We went sailing last weekend.

Its springtime here, the temperatures at night are still a bit chilly, especially up on the mountain lakes but the daytimes are lovely.  We had great weather, the sailing ranged from drifting conditions to really gusty, and as often the case on a lake with high hills and mountains around, the wind can vary in strength and direction in seconds. Challenging but fun.

Lake Tarawera is a volcanic lake roughly in the middle of our North Island, the result of a depression along a major geological fault line, has many hot spots, streams that run anything from lukewarm to hot enough to cook food in. Mt Doom, that’s mount Tarawera last erupted in 1886  which in vulcanology terms is very recent and the area is rated as “active”. https://www.google.com/search?q=mt+tarawera+eruption+1886&oq=Mt+Tarawr&aqs=chrome.4.69i57j0l5.9812j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

The lake is lovely, its in hilly country and is surrounded for the most part by forest,  the few houses are along a short str

ip of coast on the north side, and there are a number of well set up boat ramps and carparks which make launching and hauling our boats out easy and convenient.

Last weekend a group of us met there, sailed, camped, some tenting ashore and some sleeping on board.  We soaked in hot pools, swam in the lake, walked the bush tracks and otherwise just hung out with friends.

It was a great weekend, I’m planning to go back sometime soon.

For lots of pics, check out the Dinghy Cruising NZ facebook page, it’s a public page so you don’t have to sign up to view it.

In the meantime, here’s a pic of me out in Spook, her new mainsail setting nicely, it’s a little bigger than her old one, and that was a mighty big sail, but Spook carries the new one well. Thanks Dennis Conway for all the effort that went into designing and making it.