Home!!! Safely tied up on the customs dock at Opua. 10 day passage. Arrived in heavy rain and couldn't see New Zealand till we were entering the Bay of Islands. So good to those green hills. Hopefully we'll have our phones going tomorrow and access to internet. Time for a whisky.

Cheers Janet

10 hours to go. Will we beat the cold front forecasted for today? It's colder now, first time we have felt 20 degrees in a long time. Should be able to sight some time after dawn. Lentil curry for lunch. Maybe a whole night's sleep tonight.

Motor sailing across a grey lumpy sea trying to get in by Monday before forecasted headwinds off Northland coast. 260 miles to go. Pumpkin soup for lunch. Bring on fresh food, NZ food, avocadoes, good cheeses, sauvignon blanc, a bath, solid ground, kiwi accents...It's been two and a half years.

Heading south again after horrible 4 metre swells. Even managed to play music in the cockpit yesterday afternoon, David on guitar, Mark on fiddle and Anna on spoons. Omlettes for lunch. 330 miles to go.

Hove to last night in 40 knot headwinds and 3 metre swell. Wind easing a bit now but waiting for swell to reduce, and daylight. Lunch - Tinned ham and potato stew. 430 miles to go.

Motoring to get easting. Can't wait to get home. Pasta with tomato.

Pretty bouncy out here. Looking forward to lighter conditions in a couple of days time. 564 miles to go. Lamb shank braise and mash. Fridge crapped out again so canned food from here on in.

Brisk and bouncy. hard on the wind. 683 miles to go. Chili for lunch.

Seas have eased and Janet feeling much better after seasick day yesterday. 821 miles to go. Day 1 meal: rotisserie chicken and roast veg. Day 2 Lentil curry. Beautiful night with phosphorescent wake.

Excellent first 2 days. 4POB all is well.

Leaving Suva in less than an hour. Customs computer down yesterday so allowed to leave today with much better wind angle. And a less auspicious date, not that we are superstitious, however we are afraid of Murphy. 4POB. All is well except that Mark lost last night's card game.

Leaving Suva this afternoon bound for Opua. 4POB

Looking good for leaving Fiji tomorrow.

Still looking at departing FRi or saturday for nz

At Lami Bay near Suva. Passage weather conditions still ambiguous. Shall we, shan't we? Anna has arrived. Great company.

At Lami Bay near Suva. Passage weather ambiguous. Could be Monday or could be Thursday, or anywhere in between. Final preparations underway. Anna arrives today.

At lovely calm mooring field near Lami. Shopping all done, I start cooking all the passage meals today. Weather for passage next week looks uncertain.

Still off Suva Yacht Club as our kiwi band played music there last night along with a couple of talented Fijian men who joined in. Boat is all cluttered up with unstowed provisions.

Moving from wreck infested Suva Harbour to Lami Bay today. Fridge repair successful so far.

anchored in Suva, hoping to leave for NZ next week

Back in Suva. Preparations underway for passage to NZ, hopefully next week. We are provisioning, filling gas bottles, water tanks, and fuelling up. David is executing a few repairs and the fridge guys are here right now trying to fix our poor refrigeration system. So exciting to think we could be home in a few weeks. Or month or two! We have to wait for the right weather window in order to minimize the chance of encountering storms and big seas on passage. Between here and NZ there is a sort of pattern of a high pressure system, followed by a low, then another high, over a period of 5-6 days. If they behave and we leave at just the right time we could have a relatively benign 8-10 day trip. Relatively. Not as easy as it sounds. But we managed it on the way back from Tonga seven years ago so it is possible. I'll be posting our conditions on YIT regularly from now on so that Gulf Harbour Radio know our position and intentions and can broadcast weather forecasts for our intended passage. Wish us luck. Cheers Janet

Headed west from Kavala to Vunasea to track down one last family. Glorious sail and beautiful anchorage. Bright blue water and white sandy beaches. I'd forgotten its beauty. Here we made contact with Ala, Kuns, and Mere, part of the first family we met when we arrived at Kavala in 2015. How lovely it was to reconnect. After being fed glorious local food back at Solotavui, it was my turn to cook. Pretty low in provisions and despite pickings at local shops being pretty sparse, I knocked up a pretty impressive roast chicken dinner. The lovely John from DDU2 who has been accompanying us joined in. Now we head to Suva with only a week before we take the first good weather window. We have good internet till then so please send us messages/emails. Love to get news of home. X Janet Sent from my iPhone

After an overnight sail we arrived at Kadavu, our final island stop before heading to Suva. We came here two and a half years ago and stayed three weeks. Lots of yachts come here and I wasn't sure how well remembered we would be. But the huge grins and hugs of recognition soon dispelled that. So lovely to see our Solotavui friends again. Sent from my iPhone

We sadly said goodbye to Harry at Rukuruku Village. Its a wonderful thing to spend time with one's adult children. While we wait for fair winds to sail to Kadavu we are busy preparing Navire for the final passage back to NZ. Our winter woolies festoon the boat, the warm breeze (27C) removing the musty odour of two and a half years of storage. In the village we've enjoyed kava drinking, meeting school children, some excellent snorkelling just near the boat, and a truck trip to town to buy fresh produce.

xx Janet

Arrived at Makogi island yesterday, a days sail south from Savusavu. It feels good to be heading south, homewards. Savusavu was hectic and it's nice to be on an island again. Really loving having Harry on board. Here we will explore the ruins of a leper colony, and snorkel. Many of the houses that were here last time we came, have vanished, destroyed in a cyclone 18 months ago. Xx Janet Sent from my iPhone

Back in Savusavu after a stunning 10 days in Kioa, and with my dear son Harry on board for a couple of weeks. At Kioa we feasted, explored the island and were made wonderfully welcomed into to the families of our friends there. After a magnificent farewell feast we were very sad to to leave, knowing we may not ever get back there again. Here in Savusavu we were welcomed back like long lost friends. Fiji really is such a treat. Today is a big day as the fridge repair guys come. Please all cross your fingers for us. We could have cold drinks by the end of the day! Saturday we head south to Makogi. X Janet Sent from my iPhone

Back at Kioa. On our second day here we were invited to a funeral feast. Wonderful Tuvaluan fare, most of it grown on this island. We are visiting our lovely Tuvaluan friend Kailopa but have got to know many other people over our last several visits and are know quite well known in the village. We arrived with fish to give away from a large mahimahi, over a metre, that we caught on the way from Savusavu.

We only have about seven more weeks of this long sojourn to go. Next weekend my younger son Harry arrives which I'm very excited about. With him we travel back to Savusavu then down to Ovalau. After Harry leaves we have three weeks in Kadavu visiting the village that we got to know when we first arrived in Fiji over two years ago. The beginning of October sees us back in Suva preparing for the journey back to NZ. David's daughter Anna arrives to join us for the passage, as does Mark Durand, a friend made in Majuro, also fiddle player in the first iteration of BilgeWater Band. Then back to dear NZ. Sounds bloody cold there! The other night the temperature dropped to 20 degrees and we had to put extra blankets on. Now I'm sweltering in 30.

Once back in NZ I'm looking for a job and we want to buy a car, the job preferably up north but will take short term stuff anywhere. We are after an economic stationwagon. If anyone has any leads on job or car let me know.

We are very much looking forward to seeing all of you when we get back.

xx Janet

Naquiqui Creek, near Remote Resort We called into this lovely little anchorage on the way to Kioa to shelter from a southerly and stayed a few days. Travelling with John, Kiwi bass player, solo sailor from Tauranga. Enjoyed kava with a local family.

Janet

We settled into Savusavu for nearly a month, seduced by the music. The place was full of kiwis, several of then musicians. We reformed Bilgewater Band with John on bass, Jack on acoustic, Brian on keyboard, and occasionally the marina manager Horace on lead guitar. We were actually in demand and played one or two gigs a week at the marinas. I travelled down to Suva for dental work and enjoyed the big city for a few days.

Janet

Natuvu After David having to dive on the anchor and untangle it from the coral (for teh second time at Viani Bay) we headed round to Natuvu (see us on map in the link above) for the last stop on Aidan and Lisa's holiday. Had a rather dramatic stop with the dinghy painter (we have two lines attached after losing a dingy in Tonga seven years ago, rather foolishly the second one is not a floating line) got wrapped around the prop as we were reversing to dig the anchor in. Ripped out a deck fitting and one in the dinghy. Up before dawn we saw Aidan and Lisa onto their bus back to Labassa and their plane to Nadi.

Checked out the news while in range and see its rather chilly in NZ with roads closed by snow. We've just had our coolest day in 18 months at 24 degrees C. How will I ever cope with NZ.

Cheers Janet

Back at Viani Bay. More good music with Bubbles and Swift Sure. Pretty windy so played lots of 500 and started job hunting for me on our return to NZ. Foraged in the bush and got papaya, lemons, chilliest and drinking coconuts. Aidan had his first scuba dive under instruction from Kyle on Bubbles. He and Lisa cooked us the best looking and tasting nachos for dinner last night. Heading around to Natuvu for Aidan and Lisa to get bus tomorrow. Cheers Janet Sent from my iPhone

Back at Kioa with Aidan and Lisa on board. Travelled in a Fijian long boat with big outboard to pick up kids at Natuvu. Visited Kailopa at the Village and had a meal with Tupou, our host on the west side. Great local food. We took the guitar and swapped songs with the family. After another helping fabulous local fare at Kailopa's we head back to Viani Bay to hopefully get some diving for the kids. Janet Sent from my iPhone

Sailed from Savusavu to Viani Bay. 8 hours. Started off a bit breezy and lumpy but had to motor by the end of the day. We were greeted like old friends by Swift Sure and Blowing Bubbles. The social life was all on. Drinks on the beach, and two great music sessions on various catermerans. Went snorkeling on the reef. Viani Bay has good shelter except for southerlies, and good internet. Janet Sent from my iPhone

I love Savusavu. It's humming. Dozens of yachts moored here from all over the world. I've indulged my self in the vege market, a lovely music session with American boat Swift Sure, fast internet and cheap eating out. The next few days we deal with the mundane issues of repairing the fridge (again), tax return, provisioning etc. Then back to Kioa to meet up with David's son Aidan and a friend who will visit for a week. Janet Sent from my iPhone

Spent a couple of days in Viani Bay on our way back to Savusavu. Met Canadian boat Blowing Bubbles and had two wonderful afternoon music sessions with them. Back in internet range and loving it. Cheers Janet Sent from my iPhone

Visiting our dear friend Kailopa at Kioa. Enjoying quiet anchorage in the lee of the island. Although yesterday at 0730 we were boarded by the NZ navy and Fiji customs. Eight of them arrived in a zodiac to check if we were in Fiji legally and had our cruising permit. Fortunately that was all in order. We walk over the hill to the village most days but mostly hanging out on the boat. We said goodbye to dear cousin Douglas who has been with us since Wallis. A very enjoyable crew member. Today we hope to watch Fiji play Italy (rugby).

Back to Savusavu next week.

sounds like a great diving day in Vianni Bay

Fiji is glorious, it's vibrant and lush and colourful. We arrived in Savusavu early Tuesday morning, after a three day passage from Wallis, tired but so so pleased to be back in familiar territory. At dawn we gratefully tied up to our mooring, and despite my having been awake since 11.30 the previous night we went exploring. The town was bustling, so energetic after sleepy Wallis.

I stood in the market and soaked up the greenness. We've been in a fresh produce desert for a year and a half. I loaded up with fresh pineapple, pink papaya, mouth tingling passionfruit, and salad goodies.

I propped myself up in the marina shower and sluiced my salty, sweaty body with sweet soft fresh water, my first land shower in months. Bliss. Every day has brought more delights. Lots of good company. The inlet is full with dozens of boats from all over the world, including kiwis. Eating out is cheap and tasty. Found a stainless steel welder for our leaking diesel tank, (late one night on passage discovered the full 110 liter tank was leaking - story to come in blog). And a fridge repair man who comes Monday to see if can revive our much needed refrigeration system. Massage, haircut....

We think we'll hang around up this end of Fiji for a couple of months, visiting various destinations from here. And oh yes... we have good fast internet - on the boat. Just luxury. Thanks for all your messages on passage, they are treasured. Cheers Janet

Hove to outside Savusavu waiting for dawn

ETA Savusavu early morning May 30. Fast tradewind sailing.

Leaving Wallis for Savusavu Fiji

leaving Wallis today at 1400 to head for Savusavu Fiji

The Lark still anchored beside them. Good company

tanks full!

Three boats inWallis now. The Lark arrived yesterday and there is also a norwegian boat.

hard to hear on the radio today

great folk. They hiked yesterday and got a lot of rides. And they are enjoying the cheese.

will go ashore today for internet use

a much better day after 3 days of torrential rain an d winds and thunder. It went n to SE to N but Ellas influence is now much diminished. David has a wonderful signal at the moment and really easy to copy him. Apologies for not reporting for the last couple of days but Patricia has been quickly leaving the radio room for the hospital.

Wallis

sounds like they are enjoying the friendly folk of Wallis

will be checking in today

We made it. We arrived off the island of Wallis at dawn, the sea so rough that is was debatable if we'd get in to the lagoon through the passage through the reef. We hoved to for a couple of hours and tried at low tide successfully steering through the narrow break in the coral. We wove through the coral filled lagoon and dropped anchor in a sheltered bay. 11 days, 1500 miles, our longest passage yet.

David Delighted to be at anchor. Ahhhhhhh, flat water. So gorgeous. Lush green hills. Well kept houses. Within minutes we ha Janet Big thanks to Gulf Harbour Radio in NZ and yachts Seal and Swift Sure who were monitoring our position each day, also GHR gave us daily weather reports. Looking forward to getting 11 days email. More news once we have rested up Cheers Janet

13 miles to go to waypoint at Wallis, then hope to go in pass at slack water in the morning

motoring. 130 miles to go. Saw a ship. Big event at sea. Arrive day after tomorrow!

motoring

motoring

hove to

516 TO GO

motoring

ghosted along all day at 2.5 knots under spinnaker. Lovely. Now motoring.

The fair breeze blew The white foam flew The furrow followed free We were the first that ever burst Into that silent sea Down dropped the breeze The sails dropped down 'Twas sad as sad could be And we did speak only to break The silence of the sea Not so dramatic nor so complete as Coleridge tells it but the doldrums nonetheless. We did burst, with white foam, into that silent sea and ran thus for 700 miles, flying along. Now if we break 4 knots there is celebration. We motored some today on a flat sea, until a zephyr put shape in the sails, held and built, built to an astonishing 6 knots of speed but then died away. Then returned and died again. Right now we are barelling along at 4.5 knots. A stunning crescent moon in the black sky dancing silver coins on the sea, a sparkling path right to our ship. Magic.

Greetings from the South Pacific. We're over the equator. All well. Janet slowly finding her sea legs. Cheers David

Greetings from the equator, nearly. Another starry night and sunny day. We're making good progress, more than a quarter of the way to Wallis, but expect our pace to slow gradually. All good. Cheers David Click on the link below to see where we are.

Day 3 and trucking along well. Closing in on latitude of Tarawa, Kiribati. Janet suffering sea sickness. Luckily I'm doing fine. Great weather - sunny days, starry nights. No moon for a few more days. No squalls apart from one leaving Majuro. Long may it last.

Cheers David

We are underway. Its been pretty windy, up to 30 knots easterly last night. I'm still seasick so will write more when feeling better.

Click on the link to see where are.

Janet

position 07 06.182n 171 22.427e The preparation goes on. We found out we could stay 14 days beyond our visa expiry which we were delighted about. We can now leave late enough to avoid the hurricane season down south. 11 days to go Despite careful planning it always seems to take longer to get ready than I expect. Provisioning is largely done but now the freezer is failing. Things really deteriorate in the heat up here and I'm having to virtually rebuild our Bimini. David has been up the mast checking the rigging and lubing the sail tracks, now his head is in the engine bay changing filters and oil. Plus a round of farewells including celebrating David's 67th birthday.

Stay in touch while we are at sea. We have a way of accessing email at sea but make them short with no pictures or attachments.

On the way home! Janet Sent from my iPhone

position 07 06.182n 171 22.427e Hello dear friends, Suddenly, after lingering here for over a year it is only weeks till we sail south. I feel ready to move on again. And David nearly ready to move on. He put his back out and was in serious pain for a couple of weeks poor man. But in recovery now and is back into boat preparation. I'm enjoying provisioning and readying the boat for travel. The last of our orders from the US is winging its way here, final goodies till we get back to NZ. We've had good times and sad times with our freinds here. One of our number drowned snorkelling a few weeks ago, and David got to help with a burial at sea. More on that in a later blog post. Social life has been wonderful. It really does take time to develop a community. Its one of the things I'm really looking forward to doing back in NZ. Putting down roots. And of the edible kind too. We often talk about what we will grow at Rawene and have been trawling gardening books.

In just a couple of months we'll be in the South Pacific, hopefully Wallis Island, a little piece of France, with cooler temperatures, lush bush, hills, and best of all French cheese and wine. Then Fiji.

I just put up a post recently on running aground and noone said a thing! Surely despite us surviving to tell the tale you would send some "shock, horror" emails! Is there anybody out there? I'm not doing very well catching the blog up. I want to get the northbound posts up to Majuro then get posting on time on our way south, and intersperse our travel posts with stories about our time here in Majuro.

So now back to work, I am sewing a new strip along the edge of our headsail. A new skill for me. I hope my stiching is straight enough.

Cheers Janet

Feb 13 The offshore preparation has started in earnest. David is sanding our tatty cockpit in preparation for applying non-slip paint, essential at sea for wet conditions. I have just finished sewing a windchute and will soon start on sail repair and restitching the bimini (shelter over cockpit.) I'm starting to think about what provisions to get, ordering stuff from US, immigration, checking safety equipment and electronics, and taxes and insurances (it seems these often fall due when we are at sea!).

I've just put up a post on YIT about a storm we encountered in Tuvalu - check it out, and some Fiji food posts on my culinary blog at http://cookingclubwellington1.wordpress.com/=20 Great job on sending us messages and emails - so good to hear from home.

Cheers Janet

Three months till we head south! We have internet again and a friend on shore kindly lets us sit on her deck with our laptops and use her FAST internet connection. So now I can post regularly.

We love your comments on the blog. Keep sending them. I have had a few technical hitches on the blog - mostly user error but our ever patient blog master has guided me to the light and hopefully you shouldn't get any more 'access denied' messages. I'm working with him to try and get the blog icons to show on the Google map, and he's advised me to make the pictures bigger. So watch this space - the next story will be about a storm we weathered behind a one metre high island in Tuvalu. And there is a coral encounter to come.

January started with 22 days of no internet. Talk about cutting off your right arm! David wrote a song about it which always brings the house down.

Our timing was sublime and one day after the internet came back we both came down with a nasty flu for two weeks, leaving us boat bound and .... with no internet! But now we are out and about, good yachtie social life happening again, and are getting prepared for our 1500 mile journey to Wallis Island, a passage of about three weeks.

Send news from home.

xx Janet

You know you are in a third world country when you have no internet for nearly a month. The undersea internet cable is damaged. It was going to take a week to repair. We can live without it for seven days we thought, but today, 14 days later, we get a radio message to say it will be January 18. And some, I imagine. No email, no Facebook, no bank site access, can't pay our tax, and definitely no posting blogs on YIT. I'm posting this via our single-side-band radio which sends text emails only. Fortunately the Telecommunications people are channelling satellite bandwidth to the banking system so I can use my credit card otherwise we'd be eating beans three meals a day.

Aside from feeling like my umbilical chord has been severed, 2017 is okay. After all we are coming home this year. Home to familiar things. Good food, old friends, family, cooler temperatures, English language with all its nuances,and INTERNET! NZ is a great country.

Happy New Year to you all.

Janet

Church crawl IGNORE THIS IF YOU ALREADY RECEIVED IT. I AM RESENDING IT AS IT DID NOT SHOW UP ON THE SITE 12 months. We've been here nearly 12 months! Time to move on. But we can't leave yet as we have to wait out the South Pacific Hurricane season. Cast off time will be April or May 2017 when we head back to Fiji for five months, and then back to dear New Zealand in November. After living in this country, a harsh dysfunctional mix of the first and third worlds, albeit with some gorgeous tropical aspects and lovely people, local and expat alike, I have a seriously heightened appreciation for what a good country NZ is. While its been an interesting year we long to go come south again. South to cooler temperatures, to more familiar South Pacific cultures, to abundant local produce and interesting food cultures, then eventually to freinds, family and the familiarity of home. Often this year we have indulged in long conversations about living in Rawene, growing vegetables, and establishing a community there. Another dream that sustains me when I get sick of the heat and faultiness of this place is our plan to drive down to Wellington very shortly after we arrive in NZ , spending Christmas 2017 in Wellington and seeing most of you.

We plan to celebrate Christmas Marshallese style this year. We will join David's Marshallese colleagues and go on a church crawl. Like a pub crawl but with no alcohol. The plan is we go from church to church and sing and dance. And hopefully get fed local food. Its traditional in the sense that they have done it this way since the missionaries arrived in the early 1900's.Then we will sail out to a nearby island with a couple of Australian freinds and do it western style with much food and alcohol, probably on Boxing Day. We'll miss all those kids of our I've struggled to come to terms with the infiltration of western style commercial Christmas here. It is so incongruous to see fake Christmas trees in all the shops surrounded by fake snow, all the while it is 30 degrees outside under the palm trees. In this land where poverty prevails they don't need all the entreaties to to buy presents. Even in New Zealand I abhor the commercialisation of Christmas.For me Christmas is about food family and freinds.

David has just told me the tree at his work is a real pine tree, imported from the US. I rest my case.

Merry Christmas to you lovely family and freinds, from Navire and her crew at seven degrees north.

Writers Block "Janet, why aren't you posting on the sailing blog?" several people have asked. Its the sad story of writers block I think. Lack of access to internet hasn't helped but also being up here for so long is not entirely good for my soul. I got behind on posts. I lost my momentum. The less I wrote, the less confidence I had in my writing, the quality of prose deteriorated rapidly. But all is not lost. I have just started a local writers group and I'm on the up and up.

Two favours from you my reader I'd like some feedback from you. You are well aware that I am sadly lagging behind in my trip posts. I do want to do all the posts between Tuvalu and here and now, so that we have a good record of the trip. However I'd like to post about what's happening right now in Majuro too.=20 My options are to: Keep posting trip stories in order and eventually catch up OR Start posting stories about Majuro now and intersperse these with historical posts about the journey here.

Second favour I need someone to read my stories before I post and give me feedback.=20 Send me a comment or an email janet.nixon551@gmail.com.

Cheers Janet PS I'm communicating with the YIT webmaster to see why my last posts (in October) didn't show up on the map on teh YIT site, one post was full of glitches, and several people couldn't get in to read it either. Two posts not appear at all. I'm going to try re-posting some of them.

PPS I have been posting some Pacific culinary stories on my food blog if you'd like to have a look http://cookingclubwellington1.wordpress.com

position 07 06.182n 171 22.427e Church crawl 12 months. We've been here nearly 12 months! Time to move on. But we can't leave yet as we have to wait out the South Pacific Hurricane season. Cast off time will be April or May 2017 when we head back to Fiji for five months, and then back to dear New Zealand in November. After living in this country, a harsh dysfunctional mix of the first and third worlds, albeit with some gorgeous tropical aspects and lovely people, local and expat alike, I have a seriously heightened appreciation for what a good country NZ is. While its been an interesting year we long to go come south again. South to cooler temperatures, to more familiar South Pacific cultures, to abundant local produce and interesting food cultures, then eventually to freinds, family and the familiarity of home. Often this year we have indulged in long conversations about living in Rawene, growing vegetables, and establishing a community there. Another dream that sustains me when I get sick of the heat and faultiness of this place is our plan to drive down to Wellington very shortly after we arrive in NZ , spending Christmas 2017 in Wellington and seeing most of you.

We plan to celebrate Christmas Marshallese style this year. We will join David's Marshallese colleagues and go on a church crawl. Like a pub crawl but with no alcohol. The plan is we go from church to church and sing and dance. And hopefully get fed local food. Its traditional in the sense that they have done it this way since the missionaries arrived in the early 1900's.Then we will sail out to a nearby island with a couple of Australian freinds and do it western style with much food and alcohol, probably on Boxing Day. We'll miss all those kids of our I've struggled to come to terms with the infiltration of western style commercial Christmas here. It is so incongruous to see fake Christmas trees in all the shops surrounded by fake snow, all the while it is 30 degrees outside under the palm trees. In this land where poverty prevails they don't need all the entreaties to to buy presents. Even in New Zealand I abhor the commercialisation of Christmas.For me Christmas is about food family and freinds.

David has just told me the tree at his work is a real pine tree, imported from the US. I rest my case.

Merry Christmas to you lovely family and freinds, from Navire and her crew at seven degrees north.

And so we begin our homeward journey south. This is as far away as we will go. Ailuk was at 10 degrees north and over the next 12 months we head back to New Zealand via Majuro and Fiji. We left Ailuk yesterday laden with magnificent handicrafts. It was very sad saying goodbye to our hosts Anious and Emily and their family. It was so good to reconnect with village life again, reminds me why we came out here in the first place.

After an overnight passage we are at an atoll called Aur to pick up the local doctor and take him to Majuro.

We are both well but going through a period of missing our wonderful country and all of you. We managed to catch up with the US election results on the BBC. What a sad day for the world.

Back on the road tomorrow.

xx Janet and David

Ailuk is gorgeous. We've been here two weeks now and I'm really enjoying being in the 'rural' Pacific again. This little village is beautifully kept, with none of the rubbish that adorns much of the Pacific. I haven't seen any vehicles, hardly any motorboats even, the main mode of transport is sailing canoes.

We have been hosted by a warm welcoming Marshallese family who we initially made contact with on our regular SSB net. Anious and Emily and two of their children. Shore trips have consisted of much trading and exploring. David has been attempting to fix a radio and a weather station. Mind you he's had his hands full repairing things aboard Navire with success at reviving the depth sounder, SSB, and autopilot electrical connections, replacing the fridge compressor fanbelt, and this last week replacing a burnt out switch on the anchor winch.

Last week we took Emily and Anious out on Navire fishing and David had a day out sailing on the lagoon on a local sailing canoe However we've had lots of boatbound days, with strong winds in quite an exposed anchorage. We head back to Majuro later this week.

Janet

We made it to Ailuk. We found the passage hard going despite good sailing weather. Navire has suffered from ten months on a mooring. Despite through testing of all systems before we left we have wiring problems with the auto pilot power source failing, the depth sounder suddenly giving up (same problem we hope) and the fridge making deathly sounds. David had to use an old fashioned leadline to find our depth for anchoring.

I'd lost my sea legs an struggled to sleep between watches. But slept well last night.

This is the most remote place we have been, we are the only boat here. Today we go in to the tiny village of 180 people.

0200 Thursday October 20 We creep through the empty ocean lit only by the nearly full moon. We finally got away from the clutches of Majuro yesterday. Very light winds but I don't want to run the engine and break the peace of the night. We are in no rush as need to arrive at the atoll in daylight to get through the pass.

Click on the link to see where we are.

Sounds like some of you couldn't get onto my last blog post. I'll email our YIT man about it when we get there.

Must go, thunderstorm hitting us.

Cheers Janet

October 17 Tomorrow we hope to head offshore for a 200 mile sail to Ailuk, an outer island of the Marshall Islands. It is the first time we have been offshore in 10 months. We arrived back in Majuro, from our Canada trip, in early September intending to provision and head north. Alas we were thwarted by firstly no wind, then by ill health, both of us getting a mild persistent cold for three weeks.

We'll post each day of our 2-3 day passage for safety reasons, then do regular updates on life in a remote village.

Cheers Janet

And a final update of the Canada trip to get us back to Majuro.

You know sometimes the trouble with traveling is the actual travel. The trip back took us a couple of days, losing a day across the dateline and being stuck in Hawaii for a night with a horrendously early flight to the Marshalls. But how glorious it was seeing Majuro from the air and landing back at our tropical home. It was lush, the coconut palms bright green, the lagoon almost luminous turquoise, and most exciting navire was still happily tied up at her mooring. After a couple of days recovering from jetlag we start preparing for our next trip, next week we sail 200 miles north to the remote outer island of Ailuk.

More on that soon.

Send emails and comments. We talk of home and you people a lot.

Just a quick post to get us back to Majuro via Toronto.

Halifax was awesome. Meeting more family, visiting then site of a memorial to David's father's death (in 1952).

*** =46rom Facebook post: "Nova Scotia. It's not cold, I say to David. On this trip we have traversed Canada from the Pacific to the Atlantic. I wade into the water wanting to connect with this ocean.

We are visiting a memorial to navy personal who died in peace time and listed there is David's father's name. A navigator, he died in an air crash when David was just two years old. It's a poignant family moment. Mary is a recently found cousin and her and David are swapping stories about the generations gone before.

We are staying in a gorgeous big house with Mary's daughter, husband J and 2 delightful children.

I visit the Halifax Apple store to get a part and the woman who serves me usd to work at Whitireia. We excitedly named all the people we knew in common. It gave me a warm feeling of connection.

Went berry picking with the children, raspberries, blackberries and blueberries. We ate more than we took back to the house. Just like when I was a kid.

Later.

I'm sitting on the Halifax foreshore watching yachts sail past. And for the first time in nearly three weeks feel a moment of missing Navire.

Later At dusk we liked into J's boat and went for a tour of the lake. With a 150HP engine (compared to Nature's 40) it felt going at rocket speed. Suddenly just as it got dark J stopped the boat stripped off his t-shirt and leapt into the water. I didn't hesitate, strip down to bra and panties and leapt in too. A little colder than the Majuro lagoon but exhilarating.

Back at the house we ate locally caught clams and halibut." *** The drive back to Nova Scotia took two days, then train to Toronto and bus to Chiefs Island up in the Muskoka Lakes. A glorious five days there eating, swimming, hangign out with family.

Next leg was to Brantford to stay on cousin Fiona's farm and chill out in beautiful countryside and write for a few days. David left early and went sailing on Lake Ontario with cousin Douglas. We joined him for a day out with Mary and Angus too: =46rom Facebook post: "What an awesome trip this is. Four of the cousins and partners have gathered at Mary's including David and Douglas who sailed up overnight from Toronto.

We BBQed and drank too much last night but dragged ourselves out of bed to go sailing this morning.

We sailed through a canal with bridges that opened up to let us through, with more fine dining on the way. Then under a higher bridge back onto lake Ontario.

5 days to go before we fly back to 32 degrees, high humidity, imported produce, lousy restaurants, and our wonderful sailing community, swimming in the sea, Bilgewater Band, and fresh coconut juice." *** Back to Toronto to do last shopping for a year and spend time with the smallest cousins.

Usually when I'm travelling I'm looking for the exotic, to examine cultures different to mine. But this time I'm content that this Canadian culture is so similar to my own. Although ultimately travel is about meeting people and exploring local food and this trip is rich with both.

Toronto was about visiting family and shopping. We haven't had access to good western shopping for 14 months and won't again for another 16 so there were a few things on the list.

The superb Canadian hospitality has continued with cousin Linda accommodating us in her beautiful house close tot eh city. We had our own bathroom, and a fridge stocked with stuff you can't get in Majuro.

From there we visited the newest member of the family, one week old Leandro, son of Jess and Manny, who also had the delightful Maya 2, and Danica 4. Next we visited one of the oldest members of the family Jim, who at 90 was in excellent shape. It bodes well that David has healthy longevity family genes. Jim took us to a local restaurant where I discovered crispy quinoa. More on that coming up in my food blog. [Blog link] More good food was had in an excellent Toronto restaurant with a friend of David's who he hadn't seen in 40 years Doug Flood, and his lovely wife Christine. Thanks for the meal.

Next stop Halifax. Subway and train and a 100km drive and we were at cousin Mary's. Mary is a recently found cousin and an excellent addition to the family. After another luxurious night we climbed into their truck and hit the road for Halifax to meet Mary's daughter and family. Next thing I knew we were in France. Well almost. We'd crossed the border into Quebec and all the signage was in French. No English. And everybody spoke French as a first language. Our destination was Quebec City. Established in 1608, the original city has been preserved.

The following morning we drove to Hopewell Rocks which has the highest tides in the world - up to 46'. Then on to Halifax. Its absolutely wonderful having someone else organise the trip. Mary mapped it all out, booked the accommodation, and planned food. I felt very well looked after.

Check out my facebook posts for more detail and photographs. Have just posted a blog with photos too.

Where to from here? "What are your plans from here?" Almost everyone we have visited here in Canada has asked us this question. Now yachties are not very good at sticking to plans as you never know where you are going to fetch up and get tempted to stay or discover another interesting island to visit. But here are today's plans.

We have one more week in Canada, reveling in the delights of the first world before we fly back to Majuro.

As soon as we land on the atoll we will be preparing and provisioning for a three or four week sailing trip to some of the remote outer Marshall Islands. Back in Majuro in October we will settle in till April 2017 when the South Pacific hurricane season is over. David is going to run some more suicide prevention courses for health professionals and I'll continue providing academic support for students at the university.

In April we'll head 1500 south miles to Fiji, maybe via Kiribati, or Tuvalu or Wallis. This time we want to visit people we met last time, spending our five months getting to know them better. And I'm going to get more intimate with the local cuisine. Having spent time in the culinary desert of the islands north of Fiji has greatly enhanced my appreciation for Fijian cuisine and the great local ingredients.

November 2017, at this stage, will see us sailing back to New Zealand. I will be hanging out to see friends and family so want to leave Navire in the Bay of Islands and take a road trip to Wellington in December.

Who knows after that? We may live on the boat for a while longer before moving into Rawene - you may remember we bought a little house in the far north just before we left New Zealand. I'd like to find work in the academic support area and David has some more trips planned. Anything seems possible when you are out here.

Aug 8 Victoria to Toronto August 1

Back on the road again. 5am, bleary eyed, packing like a finely tuned machine.

Car, ferry, bus, train, plane.

"We are going to play poker," said an elderly man in the next seat. We'd managed to get on the right bus and he and his wife were giving us helpful directions to get to the airport.

"How long have you been playing?" I asked.

"84 years," he said, "I started when I was two".

Canadian people are very friendly.

Back on yet another airplane we flew five hours and lost four hours to Toronto. Gritty eyed we figured out Toronto transport system. Fortunately David knew it a bit from growing up here and a few subsequent visits. We got the very modern sky train to town, then subway, then staggered a few blocks in the dark to Linda's with our luggage which felt like it had doubled in weight. Linda, David's cousin poured us a glass of much needed wine. Yay we stop for a few days.

Toronto Aug 4 Usually when I'm travelling I'm looking for the exotic, to examine cultures different to mine but this time I'm very content that this Canadian culture is similar to my own.

Toronto has been a haze of shopping sensory overload. Makes me realise the demands choice has on us. When choices are very limited things are much simpler, less stressful. I've been in 10 clothing shops in a large mall today and very quickly my brain cried enough and couldn't cope with any more options. I had to feed it chocolate before it would work again. Peanut butter chocolate.

But enough grumbling. We stay in magnificent luxury at cousin Linda's. We have our own bathroom! She's a lovely host, and her fridge is stocked with stuff you can't get in a Majuro supermarket.Last night we visited the newest member of the family and I got to hold one week old Leandro, son of cousins Jess and Manny. I tell you those unfulfilled grandmother hormones were raging.

Our life in 38' of plastic and a sweaty 32 degrees seems so remote now. But I have another month of glorious Western civilisation to come yet.

Toronto Aug 6 Today we move on. Traveling and seeing new places is all very interesting. But travel and getting to know people is where the real richness lies for me. Then of course the food.

David is the master of reconnecting with old friends, and maintaining relationships with his geographically distant family, and on Thursday night we had dinner with Doug and Christine. Doug and David met in the late 60's, and 46 years had lapsed. Who knows what these people could have been like. But of course they turned out to be lovely, lively, intelligent, and interesting people. They shouted us to a top Toronto French restaurant, Le Select. What a culinary treat. Highlights were grilled goats cheese on pickled beets, and red deer with rye berries. The restaurant was elegant without excessive formality and the service very good. The abysmal service in Majuro temporarily faded into a distant bad dream. Doug it turned out is a guitar player and we are to meet again at the tail end of our trip and play music together.

Uncle Jim and crispy quinoa salad were the next day's treat. We borrowed cousin Fiona's car and navigated our way to Hamilton, a challenge because a) David having to drive counter intuitively on the right hand side, and b) a bit rusty not having driven a car at all for 18 months.

Jim is 90 and completely with it. I'm delighted that David has such good longevity genes in his family. Jim is extremely well travelled and made for great company over lunch in a restaurant in a lovely old house in his neighbourhood. My salad of lamb, feta and watermelon sang with the crispy element of fried quinoa. I'll add that to the Majuro salads. Back via yet another shopping mall to hold the week old baby again at Jess and Manny's. Ethiopian takeaways for dinner. We ripped up pieces of fluffy injera pancakes and scooped up spicy lentils. Injera is a sourdough pancake made with GF teff flour. Many thanks to Linda for her continued generous hospitality. I'm feeling very looked after on this tip.

Next stop cousin Mary's from where we leave for Halifax on the East Coast.

Victoria August 1 Crossing from Vancouver to Victoria on the ferry had the same feel as being in the Marlborough Sounds. The ferry wove its way through narrow channels. Clear, clear blue sky, a myriad of pine covered islands dotted with cottages, and boats of all sorts cruising the waters.

A beaming Bob greeted us at the ferry terminal. We'd met Bob, and later his wifeKelly, en route to Majuro, and Bob's boat Stella soon became a regular destination for sundowner G&T's at Majuro. First stop off the ship we visited Stella while we waited for the ferry traffic to dissipate.

After a visit to a waterside brewery to sample more local beer we ate wild salmon, and the sweetest fresh corn I've ever had. Blueberries were on the menu for breakfast, helping fufill my desire for local food. Today we got a tour of the lower part of Vancouver Island.

After a second breakfast at a local café we meandered along the coast visiting a classic lighthouse. Off shore from the light were dozens of boats trawling for salmon. We stopped at beaches, marinas and stunning lakes. So glorious to be in the woods, to be hiking, soaking up the chlorophyll, amongst vast stands of tall, deeply ribbed pines. We were visiting Avatar, the gnarliest tree in Canada, a huge Western Red Cedar. Further along the highway we were treated to the sight of a dozen Roosevelt elk grazing by the side of the road. What a day of iconic Canada.

The day wasn't over yet. We stopped in small towns that had bands, players of our vintage, playing on stages in local parks. Bob insisted we go through Duncan. I was tired and felt I'd seen enough for the day but as we turned into the main street I saw a totem, then another, the town’s main street lined with them. It was great to see prominent indigenous art.
 Bob and Kelly filled us in a bit on the state of well-being of the first nation people. It's not good, poor health, alcoholism, high incarceration rates. Apparently New Zealand is widely held up as a country that does a good job of cohabiting with indigenous people, and God knows we have a long way to go.
 We spent our last day walking in the sun. I reveled in the orderliness and cleanliness of Victoria, hyper aware of it after the semi-squalor of Majuro.
 Our final treat was the Victoria Symphony orchestra playing on a barge on the inner harbour. The sun was low in the sky, the day still hot and the harbour dead calm. 40'000 Victorians turned up and the orchestra had all of us doing the Chicken Dance. But even better was a musical stairway. Bob and Kelly led us into a back alley and pointed to a staircase. We walked past someone who looked like they were doing a drug deal and climbed the first set of stairs. Kelly showed us how you make music by simply touching various spots in the railing. Each level has a different instrument or sound. I can just imagine groups of stoned people hanging out there, going up and down the stairs for hours saying “Hey man listen to this level”.

see Janet Facebook for photos

Canada update Vancouver Now you may note that on the Google map (if you click the link) our boat looks like it is in Canada but we flew here, leaving Navire moored back at Majuro.

Vancouver July 29 We looked expectantly at the gate as we came through customs. There was no old greying man with a red hat. Are they going to turn up? I was so so tired, I'd not managed to sleep on our overnight flight from Hawaii.

They did, these lovely people from the archives of David's past turned up. They'd shared parts of his life in Australia in the 70's.

Once again our luck was in. Bruce and Angela took us home for breakfast. Home was a large old house set in dense trees and a moist green garden. I almost melted when they showed us our room, dominated by a large House and Garden pristine white bed. Angela, a fellow foodie, finally gave me the breakfast I had been dreaming about. Fruit salad with peaches, plums, strawberries, blueberries - have you ever been two years without those orbs of quintessential summer flavour? She'd made gluten free granola, and provided GF toast. Crashed in the heavenly bed and made up a little sleep time. Then lunch - real cheese, fresh produce, I could go on. An afternoon tour of the neighborhood, a decent local curry and bed for the best sleep I've had in months. Thanks Bruce and Angela for your very enjoyable company and excellent hospitality.

Ready tio moe on to Victoria Islands Ready to move on to Vancouver Island.

Honolulu surpassed our expectations. So much for not having many people to see there. First our lovely host Nick. We met Nick in 2010 where he was sailing in Tonga with his parents. He crewed for us down the west coast of the north island on our return journey.

Nick took us to an excellent breakfast cafe in Honolulu for my first decent eggs. We then climbed a hill to check out Oahu's rugged coastline. First hill we've seen in a year. We quenched our thirst with a beer tasting at the boutique brewery where he works.

Serendipitously Donny of the dismasted yacht was in town having escaped Wake Island, the boat left there for a salvager.

We got a first hand account of the event.

I had a glorious girls afternoon with a Majuro yachtie friend Becky who was in town in her way back to Majuro. We ate local food and had a beer at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel. The day finished with another sailor for company.

Clifford was a friend of Mark from our band. He took us to a Japanese restaurant, ordered the food and sake, and wouldn't let us pay. Divine food and excellent company.

Day three we had a restful time taking a bus trip around Oahu stopping to buy local buttery garlic shrimp from a food truck and ate it on the beach.

Squeezed in one more beer tasting before Nick dropped us at the airport to head north.

See my Facebook for more detailed posts and pictures, especially food shots.

Next stop Vancouver.

Cheers Janet

Navire is sitting on her mooring in the lagoon at Majuro, abandoned by her crew who have opted for air travel for a change. We now wait, as you inevitably do at airports, at Majuro's tiny terminal, for the first leg of our six week trip. Honolulu first stop. We were to see some sailing friends from here, but they were dismasted on the way and abandoned their boat at Wake Island. Blog post to come on that.

Then to Vancouver and Victoria to visit friends before fetching up in Ontario for a month to visit family.

I am salivating for a taste of first world life, just for a little while.

And 5 degrees cooler. Hot but not sweating.

Next treat is breakfast out in Honolulu, fresh eggs, and good service, it's been a long time.

Cheers Janet

Its dawn, although the light has trouble seeping through the heavy grey clouds. I'm watching the buckets at the back of the cockpit fill with water. As always we gather every precious drop, still mindful after the recent four month drought. The events of the last three days dance around in my mind looking for a place to settle, reframing my veiw of the society we are momentarily dipping into. I recently did a little rave on Facebook about the dysfunctionality of this place. And that still stands, but the prevention conference we just attended showed me that there are a many people doing a lot of good work on healing the people of this land. They have been harmed. First it was out and out destruction, 67 nuclear bombs were detonated experimentally on Bikini Atoll, with fall out affecting many other occupied fragile atolls. "For the good of mankind," the Americans said persuasively. And the fallout has lingered decade after decade. These people continue to have exceptionally high cancer rates. And Many of them are not of the land anymore. Whole communities were displaced by the effects of the nuclear fallout, previously occupied attolls still not habitable. Many many people have left the Marshall Islands altogether, to the land of milk and honey, the US, most not knowing the horrors of working in a chicken factory. And lastly the debateable spectre of global warming, this land only two or three meters above high tide.

Another legacy of the US bombings is money. Bucketloads of it. And with it its own destruction. Amongst the worst effects is the growth of a culture of dependency, and a loss of connection with their own culture. More on that when I finally get to do blog posts about this place.

But Kumit, where David works, has another vision for RMI. Kumit Bobrae is an organisation, albeit US funded, that aims to make people's live better. Their mandate covers substance abuse - drugs, alcohol, cigarettes and betel nut chewing, teen preganacy - rife here, and non communicable disease (NCD) a legacy of the ubiquitous western diet. With the advent of rice and spam has come a dramatic loss in the culture of growing and gathering local food. Suicide rates are high, in young men very high, and human trafficking. yes people are being stolen and abused, slave labour on fishing boats, enforced prostitution in the US, to name a couple. At the annual conference, the 6th one held, 2-300 Kumit staff from Majuro and the outer islands gathered to share their strategies. Despite most of the proceedings being in Marshallese (we were the only two ribelle, white people, there for 90% of the conference) many modern words were in English and the slides and videos told their own stories. My sense of hopelessness abated, infiltrated by the hope the speakers promoted.

David participated in this. At the end of day two he and his group of counsellors presented their strategy for suicide prevention. "Ask the question," the strategy being getting people to talk about suicide. Not just people who were contemplating the deed but families, teachers, health professionals. David shared his experience of suicide prevention at Victoria University and two of his students did a role play on asking the question, one playing the counsellor and the other doing a heart-rending perfomance of a young suicidal girl who was enduring sexual abuse from a family member. it brought some of the audience to tears.

The conference finished with a day of hilarity, a sports day complete with egg catching and tug of war.

Then its back to life as usual, David winding up the first of his counsellor training courses, me off to work with teachers from the outer islands on their assignments, then in three weeks we fly to Canada for six weeks first world time. Hills, greenery, a decent coffee at a cafe, shopping, and connecting with freinds and family.

This life is utterly fascinating.

Cheers Janet

David It rained. Several times. We are restraining ourselves from believing the drought broken, the summer rains arriving. Our cockpit remains festooned with every available container, now brimming with water, glorious, delicious rainwater.

I tentatively regard the course I'm teaching to be going ok. Of the ten starters, seven attend regularly and more or less on time. There is much humour and fun and even more discussion, questions and stories. Cases are discussed and several have asked for supervision. We are nearly half way through.

The fleet is thinning, some heading south to Fiji, others south east to Tonga, one or two sailing west for Micronesia and the Philippines, the rest, about seven, taking on the vast North Pacific sailing for Hawaii, Alaska, Vancouver and California. Soon there will be just nine yachts, three of which are here long term and three are Jehovah's Witness missionaries who are relentlessly lovely and just a little scary. They don't proselytise for which I'm thankful although we had a bible pressed upon us early on. It remains on board on the notion that, well, you never know. It's a big ocean out there.

Janet We are settling into a routine here. David works Tuesday and Wednesday, and has music practice on Thursday. I do laundry and shopping on Tuesday (senior discount day), and go to the university on Wed and Thurs. My one to one student work is slow to take off, there just isn't a culture of it here. However the students I do have are very pleased with the service. I continue to work on developing a business mentoring programme with one of the MBA staff. The rest of the time is domestics, the endless list of boat tasks and a remarkably buoyant social life, within the fleet and onshore.

David is rebuilding the galley bench. It was old and permanently stained. The stars aligned and a piece of good looking formica was going spare (someone had imported it, can't get anything decent here), and it transpired that the guy on the boat next door has installed lots of benches in his time (and is leaving soon), and is now David's advisor. So the time to do it was now. The new surface is transformative. Its clean!!! But God what a messy process it all is.

The boat is a total workshop. We are camping in the cockpit, washing dishes in a bucket. The bedbug fumigation man came for a second round this week too and so far things are looking good. We examine the formerly infested area with a torch each morning and are finding fewer and fewer bugs. Although I still keep imagining the bugs crawling on my skin. So by the end of the month we'll have a functioning galley, no bugs (fingers crossed) and maybe can reassemble the main cabin. Bring it on.

We celebrated Anzac Day at the Australian naval base. It was lovely gathering at dawn with a group of Aussies and one or two kiwis, and raising flags. There was even a bugle player.

Slowly getting to know our host nation. The few Marshallese we have got to know are mostly David's work colleagues and they are just lovely. They have welcomed us ribelle (white people) into their family. Now if you are imagining coconut palms hanging over the shore, pristine sea water with brightly coloured coral gardens, and thachted huts thats not this place. Where we are anchored off is not very attractive. The streets are dry and dusty, not many palm trees. The buildings are ugly. There is an extrordinary amount of traffic for such a small place. Customer service is not evident, the best place to eat in town is Navire, good food hard to find on land. The newspaper is full of stories about corruption. Our neighbour has been hired by the police as an adviser as the police force is not functioning very well. We are truly in a third world country. But all so very very interesting.

In just over two months we wing our way to Canada for six weeks vacation. Imagine shops, showers, the trappings of the western world. Will I be overwhelmed or love every minute of it? Send news of home. We love to hear about your lives, your families, even news of New Zealand. We haven't heard any international news for months, let alone about NZ.

Cheers Janet and David

It's David's birthday today. I took two chocolate cakes into David's work where he running a course on suicide prevention for 10 local counsellors here in Majuro in the North Pacific. They sang him a Marshallese happy birthday song. Now we have our one year visas we are settling into life here. I'm getting involved in a business mentor training programme. Life is very interesting. Click on the link in this email to see where we are. XxJanet Sent from my iPhone

position 07 06.182n 171 22.427e April 4 Bilgewater Band did its first private gig yesterday. Our only Kiwi friend on the island, Liz, from Wellington no less, turned 40, and had an afternoon party on the edge of the lagoon. Ben, an English clarinet player and Mark, American fiddle player, joined us in some excellent music making.

Life is very good here in Majuro in the Marshall Islands. (Click on the link to see where we are). This week we apply to extend our visas, so we'll know by the end of the week if we can stay. My work at the university is slowly getting underway. I've been meeting with students and helping them with their assignments. Very satisfying. Mak, who runs the MBA programme at the university, wants to start a small business mentoring programme and I'm helping design it. Right up my alley. David is loving his work and the agency that employs him.This week he visited half a dozen agencies to offer places on a "Working with suicidal people" course he has designed. He discovered that they are all funded by his boss, Julia. She has her fingers in every pie going, including an ex-convict, late of San Quentin, who runs a large gang of other dubious characters, rebuilding the lagoon foreshore. More on that wonderful story when I get to that blog post.

On Thursday the organisation David works for, had a special lunch to celebrate several staff members' birthdays and to welcome us as part of their 'family'. We were the only white people in the room. It was good being part of a Marshallese event as most of our interactions are with ex-pats. I'm really enjoying that community, they are a cosmopolitan, well-educated, adventurous group of people. I think they are easy to meet and get to know because of the transitory nature of our lives, as it is with the yachting community. We all know we only have a brief time to know these people so we get on with it.

In the last update I mentioned the yacht club elections - well I'm the event director and David is the prize director.

We are still occasional sailors and converted Navire from a floating apartment to a yacht, to sail to a nearby island for Easter. The palm trees and turquoise water reminded me that I was in the tropics.

We are off on a bike ride to explore some more of this island.

Cheers Janet

position 07 06.182n 171 22.427e We are not in Fiji! I recently started catching the blog up and posted two from Fiji, resulting in a few people thinking we were in there for the recent hurricane. We are over 1400 miles away, well out of the hurricane zone. Big change of plans. We are almost certainly staying here for a year. There are many skills shortages here and counselling is one of them. David got snapped up to work with youth suicide prevention counsellors. There is more work here than he could do in several years. I've potentially got some work at the University of South Pacific which may lead to paid work. We are really enjoying life here. It's very hot but we have acclimatised nicely. The social life is excellent. We have a group of people to play music with and the "Bilge Water Band" has had a little concert already. David is revelling in it. I have found fellow foodies and have had two great shared meals using local ingredients, a pumpkin night, and a coconut one. Yesterday we organised an outing to explore the atoll with 17 other people. It's very easy to meet people here but we have only met one other kiwi. Free yoga classes, good shops, laundromat. There is a drought though so we are very frugal with water. Today I went the local yacht club committee meeting and will put my name forward as events director. Another advantage of staying longer is that Fiji will be well into recovery when we go back there next year. We've heard some pretty dire stories from there. Cheers Janet

We've been here nearly a month now but have barely started on our burgeoning To Do lists. its taken this whole time to recover from a tenacious cold virus that struck us both low. I've had very little energy and it is a joy to feel the first tendrils of it emerge. Here's an update of our plans. We are in the Marshall Islands for the Hurricane season, then will head back to Fiji in April via Kiribati and Tuvalu. In November we'll sail back to NZ and settle in the Bay of Islands after a road trip to Wellington for Christmas. That's today's plan anyway. Majuro is an atoll, the capital of a large group of islands scanning seven to 12 degrees north. The Marshall Islands are in Free Association with the US so its a hybrid of a Pacific Nation and the US. Majuro itself is not a pretty place, most Pacific towns aren't. Because its on a long narrow strip of land there is no town centre, everything is spread out and you have to get cabs everywhere. No great expense at a $NZ1 a time. Food is dearer though, almost all imported from the US. Right now there is a drought and people are actually starving in the outer islands as the government ship is weeks overdue.

When I get to blog about this place I'll talk about the corruption and politics here. We are in a fleet of about 25 yachts, us the only kiwis. I'm enjoying the yachtie camaraderie. There is a thriving boat music scene going on, to David's delight. We have internet ashore, reasonable speed, which is a treat. We'll be here a few more weeks then will head out to visit the outer islands.

Cheer Janet

It was a crappy passage to teh Marshall Islands. The prevailing winds were NNE and we were going NNW. I was reminded of the sailing adage "Gentlemen don't sail to windward" Well this lady would rather not do that either. We tacked, we pounded into it. But that was only part of the misery. I picked up a gastro bug in Tarawa and David got a cold, neither really apparent till we were underway. Add in seasickness for me and the generally not enough sleep you get on passage. On our last night at sea we arrived at Majuro attoll after dark and hove to off the northwestern corner. It was still bouncy but a lot easier than sailing. We entered the lagoon in daylight and sailed ten miles of unfettered lagoon, no coral bombies to zigzag through, then a huge fleet of fishing ships appeared, about 40 of them, anchored off the main town. Through the other side I could a couple of dozens masts, our community for the summer, or winter as they call it here. It's academic so close to the equator. Eric from Aerial IV met us in his dinghy and took a line from the bow to thread through our mooring. I pushed the button. The engine stopped. I breathed out. No more passages for a while.

Janet

After a lovely couple of weeks in Abaiang we sailed back to Tarawa to provision and clear customs and immigration. Horrible exposed bouncy anchorage. Looked like headwinds most of the way to Majuro but that was the prevailing wind so we went anyway.

Merry Christmas from Navire At last we stop, for a few days at least. We are at Abaiang, a rarely visited (by yachts or imitang - white people) northern Kiribati atoll. We arrived at the southern end a few days ago and celebrated on Christmas Eve with the crew of four other boats. With ten people crammed in the cockpit we sang, played Secret Santa, and had a shared feast with the last of our provisions.

Christmas Day saw us scurrying up the atoll, zigzagging through the coral, to another village to escape the fetch from a strong northerly.

We have hosts here, Meriin and Tetau, a delightful young couple who live in Tarawa, who were our drivers on our big day out. We brought them up here on Navire to see parents for Christmas, and they have been providing excellent on shore hospitality.

The villages are gorgeous, the houses all made from locally sourced materials, thatched roofs abound.

For entertainment we are going to the Catholic church tomorrow, the building an almost Gothic edifice bestowed by the early missionaries, to hear the singing. On Monday we hire motor bikes to tour the island, and Tuesday join in a huge local party with music and feasting. Then we may have to move again for shelter as the wind strengthens and shifts direction. Shelter is a relative term, there really is nothing higher than a few metres up here.

Please send news of home. We will pick up our email in Tarawa at the beginning of January before we set off for Majuro.

We often think and talk of many of you, and treasure the emails we do get. It does feel a long way from home up here and I even had a bout of homesickness recently.

xx Janet

Tarawa, Kiribati December 20 I've just put the Christmas decorations up, all five of them. When we get to our next destination we'll find a branch and decorate it with tin foil and clothes pegs.

Tarawa is an island of contrasts. The harbour is littered with wrecks, very exposed and too dirty to swim in. Betio, the town nearby, is, depending on the weather, dusty or muddy. There is an enormous 'Road Rehabilitation' project going on. We've been traipsing around in 30 degrees searching each supermarket for eggs, fresh fruit and veg, even potatoes, but none to be had. Yet this place has a vibrancy about it. There are lots of people around, people active and doing stuff. And they are so friendly.

I organised a day out for the fleet on Wednesday, on a truck. We drove to the other end of this island then waded across a passage to another one and had lunch at an eco resort. I briefed the driver and his wife to help us find fresh produce and we did, at people's houses, and little roadside stalls, it was an adventure and a half.

Tetau and Meriin, the driver and his wife have befriended us and they are traveling up to Abaiang with us tomorrow, so now we have an entree to one of the villages there where Meriin's parents live.

We will have Christmas at Abaiang with four other boats. We have planned a meal, Secret Santa and some entertainment.

Send messages. We can check our email when we get back here in a couple of weeks.

Janet

We are in teh northern hemisphere!(written a week ago) 1045 Saturday December 12, 2015 David We crossed the equator a few hours ago. A big moment. This was the schedule of events: 1] The ritual abuse of all the initiates aboard and a welcome to the guild of transoceanic deep sea voyagers 2} a tot of rum over the side to all the sea gods we know plus some - Tangaroa, Posseidon, Neptune, Charibdis, Ra, Thor and Zeuse by thunder. 3}The singing of Navire's praises, 4} The reading of The Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner in its entirety 5)Run a bucket of water down the sink to see if it goes the other way 6)A toast to the skipper, the mate, Navire and absent friends.

Unlike the ancient mariner, we've had a dream passage. Mostly 7 -10 knots, today 15-20, no squalls to speak of except just after the equator. The North Pacific welcomed us with a brief shower and a few minutes of 30 knots. No doldrums this time.

Janet We are heading to Tarawa the main island of Kiribati. We plan to have Christmas at one of the outer islands with some of the fleet we are traveling with. We are on a five day passage which is the longest David and I have done with just two of us.

Nanumea, Tuvalu December 6 We made it into the Nanumea atoll. One of the fleet nearly didn't. Click on the link to see where we are. The pass into this lagoon is very narrow and shallow and has swell breaking on the ocean end of it. One of the yachts had just entered the pass when a wave lifted them onto the coral. At high tide. They thought their boat was a gonner. They put out a Mayday and the yachts with big dinghies went out to help, plus local boats. They managed to get off okay. it could have been any of us.

This is a gorgeous place, our first flat calm anchorage in a month. We haven't managed to get a lot going on shore, the local people are very shy. But we have had a very social time amongst the seven boats here, cooking good food and playing music and imbibing far too much alcohol. But the liver gets a week to dry out now. Tomorrow we head north 500 miles to Kiribati, where at last we will rest awhile. it will take a week or so. We just have to get through that pass again...

Cheers Janet PS I haven't got my gmail email for several weeks but we can access David's email if you need to contact me

It's dawn and my six hour night watch is nearly over. My bunk is looking very appealing.

We are out in the ocean north of Tuvalu, six degrees south of the equator. I'm sending this email via single side band radio. I haven't had my gmail email for ages. Its all satellite up here and very slow and unreliable, and expensive.

I gaze out at an empty empty sea. There's not much traffic out here. David saw fishing boats last night. In Tuvalu, our last stop we saw 16 large Asian fishing trawlers. Normally there are very few yachts up here but currently there are six behind us and five ahead of us. Its fabulous traveling in a convoy. We have set up a daily radio net and check in to see where everyone is.

We left Fiji at the end of October to get north of the hurricane season which started in November. On our way we picked up a wonderful Fijian Tuvaluan man who wanted to sail on the open ocean to the land where he was born before he died. The two weeks he was with us was quite a treat, he taught us about the sea and sky. We planned to spend just a few days in Tuvalu and continue north to get to safer latitudes but spent three weeks there. First of all Kailopa got us involved in local things, then we formed the yacht fleet and enjoyed the social time that came with it. Then a tropical depression formed near here (it later turned into a cyclone) and we had to take 'shelter'. We anchored behind an island that was only a metre high (and with coconut palms), all the land is only that high up here, no wonder they are concerned with rising sea-levels, and behind a reef. We still got 50 knots of wind but the reef took the brunt of the seas. Pretty uncomfortable and a bit scary. The yacht next to us had their dinghy flip, drowning the outboard motor (we'd shipped ours before the wind came up), then at dawn I saw them dragging towards us. I radioed them and they had started their engine to move away from us but got a rope around their prop rendering their engine useless. Fortunately they just slid past us then their anchor caught on a coral bombie. No one got much sleep that night.

I just checked the horizons and there are squalls around us. They can hit with a lot of wind and bring rain too.

Now we head 250 miles, two days travel, to a very rarely visited northernmost island of Tuvalu, Nanumea. You have to jump through a whole lot of hoops to get permission to visit it after you have cleared customs and immigration, and they don't always say yes. One of the yachts is there already and said the locals are delighted to have us visit.

Then on to Kiribati on the equator. We'll probably have Christmas there at a remote island with a few other yachts and hopefully do something in the village too. There are a couple of foodies in the fleet and we are planning the menu and days events already. The Americans (we have yachts from US, Sweden, France, Aus and us from NZ) know Secret Santa so we may do that.

Oh yes, we are probably coming back to NZ at the end of next season so I'll get to see you all in a year or so.

Cheers Janet

Funafuti, Tuvalu. A tropical depression is due to pass south of here and we have anchored at the northwestern end of the lagoon to get the tiny bit of shelter the small low profile island ahead of us affords, plus the reef breaks the swell. Except at high tide, like right now, we are lurching from side to side. Its like being at sea except we don't have to keep a watch. We are logging our position and depth in case of dragging, and wind speed and direction, and the barometer reading.

From here on in the islands are only about 1 metre high(plus coconut palms). I can see why the people up here are concerned about rising sea levels.

We have found fellow foodies and musicians in the fleet. On Saturday night we had a Mexican night complete with far too many Margaritas. Brian off Carla Catherine brought his accordion along and along with david ont eh guitar and all of us singing the music was fabulous.

After this low we'll go back to Funafuti and clear customs. We hope to get a couple of days of southerly to set us off on our 700 mile journey to Kiribati, our next stop.

Cheers Janet Conditions: Sheltered (somewhat from NW) 100% cloud, showers, NW 14, temp 30 degrees, bar 1004, humidity 75%

convection continues tomorrow with NW20

Still are in Tuvalu, and may be here for a while. There's not much wind up here, and most of it is from the north east, the direction we want to go in. We get frequent brief squalls with welcome downpours. Although we had a long squall with 30 knots on Saturday. Another week maybe. It really does feel remote up here, eight degrees south of the equator. They get very few yachts up here but this year we are a crowd of eight.

Having a great time in Tuvalu. Fabulous people. We see Kailopa most days and keep meeting more of his family and community. Have been to two feasts, local drumming and dance, watched the plane arrive, a rugby match and have evening drinks with the other cruisers. I'm loving having a community of boats. We share stuff, we are all heading in the same direction, we talk over the weather, not just a social nicety in this environment.

Janet Conditions: calm, ENE 8, 10% cloud, 28 degrees, bar 1008.7 Hi David, would you give us some information on the convergence zone. We are eight boats here now, most listening in. Until yesterday we weere getting lots of squally weather. Is this increased by the MJO pulse? Is teh pulse over us now? When will it pass (as much as you can tell). Reception not so good in anchorage but I can get a relay.

At the moment we are trying for leaving at end of the week, when there are a couple of days of light ESE, SE, then we'll probably have to motor to Tarawa as the wind goes variable.

Arrived safely in Tuvalu at dusk last night. Lovely wide open pass and coral free lagoon. Caught a fish on the way in. Anchored off Fongafale at Funafuti. Celebrated our arrival with a pina colada made with fresh coconut cream.

"Eight hours sleep - in a row," David declared as we went to bed at 8pm. But no, at 2.30am the skies opened and we rushed outside to set up the hoses and fill all our buckets. Unfortunately the rain filled the dinghy too which we'd left tied off the back, so bailed it, hoisted it off the side, and took the bung out.

Haven't cleared in yet. Hoping to get internet today. SEND NEWS! Conditions: heavy rain overnight. NW 30 knots briefly. Thunder and lightning. N12 Bar 1008.5, 95%cloud Thanks heaps GHR for weather up here. Four boats in anchorage and Exodus arriving midday.

arrived yesterday

0400 very light wind from dead ahead. Motoring. Just had a few hours of thunderstorms and wind all over the place. Should reach Tuvalu today although may have to hove to outside reef for night if we run out of light for getting through the reef. Dinner: Corned beef cottage pie again with coleslaw - last of the cabbage, and beetroot. Watties tinned beetroot - the taste of home.

Coditions: 5NE, motoring at 4.7 knots, just had squalls and 33 knots NE. Bar 1008, 100% cloud.

My watch. Not enough sleep. Nice day out here in the ocean though. Day two Rotuma to Tuvalu. We slide ever further north, NZ feels a long way away. Noone out here in this barren sea, although we know Exodus is leaving Rotuma about now. Rotuma was stunning. What an undiscovered jewel.

Conditions - ESE 15, cloud, bar 1009, 28 degrees (and rising), speed 6.5, course 26 degrees T, 193 miles to go

We are in the north eastern anchorage at Rotuma. We had an easy enough three day passage although I do find them tiring. We unexpectedly and delightedly have crew. In September at Nananu i Ra we met Fijian/Tuvaluan Kailopa from Kioa, and he invited us to visit. So we did. Long story short he is travelling with us to Tuvalu. He is 67, has been in boats all his life and is wonderfully easy going.

We arrived yesterday morning pretty exhausted, (saw a whale on the way in) went to shore to find out where to watch the rugby. Then got up at 3 this morning to see the game. We arrived back at the beach to see Navire and the other yacht in the anchorage surfing down two metre waves. The wind was still SE but there was a wicked wrap around swell happening. We raced back out to the boat and up anchored to a half a mile out where we get a long swell but it's only a bit rolly. Should ease tomorrow when wind drops.

We are probably here for a week or so as the wind is too light to go to Tuvalu.

Its absolutely gorgeous here. When its calmer we'll go in and start exploring.

Cheers Janet

Land ho! Its always an exciting moment to see land when you've been at sea. Kailopa spotted it at sunset. We all high fived. We will get close to the island tonight and heave to till the sun is up before we enter the north eastern anchorage. Lovely sailing with breezes of 12 to 15 knots all day.

eta late fri or slow down for saturday.. Spending a few days at Rotuma then head to Tuvalu

At sea en route to Rotuma. We have an additional crew member, Kailopa from Kioa. We met him back in Nananu i Ra and visited him in Kioa. He is travelling with us to Tuvalu. Caught a fish yesterday.

Weather: E16, 100% cloud, bar 1012.6 course 316T, speed 6, ETA Fri afternoon David would you let us know on radio if anything we need to watch out for. Gribs say SE15ish all the way

Beautiful morning in Kioa. Three and a half hour trip yesterday, mostly motoring in very light winds. Kioa been a full on Tuvaluan cultural experience. This island in Fiji is owned by a Tuvaluan community, full story in blog. We arrived on day two of celebrations of their arrival 68 years ago. We met our host Kailopa in Nananu i Ra in September when he was visiting his nephew. We were treated to drumming and dance, a tour of the village, dinner and singing, then danced the night away. Today we head to sea for a three day passage to Rotuma.

weather: calm, bar 1014, 20% cloud, 22 degrees.

Fawn Harbour, Vanua Levu Travelled 30 miles along the bottom of Vanua Levu. Alas 20-25 knot headwinds and motored most of the way. I was seasick. Very narrow coral passage into this lovely calm bay. Anchored far enough off land to have no mosquitos and could leave all the hatches open. Chicken and baked veges for dinner. Probably no more gourmet cooking till we get to Rotuma.

weather: N6 in lee of small island, 30% cloud, bar 1015, temp 24 degrees

We have finally left town. We had a great time in SavuSavu but all provisioned now and ready to go. Sailed an hour south yesterday and anchored off the Cousteau Resort. Roast chicken and salad for dinner.

Heading east along the bottom of Vanua Levu. We have two overnight anchorages before we head to sea to go to Rotuma, 300 miles north of here.

There will be frequent updates for the next week with weather, position and menu. These updates lay a track across the map on our page on YIT giving us a record of our journey.

Cheers Janet weather: in lee of point south of SavuSavu, NE10, 50% cloud, Bar 1015

Settled in on a mooring at SavuSavu. Lots of yachts get stuck here and I can see why. Its all here for boats. Cheap eating out, moorings, laundry, shops right on shore, and a fabulous social life. We have met about a dozen other cruisers already in two days, watched the rugby, had a fabulous music session with a violinist, and eaten out almost every meal.

This is our last supply stop in Fiji. From here we head east to Kioa for their annual arrival celebrations (more in the blog). Then we sail 300 miles north to Rotuma, Fiji's northernmost island. We will clear customs there and sail 250 miles to Tuvalu. From there we'll travel 900 miles to the Marshall Islands, 7 degrees north of the equator, where will stay for the hurricane season. There is a strong yachting community there as well as good facilities ashore. We plan to return to Fiji in 2016 and continue exploring. I am working on catching up blog posts now we are in one place for a while.

If you don't want to continue receiving updates and blog posts you can UNSUBSCRIBE by clicking on the manage subscriptions YIT link at the bottom of this email.

Please send news from home. We love receiving details of your lives. janet.nixon551@gmail.com or davidmason400@gmail.com. Don't include photos or other attachments.

We'll be on our Fiji phone number +679 8016862 for another couple of weeks then by limited email till we arrive in Majuro,hopefully before Christmas.

Cheers Janet

At Makogai, former leper colony for South Pacific, and turtle sanctuary. Having great social time with Enorphin and Obsession. Heading to SavuSavu.

S 12, Bar 1017, 90% cloud, 22 degrees, 62% humidity

Forecast overcast but sun came out to navigate the coral from Viti Levu to Ovalau. Motored in headwinds. Anchored at Rukuruku to look up a family we met here in 2011.

90%cloud, Easterly 6 and gusting, bar 1016, 25 degrees, 75% humidity

In transit from Nananu i Ra to Ovalau. Anchored at Toba Basiga. Glorious day navigating coral yesterday. Weather was supposed to be overcast, not good for coral spotting, but the sun came out and king tides meant we could actually see the coral at low tide. Lots of it. Good to be back on the green side of Viti Levu. The drought is pretty bad on the west side.

:position 17 32.573s 178 22.695e

:image catch of the day Anchored at Nananu i Ra, at the top of Viti Levu. Caught two fish yesterday! Resting up here for a few days to watch rugby and wait for favourable winds to sail to Ovalau. At the moment its strong SE headwinds for the rest of the week.

Anyone know what this fish is? (click on the link above to see photo and where we are) Janet

Anchored at Vatia Point. Heading east over the top of Viti Levu, weaving our way through the myriad of coral reefs. Alas missed the NZ/Argentina game but well done team for the win. And to Japan for beating South Africa. Oh yes - not even a ripple here from the tsunami.

Couple of nights of luxury in Vuda Point Marina. Celebrated my birthday with fellow cruisers and watched awesome South Africa Japan Rugby World Cup game along with the sad defeat of Fiji by the English. Had a fabulous fish curry lunch aboard with some of our Indian friends.

Janet

Back at Sawene near Lautoka to renew visas.

Heading south. Stopped at Naulawaki Bay top of Waya.

Relaxed for a few days at Blue Lagoon in Yasawas. Lynnis shouted me a fabulous night at the resort. Swam with Manta rays.

Janet

HEADLINE NEWS

Navire catches fish. A vicious delicious walu. The drought is

broken. Wahoo for walu.

This was shortly after we hit the coral. Its been a big day.

Motoring slowly up to a sandy cay to swim and explore, I prepared

to drop the anchor. Below the bow

I saw corals, purple and pink tipped staghorns, huge spirals of yellow green tabletop, turquoise parrotfish lazing in the fissured and canyons, dazzling angelfish hanging motionless and tiny electric blue fish darting about. All right there.

"REVERSEREVERSREVERSEREVERSEREVERSEREVERSEFUCKINGREVERSE!!!"

The prop desperately gripped the sea. The boat slowed, kissed the

coral and backed into feel blue water. We're missing a square

inch of antifouling from the bottom of the keel and several years

off our lives.

Kokodos entre and walu steaks for dinner. Yum.

Settled in to bay at the top of Naviti Island at Somosomo village. Did sevusevu today. Villagers very friendly. Fabulous children. Got pawpaw, bananas, and greens. Sheltered from easterly winds.

Stopped for night at Kautu on southern end of Waya, southernmost island of Yasawas. Lovely snorkelling on nearby reef.

Picked up Lynnis at Musket Cove

Back at Malolo Island sheltering from the very persistent winds here. Resting up till we pick up our friend Lynnis from Kerikeri on Monday and head up to the Yasawas.

Click on the link above to see where we are.

Janet

Tucked up in Vuda Point marina for showers, laundry, topping up all our liquids and filling the boat with food. Stayed five days. Hadn't planned to stay that long but I got sick. Once better I enjoyed the beautiful environment and catching up with other cruisers especially Wayne and Christine off Learnativity. Indulged myself in showers and laundry and one of the free cooking classes.Had an amazing day out with a local Indian family. More on that when I catch up with the blog.

Janet

Settled in Sawene Bay on on the western end of Viti Levu to drop Richard off and reprovision. Yesterday at Musket Cove to our great delight we met up with Bindy and Gavin from Distracted, and their guests Mike (founder of this wonderful YIT site) and Danica from Mirabilis, a Wellington boat reunion.

(wrote this a week ago and have been sick with a throat infection ever since.) Cheers Janet

Anchored in the now calm waters of Musket Cove we went ashore to the resort bar and helped the All Blacks resoundingly beat the Wallabies. We'd diligently practiced the Maori words to our national anthem and thought we'd be the only ones singing it. But no, after the Australians in the bar sat quietly through their anthem, the bar erupted with the NZ maori version. That's our people, I thought proudly. It was a good start to a thrilling night.

Cheers Janet

Bliss. We are at north west corner of Malolo Island in the Mamanucas and it is utterly gorgeous, so good to be out of the wind. Here we can swim and snorkel. We can't go ashore right here because there is a very exclusive resort onshore (over-the-water-bungalows $3000 a night) but close by is Castaway Island where we will go for a drink one evening.

We expected the anchorage to be full of boats doing the same as us, escaping the wind, but there was only one other boat, a New Zealand one, so of course we got together for drinks.

We are probably here till Sat when we'll go back to Musket Cove to watch the rugby. Send more news from home!! Cheers Janet

Bouncing on our anchor at Musket Cove. We'd hoped to escape the wind by coming west but its howling here over in the Mamanucas. Sailed from Yanuca to Robinson Crusoe Island in Likura Bay. Windy spot too but went to a show at the resort, spectacular Fijian fire dancing. Lovely sail up here this morning with wind behind us and moderate swell, but anchorage exposed to the south. Alas it's predicted to be a particularly windy season this year. So those of you suffering the cold in NZ its much warmer here but we are suffering the vagaries of weather too.

Cheers Janet

Left Beqa in 30 to 40 knots wind, but glorious flat seas and bright sunshine. As we came along the south coast the wind eased and we encountered a two knot current so looked for closer anchorages. Most looked very exposed with surf crashing on the beach till we got to Yanuca. Suddenly we are in tourist Fiji anchored outside the Shangri La Resort. Had tuna baked in lolo for dinner. Tuna from fishery in Suva, alas our lures haven't yeilded yet, and coconut cream that David grated en route.

Thinking about Robinson Crusoe Island for the rugby tomorrow but can't get through by phone. Anyone know if they are still yacht friendly? Janet

Arrived at Beqa. Very quick trip in 25 to 40 knots of wind. Lumpy sea, 2 to 3 metre swells. Sun came out for a while but at least no rain. Very gusty anchorage. Will probably move on west tomorrow. Good to be out of Suva. Looking for anchorage where we can watch All Blacks/Aus on Saturday night. Click on link above to see where we are on a Google map.

:-) Janet

Finally leaving Suva bound for Beqa Island. ETA 1500. Grey sea, grey sky and drizzle but forecast is for clearing. Good to be underway again. Janet Sent from my iPhone

We are back in Suva anchored at near Lami. On Sunday our friend Richard Moss joins us and we go west for some white sandy beaches. snorkelling and Margaritas. Click on the link and have a look at the blog to read some of our stories about village life in Kadavu, especially David's one "A Treasured Weight".

Send comments and emails.

xx Janet

Goodbye to Kadavu after five weeks here. Feeling rested and in good health again. Sailing to Suva tomorrow (Monday) 60 mile trip, eight to ten hours. Can't leave till daylight so we can see the coral reefs, and want to arrive in Suva harbour so we can anchor in daylight and avoid abandoned fishing boats, sunken wrecks and concrete bunkers. Ten days in Suva then off to explore more of Fiji with Richard Moss on board for two weeks. Send emails and comments janet.nixon551@gmail.com. Love to hear news from home.

Cheers Janet

Kavala Hbr Kadavu Fiji

Kadavu

Second week at Kavalu Bay, Kadavu. Lots of time pottering on boat, doing stuff with the people of the bay; visitors on the boat, playing music, lunch at the chief's house, taking his son in-law sailing, he taking David fishing, going to church for the singing, lots of cooking local food. Front coming through tonight from tropical cyclone Raquel (over Solomons). Hope we are well positioned. In good health now.

Cheers Janet and David

They seem to have taken residence here so Kavalo must be a good place

anchored

Janet, June 14 We are out of Suva at last. Anchored at Ono in Astrolabe Reef north of Kadavu. Had a very brisk and bouncy passage down from Suva. Very gusty here, hope it settles down. Like being at Chaffers Marina in Wellington. David is now down with the cold and I am almost recovered. Even went snorkling with the neighbours, Clark Gable, this afternoon. We are mostly out of internet range for the next week or two.

Just got back to Suva. Went to nearby Nukulau island to try and give Piet a few days island R&R but David and I were both sick and not much fun. Made me feel homesick. We are dropping Piet off tomorrow and will anchor in a nearby bay to recover fully and then hopefully next week will be the beginning of our wonderful tropical experience. Still got a few bugs in our phone systems but will sort tomorrow. After Suva plan to go south to Kadavu, then East to the Lau group. All very remote and will be largely out of range for possibly a couple of months.

We made it! 13 days at sea. We arrived at Suva Harbour on Thursday, exhausted but happy. Its been a very busy time here doing official stuff and reprovisioning.

A huge thankyou to those who posted comments while we were at sea. It was a great joy to have them come flooding in when we hooked up to local internet.

Our Fiji phone numbers are Janet +679 8016862, David +679 8016882. If there are any good calling deals going give us a call or text.

Tomorrow we head to Beqa Island nearby to give Piet an island holiday for a few days before he heads back to NZ on Friday.

I'll get started on the blog when we are anchored in a white sandy bay. More soon.

x Janet

Suva in sight so a good sleep coming

nearly there. Can see the loom of Suva and a light on Kadavu but won't officially see land till dawn in an hour or so. Yay last night watch for a while. I'm over it for now.

Hoping for Suva tomorrow. Cottage Pie for lunch with avocado and tomato salsa. One zucchini left and a few stubborn hard kiwifruit. Bring on the markets.

Its 6am and my watch again. Surely I just got to bed, but no, I reluctantly drag myself back on deck. I feel like I've been partying all night and got involved in brawl on the way home.

We left Minerva Reef yesterday bound for Suva in a lumpy malevolent swell. We have 269 miles to go to Fiji. I while away my watch dreaming of a long sluicing shower, cold beer and a crunchy salad on the deck of the Suva Yacht club, then lying in a bed that is not moving, and sleeping all night, uninterrupted.

Meanwhile back to current business. Wind 12 knots SSE, course 288T, cloud 60%, occasional squall,bar: 1013.7, 3m swell, lumpy, speed 5.7.

Click on link above to see where we are and leave a comment. It will be lovely to arrive and get messages from home.

rolly at high tide

Still at Minerva. Waiting till the wind and sea eases a bit to head to Fiji. Haven't been able to get on the reef as its been too rough and windy. Spent yesterday studying weather, and doing domestics and maintenance. Last night's menu: roast kumera, potato and garlic, suateed chicken tenderloins with dill, and zucchini Provencale. Down to the last bits of green veg now.

Wind 24 to 30 knots, cloud cover 60%, bar 1012

Janet It's midnight and I'm on anchor watch. So much for getting my first full night's sleep in a week. Arrived at Minerva Reef yesterday morning in bright sunshine but by evening a large black front was upon us. We'd been aiming to get here before it hit. Encircled by an almost 360 degree reef we only get the wind and not the rough seas. On anchor watch we constantly monitor our position to check for any dragging of the anchor. We have a GPS alarm set. This morning we swam in turqoise water that caressed our weary bodies, then had the first shower in a week, and are nice to be near again. I cooked from scratch serving up an olive and tomato pasta with green bean and carrot salad.

Click on the link above and zoom right in to see the tiny lagoon we are in.

at entrance to Minerva. Good conditions

COG 34T. Speed 5.8 under motor, wind 12 N, 60% cloud cover - mackerel sky, bar 1010.2. ETA Minerva 0900 sat, give or take.

Minerva Reef in the morning, all going to plan. Slow upwind slog these last couple of days but ooooooh, it's warm. We're looking forward to having a few full nights sleep without all this rocking and rolling. And to experience the weirdness of putting our anchor down in mid ocean. Smorgasbord of curries yesterday and today - prep for Fiji. Piet says 'Hi Hazel'.

88m to Minerva

hdg to N Minerva

Its midnight out here, motoring through an inky black calm sea, under a starry sky. There is no wind. A gentle breeze is our ideal as we had all day yesterday, but I'll put up with no wind compared with 30-40 knots and a bucking sea we had last night (Wed night). We use this email to report our conditions to Gulf Harbour Radio who we check in with each morning: No cloud, wind 5 knots variable, barometer 1013,course 14, speed 5 knots, aiming for Minerva Reef, ETA Friday or Saturday. And its warm, no more cumbersome wet weather gear. We'll probably cross the dateline today.

Yesterday we had chilli con carne for lunch complete with platter of accompaniments, sour cream, limes, cheeses, avo, lettuce etc.

I look forward to Minerva - anchor down, sleep all night, company, there are a number of other boats sailing at this latitude, many heading for Minerva. Click on link above and send your comments which we will get on arrival.

Cheers Janet

After motoring for 27 hours we're sailing fast over easy seas. It's getting warmer - light clothes on night watch. Almost half way to Minerva. Great passage. Thai chicken curry for lunch today, our main meal.