Category: February 2021

Sunset at Whale Bay
2021, BREAKING NEWS, February 2021, Whale Bay

Gorgeous Whale Bay

Morning has arrived and we are moving about early on Dazzler. We are ready to find a a beautiful anchorage and reclaim nirvana. But, since it turns out the Countdown supermarket in Paihia isn’t as fully stocked as we hoped, before we get underway again we have must head to shore to the Four Square here in Russell to do a bit of provisioning. While I get ready to go ashore Dan drops Sparkle from her hoisted position on the starboard side of Dazzler and puts the motor on.

We head to shore to take care of our errands. This crew is ready to get back to the more remote anchorages where boats and people aren’t crowding us. 

The Beach At Russell

On shore we go to the larger of the two Four Square stores and quickly realize we never needed to leave this place yesterday. This store is much better stocked than the Countdown is in Paihia. So, cruisers coming this way….tuck that little tidbit under your hat. You can save $13 NZD per person on a ferry ride and find everything you’ll likely need or want right here.

The Four Square Grocery Store in Russell is a great stop. Even have ice cold beer! Dan is in his happy place! 😂

As we’re checking out we start chatting with the cashier as usual. Somehow our conversation turned to us being on a boat and then about the fact that we had three guys who appeared to be preparing to nick our dink or our fuel tank the other day. The cashier is adamant that we need to walk down the street to the police station and speak with Michael. She said there have been a rash of these types of crimes lately and the fact that I had a photograph of the men could be helpful to the police. She further said we’d be doing a lot to help their little community.

We’ve have enjoyed our stay here and we do hate criminals so after paying for our groceries we make the short walk down to the police station located beside the Duke of Marlborough Hotel. Ironically enough the officer inside is, in fact, Michael. Not certain but we’re guessing since the population of this little seaside community is just 762 he’s probably the only officer assigned to this station. Of course when the store clerk said, “Oh yes, please go see Michael. If he’s not there leave a message and he’ll get right back to you”, that might have been our first clue. Sort of reminds us of Andy Griffith only without Barney Fife.

Michael turns out to be a really fine mate. We tell him why we came and show him the photograph I took of the men in question. He asks me to email it to him but says they don’t ring any bells with him. Of course we certainly don’t expect him to tell us if they do. He and Dan have a nice little chat about crime, policing etc… Dan always enjoys the opportunity to talk with his fellow brothers & sisters of law enforcement even though it’s been years since he was on the force himself.

Our civic duty complete we make our way back to Dazzler and prepare to move on. Dan fires up the engine as I get our headsets ready to go. Before we know it we are on the move again. This time we are heading north but not certain which bay we will end up in. Dan has a couple picked out and it will just depend on what we find.

The Navy Ship, HMNZS Otago

The trip north is stunning. We pass a series of islands that are nothing but black rock rising from the ocean floor. One of the larger ones is called “Battleship Rock” by the locals. It does sort of look like a battleship sitting on the ocean.

Just as we’re passing Battleship Rock we look out in the distance and a military ship is headed our way. It’s the New Zealand Navy Ship, HMNZS Otago. She’s a P148 protector class offshore patrol vessel. She was built in Australia and launched in 2006 but due to issues with her construction she wasn’t commissioned until 2010.

It turns out she is in the area to help celebrate Waitangi Day here in New Zealand. Waitangi Day is the national day of New Zealand and it marks the anniversary of the initial signing of the Treaty of Waitangi which is regarded as the founding document of the nation. We always love to see the Navy ships when we’re underway and this is no exception. To add to our joy there are dolphin surfing off of her bow and jumping very high into the air. We do love the wildlife!

We Found Nirvana At Whale Bay

Just seven miles north of Russell we find nirvana in a small cove on Whale Bay. It’s simply superb! There’s a small beach on the northwest shore and a big house sits high upon the cliff. From one side to the other it boasts huge plate glass windows that overlook the ocean below. Next to it are some smaller huts that we believe to be part of a resort. Today, however, there isn’t a soul around as everything seems to be closed up. Once again we are the only boat in the anchorage and finally all of the chaos and confusion of Russell/Opua is behind us. We are in our happy place once again.

Route from Russell to Whale Bay
Whale Bay Anchorage

The water here is clearer than anywhere else we’ve been in New Zealand. No, it’s not Fiji clear but it’s very nice with a gorgeous turquoise hue. The mountains around us are filled with deciduous trees and the smell, oh the smell. It’s a combination of forest and sea breeze. It’s sweet and pungent with the slightest hint of brininess. It’s something so wonderful and unique it’s almost impossible to explain but trust me…it’s AMAZING!

After a couple of anchor down beers and a little rest we put the motor on the dinghy and decide to take a little cruise around the bay with a fishing pole to see if we can catch anything. I’m in awe of our surroundings. The crashing surf sends white foam high into the air as it lands upon the sharp rocks lining the shoreline. Dotting the mountainous shore are caves that penetrate into the stone walls that tower above the sea.

Above the rocky shore a forest of deep green trees begins. The trees are large and strong and deeply rooted in the island soil. The ground here is brown and dry as it’s summertime and as is the case most years, there is a lack of rain. Upon the hillside we see sheep eating their way across the land. Yes, it’s a magnificent place to be and we’re so happy to have found this small piece of paradise.

Fishing and exploring the beautiful anchorage at Whale Bay!

We fish and tour this spectacular area for an hour or so and with nothing…not even a bite, we decide to give up and try again tomorrow. We know the fish are here and we won’t give up. In the meantime we will just enjoy this incredible place we are so blessed to call home for the next few days.

Until Next Time,

Jilly & Dan

Paihia Harbor
2021, Bay Of Islands, February 2021, Paihia, Russell

The Happy Ferry To Paihia

We awoke to another gorgeous summer day here in the Bay of Islands. Seems like everyday is just beautiful this time of year. The sun is out and the winds are down making the anchorage rather calm and quite enjoyable. The plan today is to take the ferry across from Russell to Paihia to do some provisioning.

After our morning coffee/computer ritual is complete we get dressed and head to shore. While there are two Four Square grocery stores here in Russell, we’ve heard there is a Countdown in Paihia that has more supplies so we decide to make the trip. It’s just about two miles across the bay and generally we’d consider taking the dinghy but the winds tend to pick up midday making this bay very choppy. Also, we’ve heard you have to beach your dinghy onshore with nothing to secure it to so we’ve decided the $13 NZD roundtrip ferry tickets are worth the cost. 

The Happy Ferry in Russell
The Happy Ferry In Russell

And don’t worry, this time we have chained and locked the fuel can and Sparkle to the dock. We aren’t taking any chances. 

We board the Happy Ferry around 1000. There are just a dozen or so people on it with us. We get a good chuckle when the Captain gets ready to shove off. He’s in reverse to get the line from the piling and the boat bangs hard against the dock. He goes forward and she hits again. The sound of aluminum beating against the dock rings through the air with a high pitched clanging like that of a cymbal being struck at the end of a dramatic symphony. I look around but no one seems even the slightest bit worried. Hmmm…maybe this is not their first ride on the “bumper ferry”.

Overhead view of the area from Russell to Paihia
Jilly on the wharf at Paihia

After a couple more bumps he throws her into forward gear and off we go. The ride takes about fifteen minutes. We pull into the wharf in Paihia and there’s a little more banging and clanging and still no one seems to get their feathers ruffled about it. Everyone just rises in an orderly fashion and walks off. Of course that is the Kiwi way…no one gets too upset about anything here.

The wharf is an interesting place with lots of tour operators and tourist information. You can book everything from fishing and diving adventures to parasailing here. There are a couple of restaurants right at the wharf and some touristy shops too. There’s also quite a bit of information about Paihia and her history. We stop for a bit to take in some of the historical facts about the area.

New Zealand Builds Her First Sailing Ship

A postage stamp featuring the Herald was made in 1975.

Paihia is where the first New Zealand built sailing ship was launched in January 1826. Her name was Herald” and she was a 55 ton schooner. She was built under the authority of Samual Marsden and Henry Williams, both missionaries who were in New Zealand to spread the word of God and convert Māoris to Christianity. She was used to reach the more remote people of the land as well as for trading so as to provision the Paihia settlement.

The Herald made just eleven voyages in two years and she eventually sank as she tried to cross the Hokianga bar on 6 May 1828. The accounts state she had been waiting outside of the harbor for two days for a favorable opportunity to cross. Just before sunset on the 6th she was making her way for the bar with a fair wind but as she was just atop of the bar the wind suddenly died. She was left to the unforgiving powers of the breakers and eventually carried upon the rocks. The master and his crew clung to the rigging until morning at which time the tide had receded allowing them to walk to shore. Amazingly there was no loss of life.

The Village of Paihia

After learning a bit of Paihia history at the wharf we take to the village to locate the pharmacy, the Countdown grocery store and the bank. This adorable seaside community is filled with people on summer holiday. Some are sitting at the outdoor areas of the restaurants taking in the fabulous weather, others are strolling along the quiet streets and still others are filling the tourist shops where you can buy everything Kiwi…even the stuff that looks like it is handmade here but is in reality just junk from China. As for us, we will stick to buying souvenirs we from the local craftsman.

After locating our provisions and completing our errands we decide it’s time for a little lunch. We stop at CBK Craft Beer & Kitchen which is located right at the wharf. The views are amazing and the entire place is opened up to enjoy the beautiful day. 

Dan orders us some beers and when Kawiti, our server, delivers them he drops off a couple of menus. As we look around we note that this place looks eerily similar to one of our favorite haunts in Whangerie, Jimmy Jacks. And, the menu has some of the same stone grilled items as well. Kawiti tells us this is owned by the brother of the guy who owns Jimmy Jacks. Ahhh…now that makes sense. 

We enjoy our lunch, our chats with Kawiti and the wonderful views but the time has come for us to hop the ferry back to the other side. This time we’re on a different ferry and the Captain seems to be a bit better at negotiating the docks. Of course it isn’t as funny of a trip but the point is we make is safely back to Russell.

Our neighbor, SV Al Vei, in the Russell anchorage.

We’re glad we took the ferry too because by the time we leave the wind is howling and the bay is pretty choppy. It would have been a very, very wet ride back across. Can you say, “Swamp ass?”

Back in Russell we decide that rather than stopping at the liquor store we will just go back to Dazzler and do that in the morning when it’s a bit more calm. Seems like the best decision given that even the protected anchorage has some chop to it now. 

Bay view of Paihia at night
It was a crystal clear night and the view of the lights of Paihia under the stars was simply sublime.

We spend the evening in the cockpit watching the ferries and other boats come and go. I play my tin whistle for a bit and Dan gets out his ukulele for a while as well. For dinner he grills some steaks and we just do what cruisers do….enjoy life.

Until Next Time….

Jilly & Dan