December 10, 2013
Our next stop was at Motorua Island, which we’d very much enjoyed during our previous season in the Bay of Islands. This time we were checking out a friend’s recommendation: Awaawaroa Bay. It’s on the south end of the island but has no access to the trail and only a tiny beach, making it what I call a “guiltless bay.” This meant we didn’t have to feel any guilt about not going ashore or accomplishing anything.
There was one worry: we’d been warned this was a small but popular bay, and there was a good chance we’d find it full and have to go elsewhere. Naturally we were relieved to arrive and find only two boats there. We motored in past a Canadian cruiser, who called out hello as we motored past, adding that we’d found a nice spot! And it was a very pretty place, but I think some of its allure came from being, like a popular club, difficult to get into.
Rich found a shallow spot for us, about 14 feet deep with a six foot tide. We’d both gotten braver about shallow water as we’d gained more cruising experience, which was helpful in little places such as this. During the afternoon some other boats came in, but no one anchored too close, a refreshing change.
Awaawaroa turned out to be a pretty and peaceful bay, but my favorite thing about it was the greens. It had thick foilage, some of the trees draped with moss. The water turned every shade of green as the day went on, from celadon to jade to emerald to a deep forest green. If Awaawaroa isn’t the Maori word for green, it should be.
Below is a gallery of shades of green in Awaawaroa Bay, plus a few pictures of a lovely still morning in the bay. (Click any photo to enlarge and scroll.)
The next day we headed out and checked out Hahangarua Bay just around the corner. There were vacation homes here and the land was private property, but you could still walk on either of its two beaches. It looked nice, and if we ever got back this way we figured we’d stop and check it out. –Cyndi
