New Zealand
Moments In Time

Its hard to describe the beauty of what I am looking at right now. I left Opua and went to a little uninhabited Island about 2 hours away called Motuarohia. Captain Cook dropped anchor here Nov.29 1769. I and another boat are the only ones in the bay. The sun is setting . In the background or were I came from are mountains and open grass lands of mainland NZ, all this spanning a 180’ view. In front of me is the little island with a beautiful beach.

It is the next day at the same Island. Late in the day I went ashore to look around and found a path that went to the top of a hill 500’ up. So I started the climb and made it to the top, and OH MY GOD what a view. On one side is the bay I am anchored in with a beautiful beach. The other side ( the island is only 200yards wide and ½ mile long) is rugged rock outcroppings. So you have in front of you these contrasting views. Then all around you is water and other Islands as this part of NZ is called the Bay Of Islands. Then in addition you have NZ in the background with its rolling hills and grass lands. It is a beautiful blue shy contrasting with the deep blue/green water and the lush green Islands. On the rock side the ocean is breaking so you also have those sounds. Then above me are sea birds riding the thermals over the Island never moving their wings just effortlessly floating. Sorry I do not have a camera or I would have shared a picture.

The next day I left the above Island and went to Urupukapuka Isl.a short distance away and I hiked for about 2 hours around that Island taking in all the beauty. It is now the next day and I am sailing to Poor Knights Island (lat. 35 53” S, Long. 174 43” E) about 30 miles away and 15 miles offshore from mainland NZ. It is a cool day 70 F, but the sun is out with a blue, blue sky. I have the spinnaker up in a 10 knot breeze and I am doing 5 knots.

It was a great 5 hour sail with two hours of optional clothing sun bathing enroute. I felt a little like Cap. Cook exploring the Islands. The only difference was that I have electronic charts and he did not even know that NZ existed. WOW that was an adventure. Anyways it looked like a beautiful place, but I could not find a safe place to anchor so I sailed another 2 hour to mainland NZ and stopped at Tutukaka to take on fuel and water as the water maker went out and I was getting to the point of needing a shower. In addition I needed to get Internet access to send this.

I will be leaving here in a day and sailing to Great Barrier Island (nothing to do with Great Barrier reef in Australia).

I am not going to have regular access to the Internet anymore as the Satellite connection costs way to much. So these updates may be a day or two late or early.

The adventure continues

Love Gary