April 10, 2013
The next morning we pulled our anchor and headed for the Coromandel Peninsula. This peninsula forms the east border of the Hauraki Gulf and in itself has some great cruising grounds, but it would have to wait for next year. Our goal was to get to the anchorage closest to the peninsula’s north end and if the weather forecasts were correct, we could round the point in calm conditions the following day.
We pulled our anchor and motored past the north side of Waiheke island, watching the tree-covered hills fade into grassy pastureland as we got further east. The conditions were cold and a little rough, the seas sloppy. We were used to choppy seas, but being cold was new (previous post about cold). After passing the east end of Waiheke we still had a 3-hour, close-hauled sail to Coville Bay.
If I could only use one word to describe the Coromandel, it would be BIG. This peninsula is large, nearly 50 miles long and 20 miles wide, but it’s the huge mountainous terrain that gives this area it’s looming presence, and having only a single long, winding road keeps its towns small and remote. People who live here are considered rugged individualists, and the further out towards the point, the more rugged and individual they are.
We watched as the mountains grew larger and larger as we approached, expecting our wind to die down at any minute. Finally it did as we pulled way in and dropped the anchor. At this point, we were cold and exhausted, and the trailer home-lined shore didn’t look all that appealing. We decided to just relax onboard and rest up for a long trip the next day.–Cyndi
