Tall Ship Soren Larsen Sailing adventure for all ages

Tall Ship Soren Larsen ~ South Pacific Sail Training Adventure for all ages

See Previous 2004 Voyage Logs

New Caledonia to Norfolk island and New Zealand 2004
V208 - part 2

Noreen's final journal entry - Arrival in New Zealand - and the completion of the adventure..

*Noreen's final journal entry - Arrival in New Zealand - and the completion of the adventure..* James wins the tot of rum for being the first to sight land on the morning of November 12th, the Three Kings are seen off the Starboard bow and soon afterwards the long white cloud of New Zealand was upon us and very little was seen until late in the afternoon. Gene won the contest for guessing the time when North Cape would be off our beam, earning a beer off everyone! It was great to see New Zealand, but I was missing the hot weather from the islands…and would there be locals greeting us in outrigger canoes? I think not! I was woken by James saying you could see Paihia and Russell, I could hear no engine and thought he may have been joking around, until I came up on deck and saw that we had managed to sail right up the harbor towards Opua! Wow, we made it…. what a shock it was to be back in the “real world”!
canadian ship!.	cape brett light house.	cape brett.	coming along side opua wharf.
final trip group photo.	greg being messanger while andy flakes the chain.	heaving up the anchor.	Hole in the Rock.
We anchored just off the wharf for breakfast and waited for the customs and quarantine to show up, after coming alongside we were boarded and the paperwork came out. I guided the quarantine officer through the ship while the customs officials stamped our passports and gave us the o.k. to enter New Zealand. After every nook and cranny was inspected we were given time ashore to re-provision, wander around Opua or relax on the ship for a few hours. After moving the ship over to the quiet harbor near Russell dinner was served and then the queue formed for boats ashore to the pub! With a fresh start to the day we motored around to a nearby island, Urepukapuka where Holgar patiently waited for his chance to talk to all on board about his experiences with the Last Grain Race. We sat attentively for an hour listening to the ways of the past aboard a tall ship, thankful for the “luxury” that we experience nowadays! He talked of porridge every day for lunch and pea and pork soup every night for dinner, I think everyone really appreciated the curry and naan bread that I had prepared for lunch after that talk! While voyage crew took the time to mosey around the island crew busied themselves aboard the ship catching up with maintenance and preparing for a BBQ ashore at Terri and Jim’s place on Roberton Island!
Holgar's talk of the Last Grain Race.	johnny sailmaker.	last crew photo.	liam painting the boat.
lunch below.	myrna and gene.	myrna, gene, andy and geoff on the course bunts and clews.	nick and andy aloft.
After picking up anchor we moved the ship around the corner to Roberton, stopping briefly to drop James, Barry, Liam and myself in the dinghy so that we could pick pippies (shellfish found in the shallow waters at low tide) to cook over the campfire! Everyone, except the four ship keepers, headed ashore for a wander along the beach or up to the lookout point or a sneak peak at Jim and Terri’s boat that they are building. Before long the clouds began rolling in a people quickly gathered round the fire for a chance to stay warm and free from raindrops, as well as grab hot pippies off the fire! Bobby had the BBQ lit and before long Kenny showed up to show off his great Australian talent of cooking over the “barbie”! We indulged on sausages, chicken, roast kumara and courgette, corn on the cob and a scrumptious array of salads…wowie what a feast! While we were cozy by the fire, out on the ship forty knots of wind gusted around her and before long a few hands were brought back onboard to help heave anchor and move closer into the bay for shelter. By the time the last dinghy returned to the ship there was a clear starry sky and although the temperature had dropped a few degrees we were at least dry!
nick and kenny hoisting australian flag.	not the captain.	on the course yard.	richard's bday.
Whangaruru is a harbor down the coast where we found ourselves positioned the following night; we spent the day sailing down the coast with a strong breeze behind us giving us the opportunity to tack a few times and enjoy the day sail…as well we had a visit from a pod of Orcas, a real treat to spot the black and white mammal gliding through the emerald waters! Sailing off the anchor seems to be Jim’s specialty, where a favorable breeze allows us, we find ourselves ungasketing the sails and preparing for the orders from aft to set the jibs, back the lower topsail, wait for the ship to turn and then set the remaining sails for a lovely cruise out of the harbor! Today, November 16th, in the distance, we can see the Poor Knights off our port beam and gradually our destination, Great Barrier Island, grows larger and larger on the horizon! The following day was spent on one of New Zealand’s finest tramping islands and Voyage Crew, along with their packed lunches, ventured into the wilderness to explore. After moving around to Whangaparapara harbor the next morning, we managed to arrange a mini bus to bring us to the path that leads to some natural hot pools. After trecking for half an hour we could smell the pools before we could see them, the sulfur wafted in the air but it did not deter us from sliding into the soothing water! What a great way to soak away the aches and pains from the previous days walk!
richard's birthday.	the Fins at sunset.	the FIns.	the nationality of the crew.
the places we've been.	the scurvy crew.	thomas and yvonne.	tony on lookout from the DHR.
The last full day on board started out with a cracking morning sail with Nick, the second mate in command, doing a fine job sailing us off the anchor while the boys took turns hand cranking up the anchor! We had a stop over on Tirtirmatangi for our nature enthusiast to do one final walk before rejoining those on board who were preparing for the evenings themed fancy dress party…Rascals, Renegades and Women of Ill Repute! There was not a dull moment that evening, with a dominatrix, a variety of women (who were men!) and a group of rather large breasted ladies, there was laughter upon laughter…maybe the rum punch helped a little! Happy Birthday to Gene…a birthday on the final day of the voyage, you know what that means…the pub is waiting!
water bombing Tucker Thompson.	womean of ill repute.	working on deck.	yvonne's birthday.

Now I sit here with an absolutely blank mind and can’t think of what to write, it is the final entry into my two years of tales of sailing on Soren Larsen as cook, camerawoman, journal writer, hairdresser and medical officer….I have had the absolute experience of a lifetime sharing laughs, cries, aches and pains with great crew members as well as meeting an uncountable number of great friends along the way.

Thank you to all who have shared in the fun and although I am leaving Soren shortly I will always carry the fantabulous memories with me. Here’s to the tattoo club, the girlie cabin, the galley goddesses, the focksie boys/(girl), the children of every island whom we’ve visited (they are the real thing!), vanilla rum, the great hospitality of Pitcairn!!!, singing sea shanties, and the unbelievable vibe that comes with the Pacific Islands. Wait for my cookbook…it’s coming! I hope that you have enjoyed sharing in the tales of Soren and that if you have not already experienced life aboard a tallship, that you make an effort to do so!

Fair Winds, Following Seas and good GRUB along the way….