If you missed part one about sailing in the Bay of Islands, check it out here.
Monday morning, the start of Christmas week, dawned bright and early with us moving anchorages to the other side of Mimiwhangata Bay, to a spot later populated by several fishing boats. The night before, during our solstice-party planning party, we had seen lights across to Helena Bay. We later discovered that they belonged to a vast property owned by a Russian billionaire, whose property just happens to be managed by Rob’s brother. We decided to call upon him.
a billionaire’s hideaway
Christian and I joined Rob and Jane on Chieftain and set off in the late morning across the calm seas. Word came that we could not take a tour of the property – in fact, they didn’t even like that we were offshore, but they couldn’t legally do anything about that. We contented ourselves with watching from a distance as workers scurried back and forth, and then we cruised toward Oakura. It was nearing lunchtime, we knew we needed some groceries, and we were hoping that the fish ‘n chips place was open. It wasn’t, so we picked up some barbecue items and grilled in the sun as we sailed back to Mimiwhangata. I saw my first little blue penguin here.
I took the opportunity to paddleboard this afternoon, while Christian made some Christmas plans and we altered our original itinerary. That evening, as the sun went down, all four of us jumped into the dinghies and went fishing.
I caught my very first fish here, a snapper, which we later feasted on. Dinner was absolutely scrumptious: a heaping pile of breaded snapper over a fresh spinach salad, complete with wine and good company.
an old whaling station
The next day started off with good wind and as we sailed away from land, Irie danced in the sun. We set the sails and headed north again. As the wind changed, so did we. We tacked. And then we dropped the jib and started the motor, leaving Chieftain in the dust once again. We cruised into Whangamumu, a former whaling station, around two in the afternoon. There were twelve boats in the harbour, and that number only grew. Christian and I originally anchored on the south side, far from the other boats. On our expedition across to the whaling station, however, the waves crashed into us, soaking us from head to toe, and we could see Irie pitching in the swell as we flew across the harbour mouth toward shore. Since Chieftain was somewhere out in open water still, we walked through the former station. We read the plaques describing the whaling process and looked at the old kilns, now rusted, and at the old concrete buildings, now filled with brackish water and overgrown weeds/trees.
When we left, we hit more choppy water. I’d dried in the warm sun, but a brush with another splash of seawater left me drenched once again. Rob and Jane pulled into the harbour and we raced across the bay to catch them before they anchored, explaining we thought we wanted to move to the far side. We picked up the anchor as well and we tailed Chieftain across the harbour.
The boys finally settled on a spot right in front of the whaling station, and Christian and I went back to shore to check out the pohutakawa trees. These are known as the New Zealand Christmas tree because they bloom with big, bold red flowers just before Christmas. The beach here was littered with tiny stems and the trees hung toward the water.
While they went off to do some more fishing and diving, Jane and I relaxed in the warm sun. I took the opportunity to have a shower; Irie is small enough to not really have an onboard shower, so it’s an old pesticide hand pump repurposed to a pump “shower.” I moved the seat cushions, grabbed my towel, and set about washing my hair. I left it to air dry as I stripped off my swimsuit and rinsed the saltwater off my skin. Feeling nice and clean, I then wrapped the towel around my head and changed into some dry jeans and a cozy tee.
For dinner, we feasted on steak and lobster that Rob caught while diving. Tonight (the 22nd) was the real solstice (as the solstice (the 21st) apparently is decided by the northern hemisphere) so we watched as the southern cross came in really low over the hills.
sailing in the bay of islands
Wednesday morning dawned dreary and cold, and we wasted no time in getting out of the harbour… even so, we were some of the last to leave. The wind picked up as we sailed north. We could see Cape Brett in the distance, a sloping green hill with a lighthouse. You can hike from Cape Brett back toward the whaling station or north into the Bay of Islands. The sky was grey with low clouds and the waves were choppy as we drew ever closer to the rock.
Rob had dared Christian to sail Irie through the hole in the rock, as at its highest point it’s 60 some feet high and Irie is less. Upon approach to Piercy Island though, Christian wasn’t comfortable with it so we scrapped the plan and cruised around the island. As we began to turn northward, we caught sight of a large fin. I turned Irie as hard as I could and Christian took over. I jumped up to the bow, standing on the thin board that rests just aft of the anchor. I held on to the mast pole, letting the chilly air rush past my skin as we maneuvered toward the tall fin. Alas, not a shark, as we thought, but rather a Mola Mola – a sunfish. Huge, bulky, and bony, these are the largest and heaviest boned fish in the oceans (sharks can be larger but are cartilaginous.) I’d never seen a sunfish before. Their grey bodies are covered in lighter spots, similar to a whale shark, and they can grow up to 14 feet vertically and 10 feet horizontally.
a night at oke bay
Our destination was Oke Bay, where we planned to have a bonfire night. Another friend was driving up from Auckland and we needed to get in touch. After anchoring and having a late (read 5pm) lunch of leftover lobster, paua {abalone}, and salads, the four of us cruised to shore. We took advantage of the phone service here and then made our way back toward the near shore to build our firepit. As Rob built the pit with large rocks, Jane, Christian, and I all gathered wood. When it became apparent we all needed shoes, the boys went back to the boats to grab them. Jane and I promptly stopped gathering wood and sat on the shore chatting. When the boys returned, we decided to take the dinghy out for a little spin.
The boys sat down with beers to watch us attempt to leave. We were laughing so hard as Jane and I lifted the boat back into the water and climbed in. I dropped the motor, and we slipped away silently from the water’s edge. We made one stop – Chieftain – to pick up wine. Then, still giggling like schoolgirls, we shot off into the bay, leaving a frothing wake behind us. As soon as we rounded the point I slowed down and Jane poured us some wine.
After our spontaneous boating, Jane and I returned to the beach to change, grab shoes, and finish setting up the fire. As we drew close to shore, we could see the boys with their machetes hacking away at dead wood, building a woodpile that would last us late into the night. A few trips back to the boats brought guitars, lanterns, toilet paper, and some food. Carl arrived right on schedule and the boys took the dinghy to the far beach to pick him up. Jane and I stayed at the fire, drinking cheap wine and building bonfire tepees. We strummed along on the guitars, imagining ourselves to be good (Jane actually is, I am not.)
I won’t bore you with the details of the night, but it was fun and filled with laughter.
The next morning, we all awoke …… late. The two men on Chieftain made plans to head into deep water to do some serious fishing; we wanted to gather mussels. Christian drove Irie toward the rocks Jane and I had hidden out in the night before and when it became apparent that we either needed to snorkel for mussels or abandon the plan altogether, Christian stripped and slipped on a wetsuit. Leaving me in charge of the sailboat with instructions to turn her away from the rocks (duh) and what to do if the engine quit, he jumped into the water and swam toward shore. I noted the time and kept one eye on the rocky shore as I continued to read my book. My hand rested lightly on the tiller and every minute or so I looked up to find Christian. After ten or so minutes, I saw him waving at me and I set my book down and kicked Irie into gear. He clambered into the dinghy and shook out his hair.
We headed out to find Chieftain after that, since there was no point in hanging around at Oke Bay. A few hours later, Christian and I left the outer banks to find a suitable place to anchor. We found ourselves on the Russell Road, a gravel road that links the outer towns on the mainland with the small highway. On Christmas Eve we sat around making dinner on Chieftain. Carl had caught a huge snapper earlier in the day, and so we filleted that, making some sashimi and grilling the rest. We also made some hamburgers and several salads. Rob lit some candles and dimmed the lights; we rang in Christmas surrounded by each other, bellies and wine glasses full.
In the morning, we made several trips to shore to ferry gear and people. Everyone had Christmas plans (except for me, but I had a flight) and we were on a schedule. Of course, when I arrived on the shore with Rob and Christian, Carl was changing the tire. Jane and I watched in consternation as the car tipped dangerously toward the ditch as he jacked it up. Finally, it was changed and we awaited Christian coming back on the paddleboard. Luggage got stuffed in, people got stuffed in, and off we went.
I made into Auckland just in time to catch a bus to the airport, and I made it to the airport in time for my flight back to Wellington. all’s well that ends well, right? Well, not quite: it turns out I have a shellfish allergy, so I spent Boxing Day in the urgent care… and as I said, my type–a personality really took a hit over the week but probably for the best!
**
April 2017: Whenever I’m feeling a bit low, I look back on pictures from that week and smile. It was a relaxing trip with people that have become good friends. Christian and I have stayed in close contact; we both lived in the Bay of Islands over that summer. I saw Rob several times while living in Paihia. Jane left to go travelling and so I’m in contact with her every few weeks. There’s a chance we’ll meet up somewhere out there.
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