Winter Solace

Last week I was privileged to attend the Carey Baptist College Conference 'Home or Away' on Sport and Leisure.  Some great speakers from UK and US as well as Australia!  We were able to hear Ian Foster, one of the All Black coaches, speak at the dinner on Wed night where he spoke of some of the key aspects that had made this team perform so well, particularly in recent years.

He talked about a triangular approach where performance, earning and fun were considered equally important in the development of good coaching practice, combining to form the right motivation to succeed.  He spoke at some length how they had worked hard to combine honest conversations and good discipline/boundaries that both contributed to a healthy culture.  Seems to be working!

My presentation on the experience of sports chaplaincy in times of chaos, crisis and calm during my tenure at Melbourne Storm was supplemented by including an interview with NZ Warriors Coach, Steve Kearney, who graciously agreed to spend an hour speaking of his experiences and the challenges of playing/coaching over the years.  All in all a great experience!

Next stop was Ngunguru as I went to spend a couple of days with the beloved Barrington and Ruby - not how I have recruited Barry to be a Storm supporter with the issue of a team jacket!

The estuary was calm and the promise of a good patch of weather had me heading north Saturday morning - with a stop in KeriKeri to fill a gas bottle and stock up on supplies for the coming week.  



Sunday dawned fine as I left early in motoring in calm seas with almost no breeze.  Paragliders were rampant in the mild winter conditions of the Far North - though I wouldn't have wanted to dip into the 12 deg water too far!

On out past Tapeka Pt where I stopped the engine and slowly drifted along as the obligatory morning coffee was brewed...

Stingray (Waiti) bay for lunch and then a gentle breeze filled in to allow a sail out around the islands and in through the channel to Urupukapuka Bay, where for two days I had the Bay to myself in crystal clear water and clear skies.  Brilliant!

Lots of walks and rowing exercise...

On Tuesday I up-anchored and slowly cruised through to another favourite, Opunga Cove, where I settled in for the night after the obligatory row around to the next bay and back.  Even braved a late afternoon warm shower in the cockpit - daytime temps had got up to 18 deg and wasn't dropping much below 12 at night.

Wednesday' forecast was for an evening change with a 'Big Wet' due to arrive overnight, so I pottered back up the estuary late afternoon to dock with ease just before full tide.  Sure enough, Thursday and Friday brought strong northerlies and heavy rainfalls... flooding the carpark at times!

Walked around the foreshore yesterday afternoon and caught up with Dennis and Rosie, caretakers of the apartment we stayed in last Feb - good to see them again.  

Today (Saturday) has seen the weather improve to the odd shower and I reckon Victor Vitus might even get an outing later today ...  

Met the crew of Rousser, a Tartan 37, just down the pier who were getting prepared to head up to Tonga tomorrow.  A young couple (Sarah and ?)with an older coot (Simon)make up the crew.  Turns out Simon and Sarah are teachers at Westlake Boys High School (my Alma Mater) and Simon was 3 years ahead of me when I went there in 1970-3. They are the second contact with WBHS as I had met old schoolmate Fred Schumaker at the conference last week - whom I hadn't seen for 43 years!!! Even weirder was the fact that Fred's son, Nathaniel, had been taught by the Sarah whom I met yesterday!

If I could own a launch perhaps it would be this one...

Or Be Satisfied with what you have!

Home again, naturally.

Arrived home around midnight last night after the much travelled 14 hr car-bus-train-car--plane experience once more, dear friends...

Such a full and satisfying last two weeks with Birthdays, BBQ's and Bay of Islands sailing experiences on some brilliant days.  So, where do I begin...

Sister Catherine arrived on the 13th Feb and we promptly set off to re-provision in KeriKeri - including some nicely vacuum packed select meats from the bespoke Churchill Butchers. Back to Opua and out into the Bay with a couple of misty days then clear weather once more for some serious Lilo time and cove-cruising with Fenton and Barb in Hirondelle ll. No Dolphins this time but warm days and blue skies.  Visited some of our favourite haunts with a couple of new bays - it would take more than a few weeks to visit every possible anchorage.  

Back on the Marina we were delighted to welcome Graham and Jan on the 20th - over from the UK for two weeks and staying at the delightful 'Knock 'n Bottle ' historic cottage for the first week.  The weather stayed kind and we slipped into their bay to pick them up for an overnighter out amongst the islands.  A still night at Parorenui with barbequed snags and some libations was a great introduction to BoI cruising.  Even better was the anchorage in WaeWaetorea passage where Graham was able to 'spot' the elusive and endangered NZ Dotterel  for the first time.  Heading back to base in a wonderful broad reach we passed through myriads of sea-birds meticulously identified by Sir Graham who was in seventh Heaven on the foredeck!

The next day was a 'rest' day as we prepared for the next round of visitors as Cathy headed south to meet Amber, Ted and Jonathan on yet another 'red-eye' from Oz.  They stayed in Ngunguru with Barry and Ruby overnight and then we welcomed the irrepressible TedFred and his entourage on the 24th with PFD's and harnesses pre-prepared!

PoppaG and the lively TedFred - Sally's @ Russell

The glorious summer weather continued and we had a marvellous day out at Roberton Island, returning to the Bayview accommodation that evening.

Saturday 25th was 'The Birthday BBQ' and we welcomed more than 20 family and friends for the lunch-time celebrations.  What a fantastic setting looking up the estuary towards Paihia and it was great to catch up with cousins, uncles and 'old' friends who had made the effort to travel north for the weekend.

BBQ - some of the gathered family and friends

Sunday 26th was going to be a sleep-in day but Grant had arranged for Mother and daughter to go Parasailing (on Cathy's 'Bucket-List' )

so it was after midday before the two yachts set off with a Motley Crew into a building and very fine sea-breeze heading for a afternoon swims, an evening anchorage with drinks at dusk and a shared evening repast...
 Brilliant!  Motoring home later that night navigating a moon-lit channel through calm waters and balmy skies remains a special memory...

The last couple of nights sharing time with family included fish 'n chips on the Russell foreshore and kayaking the foreshore...

Sir Graham in the Iqyaq paddling in...

 We sat on the verandah reflecting on the time Mum and Dad had spent in this location and the memories we had of family 'boating' experiences - some of which were both memorable and challenging!  It was great to re-live those experiences and to give thanks for those shared times and memories. 

I give thanks for the gift of grace in the gathered experience we were privileged to share together.  Thanks be to God!

Lots of tracks #Feb2017

February 2017

Sitting in the computer room up in the new Cruisers Lounge on a beautiful Sunday morning having watched the spectacular sunrise over the hills to the east of Opua Marina.

Unfortunately this long spell of fine weather is coming to an end, courtesy of a weird pattern of fronts which have accumulated in the Tasman, holding up a high and generating extreme heat on the East coast of Australia.  

The past couple of weeks have been a combination of maintenance and sailing - as per normal when I come to Opua!  I managed to choose the very warmest days to paint the deck - at times it was over 30 deg and with little cooling breeze the paint seemed to be drying before it hit left the brush, with the deck too hot to walk on without my trusty old boat shoes.

I've been reading Richard Rohr's "A Spring within us" excellent new book of Daily Meditations."  In it he begins by referring to a tradition in Latin called Sic et Non - which can be translated as "Yes or No" or "Yes, But" and "Yes, And". Rohr encourages us to be "Yes, And" thinkers and theologians - to recognise that we don't know all the answers and encouraging spiritual curiosity.... to be Big Seers that see with the eyes of God.

I thought of "Yes, And" and the whole process of maintenance and preparation.  The means to an end.  All the painting and fixing are part of the necessary process to enable the contemplation of Beauty encountered in the still mornings and glorious sunsets out amongst the islands and along the coast.  

Kalai seems to be in a perpetual state of gradual entropy, a winding down and deterioration that requires vigour and dedication to counter - much like I seem to require!  In a couple of weeks I will enter my seventh decade wrestling with similar issues of diminished capacity and ability.  I can no longer seriously contemplate running to the top of the steep hill which leads down to the harbour - and my torn meniscus reminds me to be careful in walking around the deck and the dock.  Still, ("and Yet) I have much for which I deeply grateful - for family and friends who will gather over the next couple of weeks to help celebrate with me. For this opportunity to be in such a beautiful spot and to enjoy the sometimes breathtaking beauty which surrounds me.  Deeply grateful.

A few photos... more to come (time for breakfast!)

Nothing like it!

Part of a peninsular estate up for sale...

A couple of friends turned up yesterday

Effortlessly swimming right under the bow 

An ancient Pohutakawa above Urupukapuka Bay complete with bench seat for contemplation...

Wet and Wild - 40-50 kt front came through Thursday night

Tracks so far... visiting some favourite spots

Urupukapuka Bay - a favourite spot

Lots of masking tape...

Let the painting begin...

An Old-Timer cruising home at dusk...