Fishing Bay Yacht Club members and friends traveled throughout the North and South Islands of New Zealand for three weeks. Highlights of the trip included a five day cruise through the beautiful Bay of Islands area of the North Island, as well as three days in Auckland exploring all the energy and scenes involved with the Americas Cup. We toured on our chartered sailboat the site of the Cup race courses that included a parade of 1,000 boats. Read more about the trip and Click here to see about 25 photos that were taken of this wonderful country.

FBYC New Zealand Trip Update
Wayland and Margaret Rennie, Charlie and Stella Jones, Laurie and Barbara Rennie, Tony and Kate Sakowski, Glenda Duddlesten, and Ginger Pelling (sisters), all departed the US on Feb. 10 to wander around New Zealand for three weeks.

The highlight of the trip was a five day sail through the beautiful Bay of Islands, which are off the northeast coast of the North Island. Our two Beneteau sailboats took us to unbelievable areas along the Pacific coast and into wonderful places to “drop the hook”. We spent one other day sailing the site of the Americas Cup, the Hauraki Gulf, and participating in a parade to celebrate the racing with about 1,000 other boats of all sizes. We followed the Cup racing intently and cheered along with our new NZ friends, everywhere we went.

There were so many wonderful experiences along the way, some of which included visiting innumerable museums, learning about the Maori natives of NZ, fishing for trout in a pristine river, exploring Fiordland National Park, visiting the Antartica Exposition in Christchurch, riding the Kingston Flyer antique steam train, observing some of the world’s best scenery, walking for hours in a huge thermal spring park near Rotoua, Mount Cook National Park, and on and on.

We visited the North Island first, and then the South, where we had our own minivan and Simon, our driver and guide. Wayland was chosen chief of our ‘tribe’ at a Maorian Cultural show we attended one night, so we named Margaret, Miss Chief (mischief). Wayland wore the wooden necklace he was presented that night for the rest of the trip, and certainly was ‘our chief’. Stella Jones composed the following poem that she read at the last dinner before our departure for the US. This trip exceeded all our expectations!

Tribute to Wayland and Margaret Rennie for organizing the FBYC New Zealand Trip
Wayland and Maggie, tonight
we honor you
for planning this trip and
seeing it through.
Hours of research and e-mails
you’ve sent
While trip participants came
and went.
Your perseverance worked
and did survive,
As you gathered eight of
us in your tribe.
Wayland’s our chief with
necklace to prove,
But it’s Miss-Chief
Who makes him move.
We’ve gone by boat, by bus
and train.
Our trip’s been spectacular;
it’s hard to explain.
From the depths of Doubtful
to the top of Mt. Cook,
Thanks to you two, we’ve
had a look.
We’ve eaten, we’ve laughed,
and had lots of fun.
Thanks to you both for
all that you’ve done!

Poem composed by Stella Jones