Leaving Tonga

So the time has come. In about 2hrs we'll leave Tonga and sail to Minerva Reef.
Crew is prepared (Marcus is sailing with: me, Anna and Martina), food is pre-cooked and vegetables pickled, 2 bread-cakes are still warm/ in the oven, boat is cleaned...So we are ready to leave now. Will inform you about our progress. The weather looks good, light wind and low sea. We'll have to sail on a hard reach ( hart am wind).
Our friend on Duende left this morning, we should pass him tomorrow. State of Mind will leave shortly after us but probably be a bit faster. It's a good feeling though to know we have friends close. Hopefully we pass Duende during daylight so we can take more pictures and movies of each other.
So long, talk to you soon

Michaela, about to jump into the water for a last swim

'Eua pictures

What I forgot to write about: the night before yesterday the ocean at our anchorage was full of glow worms (do you call them like that?). Like fireflies, only that they are on the water. All around our boat it was glowing and these things just jumped around on the water surface, solo funny to watch.
We're heading towards a new anchorage tonight, being prepared any minute to leave for Minerva Reef and New Zealand. So you'll hear from me, after this entry, only in text, no more pictures (won't have internet).  Our crew is complete, the 4 of us are looking forward to the trip. Let's go!

Here are some pix from 'Eua. All can be found in the gallery, just follow the link http://sailing.smichah.de/#!album-80

'Eua

The Tonga adventure continues. Anna has started to feel at home, Martina safely arrived on nov. 4th, so our crew is complete. Since we are waiting for the good weather window to go to New Zealand via Minerva Reef, we use the time to take a look around the area of Tongatapu. This way our crew gets used to the boat, the sailing and sees a little bit of Tonga. With this background we sailed to 'Eua yesterday. I had read, that this is very beautiful island with a big national park. And indeed, it is just gorgeous. 'Eua is now among my 3 favorite islands of the Pacific, with Easter Island and Samoa. Why? The variety of activities is huge and at the same time the place is so quiet and peaceful. You can dive and snorkel in crystal clear water as well as ride the bike, hike, climb rocks, look in to caves, walk along the beach and go swimming, or just relax at your hotel (there are two small guest houses on the island). The island is full of at least 4 kinds of butterflies, many singing birds, among them the parrot with a red belly ('Eua is the only place in the world where these parrots live), pigs (of course), cows, sheep, wild horses, cats and dogs…

I rented a bike and rode to the cliffs (puh, I am in bad shape; driving uphill in the heat almost killed me), over fields and through forests with a landscape which changed a lot. It was just amazing. and such wonderful smells everywhere, tress in bloom, so many plants I had never seen before. The list is long. Come and see this island while it's natural!

Here is just one picture, more will come either tomorrow or in about 2 weeks from New Zealand.