New Zealand Jan and Feb 2012

Pohutukawa blossoms



Jason and Karen leaving Picton on the ferry back to Wellington, NZ

Jason set up to sew on the lawn at Marsden Cove Marina.

Marsden Cove sunset

View from Mt Parihaka above Whangarei

The sundial at Clapham's Clock Museum in Whangarei, NZ

Peter, the window guy working on the windows at the cruising club dock.  He was out to the boat at least 5 times as the windows leaked after install.

A little swallow comes to visit us in the river.  Unfortunately, they leave little presents all over the deck.

Marquetry on See Adler, a 70' Hinckley--beautiful woodworking.

Marsden Cove sunrise

Wood marquetry on See Adler

Karen at the boat swap with our stuff.  We sold a lot and made some money!  Like a yachtie garage sale.

Jason giving Jason final instructions on how to finish our aluminum dinghy.

The windows are back in.  That's Jason's survival suit holding it in.  But it still leaked....

Holding down the plastic over our windows.  We had every conceivable container used!

The sandbank pirate party. The party can only last 2 hours before and after low tide as the sandbank disappears--literally!

A huge sundial at the Clapham Clock Museum in downtown Whangarei, New Zealand. This is a favorite meeting spot in the town basin as it is visible and unique.

Jo and Rob on their 30th anniversary; the pirate couple.

Mt. Manaia in a cloud from our berth in Marsden Cove

Marsden Cove Marina sunset

An example of the marquetry on the Hinckley, See Adler.

A 12-armed starfish

This is the house where I lived when I was here 30 years ago! It's been painted and updated and they've torn the wisteria vine off the porch, but I was kind of surprised it was still a private home. Tiny back street in Parnell.

Rainbow Falls near Kerikeri

Rainbow Falls

A Pacific Sunset

Karen and Jason at Dale's on Christmas morning, 2011.

Dale in her garden hoeing.

Dale and Karen on arrival in Kerikeri in front of the Stone Store, the oldest building in New Zealand.

Dale's home on their 15 acres of heaven. This is the back of Dale and Stu's home.

The Blunsome family and Karen on Christmas morn 2011

Niue Sept 2011

YOLO from shore on Niue.

Windswept tree on Niue

Washaway Cafe, Niue's only self-serve bar, open only on Sunday afternoons

Inside the Washaway Cafe. Very ecletic.

The vege lady at Niue Yacht Club. Dontcha love the gumboots and polka-dotted pants?

Uluvehi Chasm
Uluvehi Caves

Uluevehi Canoe Cave. Thsi is 100+ feet above the ocean and the outrigger canooes are here.

Uluvehi Cave pool

Togo Chasm. This is one of the most unusual places we saw. An oasis in a chasm.

Togo Chasm oasis

Jason climbing the ladder in/out of Togo Chasm
Adrian and Jackie from Oceans Dream in Togo Chasm

Talava Arches waters

Talava Arches sea channel
sea channel fishes

Talava Arches pools. The water is ssoooo clear.

Talava Arches cavern; rose and green formations.

Talava Arches cave

B IG spider


Flip flop post a Niue Sculpture park

I Niue sunset

Infamous red bananas that folks used to eat. They are rare now.

Pretty flowers on a walk.

Palaha Cave Pool; So clear and still you can see the little fish in it.

Palaha Cave Pool

Another gin-clear Palaha Cave pool

Palaha Cave pool

Palaha Cave pool

Palaha Cave formation

Palaha Cave formation

Our haul of fruit we grabbed off of trees along the path.

Niue Sculpture Park sculpture. Lots of junk hooked together.

sculpture spare parts pile

Niue sculpture. This is just part of one of the legs.

Another sculpture leg

A carved grave marker along the road

Coconut porridge in a coconut half shell at the market in Alofil

Our 47" mahi mahi.

Matapa Chasm formations

Matapa Chasm formations.

Limu Pool arches.

Ladder to Togo Chasm.

Lacy leaf patterns. Some bug has eaten all but the veins.

Karst formation along the coast.

Karen and Jason at Limu Pools.

Karen in Uluvehi Caves.

Karen with breadfruit leaf. They are huge.

Jason in Uluvehi Cave.

Karen at top of ladder to Togo Chasm. Note the oasis in the background. This is tucked in behind all that wicked looking karst stuff.

Karen at wharf holding one of the dinghy lift ropes. This can be used to pull the crane arm out or back or to get onto or off of the wharf steps to a dinghy.

Jason in Uluvehi cave.

Jason at Limu Pools.

Jason at ladder to Togo Chasm.

Jason with our 47" mahi mahi.

Jason and Karen in Togo Chasm at the oasis there.

A happy dog asleep in the doorway of the Niue Yacht Club. Really, she's asleep even with her eyes open--it's just gravity pulling the lids down.

Kids enjoying the dinghy lift ropes to swing off the wharf.

Loading the dinghy

Lifting the dinghy out

Notice the cracked headstone in the back.

An old stone house.

Colorful old man on Niue

Coconut crab in a cage at Hinoa's laundry. She enters them in contests for the biggest ones.

Butterfly tree. It reminds me of a giant milkweed plant.

Butterflies in tree.

Steps out of Anapala Chasm.

Anapala Chasm. That's Adrian and Jason.

Anthuriums at the laundry lady's house.

Coconut porridge--nane--at the market. Tasty glop, it is!

Jackie and Jason at the pool in Anapala Chasm.

The Alofi wharf.

The shore from the wharf at Alofi, Niue

The market in Alofi.

The wharf with dinghy lift in Alofi.