Two At Sea

April 10, 2016

The Kenepuru Sound is one of the must-do destinations in the Pelorus Sound area. It’s very pretty, but its main claim to fame is the Portage Resort and its long history of being the place to visit for special dinners and getaways. While it’s possible to get there by car, the usual way to visit is by water taxi or your own boat.

The map below shows where we went from Stafford Bay (in the Popoure Reach) to the Kenepuru Sound and Portage Bay.  Just below that is Mahau Sound and the town of Havelock, where we didn’t plan to go but things change.  Click on the markers to see what’s what, or zoom in and out.

---

As we headed into the Kenepuru Sound, we were surprised to have to make our way through a field of logs and tree debris.

Once we got through all that, we could appreciate our surroundings. For awhile, we had pine forest on one side vs. grass and cut forest on the other. Then about 3 miles in, it all abruptly changed natural forest. We began to see some tempting-looking anchorages, but our destination was Portage Bay.  (Below a gallery of photos from Kenepuru Sound.  Click to enlarge and scroll.)

As the fog lifted, we enjoyed seeing the hills and mountains emerging around us. Kenepuru was living up to its reputation as one of the prettiest sounds. –Cyndi

April 10, 2016

Our trip today wasn’t long (about 16 miles), but we got up early so we could ride with the incoming tide. It was cold but beautiful, with low clouds drifting over the mountains and ridges while the sun shone through in other areas.  (Below, a gallery of Popoure Reach in the early morning hours.  Click to enlarge and scroll.)

Between the clouds and patches of fog, it was hard to get a sense of the mountains around us, but we did enjoy the cloud show. By the time we reached Kenepuru Sound, the clouds still lingered but started to lift. –Cyndi

April 9, 2016

The Popoure Reach heads inland for 12 miles, ending at Mahau Sound, the innermost of all the Marlborough Sounds. Branching off along the way is the Kenepuru Sound, our destination, but we’d be stopping at a place called Stafford Bay for the night.

The first thing we noticed about the Popoure Reach was that it was much greener than the rather barren-looking Tawhitinui Reach. On our left the mountains were covered with pine farms, and to our right was native New Zealand forest. This channel of water was about a mile wide, with impressive mountains on both sides. (Below a gallery of Popoure Reach–click to enlarge/scroll.)

We didn’t have far to go to get to Stafford Bay, nestled in a small indent protected by a boot-shaped peninsula. From a distance it didn’t look all that interesting, but as we got close we discovered this spot is actually very pretty.

Stafford Bay had the look of our favorite bays: steep lush hills, nikau palms, kiekie plants, and green water. Since there were two empty combined-club moorings, we picked one up, saving ourselves the effort of finding a spot to anchor. While I had mostly chosen bay this for it’s convenience, it turned out to be a worthwhile stop. –Cyndi

(Below a gallery of Safford Bay, photos taken at various times of the day. Click to enlarge/scroll.)

April 9, 2016

We headed out of the Tennyson Inlet and started our long ride down the Tawhitinui Reach. To our right was a line of tall, dry mountains. On our left was the outer Pelorus Sound with its triangular Maude island.

Below the Tawhitinui Reach. (Click to enlarge/scroll through both any galleries below.)

In an hour, we’d reach another waterway called the Popoure Reach. But before that we planned a detour into the Crail/Clova/Beatrix Bay area, a huge drowned valley nearly encircled by mountains. Once we ventured through its pass, we found ourselves in a large, lake-like body of water surrounded by huge mountains. It sounds enticing, but the mountains were mostly dry and desolate-looking, even imposing. It was fun to come and see it; but it did not feel like an appealing or welcoming place to stay.

Satisfied, we turned and headed out and made a left turn into the Popoure Reach where we’d stop for a night before heading on to Kenepuru Sound. –Cyndi

April 9, 2016

Looking back, I think what happened next was as much about the moment as about the place. It was the light gray of the cloudy sky, the particular shades of greenery as a result, the still air and the dark water. My reaction to this bay? I thought it was one of the most beautiful places I’d ever seen in my life. The shape and depth of the bay, the steep sides of the hills surrounding it, and the lush greenery made this place feel like a world apart from everything else. On top of that, a honeysuckle floral scent permeated the bay. In a country full of beautiful scenery, this one literally took my breath away.

As we motored around, I could feel my body chemistry actually change in response to my surroundings, an increasingly rare occurrence as I get older. After we’d finished looking around, we headed away towards our next destination, but the spellbound effect lingered for quite a while, like something significant had happened and I was only slowly returning to normal. And all I knew was that I wanted to get back there before we left Pelorus Sound. –Cyndi   (Click to enlarge/scroll through gallery below.)