February 15, 2014
On saying good-bye to the Hauraki Gulf for the season, it’s once again time for a round-up gallery featuring those photos that didn’t make the final cut for the blog; yet I liked too much to discard.
These aren’t exactly Rich’s favorite posts in that they contain more photos than usual, and he does the majority of the photo editing work. But when all’s said and done, these tend to end up among our favorite photo galleries.
I think this gallery nicely sums up the feeling of the south Haruaki Gulf islands. The beauty of this area is really second to none, and the feeling is warm, sunny and calm. Rich always tells people if you only have time to cruise one area, make it the Haruaki Gulf. I’d say make it a priority to do both the Bay of Islands (as most boats check into that area anyway) and the Haruaki Gulf, and if at all possible try to fit in Whangaroa.
I know many cruisers would protest they also need to save time for driving around New Zealand and barely have time to cruise the Bay of Islands. I get that, but if possible, try to do more than one season in New Zealand, and consider forgoing that annual trip back to the home country (that so many cruisers do) and focus more on seeing New Zealand while you have a chance. It’s among the most beautiful places on earth, and isn’t that what we’re here to experience?
For the land travelers, don’t feel left out in that most islands in the Haruaki Gulf (and the Bay of Islands) are accessible by ferry, and you can hike or drive around and see most of the stuff shown in our photos. It’s just a matter if deciding where to focus your time.
If we were to recommend Haruaki Gulf islands to visiting friends, we’d say definitely spend at least a day on Waiheke Island, preferably with a rental car. And Rotoroa Island, aside from having much natural beauty and being a bird sanctuary (not shown in our photos as most birds arrived since we visited), probably has the best vistas for photos of the Hauraki Gulf. If there’s time, Rangitoto has that bush walk up the volcano cone which is pretty cool, and the forest near the top is tropical and jungle-like. (We did love ferry-accessible Rakino and Motuihe, too, but we wouldn’t put them at the top of the list. And I should mention here our favorites in the north Haruaki Gulf: Kawau Island and Tiritiri Matangi.)
Below, our photo gallery roundup of the south Hauraki Gulf Islands. Click to enlarge any photo.
Plus two panorama shots…
–Cyndi
