Astra Blog: Bay of Islands to Auckland 03.11.08 – 04.11.08

Monday 3/11/08

After checking out, provisioning, and bacon and egg sanis, we cast off for Auckland at midday. On the way out we found we were taking the same route as the local tour boats, all of which advertised trips through the “Hole In The Rock,” and sure enough this lay right on our path in the form of the rock arch at Motukokako Island, right at the far south-east of the Bay of Islands. Resisting a mad urge to take Astra through the Hole, we settled down to a monotonous day of motoring into headwinds, drizzle, and an uncomfortable swell. Even our attempts at fishing went unrewarded except for a brief burst from the reel as someone nibbled the sardine off the line. At evening we emptied our four reserve cans into the fuel tank.

Tuesday 4/11/08

By the 0200 watch the wind had at last come round to the north, giving us an extra two knots though not enough to sail. Sally had a midnight tryst with the dolphins off Hen and Chicken Islands, and with 40 miles to go, we could see the clouds to the south lit up by the glow of Auckland. Motoring into increasingly blustery and cold winds, we began to pick out the towers of the city, and at 1020 we were moored up behind Zulu at Pier 21 marina.