April 24, 2016
Just south of Torrent Bay is the Astrolabe Roadstead, a channel of water between Adele Island and the mainland.
What makes this area very popular with boaters is Adele Island’s anchorage, relatively protected from all but SW winds (for those you can go to Stillwell Bay on the mainland although it’s not very big).
Adele Island itself is a wildlife sanctuary and a “singing island,” where you can wake up to the impressive chorus of native birds that thrive in areas cleared of predators. It’s a popular place for kayaking because if its hidden beaches and fur seals. I don’t know of any hiking trails or whether visitors are allowed to walk around much on the island; but since I can’t find any information about that, I suspect not.
Below, a gallery of photos from our trip south past Te Puketa and Adele Island (click to enlarge/scroll).
We weren’t quite sure whether we’d go to Adele Island or across to Stillwell Bay. Adele Island is just a place everyone seems to go, and I would love to have heard the birds. On the other hand, a light southwesterly wind was forecast and we’d probably be most comfortable at Stillwell Bay. The decision was made when we saw Adele Island had a lot of boats while Stillwell Bay was empty. We preferred empty.
Stillwell Bay turned out to be lovely, with a long headland and a pretty beach. We had a great view of Adele Island, too. During the night those predicted southwesterly winds showed up, making us glad we’d decided not to anchor off Adele Island. Below, a gallery of Stillwell Bay photos (click to enlarge/scroll). –Cyndi
