Expat Tales: The Kiwi couple who threw it all in for a sailing adventure with their four children

Expat Tales is a Stuff Travel series featuring Kiwis who’ve made new lives for themselves overseas. If you’d like to take part, email us at travel@stuff.co.nz

What inspired your move, and how long have you been there?

We both grew up in NZ, as part of large families. Our best memories revolved around summer holidays at the beach, and winters skiing at Mt Ruapehu – these were family holidays and continued well into our teenage years. We travelled the Americas and Europe as a young couple on our OE.

Now with a family of our own – four young boys (12, 10, 8 and 6) – we decided the best way to bring them up was to spend as much time as possible creating great memories together exploring and adventuring.

We left NZ in May 2023 and sailed to Fiji, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea and are currently in Indonesia.

Did it take long to settle in?

We were ready to leave for this trip as Covid hit the world, so we were “stuck” living aboard our beautiful classic yacht in Auckland from April 2020. We got plenty of practise homeschooling and living with each other 24/7 so it didn’t take long to settle into boat life at all.

Every time we reach a new country we have to clear-in with customs, biosecurity, health departments, harbour masters and immigration, which usually takes a minimum of one full day and up to three before we are allowed to depart from our port of entry. It is much more involved than just flying in.

We also have to learn as much as we can about the customs, traditions, language and expectations of the local people in the countries we are visiting. Typically we travel well off-the-beaten-track – some of the villages we have visited only receive a few visitors in yachts each year, so we need to respect them as best we can.

We have been welcomed with open arms everywhere we have visited, from tiny villages where the inhabitants are one extended family, to cities in Papua New Guinea and Indonesia. We have learnt so much from the beautiful people of the South Pacific.

What do you do there?

It’s a full-time job for both of us, operating and maintaining the yacht, homeschooling four boys, researching routes/weather/seasons/charts, and making sure we make the most of the idyllic environments we are in.

We try to immerse ourselves and learn from the people we meet. In return we have flour, sugar, clothing, school books, reading glasses and fishing equipment for the more remote villages.

Carolyn does a little bit of civil engineering thanks to Starlink, which might increase as we go along. We collapse into bed at the end of most days physically and mentally exhausted but very happy.

What are the biggest advantages of living there?

We feel extremely lucky to have this time together as a family. We are learning a lot about ourselves and each other, and, of course, the areas we’re travelling in.

We loved our time in the Pacific experiencing local villages and culture, snorkelling and diving reef passes, coral atolls, with dolphins, whales and manta rays.

It has cemented our love for the ocean, and the boys are all very interested in learning about conservation, climate change, biodiversity, and are having a very hands-on education in these areas. We are looking forward to exploring Indonesia. We have already had a taste of the bustling cities full of colour and music, and are currently entering the rainforests and reefs of Raja Ampat,

Any disadvantages?

Of course, we miss family and friends. It’s too hot here to successfully operate our freezer and we don’t have air conditioning.

There is no access to some of the finer things in life: good cheese, beef, pork, chicken…we are almost vegetarian now except for the fish we catch, and meals out. There are no toy or clothes shops or spare part supplies in any of the places we have been (just a few exceptions).

We’ve had plenty of challenges along the way onboard the boat including adverse weather, equipment failures and breakages. As we are ‘shorthanded’ (two adults as crew plus four children to look after), we’ve managed many sleepless nights during offshore passages. Thankfully the boys are old enough to start helping with the watches and food preparation. Everything is a bit difficult in a moving rolling boat, even walking through the boat is more effort at sea.

How expensive is it compared to New Zealand?

Our day-to-day living costs are very low – petrol and food being the main outgoings.

We buy/trade fresh produce, eat local and simple foods. We avoid the resorts and marinas when possible to keep our spending down. It originally cost us a lot to get the boat all setup for the trip over a few years.

It is so much cheaper to live in the Pacific and Indonesia than NZ, but you do have to go without a lot of luxuries, even if you live on land.

How do you spend your spare time?

Our spare time is spent exploring the oceans, the blue holes, tropical rainforests and amazing tiny villages dotted throughout the Pacific and Indonesia.

Making friends with local families, sports days, bonfires, reading, movies and board games, and just living together.

What is the local delicacy and would you recommend it?

Coconuts, coconuts and more coconuts.

The chief of Buliya Village in Fiji asked us to attend a lunch, along with the women from seven other nearby villages to celebrate “Fijian women in business”. We were treated to traditional lovo (underground cooking similar to a hangi) with fish and cassava, as well as singing, dancing and kava. We are so looking forward to immersing ourselves in the Indonesian cuisine.

Our first port of call on arrival in Indonesia was to wander the streets of Biak and try the street food on offer. We were also extremely lucky to be invited to have grilled whole fish at the Nirmala Yacht Club, where Tasman (our 10-year-old chef) took a particular interest in learning how to grill fish over an open fire.

Easiest way to get around?

Hitch-hike – we have had our cheapest and most fun rides in the back of utes. Also the taxi drivers are friendly and have a wealth of knowledge and local buses are always an experience. Our dinghy is our lifeline to the shore. We have parked it in some crazy places with the help of friendly locals to access local markets.

Best after-dark activity?

Bonfires on a deserted beach, watching bioluminescence light up the ocean, stargazing in hammocks, street food under fairy lights and sundowners with our buddy boats.

Best time of year to visit?

The Pacific is best in New Zealand’s winter, the seasons in Indo vary depending on where you want to go.

What are the top three things you recommend visitors check out?

The Lau Islands in Fiji, the blue holes of Vanuatu, turtles hatching in the Arnavon Islands in the Solomons, the famous sailing canoes of the Ninigo Islands in Papua New Guinea, and we have only just arrived in Indonesia, so I’ll have to get back to you.

Family and friends aside, what do you most miss about home?

Four seasons in one day. We aren’t missing all the rain in the news, but it’s hard to beat the variation from the stunning sunny winterless north, the vibrant City of Sails, the snowy volcanoes of the Central Plateau, the windy capital, the idyllic Marlborough Sounds, the Southern Lakes and fjords – NZ has it all.

Follow the adventures of the Powles family at instagram.com/chasingmoonriver and chasingmoonrivernz.com