Launching a New Boat Continues

June 29, 1994 New Zealand

It’s pretty crazy here.  No one knows from one day to the next what is happening.  We moved off the boat yesterday and back to Takapuna International Motor Lodge.  Tom said…Just take clothes for two days.  Then he shows up at the lodge and informs us we’re going sightseeing thru Sunday.  The boat is 40 feet up in the air.  I have to climb the scaffolding to get our travel clothes.

The people here are so nice, friendly and helpful.

These are the plans as they stand today:  Tom leaves July 4^th for home.  The boat is scheduled to leave New Zealand between July 10^th and July 12^th.  The boys and I leave July 17^th for Tonga.  Tom will arrive July 20^th.  The crew arrives July 2^nd.  I’ll probably spend July 4-5 with them giving Marja (our chief) instructions as to our taste in food and what I would like stocked on the boat.  I’ll then do more sightseeing with the kids.  Maybe we’ll see the boat off though I’m not sure.  I may want some more clothes from the boat.  More sightseeing here on the North Island and then we are off to our next adventure.  We hear Tonga has the best cruising in the Pacific.  The boat will be very comfortable.  The toilets flush with a foot pedal (no more pumping 20 times).

July 5, 1994:  Dear Tom,

You’ve only been gone 24 hours but life continues to be exciting.  I’m at the boat yard searching for my missing items.  Some boxes never did make it to New Zealand.  I’m enclosing a list of things Marja and I would like which we can’t find here.  Take what you want from home.  I’ll bet your mother would pick up the rest for you.

1.     3 bags of clothes pins

2.     Battery operated flour sifter

3.     BBQ tools including a brush.  It’s the wrong time of year here

4.     Electric juicer

5.     Belgian waffle irons

6.     Later we’ll discuss cookbooks that didn’t show up either.

I hope your flight was excellent and all is well at home.  Did escrow close?

p.s. we got 2 chair styles with 2 colors of frames!

July 5, 1994

The adventure continues.  Tomorrow the boys and I leave Takapuna again.  This time we will go up to the Bay of Islands.  It’s too awful staying in Auckland and trying to deal with the boat torn up the way it is.  The workmen are swarming all over the boat.  Nothing stays where it is put.  And everything is filthy!  I thought we were driving tomorrow but a huge storm just hit.  I’m not driving country roads in this pouring rain and wind.  We’ll see what tomorrow brings.  I forgot to send Robbie’s broken glasses home with Tom.  If they can’t be repaired here I’ll mail them home.

I just ordered dining room chairs for the boat.  They sent 2 white and 3 cream-colored chairs.  2 grey seat cushions and 3 white cushions.  I’m struggling to straighten that out.  I went crazy when I found their mistakes in 3 stages.  I never did get what I originally ordered, but was delighted with the white which matches the boat.  I wish the tables could be white as well.  I still haven’t seen the tables, which are being made.

Diane took the boys to the zoo and a museum while Marja and I searched for supplies. 

Rotorua (New Zealand) is always fun.  Bubbling mud, steam everywhere, geysers, boiling water, ice covering the car in the morning, frost that doesn’t thaw all day and bitter cold.  Cold that penetrates to our bones.  We went luging, which was great fun. 

Tom’s driving has become very creative.  He’s decided that he knows more than the locals.  He became a pro at making ‘u’ turns.  Of course asking for help would make things too easy.  Actually (and he’ll never live this down), we decided to go to Raglan and he did ask for directions.  BUT, he knew more than the local innkeeper and went another way.  He found a 50-kilometer unpaved, narrow, winding, twisting road.  Toward the end was an easy hike to a magnificent waterfall.  We watered the bushes, did the hike and finally found Raglan.  The car was covered in mud above the door handles.  We did see rolling hills, sheep, cows and mountains.  At least this time it was still daylight.  If grandma Betty were here she’d say “we’re having an adventure.”  And we certainly did!

People here are nice but the food has been awful.  It seems like everything is fried, creamy and cheesy,   

So far I’m very pleased with our crew Marja and Steve.  Marja is very pleasant, easy to be with, navigates well and is very helpful in trying to help get the boat ready.  I’m driving all over the place.  So long as someone navigates I’m succeeding in driving here.  It’s weird driving on the wrong side of the road.

The boat should be ready by July 112, 1994, but no one thinks the sail will be ready.  When will we leave New Zealand I wonder?

Tom, I had a long talk with Jim S.  We aren’t going to visit them because of 3 dogs, 2 cats and a bird.  Their 100 acres sound wonderful and the kids great.  Oh well.

I went to the boat yard again to search for our missing things.  The books are moldy and everything is damp and filthy.  I cleaned and filled the car with books.  I still can’t find everything.

The rain ended and now it’s just blowing hard.  We will probably leave in the morning.  Continue sending faxes to Takapuna International.  We will return there.