Whangarei

Finally I have some spare time and can update the blog. I note it's over a month since I last was on here but so much has happened it seems a lifetime ago.

Starting at the end first, we have been tied up in the Whangarei Basin right in the heart of Whangarei and next door to Ivan and Erin on Masada for the last couple of weeks. I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not, far too many nights drinking rum and playing the guitar with Ivan on his electric organ.

We finally left Napier on 7th October and headed north stopping overnight at Mahia the first night then up to Tolaga Bay the next day. It was quite an experience going across Poverty Bay past Gisborne. The weather forecast was for 25 - 30 knots which was about as much as we would have liked but it steadily built up to over 50 knots with quite rough sea and a 12 hour trip before any shelter...not one of our better days. We anchored overnight in Tolaga Bay then the next morning headed north again and round East Cape to Hicks Bay where we anchored again. Next morning we upped anchor at around 4am and sailed across the Bay of Plenty, past White Island which was covered in cloud and sulphur fumes arriving at Tauranga about 10pm. The next day we sailed up to Whitianga but again the wind got up and the sea was too rough to get into Whitianga so we found a little sheltered bay and waited a few hours until it calmed down a bit then went in.

Irrepressible at Whitianga

It blew a gale for the next four days to we stayed there on a mooring before setting off for the Mercury Islands which are a couple of hours off Whitianga. Great Mercury Island where we stayed is owned by Michael Fay but visitors are allowed ashore and we spent several very pleasant hours walking around the island which is quite hilly. The exercise was good though after being on the boat for so long.

The boat to the right of us is our friend's boat, Nutcase.

On the beach at Great Mercury Island.

We stayed here a couple of nights then sailed (motored really) up to Great Barrier Island where we stayed for a week, ducking and diving and trying to find a sheltered bay to anchor in each night. The weather wasn't the best with 30 knot winds most days but we went ashore several times and did a couple of bush walks and had a good look around the place.

Smokehouse Bay, Great Barrier.

We finally got away from Great Barrier on Friday 26th October and for the first time since leaving Napier had a really good sail across to Whangarei. The wind was almost perfect for a change and the boat sailed really well. We arrived here around 8pm and Ivan had arranged for us to tie up next to them on a berth which was vacant. We'll probably stay here until the end of the month then move up to our own berth at Tutukaka.

Irrepressible and Masada at Whangarei

Whangarei Basin

Ivan outside shower block

And that pretty much brings us up to the present time. Doreen is away in Auckland at a school reunion for a few days so I have the boat to myself and a bit of time on my hands.

Hopefully the next update will be a bit quicker than this one!