Surprise Saturday

Our challenge through the winter months and to prevent Auckland fever that can sometimes hit, we have devised Surprise Saturday. The Saturday after each pay day - (now UK folks that is fortnightly for me, six years on I cannot imagine how I coped with monthly pay) we take it in turns to arrange a day trip

Adam was first up and was feeling the pressure, when we stepped out into a glorious day he doubted his choice but stuck with his plan. I had my suspicions as to where we were heading, but no, we are driving past the Domain and and into the city. 

We haven't been to the Maritime Museum for years and I have long said it is a favorite of mine. True, it's the immigration stories rather than the boat 'stuff' that mean the most to me.....I wonder why.

The question of 'why' is as pertinent now as it was then. The people and the stories are real. My own story is easy when you look at the bunks the people slept in for weeks at a time, the time the journey took is incredible when we now just hop on a plane and wish we were closer than 24hours to our family and friends. 

This trip I was also engrossed in the navigation details (all my Antarctic reading perhaps) and the new exhibition on Sir Peter Blake, an iconic kiwi who until Saturday I knew very little about. 

The highlight of the surprise, as the sun glistened on the water was a journey out onto the waters on the Ted Asbhy.  

Ted Ashby is a ketch-rigged deck scow, typical of the fleet of scows that once operated in northern New Zealand waters.

Thank you Maritime Museum but I have no idea what those words mean. To me it was a boat with lots of sails, that looked very flash in the sun. 

Time in or on the water is restorative and when you add in a lively crew, the opportunity to help hoist the sails (seven of them) you are onto a winner. The logistics and the ropes fascinated me, mesmerised I almost missed the bungee jumpers as we sailed under the harbor bridge.

We ended our Saturday with this movie to keep to our maritime theme and in a fortnights time it's my turn to find the surprise.