Happy New Year!

Giant sand dunes at 90-mile beach

As we sit here near Russell, confined to the boat by driving rains, the kids are tired and a bit cranky.  We finally caved to their pleadings of being allowed to stay up until midnight to celebrate the New Year. Even though Matt and I could barely stay awake once we passed 10:30, we ultimately had a great view of neighboring Paihia's fireworks display. There wasn't any imbibing, since the weather was delivering 35-40 knot gusts that had us concerned about dragging and/or fending off other dragging boats. We ended up being fine, but there was a bit of drama in the next bay over when the winds knocked a 60-foot boat off its anchor and set it adrift without anyone on board.

Contemplating the big drop



It's just past three years since we moved aboard Perry. During that time the kids have grown and changed in many ways, mostly positive, but they have recently fine-tuned the art of bickering with each other over the most trivial of items.  This prodded me to read a book (Nurture Shock) that talks about why siblings fight so much. Besides the obvious karma from Matt and I driving our own parents crazy in the same way, it seems that it is almost impossible to stop siblings from fighting because they know that no matter how they behave, their family will still be there. The most important aspect in fostering a good relationship is not in stopping the fighting but making sure that there are more good moments than bad.



Dancers at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds

By that standard, Mark and Conrad have a pretty good relationship. Although the sniping garners more attention, most of the time they spend together is happy. And, while I'm contemplating my navel, I would say that the same is true in general for our lives: the good experiences tip the scale over the bad for us. Fortunately, the memories that stick out are the ones like whales swimming through an anchorage, sea lions climbing onto the boat, breathtaking vistas and immersion in cultures completely different from what we're used to. The stress of broken boat systems, the discomfort of some passages, and the strains of being together so often in close quarters are typically forgotten when all is blended together and you emerge on the far side. For now, the good moments far outweigh the bad. We hope it stays that way for us, and for you, as we dive into a New Year.

 

Mark greeting a bow ornament with a traditional Maori greeting

This big pigeon seems much nobler than its cousins back in Grant Park

A boat friend's birthday party, cruiser style

Gifts from the sea: calamari and scallops

Catching squid off the back of Perry



En Zed (NZ)

Hundertwasser toilets in Kawakawa

They say 'zed' here in New Zealand rather than 'z'. They also don't measure distances in blocks (think meters) or have brussel sprouts. Other than little things like that, and if you disregard the obvious  British influences (accents, driving on the left side), being in New Zealand is a lot like being back in the U.S. Among other things, this means a cornucopia of foodstuffs.  Even small convenience stores carry much more than most of the 'big' stores we have visited over the last few years.  The kids were literally running around the supermarket yelling, 'Look! They have shrimp!  Look! They have broccoli!'

Pompallier House, Russell

Whereas in most of the areas we have frequented, 9-year olds were seen driving dinghies and there were rarely working seatbelts in cars, New Zealand requires seatbelts and wants kids to be a bit older before they drive a boat by themselves. They have laws here and expect you to follow them (and they actually have police to enforce them).  We bought a car to use while we're here, which makes things seem even more civilized. We no longer have to walk a mile to the store to find out that there's no fresh food or produce, but the supply boat might come in next Thursday.

Tannery at the Pompallier House. They used to soak
the leather in urine to soften it.

Speaking of cars, our new "beater" car is a radical departure from our previous vehicles.  We have always been very practical, point-A-to-point-B car people (Honda Civic).  We were hoping to get perhaps a Subaru wagon or a beat up van or something else similar.  So of course we have somehow ended up with a 1999 BMW 328i.  Mark on Amelie IV says it makes perfect sense as we are just perpetuating the stereotype of lawyers in a Beamer. In our defense, it was the cheapest car we could find without super high mileage.  We got a great deal on it so we're hoping it will be easy to sell when we leave.

Our new (to us) wheels

We have been steadily working on our list of boat projects. The good news on the transmission is that nothing appears to be wrong with it (which is good since they're not available from the factory until mid-March 2016). The bad news is that something is still making a very cranky noise. Matt dove into the very chilly (for us), murky, and mutant-jellyfish-infested water to check out the shaft, which seems fine. As soon as we get our new batteries installed within the next few days, we will move the boat and do some more diagnostics.

Trail from Okiato to Russell. We can still find
ways to torture the kids.

 

Nearly vertical climbing hazard? Send the kids!

In the meantime, we are managing to see some of the sights around Opua and the kids are having a good time with friends, both new and old.

Santa and the Tooth Fairy at the Christmas Parade in Paihia

Waiariki Pools--Jed Clampett discovers hot springs
rather than oil in his backyard, digs pools, charges admission.

 

 

Ruapekapeka pa battlesite

 

A train that runs down the main street in Kawakawa