I've been in Auckland for a few days now.  I've recovered from the long flight, adjusted to the time change, and rendezvoused with sailing vessel Avalon.  She looks great!  Owners Tom and Di live aboard now, so they are keeping Avalon in ship-shape condition!  

Still, there is a lot of work to do before we embark on the 1,200 mile sail to Fiji.   So, after a reunion dinner and a couple days of rest, I am ready to get to work!  

We've been cleaning, organizing, and securing items on board.  We've been meeting with a few service professionals to fine-tune the operation of key boat systems and to research/purchase a new dinghy.  And we've done some preliminary provisioning at the grocery store.  

For me, joining Avalon on these voyages continues to be a fantastic learning experience on boat ownership, passage planning, and the "cruising life." 

In my downtime, I've also been revisiting some of my favorite restaurants and coffee shops in the bustling city of Auckland.  And I've enjoyed a few leisurely walks along the waterfront admiring the various sailing and power vessels in port.  (If I remember and have time, I'll go back and add particular names/places to this post.)

Today, I'm up early to help finish our boat jobs here in Auckland.  Hopefully, then, by midday we will depart and make our two-day passage up to Marsden Cove Marina.

There, we will spend another several days to do final planning and preparation.  We will wait for good weather, and then check out of New Zealand and head north.  

For now, all is well and I'm excited for our adventure!