March 8 & 9, 2013
After we entered Whangaroa, we considered Pekapeka Bay (the most stunning bay here), but because of the wind direction we decided to start with a bay on the southwest side of the harbor.
We motored through the next pass and around the cone-shaped Peach Island to another large bay. This bay was divided by a long, narrow island called Milford Island, and we anchored on the north side of it (called Owhatanga Bay).
While this bay wasn’t as dramatic-looking as the bays on the other side of Whangaroa Harbour, its mountainous, tree-covered hills were beautiful, and Milford was a pleasant little island and secure anchorage in the current winds. We ended up spending a couple of nights anchored off Milford, in two different spots, and both places were very nice. –Cyndi