Finally, the engine on N9953H was repaired and back on the airframe. The first thing to do was test it properly and break it in, before setting out across any long water crossings, and to this end I was able to arrive back in Australia several days early and put about 25 flight hours on the new engine. I also installed a long range, HF radio required for some of the Pacific legs. Mechanical work complete, I set out across the Tasman Sea for a few weeks of exploring beautiful New Zealand.

The day by day write-up of the New Zealand section of the trip can be found below.

• New Zealand, Days 1 to 4: New engine testing and HF installation
• New Zealand, Day 5: Maitland to Lord Howe Island
• New Zealand, Day 6: Lord Howe Island to Norfolk Island
• New Zealand, Days 7 and 8: Norfolk Island to Auckland
• New Zealand, Days 9 to 11: Auckland to Taupo
• New Zealand, Days 12 to 14: The Coromandel
• New Zealand, Days 15 and 16: Rotorua to Takaka
• New Zealand, Days 17 and 18: Takaka to Wanaka
• New Zealand, Days 19 and 20: Hokitika to Queenstown
• New Zealand, Days 21 and 22: Queenstown to Invercargill
• New Zealand, Day 23: Invercargill to Christchurch
• New Zealand, Days 24 and 25: Christchurch to Picton
• New Zealand, Days 26 and 27: Picton to Turangi
• New Zealand, Days 28 to 30: Turangi to Auckland
• New Zealand, Days 31 to 35: Around Auckland
• New Zealand, Days 36 to 38: Auckland to the Chatham Islands
• New Zealand, Days 39 to 42: Chatham Islands to Auckland