NZ Blog 10. Great Barrier Island. 36.36.77S 175.26.54E

Alcedo
David Batten
Tue 14 Mar 2017 07:52
22-24 February. Whangaparapara Harbour. After a cold
bright morning with no wind, we motored all morning to Great Barrier Island and
arrived in time for an afternoon walk and explore and then spent another day
walking and enjoying this very quiet “harbour”. Watched a huge number of
Gannets fishing on the first afternoon, plummeting into the water one after the
other like exocet missiles, hitting the water with a huge splash and then
bobbing up after an interval with their catch.
![]() Arriving at the entrance to Whangaparapara Harbour, Great Barrier
Island
![]() All those white flecks are ........
![]() ......Australasian Gannet
![]() Whangaparapara harbour from the estuary at low water.
24-27 February. Forestry Bay, Port Fitzroy. One of the
loveliest anchorages, reached by motoring through a mass of islands and a narrow
passage about 60m wide and 14m depth, real indoor sailing, but sadly, our
journey was in drizzle with poor visibility, so not good for the
photographs. However, the afternoon was lovely and the walking in
this area is superb and we have enjoyed great views, entertaining Kakas and some
really good company. We are very much hoping to meet Lane and Kay again,
after an entertaining evening and prolonged coffee morning. They are
circumnavigators, have been to most of the Pacific Islands and are clearly very
experienced and competent and great fun.
![]() Dull morning which fails to show lovely scenery and very narrow gap we have
just motored through
![]() Forestry Bay, with Mai Tai, blue boat in the foreground, belonging to Lane
and Kay
![]() At last,the Kakas, Forest Parrots, who live at Port Fitzroy. If you
think they are dull...
![]() ....Look at my lovely wings!
![]() Forestry Bay from the beach
![]() Skipper on the walkway to the giant Kauri tree in the Glenfern
Reserve
![]() Port Fitzroy from one of the walks.
27 February. Managed to tear ourselves away from Forestry Bay to
anchor in the next door bay, Kaiarare Bay. Much bigger than Forestry Bay
and with one of the least maintained and so most challenging walks, which the
Skipper revelled in as he went into 4 wheel drive to cross streams which had
swept the path away and treating tree trunks lying like across the path like
obstacles on a cross country course. More kingfishers and Kakas, warblers,
silver eyes and fantails, but we yet to see a Kokako.
![]() Kaiarare Bay at low tide, showing why New Zealanders all have wheels on
their dinghies
![]() Skipper in 4 wheel drive on one of the more challenging walks from Kaiarare
Bay
27 February 2017. We have only visited 3 anchorages in Great Barrier
Island, all so beautiful that there seems little point in rushing on. Each
one has been uniquely lovely in this fabulous “indoor” sailing area, not unlike
the archipelago in Sweden but with wonderful walks through lovely forests and so
peaceful. We have walked for 2 to 3 hours most days and with plenty of
room in all the anchorages, good holding, good shelter and being lucky with good
weather, it has been a fantastic 5 days. We have hardly met a soul on any
of the walks, amazing as most of them are well maintained with excellent maps
and signs, steps and bridges.
![]() One of the many superb views of this “indoor” sailing area, taken from
Kaiarara Bay.
Tomorrow we are heading north towards the Bay of Islands.
Alcedo |