They arrived on the 7th March for three weeks sailing and touring in the far North. As expected, they were thoroughly jet-lagged and we had a couple of restful days visiting the atractions around Whangerai including the Whangerai falls, Kauri forest and the town itself.
After a couple of days, we upped-anchor and motored down to Urquharts Bay at the entrance to the Whangerai Sound. Dad was suffering from some sort of bug when we arrived but managed a good walk around the headlands there on the following day. This took us around the coastline and up onto a high ridge with beautiful vistas of the coastline and the Hen & Chicken Islands out to sea.
Ma & Pa - Smugglers Cove
Near Urqhuarts Bay
Dad and I then took the dinghy ashore and cleaned the river muck of the bottom before loading it on deck ready for the cruise Northwards towards the Bay of Islands. We set off the following day and soon found ourselves bashing into short, steep waves almost dead to windward. With such an uncomfortable ride, we decided to give up and pull into Tutukaka rather than carry on to our original destination.
Dad was still suffering from his ailment and we left him to sleep whilst we took a short walk to the headland.
The following day, we headed off again to the Bay of Islands. The wind had abated and the seas were calm and so we motored most of the way passing the Hole in the Rock by Cape Brett (see photo November 2007).
Cape Brett
We stopped a couple of nights at Urapukapuka Island where we had visited last November and moved on to Roberton Island and then to Russell for another night before fighing headwinds into Opua and using the Yacht Club facilities for a much needed shower.
The following day, we took the coach back to Whangerai in order to pick up the car. Our route home was via the scenic coastline and after a couple of hours driving, we found ourselves on a potholed dirt track in someones backyard. I woke up the Mauri lady who was having a lunchtime nap and she kindly gave us directions back miles the way we had come to get us back on track. The coastline road gave beautiful panaramas and was well worth the accidental diversion.
The next week and a half were spent with various day-trips around and about in Northland.
- We visited Kawakawa that is famous for its public conveniences. These were designed by the (world famous??) Mr Hundertwasser from Germany and were a bit like a fairy grotto.
- The glow-worm caves just South of Kawakawa were surrounded by magnificent Karst scenery and the tour led by an interesting member of the local family who owned the land and the caves.
- KiriKiri is a historic town where the original Europeans made one of their first settlements. After visiting the old stone store and the mission house, we decided that we had had enough of the not-too-distant past. We had also seen too many historic relics that, in England, would not even be considered antique.
- A tour further North took us to Whangaroa Harbour and Manganui Bay. Manganui Bay has a famous fish and chippy and, of course, we had to indulge ourselves. We were becoming NZ chippy connoisseurs by this point!
- Another day took us Westwards to Hokianga Harbour and then South to the giant Kauri Forest where these massive trees still survive. Unfortunately, the photos do not do them justice. They are HUGE, the massively girthed trunk rising vertically upon which a straggly mop of branches and leaves sits.
KeriKeri Old Stone Store & Mission House
Ma & Pa and Kauri
More Kauri
1 comment:
Who knows where to download XRumer 5.0 Palladium?
Help, please. All recommend this program to effectively advertise on the Internet, this is the best program!
Post a Comment