First 4 Days of Cruising

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December 26, Depart Auckland

We left the dock in Auckland around noon. Arrived at Kawau Island 3:45pm. We anchored in Bon Accord Harbor for the night.

  • Departing Auckland
  • Arethusa set sail
  • Nice reach!
  • Charted course
  • Entrance Bon Accord Harbor, Kawau Island
  • Bon Accord Harbor
  • Backlight of sunset in Bon Accord Harbor, Kawau Island

December 27, Kawau Island and beyond

We spent the morning on the island visiting friends of the team who have a home on the island. We had a nice hike up from Bon Accord Harbor over the hill to their house in North Cove. Arethusa with our crew came around by boat to pick us up. We were off again at noon with the intention of sailing out to the Great Barrier Island. The wind was just too perfect for heading north toward the Bay of Islands. The Great Barrier Island will be another stop at some point while we are here. We sailed 74 miles up the coast with spectacular landscape to arrive at Whangamumu Harbor at 7pm for the night. Our top speed was about 25kts. We used almost every sail including the new J1 made by North in NZ, J2, C3, spinnaker, main and first reef in the main. The only unused sail was the R1, our biggest reaching sail. The sail combo of the full main and C3 had us over wind speed. Wind speed 16kts, boat speed 18kts. It was a spectacular day of sailing!

  • NZ Yacht Squadron Kawau Base
  • View from hills into Bon Accord Harbor and Arethusa
  • Friends’ house and creative garden
  • View from our friends’ house
  • Perfect wind angle
  • Kat on the furl
  • 1st Reef with new J1
  • One of our top wind speeds captured.
  • Beautiful landscape
  • View of Whangarei Heads
  • Sail Rock
  • Whangamumu Harbor exit
  • Old whaling village in Whangamumu Harbor

December 28, Hike in Whangamumu Scenic Reserve and sail to Oke Bay

  • Entrance to our hike
  • Steep at times on our hike
  • Whangamumu Harbor
  • Arethusa in Whangamumu Harbor
  • There are many walking trails in NZ
  • Our course to Oke Bay
  • Piercy Island and the ‘hole in the rock’
  • Approaching Cape Brett
  • Cape Brett Lighthouse
  • washing up after dinner

December 29, Oke Bay hike, lunch in Twin Lagoon Bay and anchored in Pomare Bay by Russell

  • Beautiful fine sand beach in Oke Bay
  • Disinfecting station on the hiking trails
  • Beautiful views from top of hill above Oke Bay. Got a signal and FaceTimed my mother in NH
  • Oke Bay
  • Through the Albert Channel
  • Hat Island at beginning of Albert Channel
  • Rawhiti Point, opposite Hat Island
  • Town of Russell
  • On anchor near Russell
  • Our landing in Russell for dinner
  • View from Freddie’s long time friends’ house who kindly had us all for dinner
  • one of my favorites so far
  • Beautiful sunset from Freddie’s friends’ house in Russell

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