Of all of our passages, the route from Fiji to NZ had the most potential for severe weather and rough seas. Conveniently, I brought a weather nerd with me on this trip and he obsessed over the weather and charts for months. We had added 480 nautical miles to our route from Fiji by heading to Norfolk Island, but it meant that we stayed in the tropics for longer and had just a 2 day run to do from Norfolk to NZ; a short passage that was easy to find a weather window to accommodate. We had a very pleasant run and didn’t sail upwind once! Still, we were particularly happy at our first sighting of North Cape on the tip of New Zealand’s North island. It was a big landmark for us. 15,000 nautical miles and 21 countries in 14 months; We are still far from home but we have now officially crossed the Pacific!
Vessels entering New Zealand at Port Opua in the Bay of Islands are required to tie up to a separate quarantine dock until immigration and custom officials have checked the boat and stamped the stamps. All meat products, vegetables and honey must be surrendered. We arrived late at night along with several other vessels and made lots of new friends when we cooked up our 4 remaining packets of Fijian bacon and walked up and down the quarantine dock offering it to new arrivals
The following morning we completed our check in process and were free to leave the Q-dock and anchor off the Bay of Islands Marina. After a year in the tropics it was bloody freezing for the first week or two!
The Islands Cruising Association ran the ‘All-points Rally’ which was 2 weeks of events designed to welcome the many cruising boats arriving in NZ after a season the Pacific. For us it was a blur of catching up with laundry, boat work and friends!
We were super-excited when our new, replacement dinghy arrived- it was like a massive, crated, early Christmas present and we couldn’t wait to rip the wrapping off and get her in the water…
We took off out to the islands for some RnR….. and discovered a multitude of green, hilly islands, deep bays, wonderful walks, blue skies, the coolest sailing community and a few big sharks (bronzies)…
As well as getting to sail our ‘goddess of all dinghies’ (aptly named Tika-taka 2) Kai and Jaiya joined a weekly youth sailing session run by the local yacht club. We got to sit on the deck watching a bunch of kids messing about in boats and having the time of their lives! We anchored off Waitangi for a week while the kids attended a sailing clinic with a top coach. They got to sail Optimists, Starlings, Sunbursts and 420’s. Instead of a focus on perfect technique and racing, it was all about adventure, circumnavigating islands, hiking up hills, playing on the beaches, trying different boats and capsizing. So much fun.
We wanted to spend some time in a town with all the conveniences of shops, a yoga studio, dentists and….most importantly….. a cinema!! so we found a pile mooring for lease up the beautiful Kerikeri river. To get into Kerikeri town we got to enjoy a peaceful 1 mile row up river to a basin surrounded by green lawns, lush country gardens, a Monet style bridge complete with splashes of colourful blossoms, two of New Zealand’s oldest buildings and a couple of cute cafes and restaurants over-looking a rock cascade and the flow of the winding river. From here a 20 minute walk through thick, tempered rainforest landed us right in town!
The Stone Store (above) and Kemp house (below) are two historic buildings that were part of the Kerikeri Mission founded in 1819. The Kerikeri Mission was one of the first places in New Zealand where Māori invited visitors to live among them. The Mission was established under the protection of local chiefs who were keen to harness the trade and technology of Europe and grew amidst a backdrop of tribal warfare and ever-increasing visits from foreign ships. The walls of the Stone Store (built in 1832) are imbued with stories of fierce warriors, drunken sailors, and earnest missionaries who endeavoured to spread the Christian message amongst Māori, a proud people with their own ancient traditions. Today the Stone Store is a cool, retro, hand-made kinda shoppe where the staff wear dresses from the 1800’s and you can buy wax seals and ribbon off weathered, wooden spools… Kemp house (built even earlier- in 1821- as a private home) is picture perfect with it’s simple Georgian design nestled amongst the riverside setting…
We spent many peaceful days doing school on our mooring and listening to the abundant birds that dwell on the fringes of the river. This is the longest time we have stayed in one place for a year and a half and it certainly started feeling like home…
Well into December and it was time to make Tika Christmassy!
Russel’s mum and dad; Ralph and Yvonne arrived to spend Christmas with us.. They spent a week in a lodge near the Stone Store and 4 days aboard Tika for some quality, family, island-time…
Below; walking to the rainbow falls- brotherly/sisterly love. They really have become closer since we started sailing….
A very civilised lunch at the Omata estate Vineyard and Kitchen near the quaint town of Russell had us gazing out over the vineyards and forest beyond. We shared lunch with our friends from S.V Enough, and it was made even more relaxing by the fact that all four children from both boats had disappeared into said forest before the tasting commenced…
We took a road trip north all the way to Cape Reinga and 90 mile beach….spectacular!
Christmas day arrived and once again, Santa managed to locate Tika (this time tucked deep into a bay at Motorua Island) amazing!
We attended a boozy, cruiser’s pot luck for Christmas lunch…
Below; the clear, emerald green waters of the Bay of Islands…
A few precious memories were created during Ralph and Yvonne’s visit; Granny teaching Jaiya how to knit and Kai taking papa for a dinghy sail!
Kai’s good friend Liam and his family were on holiday in NZ and came up to the Bay of Islands to visit us- it took Kai and Liam about 45 seconds to click back into great-friends mode. We took the Hiskins out on Tika for a couple of days..
Below left; the Hiskins family.
Below right- Kai, Liam and Liam’s dad Andrew decided to take Tika-Taka up the river from Waitangi and we followed them in the big boat. They didn’t make it all the way (we picked them up at the inlet) but they did do about 8 miles including an upwind beat as they approached the river mouth. A good taste of sailing for Andrew and Liam and nice helming by Kai.
The Bay of Islands really is a place that one could explore by boat for many seasons. We arranged to be in anchorages with other kid-boats as often as possible. A local family with 4 kids, an English-turned-Kiwi couple and their 11 year old daughter, our friends on S.V Enough with two boys, Jane and Roger on Ta-b (who had their niece and nephew on board) plus random kids we met on the beach or on the water. Kai and Jaiya spent days racing around anchorages collecting their friends in the dinghy, hiking the trails around the islands, swimming between boats, exploring beaches, jumping off bows, sailing, paddling….
A cricket match on a sand spit at low tide…
Below; The Bay of Islands; the movie- dinghy sailing, the Kerikeri river, Cape Reinga and a cruiser’s Christmas….with special guests Ralph and Yvonne Morris….
Next post; hiking the Milford Track….
This entry was posted in The Sail.
Wow Tika (Greer), what fun you’ve had in Bay of Isles. So many pics, they are great. Hey it’s great to know you didn’t get slammed on way to NZ, have been wondering how that passage went for you as that one scares me. Will have to look into the route you guys did when the time comes. Loved your Christmas tree ( ours looked sad compared to yours, a small insect ridden basil plant!!). So great to see Russ’s parents with you guys again, they are go getters. Keep enjoying it and send us a line now and then. Neverlandxxxxx
Gee Greer you might have to move here!! X
Don’t tempt me Janey…
Thanks Nat! I caught up with your blog the other day too! Hope you are loving the BVI’s… XG