A Hauraki Adventure (1/2)
Day 1: Beginning of a new adventure!
We began this trip with stunning blue skies and the promise of a good breeze for sailing the next day. With the crew on board, we zipped around to the other side of the Whangaparaoa peninsula where we anchored off the beautiful Arkles Bay for the night and picked up Dave, our final crew member, from the beach.
Don’t forget to write in the logbook!
Day 2: Sailing the Hauraki Gulf
This morning we set off towards Great Barrier Island with another bluebird day and 15-20 knots from the South. We hoisted the mizzen and the foresail and cruised all the way to Fitzroy harbour, totaling about 8 hours of sailing. A few crew felt a bit sea sick but after awhile it was smiles all round!
We cruised into the natural harbour of Fitzroy and Wendy, Tim, Dave, and Samantha did some driftwood collecting while Shaz and David attempted some fishing. We then spent the evening in Smoke House Bay where we traded the driftwood for a taste of fresh oysters from another boat.
Smoke house bay bonfire and pizza oven.
Day 3: Barrier Cruising
After a lovely evening, Sam and JF spent the next morning collecting muscles and David, Shaz, Sam, and Mick tried fishing in Katherine Bay. We then set sail with the main, mizen, and headsail to venture towards the backside of Great Barrier. It was another beautiful day with less wind which made for a slightly longer trip, 3 hours of sailing total.
JF posing for the camera;)
When we arrived at Arid cove there was much exploring to do. Dave took the kayak for a spin while Samantha showed Shaz and David the cove by dinghy, even drove through a cave! We finished the day off with an amazing roast lamb dinner. Well done team!
Day 4: Arid Island Exploring and Night Passage
Woke up in the beautiful Arid Island Cove, crystal clear waters and amazing scenery. Lots of exploring; Wendy, Shaz, and David ventured on shore while Samantha lead Tim, JF, and Dave on a snorkeling tour through the natural caves and beautiful underwater scenery.
We then headed around the outside of Arid to do another snorkel and fishing mission. The snorkeling team (Sam, JF, and Tim, with Wendy and Dave in the dinghy) saw lots of different types of fish, including a bright yellow moray eel!
Next we motored down to Harataonga for the afternoon where the crew adventured up the hill to get reception and go on a nature walk. We then had a lovely chicken curry dinner.
It had been a long day already of adventuring, but we were running low on freshwater and so we made the executive decision to do a night passage back around to Fitzroy Harbour. We left Harataonga at about 9m and anchored just around the corner in Katherine Bay just before midnight. It was a beautiful drive with most of the crew enjoying the night and the full moon lighting our way. We all definitely slept well after a full on, but rewarding day.
Full moon over the water during the night passage.
