Rainy NZ

Our trip back to Opua was fine on the bus, but it was pouring rain the entire time, and it looks like we were lucky to get out of Nelson when we could; theairport was closed down shortly after we left on Thursday. I spent yesterday with Brandy in Kerkeri shopping a little for Christmas and for our trip down to Whangarei, and today we are doing the last chores before leaving tomorrow. We plan to move Sidewinder tomorrow, out to an anchorage near the entrance to the Bay of Islands, and then head around Pt Brett and Whangarei, about 70 miles down the east coast on Tuesday. The weather has been very unstable and we just hope we can make it down there before stronger winds and rains come again. We tried to download (or is it upload?) the precious pictures we took of our trip on Vera and our time in Nelson and somehow found no pictures. BUMMER !!! David put the camera in his check-in bag for the first time ever, but they have no machines or security procedures on the domestic flights, so we are completely miffed. When we spoke to Billy this morning, he suggested that we save the memory card and try to have a photo shop see what they might be able to do. Looks like the blog entry will have to stand by itself and that, too, is a bummer. Again.......oh well!   I am ordering a new fold-up kayak for my Christmas present and am having it sent to your address. I hope that is okay with you. I will have to pay for the extra baggage, but that is the least expensive way I could get it here. It folds up into a 35 lb bag so I am hoping it will be fairly convenient to take with me on the plane. It will be very fun to have it in Fiji and it can be a one or two person kayak. Sounds pretty cool, eh?!!!!