Life in New Zealand has not been all that we expected so far. The weather is almost always cold, damp and rainy. Locals are also complaining and tell us that this is most unusual and by now it should be warm and sunny. Unfortunately we’re here now, boatbound more often than not, unable to tour — who wants to hike a muddy trail to a view shrouded in mist? — and too far away from civilization to either knock off our household shopping list or acquire the boat parts and services we need for attacking the to-do list.
During our time in Mangonui, in a place that should have been a perfect staging point for both shopping and a day tour of Cape Reinga, the most northern point of New Zealand, we spent most of our time aboard in pouring rain in an uncomfortable swell. We took care of some admin and some cleaning chores, but other than that, these were wasted days.
One afternoon the rain abated and we dashed ashore to the local takeaway shop for fish and chips, then walked through the small town and along a trail that lead up the bluff to a view of the harbor. We only got a few hours in before we were chased back to the boat by rain. We wouldn’t mind so much if we were in a larger town or at a marina and could get ashore without a wet dinghy ride, but this is life at the moment. We sure hope New Zealand shows us some sun soon.
