Weird Images from New Zealand

[u079721]

My wife and I just returned from a month-long self driving trip of New Zealand, or 2600 miles of driving on the wrong side of the road. Of course we sailors always associate the Bay of Islands with New Zealand, and we did get to do some boating while there, but alas no sailing, just day trips on cruise boats. But I do have a couple of boating images from New Zealand that I found interesting to share.

The first two were taken in the harbour (that's how they spell it....) in Auckland. Can you imagine trying to dock your boat with those huge anchor platforms sticking out on port and starboard? If you were backing down on a Med mooring you would have everyone else running for their fenders or deck chair cushions to fend you off. But I guess if your boat is big enough for a helicopter pad you do what you want.

The next photo is of a harbor on the east coast of the south island just north of Dunedin. You have to imagine that the boaters here have some kind of industrial bird problem to resort to wrapping your entire deck with netting.

And the final photo has nothing to do with boating, it's just my favorite of the trip - Mt. Cook in the southern alps, taken from the window of a small plane. Pretty much the trip of a lifetime, even if there wasn't any sailing.

 

[Rocinante33]

Nice pics, Steve! Especially that shot from the plane with the mountains reflected from the underside of the wing.

Well down the bucket list would be to sail to distant New Zealand for the purpose of skiing. I have always thought it would be so cool to tie up those two passions of mine in that way. Maybe, but as I say, well down the bucket list.