No Talking for 10 Days: My Vipassana Meditation Experience in New Zealand

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Vipassana Center Worldwide Location Map (Source: https://www.dhamma.org/en-US/maps#001)

About three months ago, a sailor told me about a meditation program called “Vipassana”. I had also heard about it more than a decade ago from one of my former bosses, who shared his own Vipassana experience. As I extended my stay in New Zealand, I thought it would be a great opportunity to explore it further. I’m glad I decided to attend because completing the course was truly rewarding.

Before starting the 10-day introductory Vipassana course, I wasn’t sure if I could handle being without my phone for that long.

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Daily Trip Pictures from Whangarei, New Zealand

Posted on by by Posted in New Zealand, Pacific Islands, South Pacific

Llama nearby Abbey Cave Reserve Trail, Whangarei, North Island, New Zealand

View from Kauri Museum, Matakohe, North Island, New Zealand

Mangrove Forest (Far Side) by Port Whangarei Marine Center, North Island, New Zealand

River After Rain, Whangarei, North Island, New Zealand

Ngawha Hot Springs, Kaikohe, North Island, New Zealand

Ngawha Hot Springs, Kaikohe, North Island, New Zealand

Wall Painting at Kawakawa, North Island, New Zealand

Roses at Kauri Museum, Matakohe, North Island, New Zealand

Trail at Kauri Bushmans Memorial Scenic Reserve, North Island, New Zealand

Kauri Tree at Kauri Tree Bushmans Memorial Scenic Reserve,…

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Food Health Star Rating in New Zealand

Posted on by by Posted in New Zealand, Pacific Islands, South Pacific

It’s hard to believe it’s been a month since I last updated my blog. We’ve settled into a temporary routine here, but unfortunately, much of our time has been spent following U.S. politics. It seems like my smartphone has become the main source of entertainment and information. I’m not sure I enjoy living this way, though.

Recently, I noticed the “Health Star Rating” on food labels in New Zealand. The first time I saw a similar system was in Mexico. While the rating doesn’t necessarily influence my shopping habits, I appreciate how simple and easy it is to understand.

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Finding Positive Energy in the Library

Posted on by by Posted in New Zealand, Pacific Islands, South Pacific

Whangarei Downtown, North Island, New Zealand

Due to John’s unexpected wrist injury, we applied for and received a New Zealand visa extension. This new visa gives John more time to fully recover before we sail to our next destination, Australia. (*It is less complicated to bring our cats to Australia directly from New Zealand.)

Winter has just begun, and some sailors have warned me about how cold it is to sail this time of year. By the time John is ready to sail, we hope the weather will have warmed up. However, we must also consider the cyclone season,

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New Adapted Life in Whangarei, New Zealand

Posted on by by Posted in New Zealand, Sailings, South Pacific

Sunrise at Boatyard, Port Whangarei Marine Center, North Island, New Zealand

Plans have changed. Our sailing schedule is on hold due to John’s injury. He has been seeing a hand therapist every other week, and each session includes a grip test. His last result was 20 out of 100. Although his progress is slow, he’s gradually returning to his boat projects. Sometimes, he forgets about his injury and becomes impatient, leading to pain at night. Simultaneously, we are waiting for the outcome of our visa extension application. We’ll make new sailing plans once we have updates on both John’s recovery and our visa status.

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Autumn Harvest Season in New Zealand, Saturday Whangarei Growers Market

Posted on by by Posted in New Zealand, Pacific Islands, Sailings, South Pacific

Whangarei Growers Market Vendor, North Island, New Zealand

“There will always be rocks in the road ahead of us. They will be stumbling blocks or stepping stones; it all depends on how you use them.” – Friedrich Nietzsche (1844 – 1900, a German Philosopher)

We spent most of our sailing years in the tropics. Staying in New Zealand for a longer time because John broke his wrist, I am experiencing three seasons here.

It is the middle of autumn now. Someone recently told me about a local farmers market on Saturdays from 6 AM to 10 AM.

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Cyclone season (November to April) in the South Pacific is over but John broke his wrist

Posted on by by Posted in Boat Projects, Medical Service Experiences, New Zealand, Pacific Islands, South Pacific

John’s Broken Wrist with a Hard Casting, Whangarei, North Island, New Zealand

Sailing life sounds rosy, but staying in a boatyard demands a lot of patience. The boat is on land so the toilets, kitchen sink, and main refrigeration on the boat have been disconnected. We use the boatyard common area for bathrooms, washing dishes, and other tasks and sleep in unorganized cabin for now.

We were aware of the high quality of boating work in New Zealand and we arrived at Port Whangarei Marine Centre (https://portwhangarei.com/) with a list of repairs and upgrades.

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Campervan Trip Tips for New Zealand

Posted on by by Posted in Camping, New Zealand, Pacific Islands, South Pacific

Mount Cook National Park, South Island, New Zealand

(March 5 to 26, 2024) How big is New Zealand? It is about two thirds size of the State of California, 71% size of Japan, or 2.7 times bigger than South Korea.

New Zealand is well organized and convenient for camping in tents or motor homes. The mountainous or steep hills, volcanic peaks, and fjords are easy to access. Camping in New Zealand is safe. There are no bears, snakes, scorpions or anything poisonous or dangerous. Its people are nature lovers.

I know three groups of friends who previously visited New Zealand.

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Sailing near Auckland and Whangarei, in New Zealand

Posted on by by Posted in New Zealand, Pacific Islands, Sailings

Green Mussel Farm near Waimate Island, New Zealand

Our sailing experience near Auckland is one of the best. There are many islands and well-protected anchorages wherever we did a day sailing. No loud music played on neighboring boats and most of the places were quiet, with only the sound of pure nature.

We were mostly by ourselves. It made me think a lot about “Purpose of Life”. My recent conclusion is that “Life is to be happy” and “Happiness comes from progress”.

My problem in New Zealand is to remember and pronounce its island names written in Maori language.

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Hiking to Mount Hobson Summit on Great Barrier Island, New Zealand

Posted on by by Posted in New Zealand, Sailings

This hike is about 11 miles round trip from sea level to the summit (about 2,000 ft). Watch YouTube here.

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