Glenfern Sanctuary

We awoke to another cracking day, sun shining, water glistening and gentle ripples lapping against the yacht. Swimming, paddling and breakfast in the warm sun before departing for a very short motor across the water from Smokehouse Bay to Port Fitzroy and the Glenfern Sanctuary.  We were given a short presentation by the ranger before tackling the walk which in the initial stages criss crossed the stream that ran down the hill.  Many small foot bridges had been built as well as steps cut into the hillside.  There were information boards along the way to inform walkers of flora and fauna encountered and at the highest point of the walk, some 120m above sea level we were able to walk along a very narrow suspension bridge into the crown of a 600 year old kauri tree.  A unique experience and great to be able to enjoy in relative isolation.  Juliet had clearly overcome her fear of heights as she scampered back and forth along the suspension bridge half a dozen times. The walk continues in a loop so there was no need to retrace our steps and from the kauri tree we headed on to Sunset Rock Lookout.  The view from here was just fantastic, we could see Te Kaihōpara anchored in the harbour below us and we could also see across Port Fitzroy to Smokehouse Bay where we had ben anchored the night before. After the mandatory photo shoot we were back on the track and headed to the boat for a refreshing swim before making way for Kawau. The anchorage we were aiming for was Mansion House but as we neared the anchorage we could see a number of boats already moored up for the night and decided to proceed further east to the middle of Bon Accord Harbour, which also offered a greater degree of shelter. Roast chicken again for dinner washed down with a glass or two of vino and we were ready for bed, looking forward to another day of exploring more of the islands.