Janet

Going sailing around the Pacific? How glamorous people may think. But at this stage it is just damned hard work. My list is burgeoning. Every time I think I’'m culling it, the thing sprouts new shoots, twigs, whole bloody branches even. Today, as I juggled a myriad of last minute tasks, it occurred to me that we were planning to leave Wellington in November so we wouldn’'t end up casting off from New Zealand in May, exhausted from all the preparation work. However the way things are going we’ll be leaving Wellington shattered, setting off on a formidable coastal journey around one of New Zealand’s gnarliest bits of coastline – the Wairarapa Coast.

'You’ve had years to prepare for this trip,' I berate myself when the anxiety gets the better of me. 'Why haven’t you got more done by now?' Yes why haven’t I? But I have no time to naval gaze. Yesterday the lifeboat failed its check so I’m shopping for a new one, we need to sell the car, one of our tenants needs a new stove, miles of sewing to do that should have been done last year, and so it goes.

'Janet! Remember the goal. Picture yourself hanging out in a beautiful bay somewhere on the Coromandel Peninsular' (my poor overwhelmed brain can no longer dream as far ahead as the white sandy beaches and coconut palms of Fiji). Even the trip up the coast looks appealing. Wind in the sails, scooting along Palliser Bay with nothing else to think about except the set of the sails, course and speed, and maybe what I’m going to eat next. (This is an extraordinarily optimistic projection given my propensity for seasickness in the first two days of a trip- but I do have new drugs to try).

This is another test run, getting to grips with posting blogs and photos via email.