Back on Irie in Moorea

On June 8^th, Mark and I traveled back in time with a plane from Auckland, New Zealand to Papeete, Tahiti. We arrived late afternoon on June 7^th, with plenty of time left to catch a ferry back to Vaiare on Moorea, where Irie is docked in the marina. Clean, roomy, welcoming and in great shape, she was waiting for us med-moored and safely secured (this is the first time in eight years we didn’t have to worry about her while being away!). Such a shame she hasn’t sold yet. At $129,000 (negotiable) this boat is a good buy and the difficult part – the Pacific Ocean crossing – is taken care of already!

On our last day in Auckland, Mark and I took a little daytrip by ferry into the Hauraki Gulf. We set foot on Rangitoto Island, the youngest (600 years old) of the city’s 50 extinct volcanoes. The weather wasn’t all that good, but we managed to explore the island reserve (nobody lives there) by doing a few drizzly walks and hiking to the top. The view over the harbor, the city and the surrounding islands was pretty sweet. Back in the flat, it was time to pack and enjoy the landlubber lifestyle for one more night.

Mark and I were hoping that Irie sold during our two month stay in New Zealand, because we are finished with the cruising life for now. Since that hasn’t happened yet (“location, location, location” is relative - Irie is located in a gorgeous location, but she is basically laying in a paradise in "the middle of nowhere" for people to check her out), we needed to make new plans. The Wirie business is thriving and Mark has (and wants) to be in the United States, so we have booked plane tickets back to Massachusetts. He is leaving Irie on June 18^th, while I wrap a few more boat related things up and plan to further explore Moorea. After saying goodbye to our dependable and amazing floating home of eight years, I will get on a plane and arrive in Boston late on July 4^th, after the Independence Day fireworks display. 

The city center of Auckland, seen from the bay

Auckland, seen from the ferry approaching Devonport

Entrance to Rangitoto Island Scenic Reserve

Birds drying off in the park

Volcanic rock - a lot of it!

The ever present fern tree

View along the hike to the top of the island

Auckland and the harbor, seen from the top

The top of the Rangitoto volcano offers a 360 degree view

The day - and our stay in New Zealand - ended with the sight of a sailboat race.

Leaving Rangitoto Island by ferry

Ferry building in Auckland

New Zealand under our wings

Flying over (cloudy) Moorea

Marina Vaiare, seen from our plane. Irie is the white boat in the middle! :-)

Tahiti seen through the clouds, with its peaks poking above them