Cyndi and Rich aboard Legacy
April 2013
It’s time for the good-bye Hauraki Gulf gallery, a hodgepodge of pictures I like that didn’t make it into any posts. These pictures are from the north and south Hauraki Gulf and include a few evening pictures. They are in no particular order. As always click to enlarge and scroll.–Cyndi
April 10, 2013
The next morning we pulled our anchor and headed for the Coromandel Peninsula. This peninsula forms the east border of the Hauraki Gulf and in itself has some great cruising grounds, but it would have to wait for next year. Our goal was to get to the anchorage closest to the peninsula’s north end and if the weather forecasts were correct, we could round the point in calm conditions the following day.
We pulled our anchor and motored past the north side of Waiheke island, watching the tree-covered hills fade into grassy pastureland as we got further east. The conditions were cold and a little rough, the seas sloppy. We were used to choppy seas, but being cold was new (previous post about cold). After passing the east end of Waiheke we still had a 3-hour, close-hauled sail to Coville Bay.
If I could only use one word to describe the Coromandel, it would be BIG. This peninsula is large, nearly 50 miles long and 20 miles wide, but it’s the huge mountainous terrain that gives this area it’s looming presence, and having only a single long, winding road keeps its towns small and remote. People who live here are considered rugged individualists, and the further out towards the point, the more rugged and individual they are.
We watched as the mountains grew larger and larger as we approached, expecting our wind to die down at any minute. Finally it did as we pulled way in and dropped the anchor. At this point, we were cold and exhausted, and the trailer home-lined shore didn’t look all that appealing. We decided to just relax onboard and rest up for a long trip the next day.–Cyndi
April 10, 2013
We left Waiheke Island today for the Coromandel Peninsula It was a very cold four hour bash into the wind. We measured temperatures as low as 64 degrees F (18 C)!!! It feels like the season is changing here – it must be about time to head to Fiji.
April 9, 2013 at Waiheke Island, New Zealand
Last night’s light show from the cockpit…
April 9, 2013
Of course I took some pictures from the wine van, and not all of them were blurry. Waiheke island definitely has character! The people who live here get to combine small town, country-style living while savoring top notch food and wine. They enjoy a warm climate, white-sand beaches, and magnificent views of the sea and surrounding islands. If they feel the need to visit a city, Auckland is only 35 minutes away by ferry.
We met an French architect who had traveled to New Zealand, took a day trip to Waiheke, and decided right then to move there. He said, “I never knew such a place as this existed.” That is high praise coming from this man who lived in southern France at the time; southern France is no slouch! But Waiheke is one of those places you visit and can’t help but fantasize about living there.
Our final evening in Waiheke brought us the brightest rainbow we’ve ever seen. We were starting to see some signs that the season was changing, and this night’s chilly air was one of them. Tomorrow we needed to head on, but we knew we’d be back next year. –Cyndi
