Studio Villamil

 Long Island Sound has a maximum depth of 91 meters. Under the Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco Bay is approximately 113 meters. Today, we are sailing the Arafura Sea, separating Australia from Papua New Guinea, where the depth at noon was only 70 meters. You could alone walk across it. Well, actually they did, a few years ago.  The area is well protected from prevailing winds by PNG and Indonesia, so absent a typhoon (none at the moment) seas are pretty calm. 

 Thursday Island is located at the Northern most tip of Australia, part of the Torres Strait group of Islands between mainland Australia and Papua New Guinea.  It is the administrative center of the shire of Torres and the entire Torres Strait Islands Region. The indigenous people are the Torres Strait Islanders, of Melanesian origin. They have a much stronger presence than indigenous people elsewhere in Australia, possibly because of living in a much more hospitable environment. There is a strong religious identity as well as reverence for ancestors.  We are getting back closer to the equator, with 12 hour days. And another time change. 

  And a huge itinerary change. From Cochin India the ship heads South west towards Mauritius and numerous African and western Mediterranean ports, catching up with the original itinerary only in Paris. ,  Oh what an adventure awaits those who sail the world. 

 Jackson Pollock Harris Tweed Judith Ann Braun Diamond district

 Not this Kiwi  but the delicious fruit.  Kiwi 🥝 orchards look a lot like vineyards but with larger fruit. Two different varieties are shown here  The top one bears on second year vines that have grown up the strings the first year and then are lowered after the vines below have been harvested and removed. (How does one figure this out?)  The bottom variety grows on shoots from established vines the way I assume grapes do  At our house in Stamford we had two different hydrangeas, one bloomed on @new wood “ and the other on “old wood “.  Had to be careful with pruning.  The kiwi farming area has deep volcanic soils that accept deep roots (like grapes have and want) so they can grow during various rainfall conditions and are protected from damaging winds by strategically located hills. The kiwi that we tasted during our visit were exceptionally sweet  Have to try them when we get back - they are harvested at less than 10 % sweetness and chille...

 Is a small rural island just off the coast southeast of Melbourne Australia, connected to the mainland via a narrow bridge. Think the Vineyard without all the annoying rich people, and a bridge. Rural, farming, small town, beaches, wildlife areas and Penguins!!! The penguins nest in burrows behind the dunes, spend all day at sea eating, and like clockwork waddle ashore at sunset and return to their nests. Occasionally if they have had a good day the previous day they stay ashore. The clockwork nature of their return has allowed for a park and viewing area and a real industry.  The island was in a three day long power outage due to a huge storm on the mainland. But the visit to the Penguin park was interesting and went on as scheduled.  You aren’t allowed to photograph the penguins coming ashore after dark but there was no prohibition against photography of birds in their borrows during daylight. Occasionally one could even see chicks  Or Wallabies 

 Several Teslas, but no visible charging stations. Hmm. Lots  of rental electric scooters, some left in designated places, others just left. Not like NYC City Bike where you lock the bike in locking stations. Apparently you leave it, click out of it on your phone, and the Scooter Fairy comes by and picks it up. Convenient for the user but a lot of work for the Scooter Fairy.  Newer buildings have shaded exteriors to cut down on sun load. Panels oriented to afternoon sun. But security concerns everywhere- the main Catholic Cathedral- St Patrick and St Joseph - open only at Mass times.  Upscale shops on main shopping streets with stern looking men at the doors   Across the Harbor lies the toney North Shore, a short ferry ride commute. A large freshwater lake- possibly a volcano crater- hosts scuba diving (blue flag, not red and white) and some black swans.   President Obama graces a woolen goods store wearing a jumper gifted to him by a former prime minister....

 We have been sailing almost due west from Auckland for several days and the time zones change quickly at this latitude (around 40 degrees south). And it is late summer here so late daylight, changing as we move from the Eastern edge of the time zone to the Western, and also as we change time zones. Sunset was as follows: 2/7 Wellington 8:36 PM 2/8 At sea.        9:02 PM 2/9 At sea.        8:33 PM  2/10 At sea.       9:05 PM  Tomorrow will be at sea, and then Melbourne. 

 Man plans. God laughs. Wellington, Capital of NZ, is at the South end of the North Island. Plan had been to tour Wellington today, sail south for a day, tour two beautiful fjord like sounds, and then sail two days to Australia. Black line. But Captain announced “Change in Plans” - big storm coming from the Tasman Sea - 40+mph winds and 22’ seas. So we skip the sounds and head West tonight, directly towards Melbourne.  Red line.  Meanwhile storm shown in yellow will intensify and move Northward.  We’ll see.🤢😵‍💫

 Three days in Auckland will require some time- to digest -and  to comment.  The first thing that grabs your attention is that there are volcanoes everywhere! Over 50, the most recent poked up in the bay only 700 years ago.  The Auckland volcanoes are of a type that only erupts once - who knew. So there is a large volcano in the middle of the city housing the Auckland Museum on one side of the crater, multiple cricket fields in the center, and housing on the other side of the rim. The second thing is that Auckland is a city that combines good and bad elements of places like NYC and Seattle - vibrant sailing community, fish markets, scenery, Fifth and Madison Avenue shopping,  multi cultural population, but inefficient and self serving government, unhoused people, and haves and have nots.  Auckland University; probably high school students at bus stop; Asian women at a Sunday Market; and a view of the expensive yachts with an accidental passer by. The school...

 When skys are gray It never hurts to look up!

 On our first visit, approaching NZ by air we did see the island formed clouds that give the name Aotearoa. Imagine the approaching Polynesians in their double hulled sailing canoes first seeing the clouds topping the first land that they had encountered in hundreds of miles.   Waitangi is the site of the signing of the treaty between Māori chiefs (mostly female) and the English Crown, pursuant to which New Zealand became part of the United Kingdom. Of course it was immediately broken by the Europeans. Today it is a sailing and sport fishing mecca, as well as a vacation spot, camping destination and retirement spot for pensioners.  It is still possible to visit, respectfully  - shoes off please - meeting house where the Māori leaders gathered  under the portraits of their ancestors, and the Treaty Grounds where the Treaty of Waitangi was signed.