Back to NZ – The Plan

After a short month in the states visiting friends and family we returned to Auckland on New Years Eve morning.  Due to some previous planning, we knew to expect our friends Geoff and Julie from s/v Flashback in the same hotel as us overlooking the Viaduct Harbor (actually our hotel overlooked the Viaduct but our budget rooms had more of a city/parking garage view).  We haven’t seen them in over three months, which, in the scheme of things, isn’t all that long.  But regardless, the champagne came out and the festivities quickly began.  About two hours before the countdown (almost one full day before you guys on the East Coast of the U.S. were even thinking about it) we headed down to the harbor to join up with a bunch of other cruising friends on board Wayward Wind. As the clock struck twelve we hugged those aboard, many of whom have been a substantial part of the memories we created in this past year living aboard Dosia and having these islands of the South Pacific be our home away from home.

We spent the first days of this new year with Geoff & Jules packing in as much as possible. Two very quick day trips-one to Bayswater Marina just on the other side of the harbor from downtown Auckland to see our dear friends Richard & Krista of m/v Karma &  then one to Waiheke Island and its beutiful wine vineyards to see our buddies Tane & Tomas of s/v Kena. We could have spent many, many days seeing vineyard after vineyard but alas, Dosia was waiting for us in Whangarei, we were anxious to see how she held up by herself for the past month and a half, and because of one very important reason there was work to be done…

While it is bittersweet for both of us, we are getting Dosia ready for our last big trip aboard. We have a good feeling it will not be her last.  As you already know, Dosia went up for sale before we left Vava’u, Tonga back in October.  Well, she actually went under contract only a few weeks after we began advertising her. The new owners, Trevor and Ali Curtis, a young couple from Gold Coast, Australia are anxiously awaiting delivery.

We agreed to take care of a few routine maintenance issues (like new bottom paint and batteries) here in New Zeland before delivery.  So for the last week, we’ve done just that.  Dosia hauls out tomorrow morning for a fresh bottom painting, few days to dry, and then we’re looking for the weather window that will carry us acorss the Tasman Sea to Brisbane.  From there, we’re not quite sure of the plan.  We have no reservations or tickets for anything and it’s the height of tourist season in both countries.  We want to see as much of Australia as possible while we are there and then return to NZ and tour the South Island.  But we also already have jobs lined up back in the States and can’t spend too much time touring around!