Ahhh, New Zealand! Finally! Land of the Long White Cloud. The Maori legend of the settling of New Zealand is that paddlers in a huge canoe from Polynesia saw on the distant horizon a long white cloud, and underneath lay the promised land, a rich bounty of never-before-seen wildlife that were quickly made into dinner, and subsequently extinct.

So goes the legend anyway. On our arrival we’ve had a huge wind hole as a welcoming party with crazy wind shifts and maddening calms. Thankfully we’re not the first to find these islands, otherwise they woud be known for all generations to come as “land of light and variable, with spotted cumulus”. Not quite so catchy as the original.

Despite the setbacks Sam and I are in fine form, thanking the New Zealand customs and immigration office for giving us an excuse to mow down the snack bags in our remaining stores. “Anything you’d like to declare, mate?”" BURP, nope! She’ll be right!”