The rains and winds have totally died, and we are all settled in a calm and favorite tiny anchorage to enjoy the Bay of Islands and our last 2 weeks here in New Zealand. Hiking about on Moturua Island was good for a few of our last favorite spots. Luckily Kalea is comfy and spacious with all the necessities, and she doesn’t leak, it is Autumn here, by the way. ☔️
Whats next? We begin our prep for our clearing out of the country, and we will take the first weather window after May 1 (funny because that is when our marine insurance agent says it’s “Cyclone safe” 🤣🤣 Again, due to this typically rough passage north, we have 2 crew join us. A great highschool buddy of Scott’s; Tom Dwyer, will fly in. Also crewing is Mark Clough, excellent Kiwi sailor who joined our last trip north.
Our sail plans are fully packed for the season, including 5 maybe 6 Oceania countries. We will be returning to New Caledonia, as those were some of the clearest waters we have seen and has friendly turtles! 😁 Then we head to the marvelous Islands of Vanuatu. Our aim is to visit 5-6 new islands, each having a unique cultural Kastom (Ni-Vanuatu, a Bislama word for custom), dress, dance, and stunning blue holes. One tradition you may have heard of is the land diving of Pentecost, it’s called Naghol. (Research that one for a shocker) We then will clear out and check into the remote Island country of Solomons, a lot of rich WW2 history there. Moving north, we sail up and around Papa New Guinea, staying at the outer islands along the way. A slight possibility is to head to a tiny, but stunning US Territory named Palau. Heading East to our final destination of 2026, Indonesia! Our cruiser friends out there have reported amazing things like such friendly people, yummy foods, and cheap prices. Raja Ampat will be our highlight destination, so we will stay there for as long as possible. A much needed flight to the states will also happen in there somewhere.
Thanks for staying connected and joining us online for this sailing travel adventure! If you want to see some of our past experiences, our YouTube channel has 60 sailing videos and 27 yoga videos for anyone interested.
@Kaleasailingadventure
Our World Adventure 
Hi Guys – I just sent you a long comment, which seems to have disappeared. Will try again later.
Hugs,
Joan
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Hi Kathy and Scott,
Bon Voyage on your next great sailing adventure! We look forward to hearing more about your long-term travels on the Kalea – and remembering through you some of our own travels in Southeast Asia.
Meanwhile, I’m spending some time on a tiny remote island – through re-reading a terrific book that won a Pulitzer Prize: “The Beak of the Finch” by Jonathan Weiner. By way of this book, I’m time-traveling on Daphne Major, a tiny volcanic island in the Galapagos, where Peter and Rosemary Grant – Princeton biologists – spent 37 summers and were able to PROVE that Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution was correct! Darwin thought evolution took so many millennia that humans could never see it in action, but the Grants fully documented it happening in real time. Having computers and the scientific understanding of genes and DNA made this possible, where Darwin (1809-1882) didn’t have the techniques now available to scientists. He only had his brilliant brain and huge imagination! (I’ve just finished reading a “magisterial” two-volume biography of Darwin by Janet Browne, a British historian of science. It’s a total of over 1,000 pages – fascinating reading. To balance all this science, I’ve also read “The Meaning of Human Existence” by Edward O. Wilson, who taught biology at Harvard for four decades – and still was able to come up with this encouraging small book of philosophy!
I’ve been slowed down a lot by three incurable (but treatable) diseases, and have just closed a great works of world literature group I led for 13 years. (I still lead a New Yorker discussion group and a film group.) But I’m content with my long life – 87 in August, happy marriage, and our beautiful garden. Life is good!
And life is good for you guys, too – although very different from ours! So glad you are having this wonderful world-wide experience after working so hard for so long! Big hugs, Joan
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Hi my friend on Kalea, just read about your plans for next saison, sounds so interesting, off too new cultures. I am still watching you and following your adventures. We are not posting our life at the moment, because it is preparing, preparing for a new adventure in Europe. I am doing reforms to my house in the last 3 month, which is very exiting, new kitchen, bigger bedroom and a new bathroom. All happening in Mallorca, the spanish island where we come from. Still very beautiful to live here and so great to have family and friends around again. Still does no mean that we stop boating. Mike just bought a boat in Berlin and we plan to travel through Germany, Netherlands, Belgian an France in the next years. We always said that we will travel Europe when we are retired. Please remember, whenever you come to Europe you are very welcome on the boat or in our house. Big hugs and stay safe, Jutta and Mike from ( still ) ALILA
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Sure not the average life! “Good On Ya!” as the Ozzies say (Australians), for those who don’t know.
Very helpful to have your Itinerary,(says me-the-Mom), though of course you have told me what it is. Your Experience on the Big Blue Pacific is enriching to all us Followers! Thank you for sharing. I’ll pretend I am hiding out in one of Kalea’s stowage lockers, emerging to (pretend to) don scuba gear. Fun that I can do this through you two! Rol and I will enjoy sailing along with you, vicariously.
Happy Sails!!
Mom
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Thanks so much for your update! It’s good to know you’ll soon be on your way again – cyclone-free! Special thanks for the map. I love maps and knowing exactly where you are. When I was a boy I carefully studied the progress of the war through this area so am familiar with it to this day. Love from both of us. L&J
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