Itinerary 2008

Sailing on the eastcoast of New Zealand and between the beautiful islands Tonga, Fiji, Vanuatu and New Caledonia
Also in this year we will be en route again with our “Kiwi Kiwi” in the South Pacific. Nowhere else in the world – eventually in the Caribbian – you can find such lovely sailing areas as in the islands of the South Pacific. Coconuttrees on white sandy beaches, smooth and steady tradewinds, tropical rainforest on idyllic anchorages where you can swim and snorkel in crystal clear warm water.

Since the beginning of November we´re back in our adopted country New Zealand und we´ll spend here our third cyclone season. We plan to sail up the protected eastcoast of the North Island, specially the islands in the Hauraki Gulf near Auckland and the well-known peninsula Coromandel.
After a hopefully short stay on the hard in Dockland 5, Whangarei, we´ll be off north with short-time stops in the bay of Tutukaka, Whangaruru and Whangamumu round the Cape Brett with the Hole in the rock up to the beautiful Bay of Islands. This area is spotted with islands and excellent anchorages. Further north you´ll find quiete a few more protected anchorages like Whangaroa Bay, Doubtless Bay or Manganui Harbour with an scenary coastal line.
From the beginning of April we´ll stay in Opua, Bay of Islands, waiting for the right wheather for our journey up to Tonga. On the way at 23 grad 37 S, 178 grad 55 W, are the legendary Minerva Reefs, corall atolls right in the middle of the south pacific, surrounded by 3.000 m deepness, in where you can anchoring very protected in 5 - 15 m deep water. You can enter the reef through a small passage, which just fells dry by low tide. You can see and hear the surging billows around the reef and it is very fascinating to be safe in here, snorkeling in crystal clear water or catching some lobster.

We plan to clear inward in Nuku’alofa, the capital of the Kingdom Tonga, settled on the main island Tongatapu. This is a good place for everybody who wants to join us, they have an international airport and it is easy to get here from Europe via Los Angelos. Here you can find a lot of places of interest (see our report from last year) und nice anchorages.
Later on we sail up north to the isolated bays by the corall and vulcano islands in the Ha`apai Group. Here you will find miles of lonely sandy beaches, palmtrees, coconuts and the unsophisticated real tongan people on the edge of zivilisation. It´s the pure South Sea!
A little bit further north we´ll reach the unique Vava’u-Group with the famous, sheltered anchorage Port of Refuge in the beautiful town Neiafu. And you can be sure that there are enough reasons while this area is known for one of the nicest sailing areas on this planet.
The way from Nuku’alofa up to Neiafu will take app. 3 - 4 weeks and is particulary suitable for everybody who wants to explore the whole beauty of Tonga. You can reach Neiafu from Nuku’alofa by national small planes or with ferries a few time the week. It is also possible to go back home from here or take a flight to other destinations in the South Pacific. If you decide to cruise with us, no problem, we´ll make our timing up to your plans.
We will explore the Vava’u-Group for a few days and than we are on our way to Fiji. The distance is about 500 nm with mostly proper tradewinds und calm sea and will take 4 - 5 days.
On the way you have to cross the formidable reefs of the Lau-Group, where you unfortunatly can´t clear inward.

After arriving SavuSavu on the second largest island in Fiji you will find out very quickly the enormous difference between those two island states. Here you feel like jumped into a modern zivilisation, you can find big supermarktes and cosmopolitanism whereever you go.
Although you can say that Vanua Levu and the whole northeast is the originalliest Fiji. The people here are living in the loneliness of tropical rainforests und on the outer islands like in a forgotten paradise. We know a lot of nice people there and became closed friends to a few of them. And you can be sure, when you travel with us you ´re wellcome as well.
Who doesn`t want to know just the tourist-centres should meet us in SavuSavu. It is also easy to get there, by plane a few times daily from Nadi, the international airport or by ferry. From there we´ll start to Rabi Island and the further away lying Ringgold Islands with the beautiful Ngelelevu Atoll. Our route will then turn over Matagi, Taveuni, Koro and Ovalau to Suva on the main island Vitu Levu.
Another posibility is to sail round the north of Vanua Levu, a region which is not very popular by yachties and so you can find a real fijian living. This way is an exploration through a difficult sailing area.
Suva is one of the biggest metropoles in the South Sea with it´s own flair, a magnific market und the famous Suva-Yachtclub.
From there we sail via the Bega-Lagoon to Liguri-Harbour and the lovely Robinson-Crusoe-Island with the best dance show in Fiji and it´s famous fire-walkers from Robinson-Crusoe-Island-Resort. Here we can meet Tommy and Nadine from the diveshop ABOARD-A-DREAM Nautilus Dive (Fiji) Ltd. and they will take you out for very nice divespots like “Sharks-World” if you are interested.
Then we plan to go to the Lau-Group, herefore we need a special permit und Tommy with his contacts will help us to get it. We also think of going to the islands of the Mamanuca-Group and the Yasawas with the world famous Blue Lagoon.
You can reach Fiji, the international airport is in Nadi on Viti Levu, very easy from Europe via London - Los Angelos or with Korean Airlines from the other side, which shall be quite cheap at the moment. Nadi is the biggest airport for all islands in the South Pacific.
From Nadi you have a lot of different opportunities to go to the islands, even by ferry or plane, in every direction.

Later on in the season we think of sailing via Vanuatu to New Caledonia to the capital Noumea. In Vanuatu you could stay actually a whole season, but this year it will be just a short visit for us. We want to see the island Tanna with the active vulkano where you can move on and the main town Port Vila on Efate.
In Noumea, New Caledonia, the „Kiwi Kiwi“ takes a brake because the skipper will not be on board. But anyway, during this time it´s still possible for experienced sailers to sail with Doris around the islands.

Round about the middle or the end of November Alwin will be back. Where we´ll stay for the next cyclon season we don´t know yet. May be we go to Australia or further north to Kiribati or the Marshall Islands. Or may be we spend another season in New Zealand.

This plan for our route is for us and the people which join us just a open plan and can always be changed to your wishes.