April 7, 2013
The winds had passed and the sun was out. It was time to head on to the next leg of our journey: the south Hauraki Gulf.
My first impression as we headed into it was to be amazed at how close all these islands are, both to Auckland and to each other. The south Hauraki Gulf is fairly large, but the islands themselves are close together, only a mile or two apart at most.
My next impression was that these islands are drier and grassier than those of the north Hauraki Gulf. With the exception of Rangitoto, the big volcanic island, these islands have supported livestock. They are still beautiful, but in a more grassy pastureland way. It gives the place a very different feeling from the north Hauraki Gulf: sunnier, more windswept and beachy.
The first island we came across was Browns Island, actually the remains of an ancient volcano. It’s very small (about a mile long) and right outside of Auckland, popular with kayakers and as a stop for small boats. It might be possible for Legacy to anchor there, but only as a day anchorage and we’d need no-wind conditions. It wasn’t in the plan and we passed it by, but it looks like a fun little place. Something about it just appealed to me, and I hoped to have another chance visit it someday.
Our third impression is that Aucklanders love to fish! Small launches (powerboats) were everywhere!
We’ve read that one in every four New Zealanders owns a boat, which probably means those who don’t own boats have friends or family members who do. I’ve noticed that in America, boats are seen as a luxury item, an indulgence. In New Zealand, boats are part of the lifestyle–how can you fish if you don’t have a boat? (The idea of not fishing would never occur to them.) There must be some good fishing in this area, but we felt no need to join in. We’d rather stay out of the fray and let them have at it. Besides, we were focused on getting to our first stop: Motuihe Island. –Cyndi
