Boarding the Ship in Auckland

So we made it to New Zealand without troubles.  Upon arrival to Wellington at 9AM, we went to the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) to meet up with Alan Orpin, our NZ colleague.  At NIWA we found the equipment we had left in the country and got it ready for being trucked up to Auckland, along with the other ship equipment.  With the multicore, CTD, and all of our stuff on the truck, there wasn't much room left. 

That afternoon, we met with the Chief Scientist of NIWA, Charlotte.  We had a great conversation about the upcoming cruise, our scientific collaborations and future work.  She has been very supportive of our efforts, and we are very thankful.

That evening, we stayed in Wellington, and over the next two days we made our way to Auckland to meet the ship.  We took a circuitous route north to avoid some nasty weather across the western part of the North Island.  We're fortunate to enjoy some beautiful scenery and a few nice stops.

Last night we arrrived in Auckland and have found the other scientists.  Today we board the ship and hopefully we start steaming to Gisborne.

Here are some pictures from the last few days...