36 12.3S 175 20.8E

Around the world with the Aqualunies
Jonathan & Gabrielle Lyne
Sat 2 Mar 2013 00:43
26th Feb -  1st March 2013
Walking and Meeting up with the Gray's friends again on Great Barrier Island in the Hauraki Gulf, New Zealand.

We spent a couple of days on 'time out'  after the RCC Meet and then meeting up with the Gray's and all their friends our livers definitely needed a rest.
Jonathan and I did a two hour walk near Port Fitzroy, it is a conservation area where they are re growing native plants, it used to be a farm and the Kauri Trees were cut down and logged for building as it was very strong.  Now there is a big project to re grow them, sadly there is Kauri die back so it is encouraged to sterilise and wash your shoes before and after the walks here.
Just before our walk we were hailed by Kitty and Simon Van Hagan (fellow RCC members who did not make the meet) and decided to get together in the evening for dinner.  I had made a Fish curry out of the two fish Jonathan had caught having learnt they were really only good for smoking or curries as they are quite a strong fish.
On our way out of Port Fitzroy we saw the yachts belong to the Gray's friends coming in so we contacted them later to organise a walk the following day.
The following morning we sailed around to the north facing bay called Bradshaw Bay on Kaikoura Island just outside Port Fitzroy inlet.  It was beautiful, sheltered and had a lovely beach.  Took dinghies ashore and did a hike up to a grass runway and then beyond to a peninsular looking out over Port Fitzroy and Port Abercrombie.  It was a very good leg stretch through lovely bush.
Later we weighed anchor and sailed for Kiwrikiri Bay.  We then had drinks on board and then supper with the the others.  
The following morning we dinghied into the head of Kiwrikiri Bay with the others, pulled our dinghies into the mangrove swamp and did a three hour walk up to Mount Maungapiko (290 m. above sea level)  It was a good hard climb at times through streams, climbing up holding on to trees and trying not to slide on loose stones.  The last bit was climbing up some rock to the top of the mountain for some spectacular views across to the east coast of Great Barrier Island.  We saw lots of Fan Tail birds which flit around the trees only feet from you.  Some friends left to fly back to Auckland as they had to get back to work meanwhile Chris Morton who is a photographer picked up some friends who are fellow photographers from the jetty in Fitzroy.  Everybody (9 of us altogether) came on board Aqualuna for drinks and supper, just about got us all around the table when we took away the arms of the seating bench.
2nd March,
Slow morning this morning.  Our water maker/desalinator suddenly stopped yesterday and smell of burning plastic.  Jonathan thinks a wire has burnt out because it was touching the heat of the relay, thought about having a go at sorting it but has decided we need to go into Auckland to get it done.  It hasn't gone wrong often and has just been serviced in Auckland.....
We can go and fill up with very good fresh water in Port Fitzroy harbour so i expect that is what we shall do tomorrow.  We are thinking about sailing around the Pacific side of the island tomorrow as the wind has gone SWesterly so it will be much calmer around there, there are a couple of place to drop anchor in shelter most of it is long white sandy beaches with a good surfing swell running in.


Glen Fern walk Great Barrier, Auckland

 



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Bridge to Kauri Tree house

 



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Jonathan in the tree house

 



Climbing from tree house back to swing bridge

 



J walking back along the bridge make of just a few planks of wood and wire.

 



sunset lookout over Fitzroy harbout

 



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Port Fitroy

 



Fitroy Harbour and weekly ferry

 



Jonathan in the bush

 



Marsh, Gabbie, Jo Morton, Mary-Beth, Robert, Christine

 



Looking down to bay where we are anchored around the corner

 



Along the northern coast of Kaikoura Island

 



Jonathan and Gabbie on Kaikoura Island

 



Coast line of Kiwriki Bay

 



Marsh, Robert and Mary-Beth

 



Pulling the dinghies into the Mangrove swamp to start our walk.

 



Looking across mountains of Great Barrier Island

 



On top of Mt. Maungapiko towards the Pacific near Whangapoua on Great barrier Island.