats for the weekly “rum races.” In fact, there are races in the Auckland area virtually every day of the year. The Kiwis are fiercely competitive and I get a kick out of the goodhearted banter aboard and among the yachts during the races. Sailing here is definitely a contact sport! And true to the name, the rum and Coke flows freely after the boats are snug in their berths. Last week after a “rum race” I followed the group down to the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, which is the temporary home of the America’s Cup (Go San Francisco Syndicates!!), for a drink. One of the members arranged with the security guard for me to view the cup in it’s verrrry secure room. Also in the room were the Louis Vuitton (America’s Cup Challenge) Cup and custom made Louis Vuitton cases made expressly for transporting both of these beautiful trophies. WAY COOL!! Although the America’s Cup Village site still looks like a Sudanese Pharmaceutical factory, the action is starting to heat up. The New Zealand Herald reports that challenger boats are en route from other parts of the world and that foreign accents are being heard along the waterfront. The Kiwis are jacked up about the upcoming competition and what the Cup will do for the local economy. For all you Jimmy Buffett fans, I spotted a boat at the Westhaven marina called Wasted Away, with a great graphic of a reclining parrot holding a margarita. Too bad most of the locals don’t know who he is or what it means.



Wining and Dining

The Kiwis are as passionate about food and wine as anyone else in the world. And they aren’t let down, because the cuisine in Auckland is as varied and dilectable as anywhere else I’ve been. Contemporary New Zealand cuisine is a style unto it’s own and owes this to some of the unique local style and ingredients. There are lots of restaurants and even the best ones don’t have “attitudes” and long waits. Some recent first place awards in international wine competitions have place New Zealand wines on the map, if not on shelves outside of the country. Some of the wineries have a bit to learn to bring the overall quality level to that of California or France, but I sure hope they don’t learn the same markup strategies. On the whole, for equal quality, wine is one-third to half the price of Californian.

Kiwi Ingenuity

The Kiwis pride themselves on their resourcefulness and ingenuity. Most things here seem to work amazingly well without a lot of fuss. Here are a few examples:

Traffic signals at busy city intersections stop traffic BOTH ways, so that pedestrians won’t be run over by turning vehicles and can also cross the street diagonally.

Most sidewalks in the business districts cities and towns are covered to protect shoppers from rain and other falling objects.

Police don’t carry guns.

A legal trout must measure at least 18 inches, and a lot are legal!

There is a system here called EFTPOS. It means Electronic Funds Transfer at the Point of Sale. It is a debit/ATM card that is accepted by virtually every merchant, so one can buy anything from a postage stamp, newspaper, cup of coffee, cab ride, drink, meal, etc., virtually eliminating the need to carry cash. 

The post office sells greeting cards, stationary, newspapers, magazines and packaging goods, as well as stamps. They will facilitate payment of all your utilities bills from a credit or EFTPOS card, THEY know what business they’re in and I’ve NEVER had to wait in line. When my computer was repaired and shipped to me via NZ Post from “Big Blue,” it arrived on the day promised within one minute of the time promised.

A service called Dial a Driver, that will take both you and your car home after a night on the town if you’ve had one too many, that costs just slightly more than a taxi.

Cigar bars with Cuban cigars on sale. 

Detailed safety inspections required on ALL vehicles every year in order to reregister. Six months for older cars. The registration and it’s expiration date are attached to the windshield.

Free and clean public toilets throughout the city. 

Cute little dogs that sniff your luggage at baggage claim at the airport, thus eliminating most of the need for delaying everyone with embarrassing searches. Don’t try to smuggle in any Purina Dog Chow!

Towel warmer/dryers in most newer home bathrooms, insuring your towel is always warm and dry when you pop out of the shower.

You can buy your admission ticket and popcorn at the same counter at the cinema.

Espresso bars all over the city, all with different names, personalities and decor-and of course excellent coffee. Most people here take the time to enjoy it on premises, so you don’t see many “go cups.” One shop that sells espresso machines has a sign above the display that says “Serious Lifesaving Equipment.”

Duo-flush toilets, a water conserving flush for #1 and a real gusher for #2.

Great waitstaff at the many excellent restaurants and bars who are paid an excellent guaranteed salary and don’t expect tips.

Free wine tasting at wineries-some of us remember when it was that way in California.

Friendly and helpful government employees (not an oxymoron).

A legal requirement that foreigners arriving into the country have a return ticket and/or enough money to support themselves during their stay. Unlike some countries we know of, the social welfare system is reserved for the citizens.

Almost no “homeless” people.

Legal “bookie” shops for betting on sports.

Inexpensive and easy auto insurance can be arranged by telephone.

People can be banned from filing lawsuits if they are found to be “vexatious litigants.”

Despite the fact that there is no toll on the Auckland Harbor Bridge, when it lacked the necessary capacity, a Japanese firm was hired to add four additional lanes (dubbed the Nippon Clip-ons) and it has an effective movable crash barrier. Maybe someone from the Golden Gate Bridge District should come over and have a look-I wonder if there’s any money available? 

Supermarkets have a staffed customer service counter on site.

The dentist I visited was playing Chris Isaak’s Baja Sessions on his stereo while working on my teeth. He gave me a pair of sunglasses to provide shade from his worklight and had South Pacific travel posters pinned to the ceiling. I dreamed, he drilled. 

Friendly, smartly dressed attendants at gas stations who appear to have an I Q higher than their shoe size. They graciously pump your gas and check under the hood. Havn’t seen any self-serve.

The average home in Auckland cost equivalent to $130,000 US, but you know, the big cities are always way more expensive than small towns.

Kiwispeak

If you wreck your car, you take it to a panelbeater. If your home is on a large lot outside of the city it’s called a lifestyle block. Highway 1 on the North Island is called the Pacific Coast Highway. If you rent an apartment it’s called flatting. If you share it with someone, they are your flatmate. A park is where you leave your car. If you want to enjoy some green, open space in the city you would go the domain or reserve. If you enjoy coffee with cream you would order a flat white. If you need the kick of a double espresso, you would order a long black. You can get your prescriptions filled at the chemist. A pickup truck is a UTE. A caravan is a vehicle towed behind your car to camp in. If you want an appetizer before your meal you would order an entree. If you make an error when writing with a pencil you would erase it with a rubber. The corner market is called a dairy. Tea is a light evening meal. A sailboat is a yacht and a power boat is a launch. If you soup up your car it might be called a boy racer. Ninth through twelfth grades is college, and after that you attend uni or varsity. If you enjoy a variety of good radio stations, well, here you would be called %&*# out of luck.

Road Trips

I have actually been so preoccupied with checking out Auckland, that I have only been on a couple of road trips so far. But as the winter rains fade into the mild spring days, I plan to get to the lower half of the North Island and the real pearl, the South Island.

I took one day trip up to the port city of Whangarei. If you are P. C. here, you pronounce this Maori (indigenous people of NZ) name Fung-ar-ay. Along the two hour drive from Auckland, I encountered everything from suburbs, green rolling hills with grazing sheep, rain forest, and mountains plunging into the Pacific Ocean. In the “bush” as the Kiwis call it, one could see pampas grass, palm trees, ferns and Norfolk (monkey) pines all in the same area. Whangarei is somewhat of an industrial city, but has a large marina and a beautiful development of shops and restaurants along the water’s edge. There are even a few wineries in the area. A quick stop for a taste or two and I was on my way home with some excellent Gewertztraminer, Chardonnay and Cabernet-Merlot. They label the wine with the names of ALL the grapes represented, in descending order of volume-what a concept.

Last week I ventured to the middle of the North Island to the Taupo area. Lake Taupo is about the size of Lake Tahoe and sits in two connected volcanic cones. To it’s west are tall volcanic mountains and some excellent ski areas. Well, they are excellent in non El Nino years anyway. Taupo is known for some of the best trout fishing in the world and it’s beautiful surrounding mountain and forest scenery. What is immediately apparent is the lack of tacky resort-type sprawl and an almost golf course type landscape surrounding the lake. Perusing a couple of local real estate offices in town, I found that lake view property is available and amazingly affordable. Taupo is about 3-1/2 hours from both Auckland and Wellington (the capital). It is about two hours drive from Napier, an interesting little city on the Pacific Coast in an area called Hawkes Bay. This is one of the premier wine regions on the North Island. New Zealand is geologically “young,” and has a lot of “activity” in the form of volcanoes, geysers and hot springs, and the odd earthquake. The city of Napier was leveled by an earthquake in 1931 and was rebuilt in the avant garde style of the day-art deco. Most of the buildings of the central business district are of this style and are colorful painted and well maintained. There is a brick paved shopping street lined with palm trees that, on a warm day, might have one believing they were in the deco district of Miami. Visits to three of the local wineries after lunch netted a few more bottles wonderful Kiwi wine. In a Taupo pub that evening, I chatted with an elderly gentleman who came in to have his half-gallon beer bottle refilled. It had on it the logo of the local brew so I asked him about it. He said that when he got out of the navy in 1951, he had purchased a case of four bottles of the beer. This was the last of the bottles, but he had been coming to town to get it refilled regularly for nearly 48 years. He even let me hold it.