Mangonui or bust PT 2

We left Mahinepua with a forecast of Southwest winds, which would have been good if they had arrived and if they had been Southwest. Along this part of the coast there are numerous headlands which send the wind skating around from all different directions. So again we motored, past Whangaroa Harbour, around Karaui Point to Waimahana Bay.  
  Waimahana Bay is another of those bays that you don't normally visit because of the ground swell, but at the moment the Easterly swell is less the 1 mtr, so our chance came. Waimahana Bay is a horseshoe shaped bay, the entrance dominated by steep too cliffs. We got anchored up comfortably with one other yacht in the bay, another yacht arrived and anchored very close, but they were only staying a while. When they did raise there anchor it was touch and go about whether they would hit us, but it was all good, they were very apologetic. Another feature of Waimahana Bay we discovered later on; when there is a South Westerly wind blowing it funnels out through the harbour entrance, so it blew most of the night.
  We upped anchor the next morning and motored again, around Berghan Point to Mangonui Harbour. It is a lovely little town, with the usual Pub, Fish&Chip shop, 4square and about a hundred or so motorbikes. There was a gathering of bike enthusiasts in town for the day, lots of Harley Davidsons, Nortons, Triumphs etc, not many Honda Shadows though, our bike would have been a bit out of place. We went in search of a laundromat, but gave up on that, so we had chips for tea last night from the famous "Mangonui Fish Shop", bloody daylight robbery if you ask me (well really it was evening robbery). There was a bit of a shindig on at the town hall, an Irish Ceili, they have it on the third Saturday of the month, sounded great.

                                 View from the cockpit about 3 minutes ago, Mangonui.

 This morning is beautiful, sun is shining, birds are chirping, and to Paul's annoyance they have been pooping over the sailcover all night. We plan to head back to Whangaroa Harbour today to do some washing, and settle in for a few days. Will be out on contact for a while as the reception in Whangaroa is a bit patchy.
 Cheers.