When sailing around the Pacific Ocean on a Polynesian waka with basic food and and cramped accommodation, it's the simple things in life you miss most - such as a good cup of coffee, fresh bread and a cushion to sit on.
But for Purakaunui couple Anette Seifert and Ian Bretherton, sailing four months on a traditional 22sq m twin-hulled canoe from San Diego, California to Tahiti was "everything we dreamed it would be and more".
The crew used only the sun, the stars, wind, waves, clouds and wildlife as navigation guides, to journey around the Pacific, in the manner of the ancient Polynesians.
And because there was no refrigeration, they lived on canned and dried food, and whatever they could catch from the sea.
Ms Seifert said life on the waka was more challenging than they expected, particularly the 31-day stretch when they travelled from the South American coast to Tahiti.
Food rations began to lack variety and there was nowhere to sit that didn't have a hard wooden surface, she said.
However, living in the confined and sometimes uncomfortable space was not their biggest problem.
"It was the inter-personal dramas on board - our relationships with other people on the boat.
"You can't escape from the waka, so you have to learn tolerance, understanding and forgiveness pretty quickly because you need it on a daily basis."
Both highlight and low point of their voyage occurred at Magdalena Bay in Mexico, Mr Bretherton said.
It was there they witnessed sharks having their fins cut off for shark fin soup.
The fins were the only part of the shark they used, and the rest of the carcasses were left on the beach to be swept away by the tide, he said.
But on the positive side, Mr Bretherton said watching grey whales frolicking in the bay as they prepared for the calving season was breathtaking.
"It's something you would have seen a lot of a century ago, but the greatest thing about it was it's so rare to see in this day and age.
"Being up close was an awesome experience."
Because of Ms Seifert's experience as a registered nurse, she became the medical officer on the voyage, a position which allowed her to grow and gain confidence in her nursing skills.
The job involved treating crew with infected cuts and boils, and swimming between wakas in the fleet to give crew on other wakas treatment.
"Because of the heat and salt water, a lot of wounds became quickly infected.
"The hardest challenge was the medical kits. They were basic and we had to make do with what we had on board."
Despite the ups and downs of life on board a vessel the size of a bus with 18 people on board, Mr Bretherton said he would entertain the idea of doing it again.
"It was a big honour to be a part of the Polynesian waka, being part of their culture, their rituals, their food and their way of life.
"I would do it again, but I think I need a month at home first."
The journey
• San Diego, south to Cabo San Lucas (Mexico)
• On to Cocos Island (off the coast of Costa Rica)
• Then to the Galapagos Islands
• On to the Marquesas Islands (French Polynesia)
• Finishing in Tahiti
