Lockdown on Avante
There are no complaints aboard Avante. The first weeks of Level 4 Lockdown pass uneventfully. The imperative coming from Prime Minister Ardern’s government is that everybody must stay at home unless performing an essential task. Outdoor exercise is encouraged, but it is to be low risk and done in one’s backyard or one’s neighborhood. New Zealand is crisscrossed with hiking trails, but people are told that they may only access them if they are right off one’s backyard and then only for short walks. The same rules apply to us yachties. The boat is our home, but nothing is said about how or whether we can get off our boats to exercise. Without specific directions, we all determine that any island off which we are anchored is our “backyard”, and the trails cutting across our “backyard” are easy for us to reach for outdoor exercise. Since swimming is not allowed, the only way to access our “backyard” is by the dinghies that we all have. Thus, for the first several weeks, us yachties move around the bay, anchoring where the best protection from winds is afforded, and many of us are taking our dinghies to the nearby beach and hiking the trails for healthy, outdoor exercise.
Friday, March 27th – Anchored off Roberton Island, we meet John & Lyn Martin on shore for a hike up to the Pa, the ancient Maori fortification. At the summit, we practice our social distancing, but more than that, we enjoy the fellowship of being together. Internet contact has its value, but, in this time of social isolation, we are all learning the immense importance of personal contact.
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On our way back to Avante, we stop by s/v FreeWheel to chat with Annette & Ron. To our delight, they give us two Snapper that they had caught. What a treat! The First Mate knows that, for sure, it takes time to catch even one regulation-size snapper. Here are two! “It takes patience, too,” thinks the oft put-upon Captain, but he savors the effort at dinner that night.
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Saturday, March 28th – One of The First Mate’s favorite anchorages in the Bay of Islands is Army Bay on Moturua Island. The island is small, the anchorage is peaceful, and the land around is beautiful.
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There is only one trail on this island, but it marches all around the island going up and down into many of its bays with wonderful views along the way. Climbing up from Army Bay, we stop to admire the view and the boats at anchor.
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With no dogs allowed on this island and the rodent population being eradicated, the national bird of New Zealand, the small flightless kiwi, has a chance at survival. This summer, though, has been a very dry one. Some human Kiwi has kindly thought of his small, feathered namesakes.
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Most of our time, however, is spent on Urupukapuka Island. If the wind is blowing from the north or east, we anchor in Paradise Bay.
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If it is blowing from the west, we can move around to Urupukapuka Bay. Both are beautiful, and both have trails leading up from the beach.
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With returning strength and energy, The First Mate is ready, eager even, to take on the higher treks on this island. One is to the Pa on the northern end of the island. With vertical sides dropping steeply to the water below, they leave no doubt as to the defensive position this site offered.
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Leaving the Pa, we follow a steep, dirt trail. With precipitous drops and no guard rail, The First Mate thinks of her energetic, rambunctious 4-year old grandson and knows this would not be the outing to take him on!
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We continue to be impressed with the trail system running throughout New Zealand and with how well maintained this valuable asset of theirs is. Here is no exception. The planning and labor that went into building these stairs down the steeper portions of the trail shows a nation that cares and invests in the bounty that Mother Nature has given it.
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All along the trail on this side of the island there are fascinating views of this rugged coast. The drop-offs are arresting. The area below is only accessible by water or rock climbing.
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There is a lookout point along this trail where we enjoy a picnic stop. The view across the Bay of Islands is great, but sitting quietly by ourselves up there, what The First Mate enjoys the most is the song of the birds and the wind rustling the leaves in the trees.
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Near the southern end of the island, above Cable Bay, there is a grove of venerable, old trees. These ancient “grandfathers” are a delight to The First Mate and capture her imagination. She can picture a group of youngsters happily monkeying around in them, and not to be outdone by her thoughts, she climbs up herself. Look at the size of these majestic beauties! Who would not feel like a child sitting in one?
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Our first weeks of Stay At Home Alert Level 4 pass quietly. With almost daily 2 – 3-hour hikes, we are feeling healthy. It is wonderful for The First Mate to feel she is getting back in shape. Hiking is not something we normally are able to do on a regular basis when sailing in many of the Pacific Islands. Here in New Zealand, we can. Other than a very infrequent spat of bad weather, days have been bright, sunny and a perfect temperature for hiking or even eating outside on deck.
There are two requirements of this Lockdown, though, that are making our life on Avante different and less appealing from the way we have cruised for years. One is that we are hardly sailing at all. Recreational boating is not allowed, and travel out of your home area is frowned upon. Consequently, we are not sailing distances up and down the coast to some of our favorite spots but are staying within the confines of the Bay of Islands. Normally, we are on the move, but now we sit in anchorages for days, usually only moving when wind changes make a particular bay uncomfortable. Sadly for a racer/cruiser like Avante, her mainsail has not been up at all, and she has not been speeding through the water at an angle. The First Mate, intrepid sailor that she is, accepts this restriction much more easily than The Captain.
The second thing we are missing is the socialization with other yachties. We occasionally dinghy by another boat and stop for a “social distance” conversation, but there is no socializing onboard boats for drinks or dinners, and we are not meeting any new people. How The First Mate misses the spontaneous get togethers and dinners that are part of yachtie life! We know that life is not going to return to anything like normal for any of us anytime soon, but if we learn anything in this time of lockdown and social distancing, it is the little things, the often inconsequential things, that are the most important. Being able to go for a walk, a run, a sail, a hike whenever and wherever. Gathering with family and friends, sharing times together — What a spartan life we will all have if we cannot safely do any of this as freely again!
None of the above, however, means that we do not fully support New Zealand’s consistent and measured approach to dealing with this pandemic. With the number of new cases falling daily, it appears to be working. We feel safe and secure here knowing that New Zealand has been acting both on scientific knowledge and for the good of its people and the country. What more in these times could we ask for? Sitting on deck as the sun sets over our anchorage in Paradise Bay, we have not one complaint, not a one.
Comments (5)
Alison Stump
This is your best blog yet. To tell a positive story is a wonderful tonic for us all.
judith hall
What a way to be “isolated”
Barbara Sorenson
Hi
Again I’m following you around and enjoying your commentary. I remember hiking the Milford Tract in the nineties and that trail had some difficult spots but was very rewarding. Being confined on your boat doesn’t sound badl. It is very boring here but bearable. Happy sailing and sheltering.
Barbara o
sieglinde rammelt
hi dear friends on AVANTE; NICE TO HEAR GOOD NEWS FROM YOUR FAR AWAY ISOLATION. we here in Germany are on the way to normal very very slowly, but there are now stupid persons (more and more) who do not take care of distance or masks go for demonstrations against the government, whereas we far away from any big town enjoy life by eating alone without guests hiking every day about at least one hour in our beautiful area, sending messages to our family near Munich or to Australia, where Michaela has now more quiet days after the hectic organisation returning 10000 Germans on (free) planes to Germany. The whole family is well (Simon has even been sailing with a friend 2 days on the east coast), the girls will be back to schoolsoon ut a visit to Germany is still far awaywhen???). Sttay safe and healthy and enjoy life – we do — .
Georgiann Carroll
Sue and Bill,
Missing you!! Hope to see you in Telluride this summer. I am leaving Tucson on the 6th of June and will be in Telluride until September 1st. Only people who own homes in San Miguel County are free to return. Others are advised to go home immediately or there is a fine of $5,000 and imprisonment in the County Jail for up to 18 months. Therefore, you are free to return.
I am so sorry to learn of your Pneumonia and the destroy of your Lexus. Pleased to hear about the visit of Grandson and Grand daughter. Loved the water sharing with Kiwi.
Hope to see you this summer.
Much Love, Georgiann