Great Barrier has lived up to our expectations again. We arrived on the 29th hoping for some quiet time after the wind and hub-bub of the Mahurangi Harbour. Our first morning we got quite a start when we woke, as the catamaran that we had anchored behind was very close. They were only about 6 feet away from the tip of our stainless steel bowsprit, unfortunately our anchor chain had snagged on something on the bottom and was not pulling back on itself like all the other boats. So after the wind shifted we upped anchor ( which was made slightly difficult with the chain caught) and moved to the other side of Kaiarara Bay. We spent 6 days in Kaiarara Bay, our time was spent doing washing and having baths in the river, walking to Port Fitzroy for supplies, rubbish drop and chips, climbing Mt Hobson again, basically just enjoying the laid back life.
On the 4th of February we motored around to Port Fitzroy early in the morning to re-water, we did this early to avoid the hub-bub of the wharf. Paul had filled the tanks by 9am and we had a quick breakfast then went in for some meat. By that time boats were queuing up near the wharf ready to refuel and re-water, other boats were anchoring up ready to dinghy in for supplies. We got back to the boat and high-tailed it out of there, heading over to Smokehouse Bay. The 5th saw us dinghying around to Kaikoura Island to go for a tramp. Kaikoura Island is a Public Reserve run by a trust. It has had a very checkered history, with land swindles with the Maori, logging, farming, mining, during the war a small base was manned there. At one point an investor planned on creating a Hunting Lodge and introduced deer onto the Island. All these things have left there mark. Today they are trying to take the island back to its natural state, they have removed all of the deer, and are attempting to kill all the rats and poison the pines. It will be a long process, as it is being done by volunteers/ Friends of the Island.
We moved away from Smokehouse Bay and decided to hideout up near Ghost Bay as some weather was coming. So we hunkered down for 2 days, the first day it was windy the second day was rain. But we collected enough water to do the washing when the weather cleared up again. The last two days have been glorious, and today is much the same. We are planning to sail up to the Bay Of Islands on Thursday at this point, but that will all depend on the wind.
This is a little something I wrote one day while sitting around.....as you do.
Sitting in the cockpit of the morning with my first coffee for the day. The vista before me changes as Kabuki sashays slowly from side to side on her anchor. Other yachts anchored nearby, some with lovely flowing shapes, others square and boxy. Launches with towering flybridges obscure some of the view. But in the background is the green of the Great Barrier bush. The grey green of the Manuka and Kanuka interspersed with the lime green of Kauri, the fresh green of the Pohutukawas and the darker greens of the Puriri and Pines. No bright colours, just the subtle nuances of green.
In the distance Mt Hobson stands proudly, flanked by its inferiors as they bow progressively lower, down the valley to the bay. Today Mt Hobson is shrouded in a grey mantle of cloud, soft folds draping over its shoulders and falling down to brush the heads of the surrounding hills. Yesterday it was decked out in glorious sunshine, the sunrise casting a golden net over the mountain, the valley and the bay. The quiet of the early morning, the golden glow invades your senses and peace reigns supreme. It is sometimes hard to move and get on with the day, I could sit there for hours watching the changing scene, absorbing the beauty. But even on a pleasure cruise you need to attend to the necessities of life....... right? Now where is my coffee? 
On the 4th of February we motored around to Port Fitzroy early in the morning to re-water, we did this early to avoid the hub-bub of the wharf. Paul had filled the tanks by 9am and we had a quick breakfast then went in for some meat. By that time boats were queuing up near the wharf ready to refuel and re-water, other boats were anchoring up ready to dinghy in for supplies. We got back to the boat and high-tailed it out of there, heading over to Smokehouse Bay. The 5th saw us dinghying around to Kaikoura Island to go for a tramp. Kaikoura Island is a Public Reserve run by a trust. It has had a very checkered history, with land swindles with the Maori, logging, farming, mining, during the war a small base was manned there. At one point an investor planned on creating a Hunting Lodge and introduced deer onto the Island. All these things have left there mark. Today they are trying to take the island back to its natural state, they have removed all of the deer, and are attempting to kill all the rats and poison the pines. It will be a long process, as it is being done by volunteers/ Friends of the Island.
We moved away from Smokehouse Bay and decided to hideout up near Ghost Bay as some weather was coming. So we hunkered down for 2 days, the first day it was windy the second day was rain. But we collected enough water to do the washing when the weather cleared up again. The last two days have been glorious, and today is much the same. We are planning to sail up to the Bay Of Islands on Thursday at this point, but that will all depend on the wind.
This is a little something I wrote one day while sitting around.....as you do.
Sitting in the cockpit of the morning with my first coffee for the day. The vista before me changes as Kabuki sashays slowly from side to side on her anchor. Other yachts anchored nearby, some with lovely flowing shapes, others square and boxy. Launches with towering flybridges obscure some of the view. But in the background is the green of the Great Barrier bush. The grey green of the Manuka and Kanuka interspersed with the lime green of Kauri, the fresh green of the Pohutukawas and the darker greens of the Puriri and Pines. No bright colours, just the subtle nuances of green.
In the distance Mt Hobson stands proudly, flanked by its inferiors as they bow progressively lower, down the valley to the bay. Today Mt Hobson is shrouded in a grey mantle of cloud, soft folds draping over its shoulders and falling down to brush the heads of the surrounding hills. Yesterday it was decked out in glorious sunshine, the sunrise casting a golden net over the mountain, the valley and the bay. The quiet of the early morning, the golden glow invades your senses and peace reigns supreme. It is sometimes hard to move and get on with the day, I could sit there for hours watching the changing scene, absorbing the beauty. But even on a pleasure cruise you need to attend to the necessities of life....... right? Now where is my coffee?
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