Christmas Eve in Waihi Bay

After our hike up the Duke's nose, it was time to drop Daniel off back on shore so he could spread some Christmas cheer (aka crayfish).

We motored into Whangaroa Marina, spotting a couple of shark fins behind the boat (they really seem to be everywhere at the moment!) and dropped Daniel off. Afterwards we headed back out to find a nice quiet spot to settle in for the evening. Waihi cove looked perfect and there were no other boats in sight.

We spent the rest of the evening paddleboarding around the bay (in between the rain) spotting heaps of eagle rays, Parore, Kahawai snapper and more from the surface. Nathan hooked a baby kingfish and even after playing with camera angles still couldn't make it look big.

We traded in the Pig Fish and Goat Fish from previous days for some "Cow Fish" for a change, which Jamie cooked to perfection. And we ended the evening with a nightcap (or six) and tried out a little bit of night time photography.

The bay was perfectly still, and we had a very peaceful sleep, with just the sounds of Morepork and Kiwi calling in the bush.Read more