Hanging on the Anchor

Tutukaka Harbor…. Funny name! But like most of the place names here in New Zealand, it's origin is Maori. The anchorage is pretty well protected and the winds are blowing strong. We hold well over night and it is well into the morning the next day when we notice the sail boat that was behind us is actually beside us now and it isn't him that is moving. We frantically start all engines and raise the anchor to go forward and set it down again. Boy, this is a first! The 300 lb hunk of stainless steel that we sink off of the bow - our anchor - usually doesn't allow us to drag. Well no harm done.

 

There are two cruising sail boats in here with us, "Curious", Steven and Trish from England and "Pakeia Mist", Gloria and Michael from British Columbia - fellow Canadians. Anyway the bunch of us have dinner together at The Schnappa Bar and Grill and catch up on what we've all been up to since Nov and arriving here in NZ. Real nice.

 

The next day Glen and I head in to shore for a walk up to a lighthouse on the Bay's point. It turned out to be a great walk with fantastic views from the final vantage point. You can only do the whole walk during low tide as there is a small channel of water that divides the light house rock from the main shore.

 

Here is one of the nice things about traveling. We are finishing off the dishes after dinner and there is a banging on the hull. I look out to see two young fellows in a motor boat. "Would you like some crayfish?"

"Absolutely, how much do you want for them?"

"Nothing, we saw your flag earlier on our way out and would like to say Welcome to New Zealand." (boats fly the flag of the country they are visiting and their home country flag too)

"All right! Thank you very much."

The fellows had been out diving to catch the crayfish and had a big basket full, they gave us three good sized ones, bid us goodbye and motored off into the dark. Ooooh goodie, we will eat well tomorrow.

 

In the morning we head out for a 5 hour run up the coast, (not us, the boat) now we are in the Bay of Islands and it is all that, a huge area filled with multitudes of small islands. This is boater's paradise, an anchorage around every corner. We slide into one that has a beautiful sandy beach and anchor in about 12 feet of turquoise water. The travelling was so smooth today that we don't have any salt clean up, we just drop down the dingy and head into the beach for a bit of exploring. For a change, it is a nice calm evening and we even have a nice sunset. We'll spend the balance of our time in New Zealand in this area.