Trish and I have now sailed Curious back up into the Bay of Islands via brief stopovers at Marsden Cove and Tutukaka.

                                                                                                                                Rock formations along the walk up to Tutukaka Head

Looking down into the bay at Tutukaka with Curious in the near centre                                                  Trish with the lighthouse at Tutukaka Head with the Poor Knights marine reserve behind

                These Maori names are not that easy to pronounce!

It was a pity to have to leave the Great Barrier island so soon as we saw only a small part of this great marine and land wildlife reserve

but this was more than made up by the incredible beauty and fantastic cruising grounds to be found in the sheltered waters of the bay of islands.

Throughout the extensive Bay there are lots of islands and anchorages with some great walks inland

                There are also some beautiful towns around the bay, these two images from the  historic township of Russel and across the bay is the treaty house at Waitangi