Blank Slate

Happy (belated) New Year!

After spending the Holidays in Oregon with family, in January I headed back to the small community of San Carlos, in the Bay Area, where I have leased a one-bedroom apartment.

So far, I’ve been really happy with the apartment’s size and location. I’ve been able to transfer all my belongings from my storage unit to the apartment. The apartment is on the third floor so it feels pretty secure. And the apartment is walking distance to downtown San Carlos, the library, and the train station.

Having lived “on the road” for 4 years, I am now really enjoying a place to call home again…

In February, my friend Bala visited the Bay Area, and we took a road trip to Yosemite National Park for a few days of hiking. We couldn’t have timed it any better. Although it was winter time, we had clear skies and 60-degree temperatures! There wasn’t much snow on the ground, which was a bit of bummer, but it made the drive very easy. Crowds were light as well, perhaps because people feared inclement weather and cold temperatures. We got very lucky!

Because of the decent weather, I was also able to get out sailing on the SF Bay a few times! I’m excited for the summer season to start!

My plan for 2020 is to be based here in the Bay Area and teach sailing at OCSC Sailing Club. In terms of travel, it’s a blank slate. Nothing on the books yet, but I’m sure that will change…

For now, I’m just trying to catch up on DBT.com!

Half Dome

el capitan

arriving at sunset

classic viewpoint of valley

yosemite valley floor… very little snow for february. half dome in the distance.

El Capitan

El Capitan and El Capitan

sailing the hanse 38

sailing the J-24

Exploring Sydney

My Australian adventure had already been pretty awesome, beginning with a 900-mile sail from New Caledonia (and participating in the Down Under Rally events) and most recently including an 8-day road trip around Tasmania.

Now, for my last week, I flew from Hobart to Sydney. I would visit the iconic city of Sydney, and use it as a home base to explore surrounding beaches and National Parks.

Public transportation in Sydney is good, starting with the very easy train ride from the airport to the Central Station in the city center. One thing that makes the public transportation so easy is that you can just swipe your chip-enabled credit card at the turnstiles in lieu of having to purchase a ticket or token ahead of time. This works on trains, buses, and ferries!

Upon arrival at the Central Station, I made the short walk to my hotel, Meriton Suites Kent Street.

On my walk, I noticed the sleek new rail line and trams running along George Street; but the trams were empty! I quickly learned that the city was just launching a new tram service along this main downtown thoroughfare. Throughout my stay, empty trams would run up and down the street, making all the stops. Safety officers on foot would patrol the route. Not only were they testing the system, but they were also “conditioning” the smart-phone-addicted pedestrians to watch their step!

On my first full day in town, I joined a free walking tour with “I’m Free Walking Tours”. This was a great way to get to the know the neighborhoods and key spots. Our guide was friendly, knowledgeable, and funny. He gave me a few inside tips to the secret watering holes of Sydney. More on that later.

Over the next few days, I circled back to spend a bit more time at some of the famous sights – the Opera House, Harbor Bridge, and Royal Botanic Gardens – and strolled along the boardwalk at Darling Harbor, narrow passageways of The Rocks, and bustling sidewalks along George Street and the CBD.

In the evenings, I wandered about, trying to find the “secret” bars that the walking tour guide shared with me. These prohibition-style speakeasy bars don’t really have signage; they are known by word of mouth, and typically specialize in a certain type of booze – most notable whiskey, rum, or gin. Some of my discoveries include: Old Mate’s Pub, The Barber Shop, Palmer & Co, Lobo Plantation, and Baxter Inn. They aren’t cheap, but they have style and character. I even got my haircut at The Barber Shop before enjoying a gin-and-tonic. (Sorry, I’m not posting links here because part of the fun is trying to research and find these places!)

In hindsight, I feel like I barely scratched the surface of Sydney, leaving some neighborhoods, sights, and activities completely untouched. That’s partly because I spent a significant amount of time outside the city of Sydney, and at the nearby beach towns of Bondi and Manly.

Bondi was a day trip via public bus. I took the bus from Sydney to Bondi, and then made the coastal walk from Bondi to Coogee. I had a nice lunch at a café, and then took the bus back to Sydney.

I also went to Manly for the weekend. To get there, I took a relatively inexpensive and short ferry ride from the Circular Quay Wharf in Sydney to Manly. If nothing else, the ferry ride is a fun way to see the harbor, including passing by the Sydney Opera House.

The town and beach of Manly was very nice. I preferred Manly over Bondi, personally. I spent two nights at the beachfront Novotel Sydney Manly Pacific hotel, and enjoyed a couple of great meals at The Pantry while overlooking the beach. In the evenings, I enjoyed a sundowner at Hugo’s while watching the ferries come and go.

The highlight in Manly was taking the coastal walk from Manly to Spit Bridge, and back. (Most people do this long walk in only one direction, taking the bus back to their starting point. But I had so much time, I just made a day of it and walked both directions.) It was very scenic, but watch out for the big “water dragon” lizards!

Back in Sydney, I started planning my adventure to the Blue Mountains National Park. I was going to take the train from Sydney to Katoomba, which would be my launch pad into the Blue Mountains National Park. But at this point, the wildfire situation in New South Wales was getting very bad. Over 100 wildfires were burning out of control in various parts of the state. Smoke in Sydney was building up to the point where people started wearing masks. The more research I did, the more I realized traveling inland may not be such a good idea. My flight home was in a few days, and I didn’t want to get “stuck” inland due to fires or inoperable trains. The final straw was when I read that a new fire had started just a couple of miles from Katoomba – my intended destination. So, I pulled the plug on the hiking adventure. Bummer.

Sydney air was really bad at this point. So, I took the ferry back out to Manly for another couple of days of fresh sea breeze. Then I headed back to Sydney for a final day of laundry and bag re-organization before my flight home. For this final night, I stayed at the Meriton Suites Campbell Street.

My time in Sydney, and Australia for that matter, came to an end on December 5, when I made the long flight back home. My Australia adventure was unforgettable, from the sailing to the hiking, from the beaches to the cities. I will be back! That said, I was also happy to be home in San Carlos -- and actually home in my apartment versus yet another hotel.

For the Holidays, I’ll head to Oregon to see my family for Christmas. Then, I’ll spend then next month or two in the Bay Area, catching up with friends and planning adventures for 2020….

The Sydney Opera House, as viewed from the Harbor Bridge.

Looking back at the Sydney Opera House and Harbor Bridge… On my way to the Royal Botanic Gardens.

Bondi Beach!

Walking along the coastal trail from Bondi to Coogee. A great day trip from Sydney.

I took the ferry from Sydney to Manly, where I spent the weekend.

Fueling up with a big breakfast at The Pantry on Manly Beach.

Walking along the coastal trail from Manly to Spit Bridge.

Walking along the coastal trail from Manly to Spit Bridge.

Walking along the coastal trail from Manly to Spit Bridge.

Made it to Spit Bridge! Now I turn around and walk back to Manly! Most people just do a one-way walk. I had all day so decided to do a long roundtrip walk.

Watch out for the water dragons!

At the wharf (in fact I think this was the Wharf Bar) at Manly.

Watching the ferries come in and out of Manly at sunset, while having a sundowner cocktail at Hugo’s Restaurant.

The smoke from the wildfires makes for a colorful sunset in Manly.

Back in Sydney, the smoke from the wildfires is getting more severe.

One way to avoid the smoke is to stay indoors! So I decided to seek out the secret, prohibition-style speakeasy bars in Sydney. Frequently they are pretty nondescript with minimal signage.

Sometimes there is no signage! This bar is down a stairwell and through a metal door. Pretty sure this was Baxter Inn.

Another one, Old Mate’s Pub, is on the fourth floor of what looks like an apartment building. You gain access either from a rickety old elevator, or a flight of stairs. I chose to climb the stairs.

The bars typically specialize in a type of alcohol. At Baxter Inn, they specialize in whiskey.

They also get creative with their cocktails. Here at Old Mate’s Pub, you can order the Hidden Pina Colada; the alcohol component of the cocktail comes in a flask hidden in a “carved out” book.

Sometimes the cocktails are served with a flair (or a flame!), like here at The Lobo Plantation. Great rum-based drinks here!

If you’re lucky, you can get a seat at the rooftop at Old Mate’s Pub. I wasn’t that lucky so I headed back down to the main bar area.

New trams being tested along George Street in Sydney. Testing both the system, as well as conditioning pedestrians to look before they cross the street!

Sergeant Safety and Crew educating pedestrians.

The tram service along George Street officially began service a few days after my departure…


Road Trip in Tasmania

After a fantastic 8-day, 1,400-kilometer road trip around Tasmania, Australia, I have a lot to document! Here’s a longer-than-usual writeup and pictures.

After Bundaberg (and the Down Under Rally), Brisbane, and the Gold Coast, I decided my next destination would be the island-state of Tasmania, including the city of Hobart which is famous in sailing circles because of the annual Sydney-Hobart race.

On November 19, I checked out of the Meriton Suites Herschel Street hotel, and made the very easy transit to the Brisbane airport: a 5-minute walk to the Roma Street Station from my hotel, and then a 15-minute train ride on the Airtrain.

The flight from Brisbane to Hobart was three hours, which reminded me that Australia is a big country! It would be impossible to see the country in a meaningful way on a single visit. I was happy with my baby-step, limited-scope approach; in my case, on this 4-week trip, I was just sticking to the eastern coastal areas of Brisbane, Tasmania, and Sydney. I would spend a full week in Tasmania alone.

Upon landing at the Hobart airport, I found my way to the EuropCar rental desk and picked up the keys to my rental car. One of the best decisions of the trip (thanks to my older brother for the advice) was to include a GPS unit with the rental. It was pricey – an additional $15 per day – but the GPS unit made navigating Tasmania much easier.

The rental process was easy, and within minutes I was on the road in my mid-size SUV. I headed to Cradle Mountain, where I had booked a room online at Discovery Parks.

I made the four-hour drive with only a quick stop for groceries. I was on a tight timetable for two reasons. First, I wanted to arrive before the Discovery Parks front desk closed. Second, and perhaps more importantly, I did not want to be driving in dusk or dark; animals are everywhere, and so is roadkill. I had been warned that it’s best to drive during the day to minimize the chance of hitting an animal, many of which are nocturnal.

The Discovery Parks was more “campground” than “hotel,” but they did have a few cabins with a shared bathroom. I checked in, and organized my backpack for my hike the next day. I then headed down the road to a fancy hotel which happened to have one of the only restaurants nearby.

The next day, I walked down to the Cradle Mountain Visitor Center (conveniently located across the street from Discovery Parks) at 8:00am. After buying a National Park pass, I boarded the first bus which took me to the trailhead. For the next 8 hours, I made the trek across the plains, through snow, over boulders, almost to the summit of Cradle Mountain, and then back along the face of Cradle Mountain, down to the lake, and back to the bus. It was an amazing trek.

The trail was very well maintained. The summit included some major bouldering. I couldn’t make it quite to the top because the snow and ice made it too slippery and dangerous. In some cases, it was impossible to tell whether the snow was solid, or if it was hiding a crevasse. I turned around, as did the four other hikers ahead and behind me. Even without making the summit, I got some fabulous views of the lakes and rock outcroppings, and definitely got a workout!

That night I enjoyed another dinner at the nice restaurant, and reflected on the day and my plans. When I booked my 3-night stay at Discovery Parks a few days ago online, I had really no idea what to expect. After today’s mega-hike, I felt that I had really seen enough of the Cradle Mountain area. I was eager to get on the road again and see what else Tasmania has to offer.

So, the next morning, I canceled the third night, checked out, and hit the road. The Discovery Parks office was nice enough to offer me a ‘credit’ for a future stay. I accepted, even though I knew that I’d probably never redeem it.

My plan today was to drive from Cradle Mountain to Port Arthur. The GPS unit indicated the drive would be 5-6 hours; but I took a scenic route which turned the trip into 7-8 hours. I drove down the west side of Lake Mackintosh, making a rest stop in the old mining town of Queenstown. I continued on toward Hobart, foregoing highly-rated Walls of Jerusalem National Park and Lake St. Clair to the north and Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park to the south. I stayed north of Hobart, until finally heading south to the Tasman Peninsula and the town of Port Arthur.

I arrived in Port Arthur just before the office at Stewarts Bay Lodge closed. I picked up the keys to my cabin, and went down to check it out. My cabin was huge, with a full kitchen and living room, washer/dryer, and nice balcony with a view. I took a quick walk on the beach to stretch my legs, and then headed to the nearby restaurant for dinner.

I spent the next day at the Port Arthur Historic Site. I walked around on my own first, then took the guided walking tour (which included a short boat ride to Isle of the Dead – a small island offshore where convicts, guards, and other residents were buried). Port Arthur has a very interesting history as a penal colony, as well as a tragic episode in modern times (a mass shooting happened here in the late 1990s).

In the afternoon, I took a quick trip up to the Coal Mine Historic Site, which had more prison ruins. The mine itself was a bit disappointing: the vent shaft is still intact, but the main entry shaft is filled in. The nearby rock quarry was interesting, though, and there are some scenic footpaths along the coast and in the forest.

That evening, I dined in the restaurant on the Port Arthur Historic Site and then took the “Ghost Tour” (which turned out to be a bit silly – I do not recommend). However, the restaurant staff was very nice to me (or felt sorry for a lone traveler), giving me the coveted corner table overlooking the entire site. Thanks!

Tasmania is famous for breathtaking, rugged coastline. The multi-day “Three Capes Track” is one way to see it. Rather than sign up for a tour and commit dollars and days, I decided to explore some of the track on my own.

Based on a recommendation from Stewarts Bay Lodge, I headed to Cape Hauy first. The posted walking time was 4 hours, but I completed it in 3 hours. The trail does not go all the way out to the end of the cape, but the viewpoints are dramatic, including views of the Totem Pole and Candlestick rock features.

Next, I drove to the Remarkable Cave. This quick-visit site includes a short 15-minute walk down to the viewing platform, about 10 feet above the beachy cove, where you can look straight through the tunnel in the rock and watch the waves as they roll in. It’s a neat spot, and worth a visit if you’re in the area. (You can’t actually get down to the beach to explore the cave, and depending on the tide, you probably wouldn’t want to anyway.)

I still had most of the afternoon ahead of me, so I decided to drive to the trailhead at Cape Raoul. The sign indicated a roundtrip walking time of 6 hours. Hmm. I didn’t want to be hiking at 7:00pm, but I also knew (from previous hikes) that if it says “6 hours,” I could probably do it in 5 hours or less. I decided to go for it.

The hike was long, indeed, but totally worth it. The trail leads all the way to the end of the Cape – or at least as far as any reasonable person would want to go – and wow it is awesome! The “Cape Viewpoint” is actually not the best view in my opinion. It is hard to see the Cape when you are standing on top of it. Instead, I recommend going to the “Seal Viewpoint” just 10-minutes off the main trail. This will give you a nice view back at the Cape, where you can see the cool pinnacle type rock formations.

Both capes were quite windy. At Cape Raoul, things got pretty exciting when a squall came in fast and passed overhead. I think I have some good Go Pro footage as I stay low in the protection of the brush out on the cape, trying to make it quickly into the more dense cover of the forest.

I managed to complete the hike in less than 5 hours. But, as indicated, I walked pretty fast on the return trip (and I didn’t spend as much time as I would have liked to at the viewpoints). I would recommend allowing yourself the full 6 hours.

Back at Stewarts Bay Lodge, I dined in the restaurant and planned the next couple of days.

I woke up early the next morning, checked out, and drove to Triabunna where I caught the first ferry to Maria Island. This little island has quite a bit to offer: a penal colony, old residences, fossil cliffs, the famous Painted Cliffs, and lots of wildlife! There is quite a bit of history around the families and business ventures that were established (or were at least attempted) on the island. I spent most of the day here, before taking the afternoon ferry back to Triabunna.

I spent the night in the small beach town of Swansea, based on the recommendation of a hiking guide I had met on Cape Hauy. The town proved to be a good staging area for a visit to Freycinet National Park, which was my next destination.

The next morning, I made the 20-minute drive from Swansea to Freycinet National Park. Here, I took a long walk to Wineglass Bay Beach and Hazards Beach. I would have liked to spend the night here, but instead, I had to make the drive back to Hobart that afternoon. The days were ticking by quickly, and I wanted to make sure I had time for Hobart and Sydney.

Thanks to GPS again, I found my way back to the Hobart Airport and returned the car. The bus from the airport to central Hobart was very convenient. I checked into the Quest Waterfront Serviced Apartments, and still had time for a quick walk before dinner.

I spent the next day wandering around the streets of Hobart, including taking a treasure-hunt type tour of sculptures situated in historic spots around the town. The sculptures referenced particular periods or features of Hobart’s history. After my walk, I quenched my thirst at The Whaler pub. In the evening, I dined at Suzie Luck’s restaurant and tried a whiskey at The Salamanca Whiskey Bar.

The following day was Wednesday, so I headed to the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA). Rather than explain this place here, I encourage you to read about it online here. It’s pretty unique, and definitely worth a visit. (Check the opening hours – I discovered it’s closed on Tuesdays!)

I spent four hours in MONA, but still felt rushed due to the confusing layout, dim lighting, and crowds (especially at the popular exhibits). The technology is pretty cool – you’re given a handheld device that detects what exhibit you are nearest and gives you text and audio (via headphones) about that exhibit. For the popular exhibits, you use the device like a restaurant buzzer – you register your place in line and then you’re buzzed when your time has come. Some wait times were 30-45 minutes, so plan accordingly!

Also, a paper map of MONA would also be helpful, but the museum staff said they “ran out.” You might consider trying to find one online before your visit (and save as PDF on phone) so you can plan a route through the hallways, tunnels, and ‘secret’ rooms.

After my visit to MONA, I took the museum’s private and uniquely-themed ferry back to town, and then caught the bus to the airport. I flew to Sydney where the final part of my Australian adventure would begin…

Across the plains, on my way to Cradle Mountain, Tasmania, Australia.

To the summit!

This is as far as I could go — just a few hundred yards from the summit. The snow and ice made it too dangerous to proceed. The other four hikers with me also turned around.

Even here, though, the view was stunning.

Heading back down from the summit.

Phew! At the bus pick-up point, looking back at Cradle Mountain. A long 8-hour hike!

Port Arthur, Tasmania, Australia. (A former penal colony.)

The main cell block.

The cell block at the Coal Mines Historic Site, just a few miles from Port Arthur.

On the “Ghost Tour” at Port Arthur Historic Site. Here the tour guide is showing us a “ghost”.

Cape Hauy. This is as far as the trail goes; so you don’t actually make it all the way out to the end of the Cape. But the view is breathtaking. Rock features Totem Pole and Candlestick can be seen from here.

The Remarkable Cave. They say that if you angle it just right, the view through the cave outlines the sorta upside-down triangle shape of Tasmania, hence, it’s Remarkable. This picture doesn’t quite do it, but if you imagine taking a few steps to the left, the upper white light part of the cave will be the shape of Tasmania.

On my way out to Cape Raoul. A 6-hour hike, but well worth it!

This is the view from Seal Viewpoint. The Cape Viewpoint isn’t as good because you’re actually standing out on the Cape, so it’s harder to see the neat rock formations.

The famous Painted Cliffs on Maria Island, Tasmania, Australia.

Wineglass Bay (and Beach) in Freycinet National Park. This picture is taken from the Viewpoint.

Hazards Beach, across the Isthmus from Wineglass Bay Beach.

In Hobart, I followed this ‘treasure hunt’ self-guided tour. Pretty fun way to see some of the historic sites and learn about Hobart.

An example of one of the ‘treasures’ on the tour. This highlights the high-quality sandstone that Tasmania is famous for.

The cool private ferry to the Museum of Old and New Art.

One of the exhibits at MONA. This is a room full of motor oil. You walk into this trench, and stand quietly, looking at the reflection of the checkered walls in the motor oil. Don’t lean over, and hang onto your phone!



Boardwalks, Bridges, and Broccoli in Brisbane

After sailing across the Coral Sea and spending a week in Bundaberg, Australia, with Tom and Di of SV Avalon and the other Down Under Go West Rally participants, I packed my bags and departed on a 4-week walkabout in eastern Australia.

I didn’t really have a formal plan or any online bookings; but I did have a general idea of cities and sights I would try to visit. As per my normal travel routine, I would take my time and not try to conquer too much. I knew I’d be back in Australia someday to see more.

Before setting off, I shipped my sailing gear back to the U.S. This would enable me to travel super light for the next four weeks. I was a bit nervous as I boxed up and bid farewell to my pricey foul weather gear, personal flotation device, boots, knives and tools, electronics, etc. I did question whether I should keep my personal locator beacon and rescue laser with me since I did anticipate hiking in some rural locations. But in the end, I hoped to rely on my iPhone and common sense. So, taped and labeled, the box of gear shipped. (And yes, in a couple of weeks I received the email that my gear had been delivered. Phew!)

With my light pack on my back, I said goodbye to Tom, Di, and the Down Under Go West Rally group, and headed to the Bundaberg train station. Next stop: Brisbane.

The train ride to Brisbane was smooth, comfortable, and scenic. The Queensland Rail train was one of the last remaining “Tilt Trains.” The train actually tilts as it goes around corners, enabling it to travel faster. I enjoyed the relaxing 4-hour ride.

Arriving in Brisbane, I walked through the fancy Roma Street Station, across the street, and down a block or two, where I found my conveniently-located hotel, Meriton Suites Herschel Street, less than 5 minutes away. The hotel was fantastic; my room was large, clean, and equipped with washer/dryer, kitchenette, and fast WIFI. The lively City Reach Boardwalk and South Bank areas were only 20 minutes away.

I spent the next few days and nights in Brisbane, enjoying walks along the well-maintained boardwalks on either side of the riverfront. One side (City Reach Boardwalk and Eagle Street Pier) was lined with restaurants; the other side (South Bank) was lined with art galleries, parks, and even a man-made beach! As I walked, I managed to stay out of the way of bicycle- and scooter-riders, joggers, and strollers; I had to remind myself to stay on the LEFT – just like driving down under. I did witness one collision of two not-so-lucky commuters.

Several bridges spanned the Brisbane River, the most famous of which is Story Bridge. I walked across it, but opted not to do the expensive bridge-climb.

In the evenings, I enjoyed the broccoli-avocado bowl and beer at Felon’s Brewery and the gin-and-tonic and view at Mr. Percival’s. Both of these locations were down by Story Bridge.

At this point (mid-November), the wildfires in New South Wales and Queensland were spreading rapidly. Smoke from these fires was clearly visible in the skies around Brisbane.

From Brisbane, I took an hour-long bus ride down to Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast. I spent two nights at the Island Gold Coast Hotel, which was centrally-located only a couple of blocks from the shops, restaurants, and beach.

Lined with big resort-type hotels, this famous beach town wasn’t really for me. I’m not a big sun-bathing beach person, at least not anymore. The waves and water looked tempting; I almost took some surfing lessons, foolishly thinking I’d be able to pick up from where I stopped decades ago in Newport Beach, California, and Phuket, Thailand. Even if I could, two days wouldn’t be enough time to learn and enjoy. So, I just relaxed in the shade and on the shore, enjoying the coastal view and breeze.

From the Gold Coast, I took the bus back to Brisbane. I checked back into the Meriton Suites Herschel Street, where I spent the night doing laundry and studying my next destination: Tasmania.

Hello Brisbane!

Brisbane River.

Brisbane River and City Reach Boardwalk (on right) as viewed from Story Bridge)

Walking across Story Bridge.

Heading to South Bank.

The boardwalk along South Bank.

This is the man-made beach and swimming pool on South Bank. You kinda have to see to believe.

Night view, Story Bridge.

Sunset view, Story Bridge - coloring due to smoke from wildfires.

Broccoli and avocado bowl at Felon’s Brewery. Don’t ask me why I’m drinking wine instead of beer at a brewery.

Bird on a beam.

One of the smartest (and riskiest?) moves I made was to ship my sailing gear back to the USA; this enabled me to travel super-light for my walkabout in Australia.

Here is Surfers Paradise, on the Gold Coast, about an hour south of Brisbane by bus.


Crossing the Coral Sea

On Friday, October 25, I left San Carlos once again, and headed to the South Pacific. With a long flight to New Zealand, a layover in the Auckland airport, and another 4+ hour flight to New Caledonia – plus crossing the international dateline – I didn’t arrive in Noumea, New Caledonia, until Sunday, October 27. I was tired!

I rendezvoused with Tom and Di, owners of SV Avalon, at the marina at Port Moselle, but I soon retired to my hotel for rest. We had a big adventure ahead of us.

I’ve sailed on Avalon many times between New Zealand, Fiji, and New Caledonia. But on this trip, we were headed in a different direction – west to Australia! In all of my travels, I’d never been to Australia; I was particularly excited that my first visit would include arriving by sailboat!

As usual, we spent a few days before departure preparing the boat and watching the weather. Since Tom and Di have been living and cruising on the boat, the preparatory work (at least from my standpoint) was a bit less than “normal.” Primary tasks included provisioning with fresh food, filling the water and fuel tanks, and securing forward and aft storage lockers…. Plus reorganizing my dedicated cubby and bags a few times, as I’m famous for.

We cast off the lines on Wednesday, October 30, heading out through the reefs and into the Coral Sea. It was nearly 1,000 miles to Australia!

The first 3-4 days brought strong winds and a big, confused sea state. We sailed fast, though not as fast as we would have been, had the sea state been a bit more mellow. We managed to avoid any significant squalls, and enjoyed some starry nights.

One of the best things about sailing from New Caledonia is the fresh baguettes, cheese, and meat we stock up on before departure. They last for a few days, making for great breakfast and lunch sandwiches.

We saw a couple of big ships cross our path which was exciting, even though we always stay several miles away from them. (At sea, even 5 miles can seem “close”.) We also paralleled the course of another cruising sailboat for a couple of days, chatting with them on the VHF radio a few times sharing info about weather conditions, dinner menus, and Australia sightseeing.

As we approached Australia, the winds calmed down a bit. We even motored for a while.

It was a breezy afternoon on Monday, November 4, when we headed up the narrow channel to the Bundaberg Port Marina. We lowered the sails and Tom carefully maneuvered the boat into the slip. We tied up and exhaled. We made it!

We tidied the boat and waited for biosecurity, customs, and immigration folks to come aboard and check us in. Then it was time for showers and laundry!

By the evening, we were sitting around the table at the marina restaurant, Baltimore’s, enjoying a big dinner and a few cold beers.

For the next week or so, we stayed at the Bundaberg Port Marina, taking part in the Down Under – Go West Rally. This is an event organized by John and Leanne that helps cruisers safely navigate between the islands (Fiji, New Caledonia, and Vanuatu) and Australia, and vice versa (which is the Down Under – Go East Rally). The Down Under Rally also provides a lot of tourist and cruising resources for each destination. The event includes lots of sponsors, activities, seminars, meals, prizes, etc. If anyone is cruising in the area, I encourage you to get in touch with the Down Under Rally group on Social Media.

The rally events came to a close and I bid farewell to Tom and Diane. As they prepared for a few weeks of cruising the Australian coast, I set off on my 4-week “land expedition” in Australia with Brisbane, Gold Coast, Tasmania, Sydney, and the Blue Mountains National Park on my radar.

Getting ready for departure in Noumea, New Caledonia.

And we’re off!

Bundled up for night watch.

Made it through the night!

Sunset…

More sunset.

The skipper and the admiral enjoying the final approach to Bundaberg, Queensland, Australia.

We arrived! I need a shave!


Ultra-Light Travel Means Ultra-Late Journal

(This post has been back-dated so it appears before my soon-to-be-published retroactive updates on travels in Oct/Nov 2019.)

For the last 6 weeks, I’ve been sailing and traveling in the South Pacific. For the first time in many years, I did not bring my laptop with me – in an effort to travel ultra-light for my mixed adventure of sailing across the Coral Sea (New Caledonia to Australia) and road-tripping in Queensland, New South Wales, and Tasmania. I even shipped my sailing gear back to the USA once we arrived in Australia (and that worked brilliantly, by the way!).

Without my computer (and in particular, the keyboard), I was not able to update this website very easily. Sure, I could have used my phone, but typing was pretty difficult, even with my new Iphone 11 Pro. So I decided to wait until returning home to the U.S. The sailing season is slow right now in San Francisco, giving me a bit of time to catch up.

Over the next week or so, I’ll be updating this site with a few entries that highlight my sailing and road-tripping adventures. Hope you enjoy the updates once they finally get posted! Stay tuned!

Adventures in Bavaria

Another vacation in Bavaria is in the books!

In late September, I flew nonstop from San Francisco directly to Munich, treating myself to a premium economy ticket.

I was careful to pack a carry-on bag only, but when I got to the airport, the Lufthansa agent said my bag was too heavy. I pleaded my case, saying (truthfully) I had a “tight train connection in Munich to meet my friend…” She immediately smiled, attached a special sticker to my bag, and said, “Ok, just show this sticker if the flight attendants give you trouble.” I guess she knew the end of my sentence was going to be “…at Oktoberfest.”

Arriving in Munich at 17:30, I quickly found my way to the S1 train, and then transferred to the U6. I arrived at the Poccistrasse stop, adjacent to the Oktoberfest (Wiesn) fairgrounds. I followed the same procedures we have been using for the last 10 years or so: storing my bag in a secret location and then meeting my German friends at the “normal meeting place.” It was 19:05 when I walked into the Kufflers Weinzelt and gave my friends Uli and Christopher big smiles and handshakes. “Servus!”

Per the normal procedure, I was the designated driver that night. I enjoyed a welcome weissbier before we walked back through the fairgrounds to the car. Although the drive home included the speed-limit-less autobahn, we took it slow because of the rain. Ah, yes, rain. That would be a theme throughout this trip!

The following day, Uli and I returned to Wiesn for a full day of fun. We took the ferry from Berg to Starnberg, and then a combination of trains to the fairgrounds. We enjoyed reviewing the “Wiesn Regeln” (Wiesn Rules) over a tasty Hendl (half chicken) and Mass (1L beer).

I’ve mentioned the Wiesn Rules in previous years’ posts. Over the years, my friends and I have developed a list of over 30 rules of what do to (or what not to do) at Oktoberfest. Some are funny, some are serious; some can be shared, some are for Wiesn audience only. A few of the basic ones include:

Rule #6: Eat.

Rule #7: Prost to the eyes.

Rule #12: Don’t pour last bit of old beer into the new one.

Rule #21: Save the last 50 Euro (updated in 2019 to be 60 Euro) for the taxi home.

We always have a good laugh reviewing the old rules, and adding a few new ones each year. For example, this year we added “Rule #31: First thing to do when sitting down at a table is say ‘Servus’ (a Bavarian greeting) to everyone else at the table.” This rule came about after a couple of guys rudely and aggressively sat down at our table, without asking if the space was free and without giving us any sort of greeting. Usually people are very friendly and fun at Oktoberfest.

The next day we relaxed at home and prepared for our two-day hiking trip in the Alps.

On Thursday, Uli and I drove to Benediktbeuern. We parked the car at the trailhead, and hiked up for nearly 6 hours to the Stie Alm hut. The first bit of the hike was a gradual incline; but as we ascended, the trail steepened. And then the rain came. Serious, nonstop rain. The trail became so slippery and muddy that we called off both of the two peak summits we’d intended to conquer. We made a beeline for the hut.

We checked into our tiny room which consisted of a bunk bed, a shelf for our bags, and just enough standing room for two people. We changed into dry clothes and gave our wet gear to the staff, who put it into the dryer for us! We then enjoyed a homemade cheese and bread plate, and a few beers. Dinner that night was tasty beef goulash, followed by a schnapps and card games.

In the morning, the rain had stopped. We had a hearty traditional breakfast of eggs, meats, cheeses, bread, granola, fruit, and coffee. We packed up, thankful that our clothes (and boots) from yesterday had dried out. We began the second part of our hike. It was a long day of hiking and, once again, we cut it a bit short due to the trail conditions. It was a tough call, but safety first. You don’t mess around in the Alps. We stopped at the Tutzinger Hut for a hot soup and refreshing apple juice spritzer before making the final descent to the car.

Over the weekend, we returned to Oktobefest. Our friend Adam flew in from San Francisco. He followed the same “meeting place procedure” as I had a few days earlier. Saturday was another rainy day at the fairgrounds, but Sunday was a sunny day, which gave us a chance to play some of the softball-throwing and gun-shooting carnival games.

In between our Oktoberfest outings, we explored the lakeside trails around Starnbergersee (Lake Starnberg). One day we walked from Uli’s house in Berg to the town of Starnberg. Another day we drove south, parked, and walked along the southern portion of the lake, stopping in for a fish sandwich at a local café/market.

Mid-week, Uli, Adam, and I took the train to Oberstdorf, where we met four of our friends from Northern Germany – Ulf, Olaf, Bernd, and Fred. They had flown into Munich and also taken a train to Oberstdorf. We checked into our hotel and then squeezed into a local restaurant for a late dinner.

We’d be in this resort village for three nights, tackling two challenging day hikes.

The first hike was the famed Laufbacher Eck trail. It was about 25 km and took us nearly 7 hours. We started with a multiple-gondola ride up to the Nebelhorn peak of 2,200 meters. We then followed a trail along a series of ridges, and then down into a valley. The trail was steep and technical in places. This particular day it was extra difficult because of the fresh snow! The snow and ice was slippery in the morning; and by the afternoon the slush and mud was equally slippery. We took it slow. I was thankful for my trekking poles! The trail gave us amazing views of the Alps and valleys. What a day! Apart from the fresh snow the night before, the weather during the day cooperated. A few puffy clouds, but no precipitation. One of the funniest (and fun) parts of the day was getting down to the lowest hut which happened to rent scooters for the last few kilometers down to town. Rather than walking along a paved trail, why not use the scooters! We had fun coasting down into town.

While the first hike was sort of long-and-meandering (although certainly steep and technical in places), the second hike was more of a straight-up and straight-down hike. We hiked up to the Rubihorn peak; the trail was 18 km and took us 6 hours. Elevation gain was about 1,200 meters. (We started at ~900 meters and climbed to ~2,100 meters.) We did race against the weather, though. We knew the forecast indicated rain was coming in the afternoon. So we got an early start and hit the trail by 9am. By the time we were about an hour from the peak, we could see the dark clouds coming, and wind beginning. We didn’t waste any time. We got to the peak just as the snow was starting. After a quick selfie, we headed straight back down. Carefully navigating the trail under the snow flurries. As we descended, the snow flurries turned into rain. Needless to say, it was a very long, wet walk back down and to the hotel.

That evening, we enjoyed a hearty dinner at a very nice restaurant just outside of town.

On Saturday, we all headed back to the Munich area – to Uli’s house in Berg – where we cleaned up and immediately headed to Oktoberfest for dinner, per tradition. We had a table ready for us at Wildstuben. After dining, we headed over to the Weinzelt for post-dinner weissbiers, and then eventually piled into a few taxis home. Thanks to Uli who had arranged the table, as well as wrist bands to bypass entry lines.

The next day, our friends from Northern Germany departed. Adam and I helped Uli clean up the house a bit. We treated him to a dinner at the local restaurant, Stuberl. And on Tuesday, we headed back to San Francisco.

It was a fantastic two weeks of fun and adventure with good friends. Someday I hope they come to California so I can repay the hospitality.

Until next time… Danke! Servus!

ONE OF THE BEST VIEWS ON THE LAUFBACHER ECK TRAIL. WE HIKED DOWN TO THE GREEN VALLEY IN THE DISTANCE!

ONE OF THE MOST TECHNICAL PARTS OF THE LAUFBACHER ECK TRAIL.

TUCK SCHOOL OF BUSINESS CLASSMATES!

OUR GROUP.

RIDING A SCOOTER BACK TO TOWN. A FUN WAY TO COMPLETE THE LAST FEW KILOMETERS OF THE LAUFBACHER ECK TRAIL.

ON THE WAY UP TO RUBIHORN PEAK. THE TOWN OF OBERSTDORF IS IN THE DISTANCE.

JUST 30 MIN FROM THE RUBIHORN PEAK. STOPPING FOR A SELFIE AS THE SNOW FLURRIES START!

THE VIEW FROM STIE ALM AT DAWN (NEAR BENEDIKTWAND PEAK).

THE GANG OF GUYS AT WILDSTUBEN, CELEBRATING GREAT HIKING AND WIESN 2019! SERVUS! PROST! DANKE!

Summer Summary

As the summer fades away, so does my busy season at OCSC Sailing School. I’ve had a fun (and very busy) three months of introducing people to the joys and challenges of sailing.

Working five or even six days a week, I found every day to be exciting and rewarding, and without the evening email catch-up that plagued my corporate days. Working as a Sailing Instructor can still be stressful, keeping the novice students safe in such a dynamic, challenging, and unforgiving environment. But, when I step off the boat and complete about 15 minutes of paperwork, my work is 100% done until the next day at the “office.” I love that.

The bulk of my time is spent on 24-foot long “J Boat” keelboats, teaching novice sailors how to sail a keelboat and become safe skippers.

A couple of summer sailing highlights include:

1) Teaching my first set of “Bareboat Cruising” courses which include anchoring, mooring, and close-quarter maneuvering techniques on a 36-foot cruising boat.

2) Working with multiple corporate groups on competitive race events, team building sessions, and leisurely picnic sails. (Check out www.ocscsailing.com to read about our programs.)

In my downtime, I enjoyed the space and comfort of my newly-leased apartment in San Carlos. I cooked a few meals and even bought a television. (Of course, with the new TV purchase came the re-booting of my game systems, too.) I have closed out my storage with the intent of using the apartment as a staging area for purging at least some of the stuff I’ve collected over the years. We’ll see.

Mid-summer, I took a break from sailing and headed to Oregon for the annual long-weekend Givens Family Reunion. As usual, the weekend was filled with beach walks, board games, and baked salmon.

As I mentioned, the summer winds will subside as we head into fall, so my work as a Sailing Instructor will slow down, too. There are still plenty of corporate events to help out with, but general classes taper off – so I can take some time off.

In late September, I’m headed to Germany to see friends for trekking in the Alps and celebrating at Oktoberfest. I’ll return in mid-October.

The rest of the off-season remains uncertain at this point, but I’m eager to “chase the summer” and sail or volunteer in the Southern Hemisphere…

We had some glorious days on the water this summer.

Such a beautiful skyline at day, or night.

Bundled up for sun protection - spending 5 or 6 days on the water per week means I have to be careful!

Berkeley Marina as the moon rises in the east.

Occasionally we see the U.S. Coast Guard practicing maneuvers in the Bay. Here, the helicopter was hovering over and following the RIB vessel.

We hate to see garbage in the Bay. We sometimes use the crew-overboard maneuver to position the boat for picking up trash. On this day, we picked up three empty Corona bottles.

This picture was taken during one of our Corporate events. We sailed an executive leadership team to Angel Island for a picnic, and then around the island for views of Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz Island, and the City Front, before returning them to Berkeley Marina. Check out www.ocscsailing.com for our corporate event options.

Life at OCSC Sailing wouldn’t be as much fun without these three friends and co-workers. Thanks for the good times Megan, Jesse, and Mitch!

I took a break from sailing and spent a long weekend on the Oregon Coast for the annual Givens Family Reunion.

Anchoring in the Middle of the Ocean!

Apologies for this long-overdue post!  Since returning to California in early July, I’ve been busy working as a Sailing Instructor; it’s peak sailing season, so my work schedule is full!

But let’s back up to early June…  

I had flown down to New Zealand to help friends Tom and Di sail their boat to Fiji once again.  This would be my 6th voyage aboard the sailing vessel Avalon. 

As usual, before beginning the 1,200-mile trip across the South Pacific Ocean, we ran into a bit of a waiting game. 

The boat was ready. We were ready.  But the weather just wasn’t cooperating.  

Mother Nature had unleashed heavy wind, fierce rain, and stormy seas, so we chose to settle into an Airbnb for a week.  We ventured out daily to check on the boat and do last-minute boat jobs – final fresh food provisioning, topping of water and fuel, etc.  One day we took a “day off” and drove across the North Island to Baylys Beach to experience the wild west coast!

As the weather settled down, on June 13 we sipped a final flat white coffee at Land & Sea Café, cast off the dock lines, and set our course north for Fiji – avoiding a large commercial ship or two as we headed out from Marsden Cove Marina, down the channel, and out to sea.

Squalls (intense, localized storms) are a part of ocean sailing. We usually encounter them later in the voyage, as we approach the warmer climate of Fiji.  But on this voyage, the squalls came almost immediately.

For two nights, we hunkered down in the cockpit running away from squalls that were lined up like a freight train of dark clouds.  Dressed in full foul-weather gear and PFDs, and clipped to the boat via our tethers, Tom and I alternated driving at the helm and sleeping on the floor of the cockpit through the night.  Periodically, we’d go below to check the radar, which helped us measure the intensity of each approaching squall.  (Di was under the weather for the first few days, so she rested in the cabin while Tom and I split these night watches.)

Fortunately, we were able to avoid or outrun most of the squalls, and the ones that hit us were not as violent as they can be.  We were very lucky for sure.  

We then enjoyed a few days of great sailing, with 15-20 knot winds on or just behind the beam, and a few nights of a bright, full moon and mesmerizing Milky Way.  

The miles drifted by, and soon, we’d sailed over 800 miles north of New Zealand.  We had about 400 miles to go, and then we decided to drop the anchor.

Wait, what?    

Yes.  We dropped the anchor in the middle of the South Pacific Ocean, nearly 400 miles from any kind of land or civilization.

There is a place on the cruising route known as Minerva Reef, which is actually comprised of two circular reefs, North Minerva Reef and South Minerva Reef.  You can read about these atolls here:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minerva_Reefs

It’s an amazing place, known by only a small number of people, and visited by even a smaller number of people.  There is no land.  In fact, the atolls are completely submerged at high tide.  The only way to get there is by boat.  Small boat.  The donut-shaped reefs are each about 3 miles in diameter.  The North Minerva Reef has a navigable entrance about 400 feet wide. The water goes from 2,000 feet deep outside to 30 feet deep inside.

It’s an incredible geological formation – and one of the most amazing and unique places I’ve ever been even though it’s sort of “invisible”. 

We’ve known about this place for years, and was a bucket list item for Tom and Di, and for me as soon as they had told me about it on one of our first passages.

On the particular day we arrived, we could see the white water of the waves crashing on the reef.  We sailed around clockwise to find the narrow entrance, and slowly made our approach.  Once inside the protection of the reef, the water became glass – the ocean swells and wind waves were flattened by the reef.  We could still feel the light ocean breeze (since there was no land to shield us).

We gently glided through the clear blue water.  As the water became shallower and shallower, we prepared the anchor and looked for a sandy bottom where we could drop, so as to avoid the bommies (coral heads).  Getting our anchor stuck out here could be disastrous.

Patience paid off.  We circled the lagoon, found a good spot, and lowered the anchor.  Once we set the anchor and tidied the boat, we took a refreshing and cleansing swim. We looked forward to a night or two of sound sleep, good meals, relaxation… and flat surfaces.  (When we’re sailing in the ocean, we live at a 15-20 degree heeling angle, with a lot of bouncing around.) 

As remote a location as Minerva Reef is, there were 2-3 other cruising boats in the lagoon with us. We enjoyed listening to their chatter on the VHF radio.  They were coordinating snorkeling adventures, lobster hunting, and “walks on the beach” (meaning at low tide they’d take the dinghy over to the reef’s edge and walk along the reef and tide pools).  This seemed silly to us – probably an ecological no-no (if not literally illegal), but also just stupid.  What if someone cuts their foot on the coral?  What if the dinghy punctures?  We are 400 miles away from anywhere!

We took our swim (with a safety line drifting back from the boat with knots as handholds), but other than that, we stayed on the boat and left our dinghy on board.

We did cook some serious cheeseburgers though, loaded with guacamole and the thickest cheese slices I’ve ever seen on a burger.  We had a good laugh about it as we devoured the delicacy.

The wind picked up on our second day at Minerva Reef.  Remember, the reef offered great protection from the ocean swells, but not from the wind (since there is no prominent land mass).  We opted not to swim that day and instead focused ourselves on boat jobs. After all, we still had 400 miles to sail across the open ocean; we couldn’t relax just yet!

We spent a good part of the day refueling the main fuel tanks, emptying the Gerry cans that we carry in the forward and aft lockers.  I did some laundry and re-organized my gear, as I’m known to do several times a week.

After a second full night of sleep, we departed for Fiji.  We carefully navigated through the entrance (well, now the exit), and turned north to Fiji.

During one of my night watches, I spotted a set of unknown lights which I believed to be a fishing vessel (perhaps similar to the Japanese fishing vessels that we’d encountered, and detoured around, on one of our previous passages).  I woke Tom and we assessed the situation, choosing to proceed with a watchful eye.  Fortunately, it worked out and we sailed by at a distance.  

Another night I enjoyed watching a cruise ship sail across our stern (several miles away, don’t worry).  It was lit up like a Christmas tree.  Sitting alone in the cockpit, quietly sailing along in the dark, I wondered what sort of festivities were going on aboard the cruise ship.

Our destination and port-of-entry this year was Savusavu on Vanua Levu.  In previous years, we have checked into either Port Denerau or Vuda, both on Viti Levu.   I was happy to see a different port, let alone a different island of Fiji.

We approached the island of Vanua Levu just after sunset, however.  It was too dark to make the approach into the unknown port of Savusavu, surrounded by reefs, shallows, and traffic.  We “held off” through the night, intending to make our approach in the morning.  As we waited, other familiar cruising boats joined our holding pattern.  We engaged in a bit of chatter on the VHF radio as we welcomed each other.

By mid-morning of Monday, June 24, we made our approach into the Coprashed Marina in Savusavu, executing a difficult med-mooring procedure (lowering the anchor as we back stern-to into the slip) without a problem!   We checked in with the usual cast of governmental characters – Customs, Immigration, Biosecurity, etc. and then finally tidied up the boat, cracked a few beers, and relaxed!

As usual, I checked into a hotel off the boat so I could get proper rest, shower, laundry, etc.  The Hot Springs Hotel was my hotel of choice, and it was very nice, offering great views of the bay and marina, good WIFI, and a nice balcony.  One day, I took a walk down to the Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort – a super high end resort – and they were nice enough to let me in to enjoy a Mai Tai.

After a few days assisting with post-passage boat jobs (cleaning, refueling, etc.) I then went further with my self-spoiling and spent 3 nights at the Koro Sun Resort and Spa, a short cab-ride around the island.  

Savusavu is a nice little town.  The highlight for me was the Grace Road Kitchen and Snowy House Café.  Run by a Korean family, these two adjacent eateries were clean and friendly, offering tasty Korean dishes, coffee, and desserts. 

On July 3, I took a small puddle-jumper of an airplane from Savusavu, Vanua Levu to Nadi, Viti Levu. I stayed a few nights at the Ramada Inn, enjoying a few beach-side beers and sunsets at Travellers, which brought back fond memories of previous passages with SV Avalon.  (I was also happy to discover that Grace Road Kitchen has a restaurant in Nadi, too!).

On Saturday, July 6, I boarded my flight home to San Francisco, grateful and honored to have been part of another sailing adventure aboard SV Avalon. 

Thanks to Tom and Di for including me … and for letting me reorganize my bags, for taking funny flying fish pictures, for introducing me to new music, for trying the DB Cafe menu, for helping me find WIFI, for keeping the cleanest bilge (and boat) ever, for *always* putting safety first, and for trusting me to help sail your boat!

Enjoying the sunrise watch.

At the helm!

Anchoring at North Minerva Reef. Nice to have the clear blue water so we can see how we are laying the anchor rode.

North Minerva Reef. The red arrow shows where we anchored.

An awesome cheeseburger, with the biggest slice of cheese ever! Plus guacamole! All this while anchored in the middle of the South Pacific Ocean, at North Minerva Reef.

At anchor at North Minerva Reef. You can just barely see the reef in the background (low tide).

The sunsets at sea never get old.

We were lucky to be sailing under a full moon!

We dodged most of the squalls, including 2 nights of squalls lined up like a freight train!

Big seas during part of the trip.

Flying fish would frequently “land” on board! Back overboard they go!

Living at 15-20 degrees…


Routine? Maybe Not.

Whatever routine I’ve been gradually establishing for the last month in San Carlos didn’t make it into my sail bag as I boarded the plane to New Zealand. I was about to embark on an ocean sailing adventure where nothing is routine and nothing is taken for granted.

After meeting skipper Tom in Auckland, we took the bus north to Marsden Cove Marina, where I rejoined as crew on the 50-foot ocean-cruising sailboat Avalon.  Even though I’ve helped Tom and Di with five previous passages, I still felt privileged to be back on board.

Our goal is to sail 1,200 miles north to Fiji to escape the winter season in New Zealand.  If all goes well, our port of entry into Fiji this year will be Savusavu, on the smaller island of Vanau Levu.  On previous passages, we’ve sailed into Nadi, on the larger island of Viti Levu.

For the last few days, I’ve stayed aboard Avalon at the marina, getting reacquainted with systems and assisting with various boat jobs like changing sails, securing gear, filling fuel cans and water tanks, etc.

In between boat jobs, I’ve refueled at the Land & Sea Cafe and relaxed in the Marsden Cove Marina clubroom.

Unfortunately, a nasty low-pressure system is rolling by the North Island this week, bringing with it heavy rain, high wind, and rough seas.  So, we are sitting tight.  We booked an Airbnb for a few nights to stock up on sleep. When the weather clears and the sea settles, we hope to depart; but it’s hard to say exactly when that might be.

For now, we wait patiently…

Reunited with SV Avalon.

Changing the headsail.

The Marsden Cove Marina clubroom at sunset.

Classic eggs-on-toast breakfast at Land & Sea Cafe.

Staying at an Airbnb at the top of this hill.

Walking into the town of Ruakaka from the Airbnb.

From the "City of Good Living" to the "City of Sails"

For the past month, I’ve been enjoying the quiet suburban life in San Carlos, “The City of Good Living,” while continuing to teach sailing out of Berkeley.  

My new apartment in San Carlos is fantastic.  I’m tucked away on the top floor; I have only one neighbor; and I’m walking distance to the shops and restaurants downtown, as well as the library and train station. I have laundry on site as well as a dedicated parking spot.  

Best of all, I don’t have a check-out time.  The trade-off, however, is no housekeeping service.  So, I’ve had to buy a broom, a bucket of cleaning supplies, and even a vacuum cleaner.

Although my kitchen is very small, I’ve been doing a bit of cooking, aided by the much-talked-about “Insta-pot” pressure cooker which I also recently purchased.  Who knew I could put some lentils, Brussel sprouts, and butternut squash in a pot and have dinner a few minutes later? That said, I still can’t tear myself away from the fresh Italian food and local camaraderie at Trattoria da Vittorio, which is only a few blocks away.

The commute to the OCSC Sailing Club in Berkeley is 45 minutes with no traffic, but that is a very rare occurrence here in the Bay Area.  Usually the drive takes 60 to 90 minutes of frustrating stop-and-go around accidents, construction, and potholes.  I’ve been experimenting with combinations of train, ferry, and bicycle.  Given that I can sleep on the boat, I can spread my commute over 2-3 days of work to lessen the burden.  I’m looking forward to making this work during the summer months.

By mid-May, I was just beginning to fall into a bit of routine when an opportunity to crew on the sailing vessel “Avalon” materialized.  She was sailing north from New Zealand to Fiji in early June, and there was room for me!

Without hesitation, I booked a flight to New Zealand and not more than a few days later, I was having breakfast at the VicPark Café with Avalon’s skipper in Auckland, “The City of Sails.”

View of Auckland, “The City of Sails,” as I head north on the bus to Whangarei and Marsden Cove Marina.

“The City of Good Living” (San Carlos, CA) and “The City of Sails” (Auckland, NZ).

From 1069 to 30

It’s the end of an era, in some respects.

For four years I’ve “lived” out of #1069, visiting the cold, dark space periodically to exchange gear, currencies, and documents before the next adventure. Sometimes I’d just sit there in complete silence and make notes about past or future plans, which is code for “wonder what the heck I am doing.”

But today I moved out the final items and shut down the unit. Funny how a simple cement room can generate memories.

Rest assured, this isn’t really the end of an era, and it’s certainly not the end of “Dannyboy Travels.” It’s just the end of the storage unit. My travels and adventures will continue. I simply now have a “home base” that is an actual apartment… #30 not #1069.



Captain's Quarters

After 1,318 days of living on the road, I have signed a lease for an apartment!  No more mornings spent packing up my backpack before checkout time.  No more afternoons spent wondering where I would sleep later that evening.  I have a home, for now.

For the last 4 years, without the daily responsibility of a job or the fiscal obligation of rent, I’ve been free to embark on some amazing adventures – sailing across the South Pacific Ocean, volunteering in Chile and Thailand, and exploring various coffee shops, public libraries, and friends’ living rooms in search of free WiFi.  

I’ve also been free to invest the time required to launch a new career as a Sailing Instructor, Yacht Deliverer, and Charter Skipper.   

As you recall, in 2015 I set out to “chart a new course.” Since then, things have worked out quite well, perhaps even better than I expected.   

Looking ahead in 2019, with no extended travel in the foreseeable future and with steady work at OCSC Sailing School, I will be in the San Francisco Bay Area for an indefinite amount of time.   

With the scales of international travel versus domestic living tipping back in favor of domestic living, it makes more sense to have a home base for the near term. (Previously, with a much higher percentage of my time spent abroad, living rent-free made the most economic sense.)

So, I found and leased a little apartment in San Carlos, the City of Good Living, for 2019. It’s walking distance to downtown and just a mile from my house (which remains rented). 

After living out of a backpack, a laptop bag, and a gear bag for four years (~5 cubic feet), I had mixed feelings as the contents of my 10x20 storage unit (~1,200 cubic feet) burst into the closets and corners of the 1-bedroom apartment.  It was great to spread out … but, my oh my, where did I get all this STUFF?

Marie Kondo, please save me!  Spring cleaning is ahead, and will certainly continue into the summer, as I try to purge a lot of what I have easily lived without (and not even really thought about) for 1,318 days.

That said, I’m already enjoying the quiet space that I can call home, the same home, every night. My familiar couch.  A home-cooked meal.  No check-out time.

Apart from purging, I did make one other promise to myself:  Dannyboy still travels…   (I just may not be gone for months at a time, at least not in 2019.)

Very strange. I bought a vacuum cleaner.

On Cruise Control

After the excitement of receiving my U.S. Coast Guard Master’s License in early February, I haven’t had a lot of new news to report lately.

I’ve been working at OCSC Sailing as much as possible, enjoying the diverse challenges of winter sailing: from constant rain to sudden squalls, from 180-degree wind shifts to no wind whatsoever. It’s kept my students and me on our toes, for sure.

Off the water, I’ve been trying to manage my accommodation expenses by rotating evenings on sailboats, hotels, and friends’ houses. I’m staying on my budget, but with no extended travel on the horizon, the benefits of being a vagabond are dwindling.

Recall, one of the major benefits of my living situation is that when I travel abroad for an extended period of time, I am not burdened by rent payments back home in the San Francisco Bay Area. I just pay for local hotels or apartments while traveling - and usually my travel destinations have very inexpensive housing. The trade off is that I have to find hotels in the expensive Bay Area when I am home. So the more time I spend in the Bay Area, the less favorable my living situation becomes. More on this in a later post.

The month of March did bring two newsworthy events.

First, after a lot of studying as well as on-the-water practice, I took the U.S. Sailing Cruising Instructor evaluation… and passed! The intensive course involved a 3-day, 2-night passage around the San Francisco Bay, with 3 other candidates and 1 instructor. We sailed day and night, we anchored and moored, we cooked and cleaned, and we executed close-quarter and crew-overboard maneuvers. It was a challenging course, but well worth it. Earning the certification now enables me to broaden my teaching curriculum – I can now teach on the bigger 36+ foot cruising boats. The syllabus includes boat systems, anchoring, mooring, etc.

The timing is perfect, because as March comes to an end, we approach the beginning of the sailing season on the San Francisco Bay. I look forward to a full spring, summer, and fall of teaching classes! I may sneak away for a few short adventures abroad - so stay tuned. Otherwise, I’ll be on “cruise control” working at OCSC Sailing with my expanded scope.

And the second newsworthy event? I turned 50. Enough said. :-)

Cruising around the San Francisco Bay for 3 days, 2 nights, as I was being evaluated (and eventually certified) as U.S. Sailing Cruising Instructor!

Mission Accomplished!

It’s official! I’ve earned my Merchant Mariner Credential, and have been licensed by the U.S. Coast Guard as a Master (Captain) for vessels up to 50-tons.  

Here is my sailing story:

In 2013, confined in an office cubicle, I daydreamed of sailing on the San Francisco Bay.  As luck would have it, a friend and co-worker of mine bought a boat, and he invited me to sail with him in weekly “beer-can” races.  I was thrilled.  

At the end of the season, I enrolled in sailing classes at OCSC Sailing in Berkeley, California.  Always a good student, I took learning seriously. I sailed on the weekends and studied on the weeknights.  I even built a small-scale model of sailboat out of wood, string, and wire.  I set it up on my dining room table, which was certainly not being used for dining, and practiced tasks like reefing sails and recovering crew overboard.

Within a few months, I had passed the written exams and the on-the-water evaluations, and was certified by U.S. Sailing as Basic Cruising Skipper.  I was approved to take J24 keelboats out into the Bay!  I sailed as much as possible, with friends brave enough to join me on the wet, wild ride around the Bay. 

In 2014, I earned my U.S. Sailing Bareboat Skipper certification, enabling me to charter the large, comfortable “cruising” boats.  These boats are typically 36- to 40-feet in length, complete with galley, salon, head, and cabins. It was much easier to enlist friends for day or night excursions to Angel Island, Alcatraz Island, Golden Gate Bridge, and Pier 1.5 / Ferry Building since these boats offer more protection from the elements than the sporty J24 keelboats.

By 2015, I realized just how much I enjoyed sailing.  Not only did I enjoy sailing, I wanted to make a career out of it!  I envisioned skippering charters, delivering yachts, and teaching students.  

To do this (and get paid for it), I needed to get a U.S. Coast Guard-issued Merchant Mariner Credential, with a Master rating… more commonly known as a Captain’s License.  

The license requires passing as series of exams covering a massive amount of material ranging from rules of the road to deck safety to navigation to general deck stuff.  But that’s almost considered the “easy” part.  

The harder part is accumulating (and recording) the sea service required, which is 360 days on the water.  A “day” is defined as 4 hours underway.  The challenging part is that an 8-hour or even 24-hour day (like in an ocean-crossing) is still only 1 day of service.  

Ugh.  Even if I sailed one day every weekend, for an entire year, it would take over 7 years to accumulate the required 360 days.  I had to get sailing!  

To accelerate my accumulation of sailing days, I needed to broaden my capabilities, and expand beyond just San Francisco Bay.  

I headed back to OCSC Sailing and enrolled in their Coastal Navigation and Coastal Passage-Making (CPM) courses. Coastal Navigation involved a lot of classroom time (and homework), as we worked on paper charts and solved navigational questions.  The CPM course, on the other hand, required a week-long training sail along the California Coast and in/out of the San Francisco Bay.  I left these courses with my next U.S. Sailing certification, Coastal Skipper, and as it turned out, with a great friend and mentor, Tom Prior. 

To further accelerate my accumulation of sailing days, I simply needed more time and flexibility. 

So, in 2015, I made two significant changes to my lifestyle in order to focus on sailing.  I quit my job in financial planning and I rented out my 3-bedroom house in San Carlos.  Relieved from these daily obligations, I was free to spend as much time as needed – and go wherever I needed to go – to get the experience required to qualify for my Captain’s License.

At the same time, I had to be careful not to let my care-free lifestyle get out of control. Without a daily routine, I could easily slip into full-time slacker mode.

I built a budget, set goals, worked hard, and stayed focused. 

Over the next three years, I sailed whenever I could.  I chartered boats in Croatia twice, sailed across the South Pacific Ocean five times, and even began working at OCSC Sailing as a Sailing Instructor.  When there wasn’t much sailing to do, I headed to foreign countries like Chile and Thailand to volunteer in exchange for housing as a way to preserve my budget for the next sailing opportunity.

My sailing days accumulated faster and faster.  I switched over from manually recording days in my paper logbook to actually using an Excel spreadsheet.  I modelled out the weeks, months, and years, and set a goal to reach 360 by the end of calendar year 2018.

In mid-2018, as the achievement of my goal was in sight, I flew to Portland, Oregon, for a 10-day class at Columbia Pacific Maritime, which helped me prepare me for the 7 exams.  I took the exams and passed them all, including the sailing endorsement (of course) and towing endorsement.  

I finally reached 360 days goal near the end of 2018, broken down something like this:

25 days training on the water.

100 days sailing around San Francisco Bay.

150 days working as a Sailing Instructor.

50 days cruising Croatia, New Zealand, and Fiji.

60 days crossing oceans. 

So, just in time to meet my personal deadline, in December 2018 I submitted my application, exam results, and sea service to the U.S. Coast Guard.  Initially delayed by the shutdown, the USCG finally approved my application and issued me a Merchant Mariner Credential with the Master 50-ton Inland + OUPV Coastal rating in February 2019.

What does this mean? The short answer is I can now work as skipper-for-hire.  Passengers can pay me directly.  (Right now, they pay my employer OCSC Sailing who then pays me.)   So, I could buy a boat and take paying passengers out on tours of the San Francisco Bay, California coast, or U.S. Virgin Islands for example.  Or someone could hire to me help them learn to sail on their boat.  

At the beginning, the goal of getting my Captain’s License seemed far away and almost unattainable.  Certainly, quitting my corporate finance job to become a professional sailor was a bit unsettling and scary.  But, my experience and success proves the old saying, “a journey of 1,000 miles begins with a single step.”  You just have to start.

Thanks to everyone at OCSC Sailing for the training and support over the years, to Columbia Pacific Maritime for the help preparing for the U.S. Coast Guard exams, to Kerry Sheehan (SV Windswept Lady) for the invitation to crew on his boat back in 2013, and to Tom Prior (SV Avalon) for the encouragement, opportunity, and trust to sail across oceans.  And thanks to friends and family for sticking with me and not thinking I’m too crazy!

It’s been an amazing few years of untraditional living, unwavering focus, and unmatched personal growth.  The memories are countless, and the adventure continues…

It all began in 2013 with this model of a J24 keelboat made out of wood, string, and wire so that I could practice maneuvers and commands.

Holiday Road Trip

For the Holidays, I embarked on a 3-week road trip north to see family and friends in the Pacific Northwest.

The sailing season in San Francisco is always a bit slower in winter than in summer, so I had plenty of time on my hands. Therefore, I chose to take the slow and scenic route: I drove along the coast both directions, covering about 1,700-miles in total.

On the trip north, I drove at a normal pace, enjoying the curvy roads and ocean views but not making a lot of stops for sightseeing and hiking.

I stopped in Crescent City the first night, avoiding Eureka where I’d been assaulted and robbed on a similar trip in 2016. The second night I arrived in Florence where I stayed with my Uncle and Aunt, and enjoyed fresh crab for dinner.

I then made my way to McMinnville to spend a few days, including Christmas, with my parents and little brother’s family. We busied ourselves with a big dinner, lots of presents, and the usual family games and puzzles.

From McMinnville, I headed into Portland for the weekend and New Year’s Eve. I caught up with friends and enjoyed city living, especially the craft beers and boutique coffee shops, both great solutions for rainy days.

On New Year’s Day, I headed over to the beach and stayed at my family’s beach house. I enjoyed a few beach walks in between rain storms, but mostly I enjoyed the absolute downtime the beach offers. My parents joined me for the last night. We tried (unsuccessfully) to conquer a 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzle in one night! But we made a good effort.

By January 5, it was time for me to head back to San Francisco, but I was going to average only 100 miles per day and take a week to get there! I wanted to do plenty of hiking, but I also wanted to visit as many of the Oregon coast lighthouses as possible. I figured that one day I would be sailing down the coast of Oregon, and maybe I should pay homage to these lighthouses that have provided navigational aid to vessels for over 150 years!

As it turned out, the weather didn’t cooperate much for hiking. Or, better said, I didn’t have the right gear. I had my waterproof jacket and boots, and my ‘water resistant’ pants, and even my trekking poles. But I’d forgotten my hardcore waterproof pants. I still ventured out on some of the less-rainy days, but it was just too wet most days for any kind of extended multi-hour hike.

I did manage to visit nearly all of the lighthouses on the Oregon Coast! A couple were closed or inaccessible to the public, and one was north, not south, of my starting point, but here are the ones I did visit: Cape Meares, Yaquina Bay, Heceta Head, Umpqua River, Coquille River, and Cape Blanco. I also stopped by the lighthouse at Point Arena in California.

The “lighthouse tour” was a great way to add purpose to my road trip, rather than just sort of randomly poke along (although that is fun too). Admittedly, I did do my fair share of random roadside stops for pictures, hikes, and whale-watching. Unfortunately, I didn’t see any whales. The fog, rain, and wind didn’t help viewing. It’s certainly possibly that some of the frothy spray from whitecaps was actually a whale spout.

Apart from the lighthouses and coastal views, the other highlight was driving through the Redwood forests featured in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park and Humboldt Redwoods State Park. In particular, I took the scenic detour along Avenue of the Giants — a fantastic 31-mile drive with plenty of stops for short hikes.

Only on the last day of the road trip, coming down through Stinson beach, did the sun finally come out. It was a glorious approach into San Francisco, emerging from the Robin Williams Tunnel and seeing the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, the city skyline, and of course the bay itself, where I’ll spend so much time this year teaching sailing.

After three weeks, 1,700 miles, and a lot of different beds, I thought “Wow, it’s great to be home!” But then I realized I wasn’t really going home: I needed to find a hotel for the night…

Beach walk at manzanita beach, oregon.

beach walk at gold beach, oregon.

cape meares lighthouse, oregon.

yaquina bay lighthouse, oregon.

heceta lighthouse, oregon.

heceta lighthouse, oregon.

umpqua river lighthouse, oregon.

inside the first order fresnel lens at umpqua river lighthouse.

coquille river lighthouse, oregon.

cape blanco lighthouse, oregon.

point arena lighthouse, california.

at the top of cape blanco lighthouse.

driving through the redwood forests! look at the size of that tree vs. my car! (this photo was taken along a small road that is an offshoot from “avenue of the giants,” which itself is a 31-mile scenic route paralleling highway 101.)

Not the best picture of me, but here I am on a short walk through the Redwood Forest. It was great to visit during the offseason because there was no one on the trail! Quiet and peaceful!

House-Sitter for Hire

Well, ok not for hire… I’ll do it for free!

You see, my house in San Carlos is rented through September 2019, and possibly beyond that. So I continue to be homeless, even when I’m “home” in the Bay Area.

Upon returning from New Zealand, I was grateful that my friends (who happened to be in New Zealand traveling for a month) offered to let me house-sit for them at their house in Orinda.

While some folks in the Bay Area frown at “East Bay,” but I don’t mind the location at all. In some ways, I prefer it, since that’s where my sailing club and part-time employer, OSCS Sailing, is located. I have more and more friends moving to East Bay because of its affordability. Well, at least more affordable than many City or Silicon Valley neighborhoods.

While house-sitting, I mostly took care of long-overdue administrative tasks, like transferring photos and videos from camera to computer, and then backing up my computer to both online and external hard drive storage.

I had a stack of mail to go through, having been gone for 7 weeks, but as usual about 95% of it was junk mail. What a waste of paper and human resources.

I also did a few things for my friends who own the house. I climbed on top of the roof and cleaned out the rain gutters, which were full of leaves and dirt. Dirt, you ask? Yes, I think so. But it also could have been ash from the recent California wildfires.

I also played Santa, wrapping a few last-minute Amazon orders from the parents so that, upon return at the end of December, the kids would see the real Santa hadn’t forgotten to visit their house.

Lastly, I took care of the mail and garbage, too, like any good house-sitter.

The family (as well as my parents) read this journal, so I’ll leave out the details of the wild parties I hosted at the East Bay estate… :-)

In any event, it was great to have a house to call home for a few weeks. Thanks to A, M, B, and J!

I don’t have housing lined up yet for any of 2019. I’ll be in the Bay Area for Jan-Feb and Apr-Sep, so if anyone needs a house-sitter during those times, please let me know! (Unfortunately, with my Sailing Instructor schedule, I can’t offer to do daytime dog-walking.) Thanks!

Although I didn’t teach any sailing classes, I did take the J24 sailboat out a few times for some winter sailing.

Sailing gear came in handy while cleaning gutters. Gloves to protect my hands from sharp metal edges. Safety line to prevent the trowel from falling off the roof. Unfortunately, no safety line for me…

A lot of dirt, and ash (?), in the gutters.

Auckland Once Again

After spending a week exploring the Central Plateau and taking some great hikes around volcanoes, lakes, rivers, and waterfalls, I headed back to Auckland on November 30.

I wouldn’t fly home to the U.S. until December 6, so I had some time to just relax in this vibrant city. I’ve stayed in the “City of Sails” several times before as part of my adventures on SV Avalon, so the pressure of sightseeing and souvenir shopping was nonexistent. I simply booked a nice hotel room for a couple of nights (the Stamford Hotel), and then an apartment (Star Victoria Serviced Apartments) for another few nights.

I spent the days sipping coffee, sorting through photos and videos, and doing lots of laundry. The apartment had a washer/dryer. I also visited many of my favorite establishments: restaurants like Farina, Monsoon Poon, Kebab Time, and the Asian food mecca Food Alley; bars like Lime, Fiddlers, and Swashbucklers; and cafes like VicPark Café and Good Times Coffee.

Coincidentally, friends from San Francisco arrived in Auckland during this time, so I crashed their family vacation and joined them for a morning walk around the Wynyard Quarter. I also met up with a local friend Tim, who I’d met on a previous visit. He’d given me suggestions for the Central Plateau, so it was great to be able to thank him in person.

December 6 came pretty quick. I packed my bags securely for the long flight home, and took a final InterCity Bus ride to the airport. I arrived plenty early and took advantage of the lounge access I know get with my Priority Pass (thanks to my upgrade from Chase Preferred to Chase Reserve credit card). Totally worth it! I was even able to get Skipper Tom in as a guest.

The flight home was smooth, although it’s always weird flying home to San Francisco from Auckland. Due to the international dateline, the flight typically lands before it takes off!

I’d been gone for 7 weeks. It was nice to be back in the Bay Area.

Upon arrival, I took a Lyft ride to my house to retrieve my car, and then drove to my storage unit for a quick gear change. I then drove across the bay to Orinda, in East Bay, where I would house sit for the rest of December. The house actually belongs to the friends that I’d rendezvoused with in Auckland! While they rent a camper van and drive around South Island, New Zealand, I’ll be recovering from my trip to New Zealand in their house. It’s a great (and low-budget) way to close out the year.

Happy to be back in the vibrant and familiar City of Sails, Auckland!

Sky City tower lit up for the Holidays.

Star Victoria Serviced Apartments - very comfortable with lots of amenities, in particular a washer/dryer for this weary traveler.

My second apartment was equally nice… a coveted corner unit with lots of windows and balcony!

Hobbit for a Day

My last stop before Auckland was Rotorua, where I would spend two nights. My main objective was to use Rotorua as a base for getting to Hobbiton (Lord of the Rings fame). But during my visit, I realized Rotorua has several cool attractions of its own.

My accommodation Aura was centrally located with super friendly, very helpful staff. Unfortunately, the room itself was a bit disappointing because of the lack of air conditioning and the lack of plugs. I only found three plugs: one in the kitchen that didn’t work, one in the closet that wasn’t convenient, and one near the bed about 4 feet off the floor (which was also not very convenient for my laptop plug, which kept falling out of the socket). There wasn’t even a plug in the bathroom.

The first day, I had a late lunch at BREW on “Eat Street” – a short pedestrian block that has lots of trendy eateries. I had a great fried chicken sandwich (with bacon, cheese, coleslaw, and jalapenos) and a local Croucher beer.

After that filling lunch, I had to get some exercise. I walked about an hour through the Government Gardens, along Sulfur Point, and up to the Whakarewarewa Forest. The forest was very nice with an interesting history dating back to 1901 when it was established as an experiment to study the suitability of both native and exotic species for commercial planting (and I presume harvesting). I had a nice walk along the towering Redwoods and ferns. I even found a Frisbee golf course!

I found myself (as planned) at the local iSite on Long Mile Road, which is also the location of the popular Redwoods Treewalk which consists of over 25 suspension bridges and platforms that wind through the forest, about 10 meters off the ground. I got there at dusk and walked once around; then they turned on the hanging lanterns and I walked around again in the dark. Very cool, albeit quite crowded with tourists. The iSite location is open until 10pm, and they were nice enough to order me a taxi back to my hotel. It’s not safe to walk in Rotorua at night, I hear.

The next day was the “main event”: I had scheduled a tour of Hobbiton, the famous movie set for Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit movies. The bus left at 8:00am and we made the hour drive to Matamata and up to the family farm where the movie set is located.

Hobbiton is very neat and well maintained. The actual tour, however, felt rushed; and it was definitely crowded. Our group was herded along like cattle, just so the next group could follow. The “move-along” nature of the tour made it difficult for everyone to get the pictures (group and/or selfie) they wanted. Our tour guide said that on peak days, they host over 3,500 tourists through the site.

At the end of the tour, we all got a free beer at the Dragon Inn which was built in Hobbiton after the movie was released. (The actual movie scenes of the Dragon Inn were filmed at a studio.) Now the Dragon Inn (as well as other parts of Hobbiton) are used for exclusive private events.

The tour company (“Hobbiton Movie Set Tours”) is very well organized, and I recommend the company. The bus ride was entertaining thanks to our driver’s jokes and stories, and the Lord of the Rings video clips. Again, my only disappointment was just feeling rushed through the actual site.

That night, I had a great dinner at Mexican Cantina Zapata. I met the family next to me – the wife (and her mother who was visiting) are from Puerto Montt, Chile! Small world… since I’ve spent a lot of time on Isla Tenglo, just off the coast of Puerto Montt. After dinner, I strolled through the Thursday Night Market (only once a week so plan accordingly!). The market offers arts and crafts, music, and local food from kiosks and food trucks.

The following day, it was pouring rain. I cancelled my intended hike, and just took a short walk through Kuirau Park, famous for its vigorous geothermal activity. The cloudy, rainy day made the conditions extra scenic and eerie. I made a short iPhone movie that can be found on InstaGram.

Toward the end of my walk, it started raining hard! I hunkered down below a large tree and waited out the storm. After 30 minutes, the rain lightened up a bit, and I made a run for town. After scoping out places for lunch, I couldn’t decide, so I just picked Lime Café next door to Aura. It was bad: no WIFI, no red wine, and no mention of the pizza specials that weren’t on the menu (but on the specials board which I couldn’t see from my seat).

I checked out of my hotel and headed to the bus stop, which happened to be located in front of the iSite tourist office. I caught up on email using the free WIFI and bought a couple of souvenirs. Then I boarded my bus for the 3 hour trip to Auckland…

Whakarewarewa forest.

redwoods treewalk.

lanterns on the redwoods treewalk.

taking another lap along the suspension bridges at the redwoods treewalk… this time at dusk.

hobbiton!

The famous hobbit hole of bilbo baggins. the large tree at the top of the picture is fake! peter jackson requested this perfectly shaped tree be “built” for the movie. it looks so real! All 200,000 leaves were wired on one by one…

bridge and mill as viewed from the lawn in front of the dragon inn.

hobbit home.

A misty day at kuirau Park, noted for its geothermal activity.

boardwalk in kuirau park.

Taupo and Two Hikes

Having spent a week or so in the Central Plateau, and having completed several outstanding hikes, I decided it was time to start heading back north. (And return my rental car!)

The drive from Whakapapa Village to Taupo is very nice. Great scenery, curvy roads, and very little traffic.

I made a couple of short stops on my way to Taupo:

I first stopped at Lake Rotopounamu, where I took a 2-hour walk around the lake. This is a very nice walk through some dense, green forest that comes alive with chirping birds (and in my case dripping rain). There are several short paths from the main trail down to the lakeside shore where you can sit quietly and watch for birds. It was very foggy during my walk; I enjoyed watching the fog roll silently across the lake, too.

My second stop was the famous Huka Falls, where again I took a quick walk. I parked below the Falls and made a 15-minute walk up to the lower part of the Falls. Then I walked back to the car and drove up to the official Visitor Center. I parked, and took a 1 minute hike to the top of the Falls.

The Falls are known not for height but sheer water volume and power. You don’t need a lot of time here, but it’s worth a quick visit for their unique nature. They have a jet boat ride that looks pretty fun, but I’m sure it’s pricey.

After my morning adventures, I drove back to the town of Taupo. I checked into my accommodation, the Suncourt Apartments. My room was very spacious and modern, with a balcony overlooking Lake Taupo.

I returned my rental car to the Budget office (which conveniently was just short walk from the town center). I walked back to the town center, and enjoyed a pulled pork and a beer at Pub ‘N Grub. After lunch, I meandered along the lakeside as I headed back to my apartment.

I had dinner in the adjacent restaurant (Lake Bistro). I opted for the fish and chips, noticing that that’s what several locals were eating. I ate too fast though, as I was trying to get back to my balcony for sunset!

The next morning, I headed to Replete Café for eggs on toast, a coffee, and some WIFI. After noticing the nearby Marmot store was having a huge sale, I resisted the urge to buy a cool Marmot Ares puffy jacket. Instead, I just headed to the bus station where I caught the Intercity bus to Rotorua…

Hiking through the lush forest around Lake Rotopounamu.

Stopping along the beach at Lake Rotopounamu to watch the fog roll in.

Huka Falls, lower section.

Huka Falls, upper section.

Huka Falls in action. Some crazy Kiwi kayakers have gone down the falls…on purpose!

Sunset over Lake Taupo.