Farewell to Glory

This will be my last shipping report for the current shipping season.

The vessel Glory sailed from Wellington harbour last night 10 March around 19:00 (UTC) – which was 7:00am this morning 11 March (NZ Time), and then headed South.

(Above): Welcome to Wellington, Glory. Off-loading done and dusted in ten hours. Farewell to Glory.

(Above): Wellington Harbour container section appears to be relatively quiet, judging by the number of containers stacked in the terminal. This is good news, as it might indicate a speedy clearance through customs inspections. We can probably expect a road delivery to Reikorangi by next Monday-ish, on condition that there are no hazard queries.

About to Enter the Last Straight?

The Glory is about to dock in Auckland, New Zealand’s most populated city. I can clearly remember when we were in Auckland – Sunday 13 February 2011, in time for Valentine’s day 2011, which was a Monday, and we flew back to Wellington on the Wednesday.

Britomart railway station in Queen Street, near the waterfront

The Grand Hotel in the Sky Tower precinct in Victoria Street. We went up the Sky Tower, quite memorable.

(Above): Key to the map: Yellow leg (1) just completed from Nelson on the South Island to Auckland. The Orange leg (2) from Auckland to Tauranga on the Bay of Plenty. Not sure whether this stop will be made; and thereafter, the Green leg (3) Tauranga to Wellington.

Are We There Yet?

Just when you think you’re nearing the finishing line and the journey is about to end, another unexpected bend in the road and another hill appears, shifting the goal-posts just that bit further away. Like when you were a child, you felt the need to ask incessantly:

“When will we get there? Is it long still a long way?”

However, we are not in a car. Its a ship. The glorious Glory.

And we are not on it, but Our Stuff is.

When The Glory set sail from Nelson, I could plot her course on the map, around D’urville Island, past Endeavour Inlet and Queen Charlotte Sound, and joining up with the Cook Strait Interislander ferry route between Wellington and Picton.

But, no: guess what. We are on our way to Auckland first! All the way up north!

But, like father would always say, “It’s not long now, we’re almost there!” Melanie, our clearing agent phoned as I was composing this blog, to confirm that Our Stuff has been submitted to customs and that, all going well, Pickfords will be delivering around the 14th.

 
(Above) : The Glory (bright green arrow) heading in the Tasman Sea north to Auckland. We are at the yellow circle opposite Kapiti Island (to the left of Masterton).

New Zealand Ahoy! – Farewell Spit 7073!

Its 19:00 New Zealand Time , Monday 3 March 2014, and Our Ship the Glory has just passed Farewell Spit at a speed of 17.1 knots direction 150º on its way to Nelson on the Northern point of the New Zealand’s South Island.

Land Ahoy! New Zealand Ahoy! 

Farewell Spit is a narrow sand spit situated at -40.517, 172.867, at the northern end of the South Island of New Zealand. Known to the Māori as Tuhuroa, it runs eastwards from Cape Farewell, the island's northernmost point. It is located about 50 kilometres north of Takaka and 20 kilometres from Collingwood. It forms the northern side of Golden Bay and is the longest sandspit in New Zealand, stretching for about 26 km above sea level and another 6 km underwater. The spit runs in from west to east, and is made from fine golden sand – as Cape Farewell to the west of the spit is mostly composed of late Cretaceous quartz sandstones, i.e. silica but with traces of other heavy minerals, garnet, Ilmenite, magnetite and pyroxene. The erosion of the cliffs into fine sand carried on the sea currents creates Farewell spit further east.

Clayton is in Australia

I thought that might make you sit up.

Our Ship with Our Stuff left Melbourne last night/this morning 28 February/1 March, and is heading East-ish, bound for Nelson on the South Island. Sailing at 16.5 knots direction 69º

 

According to the latest signals being received from the Glory, she is just off the South-Eastern coast of Aus in the Tasman Sea, between Wilson’s Promontory and Founders Island (part of Tasmania). Just under 2,500 km to Tasman Bay and 22h00 on 3 March.

So, why is Clayton in Australia? Well, he is not. But Clayton is a part of Melbourne, at Clayton VIC 3168. Not a lot of people know that. Only people between St Kilda and Emerald in Victoria.

Down the Yarra River…

27 February: “Make way for That Stuff, mate!  Be careful with that red container, Bruce… it’s got bloody important stuff from Seffrika aboard, mate.”

It’s going down the Yarra River and the Maribyrnong from here in Melbourne into the Tesmen. Bruce, are you a Kiwi or an Aussie?

Glorious Glory

Having confirmed that Our (Actual) Ship, the MSC Geneva has docked in Melbourne, I am reasonably certain that Our Stuff is being off-loaded, and standing at the ready to be trans-shipped onto another vessel, the Glory:

Vessel: Glory
Type: Container Ship
IMO: 9124378
Callsign: V2NA5
Flag: Antigua & Barbuda
Destination: Melbourne
Lat/Lon: 37.46182S/ 150.21192E

Our shipping agents in Wellington have confirmed that our delivery will be made by this vessel, with an ETA Wellington approximately 9 March.