Circumnavigate Waiheke Island. – Day 2

Next morning the wind has dropped and the sky has that “after the storm” clarity. We pack up and launch out heading around to the north side of the island. We set a rock gardening pace and explore every nook and cranny. The northern side of Waiheke is not a populated and we soon find ourselves alone with the raw beauty of this coastline. We stop in at a small bay with golden sands and make breakfast. The sun is well out and it is actually hot. There are a few houses along the cliff tops but the beach is deserted. We tuck into a sandstone cave to get out of the heat. We head off again exploring caves and slots in the comparatively calm water although there is still a ocean swell that keep us on our toe. While Andy and I were checking out a cave one of these larger set comes in and raise the water lever by a meter. I yell up to Andy that a big set is on it way in and he has enough time to start back paddling to keep from being shoved into the cave’s blackness.

We cover about 21 kilometers at this pace as the day starts to draw to a close. The days are growing shorter and it starts getting dark around 6pm.

We had planned on rounding the island and landing at Hooks Bay. But instead we pull in just shy or Thumb point into Ruruwhango bay which is just on the other side of Hooks but on the northern instead of the southern shore. In the failing light Andy spots a cave and we head over.

This cave is an old Maori hunters cave. The front is almost obscured and the Back of the cave is packed with dirt so that its is about 8 ft off the floor. There is an eerie feeling in this cave. People have been eaten in this cave! But it make on great camping spot. There is a helicopter flying overhead. It appears to be dropping water on the trees. Expensive watering if you ask me. We think that it sees us go into the cave entrance as a couple of time we can here it hovering right over us. After it leaves we actually build a fire. There is the first true campfire I’ve had on the North Island. It feels good and Andy and I lounge in the fire’s light and stare out at the night sky. This time we were sure that the tide wouldn’t reach us but all night long small bits of the caves ceiling sprinkled our us and our gear. Being in a tent I didn’t take any notice but poor Andy in his bivy kept waking up and when a small bit of rock would hit him in the face. I know that feeling after my night camped under the cliffs on the Cavalli Islands.

Circumnavigate Waiheke Island. – Day 1

Back at the ranch, Andy and I are gearing up to do an extend paddle. The plan is to paddle to Waiheke Island via Rangitoto then back via Brown’s. Who knew such fun can be had so close to Auckland! There is a little weather blowing through as we set up at Ferg’s. We are backed to the gills. As we clear the sailboats and duck under the pier the weather show up. Over our shoulders you can see the storm engulf downtown Auckland. Sky city disappears in a grey curtain. That curtain is heading out way. But as it turns out it really is a good thing. The winds hit 25 knots and the passage is whipped up. A fantastic following sea. Andy and I are screaming down to Rangitoto. The sounds that a boat makes when it catches the wave! I could hear Andy coming! Knew that he was about to shoot past me. Swoosh. We sailed into Rangitoto and pulled out at the little DOC dock (that’s a joke son your supposed to laugh). We had a quick snack and we took a tour of the Island. Waiheke is only 600 yrs old. As with many volcanic islands its birth was quick. Because of its short history only native plants have evolved on this big block of lava. It is covered with Pohutukawa trees. The Kiwis call them their Christmas tree. In December they bloom all over in bright red flowers. The way that they cling to the rough rocks and cliffs of the coast line impresses me.

After a hour or so we head off to Waiheke. The wind is still our friend and we pull in to the harbor at Matiaria Bay as the sun peaks out around some very dark clouds. We made the crossing in four hours.

Andy has a friend on the island that he wants to see if we can hook up with him. So while I sit and enjoy the sunset Andy trots off on foot to his friend’s house. He comes back in 20 minutes and I have the water boiling so I make up some tea to warm us up. Now we need to find a place to camp We launch out and find a little pocket beach near Whetumataru Point (the southern end of the bay) and we beach up and make camp. As it will be close to the full moon we are wary of the high tide mark so we tie up the boats and we set up as high as we can go. All night we wake up and take a peek at the water level. The tide comes up close but falls short of the boats.

Back to Bay of Islands: Aroha Island to Moturoa Island

I am getting to the point that I have to start thinking about where I haven’t’ paddled yet. As I leave Cooper’s Bay I decide that I should do the northern half of the Bay of Islands and drive back to Piahia and then up to a small Kiwi sanctuary known as Aroha Island. Now Aroha is not really an island as there is causeway that connects the island to the mainland but it is enough to keep the Possums and Stoats out and the Kiwi in. I drive onto the island and meet the caretaker of the island which is owned but the Queen Elizabeth II trust. The profits from the camping grounds on the island go to the running of the education center and the general maintenance. Accept for a German Family that have been traveling for months around NZ, I have the place to myself. I find a cozy little place to camp and then get the boat ready to launch. My plan is to paddle this afternoon to the island of Moturoa which is about 15 km away. There are a collection of lava rock islands that run along the east side of Moturoa Island. The winds are at 15 to 20 knots and expected to pick up later in the afternoon. I will have a tail wind going out and a bit of a slog on my return. Oh well them’s the breaks. This is supposed to be a day trip but I am going to try and knock it out in half a day.
The tide is out and there is a storm heading my way. I launch out and start heading into the main part of the Kerikeri Inlet looking over my shoulder to take stock of the landmarks I will need to allow my return. I can see the dark clouds on the horizon just beyond heading my way. I ride the wind waves out to a small group of islands called the Rahui Islands, they are more of a reef that true islands. I look north west to see if I could use the larger island of Motupapa ( Cocked Hat Island) for wind cover on the return trip. I scout the two bays (Doves and Opito) on the northern shore with their moored sailboat for the same reason. Bay hop back along the lee shore, that’s the plan.
After crossing the Kent Passage I reach Moturoa’s western end in little over an hour. So against the wind I figure I should double the time from this point and that leaves me about two hours to circumnavigate Moturoa (which will be about 8 km) and visit the Black Rocks.
I start down the northern side of the island. There is a peninsula / island sticking out of Moturoa’s side. It becomes an island at really high tide but has no name but the charts show a passage between them. It sticks right up out of the water with shear cliffs. I go to the spot where it is nearest the main island and being low tide there is a little land bridge preventing me from taking a short cut through. I follow along the steep cliff walls until I turn the corner of the now peninsula and into the sheltered water of it’s lee. I paddle along the rocky shoreline until I reach the eastern end. I can see out into the south pacific due east and up to Cape Wiwiki to the north. I see the chain of almost black obelisks that are sticking right out of the water about a kilometer away and just as then the storm that has been closing fast hit me. The rain is intense and the water dances wildly from the raindrops. The visibility goes to about 100 meters and I can see the really hard rain coming at me in a grey wall sweeping over the surface of the water. I am half way between the Black rocks and the main island when the first wave hits me. It hasn’t rained this hard since Greymouth on the west coast of the south island. I turn into the storm and realize that I am laughing out loud throwing taunts at the storm. Telling it to do its worst! Me and my big mouth! Just then I hear the Thunder and I know that I have pissed off Poseidon once again. I can just make out the Black Rocks and there head hard to the safety. I slide myself between two of the towers and just bob in the water until the storm passes. I can see on the other side of the rocks that a sail boat race of some sort is going on as a whole line of boats are healing hard over as they passing just east of me heading north. Their decks are a blur of activity and their crews work to manage the changing conditions. Small fishing boats have also taken shelter in the lee of the rocks. They probably think I’m Nuts.
The squall passes almost as suddenly as it appeared. The sky brighten and the sun comes bursting out. The water turns glassy and I take some time to investigate the rocks around me. What a change in the weather. There are no landing spots to be had on the Rocks so I paddle back to Moturoa and land for lunch on the very tip of eastern end. The shore is rocky accept for this pebble beach that cuts over from the west to the south side of the island. It looks as if no one has landed here in quite a while. I collect a bunch of really nice shells and have lunch. After lunch I decide to pickup every bit of garbage that I can find on the beach. Most if not all if it was blown up on the beach and has been sitting there for god knows how long. I fill up the front of my boat with plastic bottles old bits of rope and oddly enough clothes pins. Now the beach is cleaner than when I found it. I back up my lunch stuff and launch. I follow the southern side of the island which is semi protected from the winds but now I have to make an open crossing against the 25 know head wind that is blowing between the island and the mainland. I head into the wind and slog it out until I can reach be lee side of Motupapa Island. Then I head due north to the lee of the shore and Opito bay. I bay hope over to Dove Bay and then I hug the coast line for the remainder of the trip. As the light fails I reach my little campsite and drag my boat up on to the grass. A good day out!
That night I go looking for Kiwi on Aroha but I don’ find any. I guess John Kirk Anderson was right. Kiwi don’t really exist. DOC has some guy with fake Kiwi Feet making tracks for the tourist!