Summer came pretty early down-under this year, forcing us to get out there and make the most of the good weather. Between all of us, we managed to spend a good chunk of the holidays on the sea.
In a bid to dodge the holiday traffic here in the Mount, we set out up the East coast stopping by the Mercury Islands, Great Barrier Island, Kawau Island, and Russell.
Limited space, storage and plenty of free time meant that a majority of days were crammed with fishing. Otherwise, small islands along the way made for great anchoring for swimming, diving and exploring.
On the way, we were met with a slight speedbump - The boys spent 7 hours hand stitching up their mainsail after almost tearing it in half. $2 needles and supermarket thread combined with a decent amount of duct tape managed to hold it together and get us home.
Each needle hole had to be pre-punched with a hammer and screw: the cheap needles we managed to get our hands on weren't quite up to the task (a decent sail repair kit has been added to the list for their next adventure).
Highlights from the trip included beautiful sunsets, amazing wildlife and a bunch of good times.
Cheers.
