Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Beyond the Bay of Islands
Two enticing destinations beckon just a day sail north of the Bay of Islands: the Cavalli Is-
lands and Whangaroa, a perfectly sheltered, fjord-like bay. We spent a happy two weeks
there, sometimes as the sole boat in one of the many anchorages. The sail north can be ex-
hilarating, with the feel of the open ocean even on this short coastal hop. Still, it's all line
of sight navigation - a real treat after months of blearily eying the compass. Great Cavalli
Island is essentially a taller, larger cousin of the places we'd become familiar with in the
Bay of Islands, with wooded trails and views of a fractured seascape. Apparently, a day off
the beaten track is a day too many for most: here, you can safely divide the number of visit-
ors by ten and multiply the length of the beaches by two.
Almost every visiting sailor heads south to Auckland and the Hauraki Gulf at some point.
Doing so requires a mental shift from “paradise at anchor” to full sailing mode for the trip
along the raw, exposed coastline. On a bad day, this coast can conjure up images of the
wild Southern Ocean. At its best, conditions will be just right for an enjoyable two to three
day trip to the Hauraki Gulf. We quickly learned to follow local cruisers well offshore to
avoid confused inshore wave action and unmarked hazards like appropriately-named Wide
Berth Islands and Danger Rock.
The most interesting stop along the way is Whangamumu, just around the corner from
Cape Brett and the Bay of Islands. It's a large, circular bay open to the east, uninhabited but
for the ruins of an interesting whaling station. A number of hiking paths branch out from
here. Other anchorages along the way include Tutukaka and the outer reaches of
Whangarei. While several islands cluster along this stretch of coast, most are nature re-
serves where you can't step ashore; you'll also be hard pressed to find a safe anchorage
among them.
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