Author: richwest3

January 2013

Danny and Mo are our friends from the boat called Sam – the Kiwi boat that was part of our group crossing from Tonga to New Zealand.

We got to catch up with them and visit their place outside of Kerikeri.  They have converted a cow shed into a lovely home and live on a beautiful piece of property in the countryside.  In some ways I was reminded of our home back in Fallbrook as they grow avocados, but their yard has big blue birds (pukekos) and cows that make funny faces while eating oranges.  That’s daily life for them but high entertainment for us! –Cyndi

January 1, 2013

Cyndi said something a while back that I think I should share. We were talking about coming to a strange country – one that we’d never been to before – and running into people you know everywhere. That’s what cruising is like. She said “It’s like your whole town moved to a new place with you. Your friends, acquaintances and even people you’ve just seen in the market but don’t really know.”

That’s really what it’s like. A new place but the same, wonderful community. Another big plus of cruising. -Rich

Bit of News: We’re headed to Auckland in the next few days! We’ve had another issue with our radar and are headed to Simrad (just outside Auckland) to exchange it. We’ll also get a sail re-cut at North Sails and spend some time exploring the city. -Cyndi

January 1, 2013

May all of your dreams come true in 2013 – may this be the best year yet for all of us!

With about 15 minutes remaining in 2012, we left the boat and walked a little ways up a nearby hill where we were treated with a great view of the Piahia-Russell fireworks show.  Special!

(We’re on the other side of the date line so we welcome the new year a day earlier than America.  Spoiler alert: so far, 2013 is great!)

December – May 2103

New Zealand’s specialty dessert is pavlova. A meringue shell is baked to be crisp on the outside and soft on the inside, then topped with berries and whipped cream. It’s especially popular in the summer and, like pumpkin pie is the standard American holiday dessert, Pavlova is the standard Kiwi holiday dessert. It’s delicious, and I’m surprised it’s not more popular in America. –Cyndi

December – May 2103

Our first clue that New Zealand’s burgers are different came in Samoa, which was once a New Zealand territory and still does many things the Kiwi way. Here, we found that it’s standard to use a slice of beet on a burger.  We figured we’d give it a try, and discovered that the flavor and texture of beet is wonderful on a burger. It’s slightly sweet, which is great with the savory meat.

When we got to New Zealand, we found that not only is a slice of beet the norm, but a fried egg is often on the burger, too. So basically a New Zealand burger will have all the regular stuff:  meat, lettuce, tomato, onion, cheese, and maybe dressing, but there will also be the thick slice of beet and a fried egg. The end result is yummy!

Here’s a picture of a Kiwi burger from Mc Donald’s, who do a really nice version of it. –Cyndi