April 21, 2016
Canoe Bay wasn’t listed in our guidebook but instead was something Rich had spotted in the charts, and it looked very intriguing. It was around the corner from Awaroa Bay; so if we didn’t like the looks of it we could head back there.
As it turned out, we liked the looks of it quite a lot! It was a small cove at the foot of steep bush-covered hills. The water was shades of pastel teal and emerald, striking against the white sandstone rock formations and the sort of boulders that would appeal to fur seals. Although it faced east, a headland gave it protection from the afternoon wind. It seemed Rich had made a very nice find with this one!
After we anchored, we began to spot fur seal pups on the rocks. This was our cue to get out the wine and our special chairs and put on some music. It was so warm I was tempted to swim, but not tempted enough to actually do it. Instead we just relaxed and enjoyed the afternoon.
Later, we noticed the occasional wash from passing boats was becoming more frequent. Or was it wash? We soon realized that while we were protected from the easterly wind, some of its swell was starting to come in here. Reluctantly we decided to backtrack to Awaroa Bay. –Cyndi
Below, a gallery of photos from our little gem of a cove. (Click to enlarge and scroll.)
