Paihia and Russel...

Barrington has spent a day with me on Kalai as we eagerly await the arrival of the remaining piece in the puzzle - the prop (which I am now informed is coming via Australia - aren't we all?).  Barry and I have completed the touching up of anti-foul, tightening of the stern bollards with a special extension bar I had brought with me, and an attempted tightening of the keel bolts which required several trips back and forwards to separate engineering shops to locate a special 1 1/2 inch socket with a 400mm extension... don't ask!

Still have a number of painting and repair jobs to do, but decided to take a day off today and hitched a ride into Paihia with BM as he headed home.  Nice to have just a few tourists around and lovely late autumn sunshine (as you can see above!). Coffee on the art decor seats on Paihia wharf, then caught the $12 return Russel ferry and walked up flagstaff hill - first time in over 40 years, i reckon!

Photos are of Russell and Paihia townships from the top of the hill.  Would have been a nice day for a sail...

Walked back to Opua via the coastal walkway - 10-12 kms of up and down and clambering over oyster-encrusted rocky shores, then along mangrove-rich boardwalks and even through an almost-deserted camping ground.

Finally back to Opua and I see an instantly recognizable old friend, Tony Dalbeth, walking toward me on the hard-stand.  Tony had been part of the crew at Marten Marine when I first worked there in the mid-70's during school and uni holidays and again in 1983 for six months. We'd seen each other once in the early 90's out on the water but not since then.  So we wandered over to the cafe for late lunch and compared notes of life journeys since the 'old days.' They now live in Kerikeri and have two teenage boys.  Tony has been involved in America's cups and Sydney-Hobarts over the years and still dabbles in things marine (he was, and probably still is, one of NZ's best hands-on boat builders and was involved with a lot of the innovative developments over the years which characterized the NZ boat industry)

I'm sitting typing tonight in my home away from home perched 4m in the air 'on the hard', eating a late dinner from the pot a la BJ style - rice, carrots and left over pasta sauce with a glass of Australian Shiraz...13 C outside and still 16 C inside, though will get colder later...

Disappointing that the prop is now not arriving until Thursday, but I at least should get more of my job-list ticked off.  My mate, Canny Caston, has done his back and is unlikely to join me sailing - might be some solo miles coming up with the weather forecast to be improving next week.  Hope to get up the coast to Whangaroa Harbour, but we shall see how the prop flies!