Mahurangi - Mita Bay

We have been regular visitors to Mita Bay over the winter.

It can be found just inside the entrance to Mahurangi Harbour on the Port side heading up the Harbour.

The first is “Sullivans Bay” and is identifiable by the house set back from the beach and the road coming down to it. Mita is the next on the port side and has no road access.

It is very sheltered from Westerly quarter, probably only really exposed to wind from the south / south east although an extensive rock shelf that connects to “Pudding Island Rock” during low tide gives it a fair amount of shelter from that quarter as well.

If you go ashore, there is a track that takes you up the hill and out onto the Sullivans Bay access road. There are extensive views of the Harbour and Harauki Gulf from the top. Well worth the effort.

If you come down the hill from the lookout, make sure you have reasonable footwear as the “track” is marginal at best.

A good picnic spot if you do not intend to overnight.

My only problem with this, Sullivans and Big Bay (outside of the entrance) is that you do get a bit of wash from boats going in an out of the harbour.

Holding seems good and we have been in there on some pretty blustery days. In our shallow draft boat we can get in pretty close.

Anniversary Weekend 09

If you like crowds this is the place to be. Wall to wall boats but plenty of classic yachts and launches. 

One point that I would make about Mita Bay is that my earlier point regarding the boat wash is not entirely correct. It is more of a roll that becomes very sleep depriving once any breeze drops as the boat has a tendency to go beam onto the roll with the effect of the tidal currents.

 

Anchorage: Mita Bay – Mahurangi Harbour
Position:
Date Visited: Several occasions over winter 2006, 2997 Last Auckland Anniversary Weekend 2009 

Mahurangi - Big Bay

We visited Big Bay on Labour Weekend 2006.

Big Bay sits on the mainland, to the North of Sadler Point and opposite Saddle Island.

The wind was from the west and forecast to swing around to the north during the night. By my calculations it was sheltered from both.

This is a sweeping bay with white sand and bounded by rocks at either end. A very nice beach to wander along.

It has a Regional Parks house set back from the beach that must be able to be rented. That weekend there were people in the house but access must be by boat or foot. There were no cars evident. On most occasions I suspect that it would be empty.

It was a very pleasant spot, nicer than the bays inside the harbour but not as sheltered. Unfortunately, it is also effected by wash from boats going in and out of Mahurangi Harbour.

A nice spot and although we did not go for a walk I suspect that there would be a track over the hill to the Harbour side. It is part of the Mahurangi Regional Park.

Anchorage: Big Bay - Mahurangi
Position: 36.30.215S - 174.43.257E
Date Visited: 22 October 2006

Kawau Island: North Cove

We arrived at North Cove on Kawau Island around 5pm on May 17th.

The notes indicated that it was sheltered from most winds but also filled up with a lot of permanent moorings. Correct on both counts.
An obstacle we also cam across was Camp Benson, a camp used by many schools and results in the Cove being full of budding kayakers and sailors. Go slow.

It was low tide with low sun, we nearly grounded by going too far into the shallows, a tricky mooring for an amateur. We found our spot that seemed well away from mooring bouys and other boats, dropped the anchor, all 50ft of chain as the winch decided to let it all go.

With darkness setting in I pulled in as much as we could, secured it and hoped that most of the bouys were empty for the winter.

It was a very pleasant anchorage and we were greeted by a spectacularly clear calm morning.

I am not sure what it will be like in summer, will pop back soon to check it out.

Anchorage: North Cove – Kawau Island
Position:
Date Visited: 16 May 2006
Chart

Whangarei Harbour: Parua Bay

Our aim after launch was to have a day’s familiarisation and then head out onto Whangarei Harbour for a couple of nights before heading off down the coast on our first big adventure.

Well the weather had other ideas and arriving with us in Whangarei was a very fresh south westerly wind which established itself for the next fives days.

While we did get out during the day, with most of the harbours anchorages exposed to the quarter we made it back to the comfort of the cruising club berth at night.

After five days, the weather sounded promising enough for us to settle our account at the cruising club and venture out for our first night of not being secured to the land.

We headed for “The Nook” in Parua Bay. All the books we had read indicated that this would be the most likely spot to afford shelter from any remaining south westerly.

By the time we arrive at The Nook the wind had freshened considerably and the water was quite choppy, certainly did not look like a comfortable night.

Eric Knight of Logan Boats had shown us a bay they called “Breakfast Bay”, it was around Martin Point to the north of The Nook, further into Parua Bay.

We found this to be a lot calmer even in the wind that had freshened further with some very strong gusts in passing squalls. After endless position checks we were happy that we were not moving and, well, in mid May darkness descended quickly. A comfortable night was had.

Anchorage: “Breakfast Bay” – Parua Bay
Position: 35.46.928S - 174.27.935E
Date Visited: 16 May 2006

Agnes arrives - Whangarei Harbour - 12 May 06

Finally, after 15 months of waiting we get to pick up Agnes.

We drove from Whangaparaoa to Whangarei and after lunch at the town basin we head off to Logan Classic Boats to pick up the keys.

She was moored at the Whangarei Cruising Club in a very tight little mooring. No experience in a boat this size and I get to back it out of a space not much bigger than your averaqge car park.

Finished loading the gear in heavy passing showers. The guys from Logan boats came down and did a few finishing touches during the afternoon.

Met Eric and lyn along with many locals at the Cruising Club that evening. Told we could moor there for as long as we like, $15 per day plus a key to use the shower and toilet facilities in the new club house. Very trusting but much appreciated.

Cliff, Ruth and Agnes

We decided to purchase a boat when the dream of having a "bach" faded in 2005.

Boating was something we had never done and getting into it in our 50s has been interesting and at times challenging. While there were courses you could do, in the end our experience came from a solo delivery voyage down the coast in early winter.

We loved it immediately.

However, while there are some excellent hard copy books on anchorages these are not written with a view to what you can do when you get there and are very much aimed at the seasoned seafarer.

The aim of this site is to be an online resource that will grow with our coastal detours around northern New Zealand over coming years.

Our log records the day to day challenges for a couple of non boaties, the resources record our experiences and what you may find in the places that we visited, along with images and our notes on the desitination.

We would love to hear from you and if you want to contribute your own thoughts to our notes please add your comments to our (b)log.

Maybe we will meet on the water one day or if you are contmplating a similar move, it will hepl you in your decision.

AGNES
(call sign ZMS 7526) - 10m LOA (Length overall)
- 40hp Lombardini diesil - Fuel Capacilty 260L - consumption - 2.85L hour - cruising speed 7-8 knots - full details of the Logan 33.