Another pleasure of cruising is the people we meet.  Most are true characters and Murray and Jan did not dissappoint.

They are the owners of a classic 1920 yacht Marguerite.  Built in NZ of Kauri wood by Collings and Bell, (you can “Google” the name/builder for more info) Marguerite has been lovingly restored by these two who live on Barrier Island and keep her moored outside their home.  Many stories were shared of their backgrounds, our backgrounds, etc, etc, but the bottom line is we’re all “out here” together doing stuff and that’s enough affinity that when Ann and I went past in our dinghy, they graciously invited us on board for a morning cuppa.

Charisma and Marguerite from afar.

You've gotta love a classic like this!

Our gracious hosts for the morning.

And then there were the hazards of Barrier Island.

Ann went “down” the trail after our hike while I headed out to do some fishing for our dinner.  Here’s what she found that brought her back sooner than we thought.

Probably one of the biggest hazards to New Zealand hiking is...The Bull. Yup, we've encountered a couple and this one was no exception. There was NO WAY he was letting Ann hike through his space. Hike over.

So, shakedown done.  It went well and we have a page long list of stuff we need to adjust before setting out on our voyage back to the US.

But, about Barrier Island, what fun!  We hiked, fished and met some interesting people (as always) and had some beautiful views.  What can I say?  I’ll let the photos tell the story.

As always, hiking around Kiwi islands, we are stuck by the beauty and solitude.

Yes, the moonrise looked just like this from where we were anchored!

Just in time for moonrise and Charismas I got back in the dinghy from fishing for dinner.

Nothing like fresh caught fish for dinner. We got snapper two out of three nights here.

OK, a few more hiking Barrier Island photos

The trails here as in all of NZ are exquisitely maintained.

Down in valleys, on top of mountains, the views just never stop.

Sometimes really little, unmarked trails connect with bigger ones. We're careful to leave a bit of a track telling how to get back.