Barry and Sandra's Adventures

07/03/2026

It’s three weeks since I posted an update. It’s been crazy busy! Managing the motel (you can see where it is in relation to Gisborne city on the map). Spending hours and hours building my AI ‘Brain’ which is helping me enhance my freelance Google Ads business. Plus my AI coaching alongside that.

Then we had Barry’s younger brother Peter visit for a few days, from Sydney. And our dear friends Helen and Gav - we finally got to meet their son Seb now he’s 11 months old!

We take turns to go to the farmers market and see the sights of Gizzy. Witnessing such things as trucks driving through the city with dead deer 🦌 on the back is a little disconcerting! But that’s how they roll here …

I’ve been aiming to get out and about a bit too. One of us can go out at a time … Wainui beach walks with Judi. A boardwalk stroll with Kerry Fox, a well-known and photographer here. And we saw the magnificent Waka (canoe) lit up.

I drive around soaking up the beauty of this place. So far from whatever conflicts are happening around the world. And I just want to stay here in my Nirvana forever.

But whanau/family in the UK draw me back. And of course our narrowboat home ‘stuck’ between Whitchurch and Llangollen for the foreseeable future. Spring is springing there. Autumn is cooling the morning air here.

The transition between hemispheres is starting. It’s always a discombobulating time for us. This time even more so as leaving our four year old grandson after four months hanging out will be painful 😥

But as usual there’s lots to look forward to wherever we’re living (and working!) at the time …

Carpe dem everyone 🥰

15/02/2026

Back in May 2025, we spent ten days exploring Ireland by boat with Kerry and Tony. From Dublin’s lively pubs to peaceful moorings on the River Shannon, here’s our Irish ‘canal’ adventure.

Ten days exploring Ireland by boat on the River Shannon with Carrickcraft – from Dublin to Athlone, Clonmacnoise and Portumna.

13/02/2026

It’s been 12 days since we started managing a motel on the outskirts of Gisborne, as holiday cover for the owners. It’s been a rollercoaster ride, a ‘baptism of fire’, but it’s becoming easier …

My morning routine is checking which rooms need cleaning, which ones need just a service, who’s arriving, and overnight Booking dot com emails, and writing a list of tasks for the cleaner.

Barry checks through the CCTV for overnight movements, then works through any maintenance jobs needed. There’s been a few …

As one of us must be here 24/7, it’s curtailed us from doing very much. It going anywhere much! But it has meant I can really focus on my ‘real’ job, and I’ve achieved so much it’s incredible!

I’ve now started coaching PPC (pay per click) professionals on using something called an ‘8020brain’, built by an inspirational Australian AI expert. It amazes me everyday what this can do. And what I can do with it! And set up a page called ‘aicoachsandi’. Check it out if you’re interested 🤷‍♀️🤖

The house we’re living in is large but sparsely furnished. Which is fine. We have a pool for guests and that we occasionally use - and that the Air NZ flights from Auckland Wellington fly rather close to as they land at the nearby airport!

We’ve had some busy days as the main road north gas been opened and closed again. The Waioweka Gorge from Opotiki, is a stunning drive but prone to ‘slips’ and this time there were many. It’s hard to describe how remote Gisborne is, and how easily we can get cut off. I guess it’s one of the reasons it’s do beautiful and doesn’t get ‘spoilt’ and overpopulated!!

Anyway, just thought I’d update you all. It’s fun. Fascinating. At times exhausting and frustrating. But mostly we’re enjoying this new adventure 🥰🏨🤪

Five more weeks …

09/02/2026

Alongside travel, boats, and everyday adventures, Sandi has been spending a lot of time using AI — both in her work and personal life — and finding it genuinely practical and helpful.

She’s brought that together on a page called AI Coach Sandi, which is both a place to share useful information and a way for people to connect with her if they’d like support or coaching around AI.

If you’re curious, you can find it here:
👉 facebook.com/aicoachsandi

AI Coach Sandi helps people use AI with confidence through practical, human guidance. Drawing on coaching skills and real-world AI use, the focus is on clarity, ethics, and everyday application — not hype.

07/02/2026

As you know, our narrowboat Areandare is moored about 300 yards away from the canal breach in the image below. Thankfully all the boaters somehow got off their boats with minutes to spare before the two boats fell into the chasm as the embankment collapsed.

The funding of Britains Inland Waterways has been a subject close to our hearts for many years. Barry adores the history of this iconic feature of the UK. It’s not found anywhere else in the world. There may be other countries with canals, but not with this unique history and locks.

We love welcoming visitors on board, and have had dozens since we started cruising in April 2009 on our first boat Northern Pride.

If you can spare a few minutes to sign the petition to increase awareness of the need to maintain the waterways, we’d really appreciate it 🙏

Last week the Government announced additional funding of £6.5 million for the Canal & River Trust, to support repair, maintenance and long-term projects. This is welcome, but nowhere near enough to stop the decline of the canal network – which has become very obvious through the media coverage of...

04/02/2026

It’s been another big, beautiful, slightly bonkers week for Barry and me here in New Zealand.

We’d planned to be in Gisborne from late November until the end of March, with a stopover in Hong Kong on the way out and Kuala Lumpur on the way back. All nicely mapped out.

Then on 22 December 2025, we woke up to frantic messages from the UK. There had been a breach on the Llangollen Canal. Our boat, Areandare, is moored just 300 yards away on the Whitchurch Arm, managed by the Whitchurch Waterways Trust. Paid mooring. Safe. But on the wrong side of the breach.

That means when we return to the UK, we’ll only be able to cruise between Whitchurch and Llangollen. About 28 miles of canal. Thankfully, one of the most beautiful stretches you could hope for. We know the Canal & River Trust are working flat out to resolve it, but breaches are complex, expensive, and take time.

On the very same day, a friend messaged us from here in Gisborne. Would we be interested in doing a short “motel sit” on the sunny east coast of the North Island?

Given that we’re mainly here to spend time with our four-year-old grandson, and it would allow us to stay an extra month (paid, of course), it was a complete no-brainer. The only catch is that one of us has to be on site 24/7. So we said yes… and promptly paid to change our flights.

Before starting at Sunnydays Motel in Makaraka, we headed up the coast for a few days with Barry’s son and family, staying at Tolaga Bay TOP 10 Holiday Park. Two nights in a little cabin that felt like pure magic. Sunrises and sunsets, an almost-full moon, beach time, playground adventures, card games, BBQs, and a wonderful local market fundraiser supporting the badly affected East Coast community of Te Araroa.

It’s sobering, though. Both the Waioweka Gorge and the East Cape (SH35) roads are currently closed due to slips and flooding. That leaves Gisborne with just one road in and out, via Napier. For a remote region, that’s huge. Tourism, supplies, and local businesses are all feeling the strain. The New Zealand Defence Force has been helping with the clean-up in Te Araroa, but recovery will take time.

The upside? I can still work in my “day job” with Sandbar Solutions while we’re here. In fact, it’s oddly luxurious… I have a proper desk and a proper chair. Who knew that would feel so decadent?

And last night I even got to go out to The Poverty Bay Blues Club night with Barry's brother Ray ...

Life keeps unfolding in unexpected ways. We’re learning (again) to adapt, stay grateful, and lean into whatever comes next.

More soon 💙

28/01/2026

Barry and I first met in August 2005. Introduced by a mutual friend in ‘The Meetings’, a Gisborne pub, when I was out with girlfriends. I remember thinking he had such kind eyes.

On 22nd December, Kim and I had a ‘family’ portrait done by Barry when he owned an iconic Gisborne photography business, DNK. I wanted to ‘check him out’ 😂

Then on 29th January 2006, we bumped into each other at a local food, wine and music festival called ‘Taste Gisborne’. We got together that evening and have been ever since. Twenty years today!! Many ups. A few downs. Countless crazy adventures and of course the big move back to the UK to live on board Areandare and get Barry’s visa and British passport.

Caring for my mum and dad was my priority for the first five years. Plus two grandsons. While Barry enjoyed life on the inland waterways. I’m guessing I spent 50% of time on land and 50% on the boat. It’s been an adventure for sure!

Plus seven journeys back to Aotearoa to travel and see family and friends. One time for a whole year over Covid. Magical times.

We’ve been reckless and impulsive. And loved almost every minute!!

This week, to celebrate 🥳, we drove down to Masterton (thank you Lesley for selling us your car!) to stay with dear friends Andie and Pete. They’ve stayed on board Areandare a couple of times over the years.

Walking with Bella locally. Mount Holdsworth. Mount Bruce. The Takaha National Wildlife Centre. And just chilling in their wonderful whare. So special.

Yesterday we drove up to Napier, the art deco capital of New Zealand. I used my new GPSMycity App to walk around the city and learn a bit more about its fascinating history.

We stayed in the Shoreline Motel on Marine Parade. Stunning sea views. Bliss!!

Heading back to Gizzy today and looking forward to another 20 years together 🤞🤷‍♀️💜

28/12/2025

A refreshing overview of the importance of the UK canal network and the funding challenges to keep this iconic and uniquely British way of life for boaters, and people, to enjoy.

The Whitchurch breach has been horrifying, but hopefully it’s also shed a positive light on why thousands of folks choose this simple way of life 🥰

After an embankment collapses, a boater explains why people are drawn to life on the canals.

25/12/2025

A really helpful and informative update from these lovely guys:

https://youtu.be/JfpCd8ZnI5k?si=q5OxvGM6z3cT-xGi

Areandare features part way through the footage in the Whitchurch Arm. She looks fine thank goodness.

Hoping the affected boaters all have good news soon 🙏

An update from the breach at Whitchurch that happened on Monday 22 December. Shocking footage of the aftermath and we speak to the Chief Operations Officer o...

24/12/2025

A gofundme campaign has been set up to help the boaters whose homes are unliveable in currently, and possibly always.

Please donate if you can afford to and help them know they’re not alone. 🙏

Anthony and myself love the community on the canals, they have been wonderful to us and with … Paul Smith-Storey needs your support for Donate to help boaters

22/12/2025

Got up to the loo at 6.30am here in Aotearoa to a few ‘urgent’ messages. 😦

So I’m pretty hopeless at markdown on photos, but Areandare is to the left of my arrow. Safe on the Whitchurch Arm.

Omg 😱 what’s the chances of this happening so close to us?

Thankfully there was no one on board the boats at the bottom of the canal round the corner from us as they were apparently awoken by the noise and got off them.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c2lvq0yk9dko

25/11/2025

Our Kiwi friends Kerry and Tony returned for their third visit aboard Areandare, bringing a mix of canal days, city explorations and shared adventures before we all travelled on to Ireland for a boating holiday.

Kerry and Tony return to Areandare for UK canal adventures and historic cities before our Ireland boating holiday.