#93 NOW March 13, 2006 1610UTC +13 hours (New Zealand Daylight Time) Anchored in Akaroa Harbour S4348.5 E17257.5 Temp. 60, Wind North at 15-20 kts. Greetings from the Banks Peninsula, As you can see, I am way ahead of my News Letters. In my quest to catch up, I have vowed to stay here until I am up to date. I was hoping to visit Stewart Island, which is a small island just off the south tip of New Zealand. This island has some wonderful inlets and has become something of a tourist destination. However, with the poor weather we were encountering we had to take advantage of any break to go north. Saturday the 4th presented such an opportunity and with only a light swell, we departed for Dunedin. As we rounded Slope Point, the most southern part of the South Island, we reached S46'44 E169'02, which is the farthest south Done Dreamin has been. From here, it is all uphill to the North. The overnight passage to Dunedin went smoothly, but we were racing another cold front, which was due to arrive in the morning. Dunedin is located about 11 miles up an inlet. This provides it some protection, but our arrival at the Otego Yacht Club coincided with 30 to 40 knot winds. Fortunately, we were assigned a dock that was right into the wind and all went well. Dunedin was at one time the largest city in New Zealand, surpassing even Auckland. This old city has some wonderful old buildings, many of which have been restored to their former appearance. The train station looks like something right out of 19th century London. Dick and I enjoyed walking around this city and sampling some of its great restaurants. Top on the list for Dick was a tour of the Speights Brewery. This establishment has been brewing the Pride of the South for the past 130 years. Of course, the tour ended in the sampling room where Dick did justice to the word sampling. For me, it was the Cadbury Chocolate factory tour. What a fascinating place with an aroma that would make any chocoholic giddy. It was interesting to see all the steps involved in the making of this well-known brand of chocolates. All right, I also did justice to the word samples. Actually, I may have abused it a bit, as I have a pretty good stash here on the boat. One thing I did purchase while in Dunedin was a pair of New Zealand wool-line slippers. Running Done Dreamin' requires a good pair of these, and my old ones had seen better days. Once again, we were looking for a weather window for a day run of 54 miles to Oamaru. It arrived on Thursday, and we slipped the dock lines and got underway. For once, we had reasonable weather and a fine ride up to this old historic city. The harbor is well protected, but the entry has silted in and great care must be used. We squeaked in at low tide with only six inches below the keel. The chart was a little on the optimistic side with its depths. Perhaps the thing Oamaru is best known for is its Blue Penguin Colony. These cute little creatures have made Oamaru their home. In the morning, they leave the shore and head out to sea for a day of fishing, returning just at dusk. You can stand by the seashore and watch them swim ashore and waddle up the bank to their nests. What a pleasure to see nature at its best. Life is a Cruise, Larry and Dick -- Larry Rick Done Dreamin' Nordhavn 40 #33 Site: http://gricknet.homedns.org/Dads%20Web/doneDreamnHome.htm