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Cruising NZ
  • Nathan Laurie
  • Vela Huang

Cruising NZ

Sailing a 45ft sailboat around NZ, exploring islands, diving, and sharing our experience with mates along the way Read more
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  • Cruising NZ
    Not much out here to look at except clouds
    Doll friends!Couple of God raysAbout 20 miles out from the tip of Mahia PeninsulaEnjoying the sunset, about 15 miles to Mahia Bay

    Passage to Mahia

    February 9, 2024 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    Today was a typical day of passage making. The wind was good to us most of the day and we were averaging about 7-8kt on a beam reach. It was a little bit slower than the night before when we maxed out down a wave doing 12.3kt - but it's probably a good thing we don't do that speed all the time or we might start breaking things, or people!

    With just the two of us on board, the passage making feels a bit like you're in a fuzzy half sleep mode the whole time. Roughly taking two hour shifts each, or until you can't keep your eyes open any longer and you can get the other person to take over. Both of us definitely had our eyes closed at one point or another while on the helm. Fortunately our auto helm knows which way to go!

    We had a couple more visits from dolphins today which was really nice. And they hung around for 20 minutes at a time.

    As we approached Mahia Peninsula, the wind moved north as per the forecast and we headed into Mahia Bay so we could put the anchor down and get some rest while the northerly blows through. We got the anchor down just after 11pm and quickly got some food into our stomachs (the conditions were quite lumpy so we were both existing off muesli bars). Then it was into bed for both of us.    Read more

  • Cruising NZ
    Dumplings and Chinese garlic noodles for lunch!
    Mahia BaySlash burning on the beachSpectacular cliffs along Mahia PeninsulaGotta get my cloud photos inGotta get my cloud photos inSailing into the sunsetSailing into the sunsetSailing into the sunset

    Chinese New Year & Leaving Mahia

    February 10, 2024 in New Zealand ⋅ 🌬 23 °C

    After a fantastic sleep in to recuperate from our trek up from Wellington, we awoke to a flat, albeit windy, anchorage. Today marked Chinese New Year, so after we had raised ourselves, we made a small feast of Chinese food to celebrate.

    The surrounding area where we had anchored was pretty sparse, but the cliffs along the Mahia Peninsula were impressive.

    We chilled out for the rest of the day, waiting for the northerly winds to make way for the forecast south westerly. At about 8.30pm we hauled up the anchor and pointed our bow into the sunset. The south westerly hadn't quite come through yet, but the now casting showed it was in at Napier so it was on its way!

    After a few hours of bashing into the wind once we passed the end of Mahia Peninsula, the south westerly arrived later than expected, but we were sure glad when it showed up!    Read more

  • Cruising NZ
    Sunrise somewhere off Gisborne
    We're a little bit cuteNew top speed!1Wet! Thanks Vela2See you later East Cape!Cruising past Lottin PointCool god rays approaching Waihau BayIt's a horse!Good feed, and bonus gold bars!Epic fiery sunset, should be a good day tomorrow!

    Big day to Waihau Bay

    February 11, 2024 in New Zealand ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    Very big day today. It started with the forecast southwesterly coming in, starting around 12 knots but building up to 25kt by mid morning. The sea state built steadily with it as well until we were surfing down 3m swells.

    Nathan got excited when he set a new boat speed record for Starling of 15.3kt, but Vela quickly jumped on the handlebars and bumped that up to 16kt (much to Nathan's disappointment, because Vela also managed to get both of his sleeping spots soaked in the process, while Nathan was in them...) Once we stopped, we checked the system for the real boat speed record and saw 17kt... No idea who set that one but we'll share the record for now. (Vela edit: it was definitely Vela's record).

    With some good top speeds and average speed around 10kt, we made great time and rounded East Cape about 2pm. Once we got around, the sea state settled and we started looking for a spot to anchor. We headed for Waihau Bay (apparently where the movie Boy was filmed) and found a reasonable anchorage. It was still a little rolly, but in our sleep deprived state it didn't matter much.

    Nathan got some fishing lines in the water, and after a good tussle landed a whopper of a kahawai - maybe rivaling Jamie's from Doubtless Bay. A second big kahawai was quickly on board, plenty of fish for us for now, so we threw the third one back and called it a night on the fishing. Really good to be back up north and have some good fishing! On filleting the fish, Nathan found a couple of bonus gold bars in one, yum!

    We had dinner, cleaned ourselves and the boat up a bit, and put our heads down to recuperate. It feels like the hard part of our trip is behind us now, and we're excited to catch up with friends and family now we're back up North.    Read more

  • Cruising NZ
    Leaving Waihau Bay
    Fresh sushi for lunchWhakaari steaming moodilySails up!Gotta get my beer in (very fruity today)Approaching MoutohoraFish wraps for dinnerStrike your best pose!Trying to hideHow many can you spot?

    Waihau Bay - Moutohora Island

    February 12, 2024 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    We've still got a few miles to go before we get to our berth booked in Tauranga for Wednesday, so we made another jump today to Moutohora Island. As was suggested by last night's fiery sunset, today was an absolute stunner.

    We pulled up the anchor and motored in absolutely glassy conditions out into the Bay of Plenty. The water quickly turned a brilliant blue and was super clear. We were greeted by dolphins twice again today (since we left Wellington we've seen dolphins every day except Saturday when we stopped at Mahia). We got some pretty cool footage with the 360 camera of the dolphins playing in the bow wave.

    As we made our way towards Whakatane, we could see Whakaari (White Island) steaming moodily in the distance. We discussed sailing past for a closer look, but it's quite a bit out of the way, so we decided to give it a miss.

    We made fresh sushi for lunch, using one fillet from last night's Kahawai. Afterwards we settled in for the long haul, with Nathan reading on the bow while Vela enjoyed some K-pop in the cockpit.

    The sea breeze eventually came in and the sails came out, giving us a welcome speed boost and respite from the engine. We arrived at Moutohora after roughly 8 hours of sailing, just in time for dinner. Nathan whipped up some fish wraps, but we're getting a bit low on salad supplies, so they were a little bit ordinary today.

    After dinner, Nathan spotted a seal colony lounging on the nearby rocks and managed to get a couple of half decent photos through the binoculars. Unfortunately the seals being present put paid to any fancy ideas of spear fishing off the point tomorrow... After the sun set, we raised the boat transom, wouldn't want to wake up in the morning to a neighbour sunning themselves on our duck board!    Read more

  • Cruising NZ
    Sailing past Pukehina
    The tax man lurkingVela's noodles for dinnerYou can see the yellow along the top of the koheruThe rainbow reflected in the sunsetCrescent moon over Mount Maunganui

    Moutohora to Motiti

    February 13, 2024 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    Sorry, not many photos today...

    Typical Tuesday, with Vela focused on her work for most of the day. Meanwhile, Nathan spent most of his day fishing and otherwise trying to keep out of Vela's way. On his first cast in the morning, Nathan pulled in a (very) small kingfish. Fortunately it self released onto the duck board and quickly hopped into the water and swam off.

    A whole school of these baby kingfish were underneath the boat now, and there were some larger shapes moving down there as well. Nathan quickly dropped his line in again, but no more bites. Looking more closely at the larger shapes, it became apparent they were not larger kingfish, but instead bronze whaler sharks following the small kingfish. This distracted Nathan for a while watching the sharks circle the boat. The sharks hung around for nearly an hour, doing lazy circles, at least three of them. Unfortunately we only thought to grab the 360 camera for some footage after watching them for a long while, and only got footage of the one shark as it was moving away.

    About 2pm, it was time to move spots, heading 30 miles across the bay to Motiti Island. Along the way we saw a school of kahawai working the surface, so we dragged a lure and quickly pulled a nice fish on board. A little sick of eating kahawai, and no ability to smoke it on board, we opted to use this for bait and try to snag something different later on.

    About 4 hours later we pulled into the south west corner of Motiti and put the pick down. Nathan was straight back into the fishing, armed with his fresh kahawai bait. There were plenty of snapper here, and even though a couple were probably legal, they weren't worth keeping (our motto is if you have to measure it, it's not worth keeping). Nathan also hooked a small trevally, again not big enough to keep. We also noticed lots of long blue fish following our baits, thinking these were koheru, Nathan tried to snag one. It took a bit of trying as these fish fight hard for their size and have soft mouths, but we managed to catch two nice fat specimens.

    Often koheru are used as bait for kingfish, but they are also delicious sashimi, so these two will become lunch tomorrow! Koheru are a very cool fish, it's a little hard to tell when they're out of the water, easy to see if you're spearfishing, but their top side glows a bright yellow if there is a predator nearby!

    As the sun set, the fish went off the bite. So we marveled at how the colours of the rainbow are reflected in the sunset when there aren't any clouds, and then turned in for the evening.    Read more

  • Cruising NZ
    Glassy water approaching the Mount
    Nathan's 1st attempt at garlic noodles - not bad!Nathan, Dave & Oakley on the golf courseStunning dayTrying to get artsy again...Gotta have a beer after golf right...... And a cocktail on Valentine's DayDinner with William & MomoYum!

    Arriving into Tauranga

    February 14, 2024 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    After waking up this morning, we had a couple of quick coffees before pulling up the anchor and heading for Tauranga. It was a fantastic morning and the water turned glassy as we approached the mount.

    We have a berth booked at the bridge marina for a week so we can catch up with friends and fly back to Auckland for the weekend. Bridge marina is a tidal marina, meaning there is significant current flowing through the berths. We were advised by the marina office to wait until slack water at high tide (11.40) to berth. At about 11am we thought the current would have slowed enough for us to berth... We were wrong.

    After realising how much current was pushing through the marina, we made a quick 180 and headed back to the channel to wait another 30 minutes until the current was properly slack. Our second parking attempt was exemplary (great job Vela) and we set about tying lines and tucking Starling safely into bed. Nathan made his first attempt at cooking Chinese style garlic noodles, and by all accounts it was a success!

    Nathan was picked up by Tauranga locals Dave & Oakley later in the afternoon, and they headed for Mount Maunganui golf course to play a few holes. Turns out the best thing for your golf game is to not play for 9 months, then rip your first drive 250m straight down the fairway...

    While Nathan was at the golf course, Vela got picked up by Momo and William and headed to Zozo for Valentine's dinner. Nathan joined, slightly late, and forgetting his wedding ring in Dave's car... Despite this, we enjoyed a couple of cocktails and a great meal with William and Momo.

    Afterwards, we were taken on a tour of William and Momo's new lifestyle property in Welcome Bay, before they delivered us back to Starling for a much needed sleep.    Read more

  • Cruising NZ
    A pretty little marina
    Coffee and a ginger sliceA cat on the catMango & habanero sour... It was exactly what the label saidGot the rellies down!

    Catching up with the Rellies

    February 15, 2024 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    Bit of a quiet day today. Vela spent the day working, while Nathan got the boat in order, putting stuff away, washing clothes, vacuuming etc. We went for a little walk to a coffee shop in the marina carpark, and had lunch up at the marina restaurant (a little pricey but the food was good).

    We spotted a cat on the catamaran berthed opposite us, and we're just waiting to see the owners so we can invite ourselves on board to play with the cat. Nathan then put the cricket on, and enjoyed probably the whackiest beer to date - mango and habanero sour... Genuinely delicious!

    In the afternoon we were visited by Lyn & David - sorry we missed getting a photo! And later in the evening we had auntie Roz, uncle Colin & Sandy, and uncle Kevin & auntie Robyn join us for a couple of drinks and dinner.

    It's always great to catch up with friends and family, and turns out we have a lot of them in Tauranga!    Read more

  • Cruising NZ
    Leaving Starling behind
    Jumping on a little birdScoping out destinations from above (Motiti Island)2The Gang!Blowing off some steamBlowing off some steamBack to TaurangaQuick round of golfQuick round of golfQuick round of golf

    Holiday from our Holiday

    February 19, 2024 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    On Friday we left Starling safely tucked up at Tauranga bridge marina while we jumped on a plane to Auckland for the weekend.

    It was nice to have a little break from cruising and to catch up with friends (some that we hadn't seen for a year) and we went to a music gig. We also got some life admin done.

    We flew back to Tauranga today, a quick round of golf with Dave, and back to cruising tomorrow!    Read more

  • Cruising NZ
    1Back to the blue
    Approaching Mayor IslandChecking out the Coromandel PeninsulaParked up at Mayor IslandVela off for a fishParked up at Mayor IslandSun setting behind the CoromandelSun setting behind the CoromandelGotta love this3Cheeky...

    Tauranga to Mayor Island

    February 20, 2024 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    We made the most of the marina facilities before leaving, getting a load of washing done, filling up the water tanks, and topping up on Diesel before leaving Tauranga harbour on the slack tide. We sailed across to Mayor Island in an easing westerly breeze, able to beat the northerly sea breeze which was filling in.

    It was great to see some amazing blue water again, and as we approached the island, we could clearly see the bottom 10m down. We tried a couple of different anchorages, looking for a spot with decent mobile coverage so Vela could join her afternoon meetings, but no luck. So we dropped the pick on the south western side of the island, where Vela grabbed a fishing rod and drifted out on the paddleboard, hoping to find a grandaddy hapuka which we had been advised were in abundance. No luck.

    On Vela's return, the northerly sea breeze had filled in and our spot had become a little lumpy, so we moved to the south eastern corner of the island. Here we were greeted with crystal clear water, which must have been 20 degrees or warmer. With no other boats around we got a little bit cheeky and jumped in for a skinny dip.

    We watched a very pretty sunset, even counting down the sun as it disappeared behind the Coromandel Peninsula. A few hours later and we were ready to settle in for the night, but unfortunately our night didn't end there...    Read more

  • Cruising NZ
    White sandy beach at Slipper Island
    Enjoying the blue sky!More blue!Cool clouds formingMore cool cloudsCool clouds at sunset on WednesdayThursday sunset

    Midnight Escape to Slipper Island

    February 21, 2024 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    By midnight we'd had enough. The easterly we had seen forecast wasn't coming through and we were experiencing a 2m easterly swell and a building Southwesterly chop, leaving us with nowhere to hide at Mayor Island. So we pulled the anchor up and pointed our bow to the Northeast and Slipper Island.

    We were able to make good time with just the big headsail out reaching and a bit of assistance from the engine. As we got closer to the east coast of the Coromandel, the chop eased and we had very pleasant (if cold) conditions. It took about 4 hours to get across to Slipper Island, but once we got in we had a decent anchorage and were able to get some sleep.

    The easterly swell prevailed for the next couple of days, so we hid as best we could from it, although it was still quite rolly. Nathan spent most of Wednesday hibernating while Vela got some work done to help pay the bills. A couple of small snapper were caught, so nothing too exciting, but we did have a few cool clouds and a nice sunset to look at!    Read more

  • Cruising NZ
    Approaching Pauanui
    Quick beer for lunchLunch on shore whenever we get the chanceVela braving the breakersBeautiful tropical watersChecking out the anchor chainHot pot for dinnerVela's kinaMaomao slices and leather jacketThis weekend's crew

    Diving at Rabbit Island

    February 23, 2024 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    Today we'd made plans with James, the owner of Starling, to come out and meet us at Pauanui and stay for a couple of nights. Originally he thought he'd get to Pauanui by 12, but he messaged us at about 10.30 to say he was nearly there (we think he was a bit excited).

    So we pulled up our anchor and headed for Pauanui. The waves on the beach were a little daunting, but after a bit of scouting and discussion we were confident we could get in without flipping the dinghy. So we put on our lifejackets, launched the dinghy and made for shore. We found a nice flat spot between sets and beached the dinghy without any drama.

    We then headed for a spot of lunch, before sending Vela back through the breakers to Starling - she was a little nervous but pulled it off like a pro! Meanwhile, Nathan and James headed to the boat ramp to launch James's fizz boat. We negotiated the estuary and the bar without any issues and soon met up with Vela back on Starling. We sent James ahead to scout out some fish while we motored Starling back over to Slipper Island. We parked in a different bay and were met with some stunning clear water and not a breath of wind, so we had to put the drone up for a bit of footage!

    James then picked us up and we motored to the southern end of Rabbit Island. The water was amazingly blue, so we pulled on our wetsuits and jumped in to check out the fish. There were massive schools of blue maomao, which are so much fun to swim with as they whirlpool around you. There were so many that they were even bumping into the end of the spear gun. Nathan quickly shot a leather jacket, and Vela fired a nice shaft into a blue maomao which we captured on the 360 camera. Nathan then spent a bit of time playing with an eagle ray, and checking out the edge of the drop off for some other fish species. A couple of kingies showed up, and Nathan took a shot which hit, but unfortunately the spear didn't go all the way through the fish and it swam away. It feels bad to hurt a fish like that, but kingfish are resilient so fingers crossed it will live to fight another day.

    After that we called it a day and headed back to Pauanui to meet up with Vita and Tina, who have rented a bach for the weekend. Hot pot for dinner and we stayed the night on shore so we didn't have to navigate the Tairua bar in the dark.    Read more

  • Cruising NZ
    Clearing skies out at the Aldermen
    Geared up and ready to go!Turned into a beautiful morningCool rock layers on the outside of Slipper IslandCool rock layers on the outside of Slipper IslandChilling out back at Slipper IslandYummy noodles for lunch!A bit of koheru sashimi on the sideKina dumplings for dinner! (That's a new one)Yum!

    Diving the Aldermen Islands

    February 24, 2024 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    An early(ish) start today. We launched the fizz boat at about 8.30 and headed to Starling to drop Vela, Tina and Vita off while Nathan and James headed out to the Aldermen Islands. It was a grey day to start, but as we arrived the clouds were clearing and it looked like it would be an awesome day.

    We hopped in the water and Nathan immediately shot a nice fat koheru. There were massive schools of koheru right under the boat, a favourite snack of kingfish, but unfortunately none of the bigger fish showed up. James tried out his surface breathing apparatus and was swimming around for a look. Nathan headed for some slightly shallower water, hoping to find some crevices filled with crayfish. Unfortunately no luck on that, and the water got very murky close to the rocks so we headed back towards the boat.

    James hopped out of the water and pulled his rod out, while Nathan was diving with the schools of two-spot Demezel. Another school of koheru swam through, and Nathan shot another to add to the sashimi for later. Almost immediately after shooting the koheru, a kingfish swam past, but without a loaded gun Nathan just had to watch it swim by. The koheru were hanging around, and Nathan, excited by the chance to spear his first kingy, kept trying. He spotted another kingy, but it was right at the end of his breath hold, so again no opportunity to get a shot away. 10 more minutes and the koheru had cleared out and no more kingfish had turned up so we called it a day.

    With the forecast set to get windy and choppy later, wet headed back to Starling. There was a little bit of action in the top water on our way back, spotting what we think was a school of Skipjack or Albacore Tuna, and later a shark swimming lazily on the surface.

    Meanwhile, the girls on Starling had been enjoying the sun and a peaceful morning. Paddleboarding and hanging out in the beautiful clear water off Slipper Island. They were even nice enough to make noodles for the boys for lunch!

    When the wind got up, and with a wet forecast for Sunday, James decided to head back to Auckland early. The girls took the opportunity to get a ride back to Pauanui with James, and left Nathan to keep an eye on Starling. After a rough trip back to Pauanui, they safely crossed the bar and said goodbye to James.

    For dinner they made kina dumplings, which Nathan was a bit disappointed to miss out on, but someone has to be responsible and mind the yacht!    Read more

  • Cruising NZ
    Crumbed Koheru wraps
    Weather a bit averageWatching the fronts go pastHighlight at sunsetTax man getting his dinnerSlipper Island soaking in the last bit of sunCaught us a feedSimpsons/Toy Story cloudsNot a bad spotLeather jacket and two of the goat fish, courtesy of VelaSun setting over Pauanui/Tairua

    Relaxing at slipper Island

    February 28, 2024 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    The last few days have been filled with a bit of rest and relaxation on board Starling. We found a nice anchorage on the southwestern corner of Slipper Island and made the most of the gaps in the poor weather when we had the chance.

    A couple of points of interest included a visit from the local tax man, who wasn't a fan of the undersized snapper that Nathan was pulling in on the bait rod, and Nathan also went for a little dive off the western side of Rabbit Island, resulting in a nice little haul of goat fish along with a leather jacket. There were a lot of kingfish seen, mostly around the 50-60cm mark, and one legal sized which came in for a look, but unfortunately the spear gun wasn't loaded.

    Regardless, we had a great time hanging out here, plan is to move a bit further north for the weekend, fingers crossed for a spot of nice weather!    Read more

  • Cruising NZ
    Noodles for lunch
    Cool lights on the cloudsA very red sunsetFeels like Mordor is on the other side of those mountains...Pretty pretty

    Slipper Island to Cooks Beach

    February 29, 2024 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    We were starting to get itchy feet, and with plans to meet Alla in Whitianga, we decided it was time to make a move.

    So we set off in about a 15kt south westerly, which built to around 25kt with gusts up to 30. This made for a pretty quick trip, forgetting about our crash gybe on autopilot (a first for us on this trip).

    We decided Cooks Beach looked the most likely spot for a relaxing afternoon and evening so we dropped the anchor, had some noodles for lunch courtesy of Nathan, and settled down. We were treated to a pretty spectacular sunset before bedtime too!    Read more

  • Cruising NZ
    Beautiful clear morning
    Come along for a paddleboardGotta get those domestic duties done!Enjoying the cliffs as we approached WhitiangaFound Alla and the girls!Enjoying the pastel colours of the sunsetEnjoying the pastel colours of the sunset

    Cooks Beach to Whitianga (and back)

    March 1, 2024 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    The big event for the day is that we are set to pick up Alla and her two girls, Liza & Lena from Whitianga. But first, Nathan made the most of the calm water and went for a paddleboard. Along the way he was treated to a couple of eagle ray encounters, clear water, white sand, and schools of small fish.

    With the washing hung up over the rail, we pulled up the anchor and headed over to Whitianga where we anchored at the mouth of the estuary. After lunch, we headed into town where Vela got her nails done and Nathan found a few key fishing and sailing supplies.

    Alla and the girls arrived around 6pm and we had dinner at the Irish pub before ferrying everyone and the supplies out to Starling.

    We then motored back over to Cooks Beach (with two very excited girls) for the evening and were treated to a bit of stargazing before we finally settled down for bedtime.    Read more

  • Cruising NZ
    Blue morning
    Ready for pancakes!Cool geography - Starling in the backgroundTurquoise waters at Cathedral CoveSelfie time!Selfie time!1Cathedral Cove being stunningIt's been a while, but time for a hazy!What a feast of goat fish!Pretty sunset before bed

    Cathedral Cove & Matapoua Bay

    March 2, 2024 in New Zealand ⋅ 🌬 23 °C

    In the morning we were greeted with glassy water and beautiful clear skies. Nathan made pancakes for everyone to enjoy before we headed around the corner to Cathedral Cove. We knew the weather was going to worsen so we had to make the most of the bright morning.

    We arrived at Cathedral Cove and took the dinghy ashore. We spent a couple of hours enjoying the beach, snorkeling, and making sure we got our selfies with the Cathedral. While snorkeling we saw a bunch of parore, blue maomao, and a couple of nice fat snapper (shame it's a marine reserve...)

    We were surprised at how many people were at Cathedral Cove given that the hiking trail remains closed after cyclone damage, but it must be great for the local tourism businesses! Fortunately Nathan's phone is clever and can remove people and boats from the background.

    Afterwards, we headed to Matapoua Bay on the northern side of Mercury Bay. With a strong westerly turning north west it was our best look at a sheltered anchorage for the night.

    Vela cooked us a feast for dinner with the last of the goat fish from Nathan's dive at rabbit island, and we relaxed for the rest of the evening, watching a movie on the couch.    Read more

  • Cruising NZ
    Awake early enough to see the sunrise
    A nice little weather window for some funGoat fish and leather jacket for lunchRain squall incomingLiza and Lena taking over StarlingCool little rock arch approaching WharekahoNice fish!See you later!Last little bit of blue skyAwesome fiery sunset

    Matapoua Bay - Wharekaho

    March 3, 2024 in New Zealand ⋅ 🌧 19 °C

    This morning we were lucky enough to have a period of fine weather, so we made the most of it and got the paddleboard, dinghy and dive gear out and headed to a little beach. Nathan shot a couple of goat fish and a leather jacket for lunch while Vela practiced her free diving and the others played on the beach and paddleboard.

    Afterwards we motored through a heavy rain squall to Wharekaho where we enjoyed a little swim before we headed back to Whitianga. With bad weather forecast for tomorrow, Alla and the girls decided to leave early. On the way, there was a massive workup of Kahawai, Nathan caught a small Kahawai which went in the freezer for bait, while Liza pulled in a whopper which was filleted for Alla to take home.

    After a little bit of a sad goodbye, Vela made a successful drop off back to shore in the dinghy. We then headed back to Wharekaho, where we are likely to spend a couple of days hiding from the worst of the weather.    Read more

  • Cruising NZ
    Sunrise
    The wind arrivedJoined by the Spirit of New ZealandJoined by the Spirit of New ZealandAnd an epic sunset to finish it offAnd an epic sunset to finish it offAnd an epic sunset to finish it offAnd an epic sunset to finish it offAnd an epic sunset to finish it offAnd an epic sunset to finish it off

    Wind & Rain at Wharekaho

    March 4, 2024 in New Zealand ⋅ 🌧 22 °C

    With a terrible forecast, we were surprised to start the day with a fantastic sunrise, which Nathan was up early enough to enjoy.

    The morning was spent marveling at the massive schools of Kahawai and bait fish that seemed to be doing laps around the bay - followed of course by flocks of sea birds. The school came right up and underneath Starling, which prompted Nathan to get some fishing lines in the water (hooked a Kahawai which released itself alongside the boat...) Snapper were the target however and no luck with them at this stage.

    The forecast wind and rain did eventually arrive, and we saw gusts up to 35kt on our wind gear (likely closer to 40kt). Vela spent this time doing some planning for our overseas trip, while Nathan took advantage of the extra water and scrubbed the decks in the cockpit.

    While this was going on, we were joined in our anchorage by the Spirit of New Zealand, looking very cool in the wild and misty weather. We watched as she laid both her anchors in a V-formation which helps reduce the swinging at anchor and likelihood of dragging in the big gusts.

    Eventually the weather settled down and the day was bookended with another beautiful sunset. Nathan pulled the fishing rods back out and hooked a little Koheru. This went back in the water as a live bait with dreams of attracting a Kingfish (no luck) and was later pulled back out and added to the bait bag. Nathan was also able to land a nice pan size snapper, the first for a long time! Looking forward to this going in some wraps for lunch tomorrow.    Read more

  • Cruising NZ
    Sunrise over Motukorure
    Heading out past the Spirit of New ZealandHeading out past the Spirit of New ZealandYou wouldn't catch me up that rigging... 30m tall mastsBit grey, but at least it's calmBlue sky out the other side

    Wharekaho to Waitaia Bay

    March 5, 2024 in New Zealand ⋅ 🌬 19 °C

    Another epic sunrise to start the day - with the sun peeking between the rocks of Motukorure island. With the wind firmly coming from the west, we decided we could find a slightly more picturesque anchorage, so we headed past the Spirit of New Zealand and around the corner to Waitaia Bay. With white sandy beaches and decent shelter from the wind, we anchored up.

    It was a bit of a lazy day for Nathan, while Vela was hard at work with meetings. A short paddleboard of the bay between rain showers before cracking a beer and watching some yacht racing in the afternoon.

    Vela cooked a delicious stir fry with Chinese bacon and her spicy fried potatoes for dinner, yum!    Read more

  • Cruising NZ
    Bluebird day
    Time for a dip at WaitaiaGlass off at sunsetEpic sunriseLove the high thin clouds at sunrisePracticing my pancakesFinally got one!Just legal - we'll take those!How good does that look!?Yum!

    Chilling at Waitaia Bay

    March 7, 2024 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    Couple of chill days at Waitaia Bay - for Nathan at least, while Vela has been slaving away earning a last little bit of cash before we leave the country. Sunrises, sunsets, paddleboarding and afternoon swims filled our days.

    A couple of work ups came past the boat, which prompted a little bit of fun catching kahawai on some light gear, releasing them because we have enough on board.

    We jumped in the water for a dive one morning, and had some very cool underwater landscape to explore. Fingers of rock stretching out over the sand, with some cool overhangs to check out. While exploring one such overhang, we found a nest of crayfish all huddled into the crevices. Nathan plucked the largest one out, while Vela practiced her technique and "yoinked" a smaller one - which was put back to get bigger for next year. The larger one turned out to be a male, which was just over the legal size, so Vela turned him into a delicious meal full of Chinese spices and other goodies!    Read more

  • Cruising NZ
    Sunrise in Wharekaho
    Crayfish head noodles for lunchOne excited kid, one less excited kidIncoming!Vela and Cooper cuddles!Vela and Cooper cuddles!Oakley and Dave catching fishOakley and Dave catching fishOakley and Dave catching fish

    Cathedral Cove and Matapoua Bay

    March 8, 2024 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    After a peaceful sunrise back at Wharekaho after picking up Jamie, we headed back to Whitianga. Nathan and Jamie headed ashore to restock on groceries while we awaited the arrival of the Blunden clan. Vela made some noodles for lunch, using the head of last night's crayfish for flavouring - yum!

    The Blunden's arrived, Oakley was super excited to get in his lifejacket, but Cooper was a little less enthusiastic... After arriving, we headed for Cathedral Cove, Dave catching a nice big Kahawai for dinner along the way. Cathedral cove was beautifully calm, and after we anchored a few snapper came up to swim around behind the boat.

    Nathan and Jamie jumped in and snorkeled to shore while Dave took Oakley for a paddleboard. Vela and Cooper enjoyed some cuddles on the boat too.

    After we'd had enough, we crossed Mercury bay to stay the night in Matapoua Bay. While anchored, Oakley caught his first fish! He's now talking about catching a big one tomorrow, bigger than dad's!    Read more

  • Cruising NZ
    Jagged rock formation leaving Matapoua Bay
    Oakley found the window!Peachgrove Bay - this'll do us!Oakley and Dave off for a paddleboardSnorkeling and Vela's mermaid impressionLunch courtesy of VelaOakley found a swing!Bronzys in the shallows, can you see all three?Hazy time!Cuddles with CooperSunset at Korapuki Island

    Great Mercury

    March 9, 2024 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    After coffee and breakfast in Matapoua Bay, we cruised around the corner towards the Mercury Islands. The wind got a little stronger than we were expecting from the forecast, but we managed to find shelter in Peachgrove Bay.

    It wasn't long before Nathan, Jamie & Vela donned their snorkels and dive gear and headed over to the reef on the western end of the bay. The snorkeling was awesome, spotting eagle rays, snapper, maomao, parore, red moki, trevally, kahawai, goat fish, and a friendly blue cod. Vela sent a lovely shot with the spear gun through a leather jacket, killing it stone dead. Then Nathan took the spear gun further around the point, trying to hit a goat fish (they were all getting a bit too friendly, getting so close it actually made shooting them tricky).

    Then a school of kahawai flew past Nathan, so he lined one up and nailed it. While he was dealing to that, a big bronze whaler (2m+) came steaming in, doing it's Top Gun fly-by impression. This signalled it was time to leave, so everyone swam steadily back to Starling (Nathan took a second to shoot a second leather jacket on the way back).

    Once we were back on board, Vela fed us with a yummy invention of poached leather jacket and kahawai in an onion, ginger, garlic, and spring onion broth with a hint of chili to keep you on your toes. Meanwhile Dave, Ash, Oakley & Cooper headed to the beach in the dinghy to hang out in the shade. Oakley found a cool rope swing to hang off too.

    While this was happening, Nathan spotted a dark shadow in the water behind us. We quickly realised it was a shark, and spent the next 30 minutes doing shark spotting. There were at least three cruising around the shallow bay, up to about a meter from the beach. Two of them were pretty big, 2m+ specimens, while the third was a little smaller.

    After all the excitement it was time for a hazy and more cuddles with Cooper before we moved spots over to Korapuki Island to shelter from the strong Southeasterly change that was forecast to come through at midnight.    Read more

  • Cruising NZ
    Opito Bay - looks alright
    Jamie getting excited for pancakes, Oakley excited for maple syrupFamily photo!What a day!The crew off for a snorkelDo you think Oakley is excited?Off we goHassling a puffer fishOakley keeping a close eye on mumDave stacking it off the paddleboard (twice)Another feast by Vela!

    Opito Bay

    March 10, 2024 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    We woke up to our anchorage at Korapuki Island being rather uncomfortable. Waves were coming round both sides of the island and sandwiching us in the middle... Still not as bad as that night at Tutukaka though!

    After a quick coffee, we hauled up the anchor and motored across to Opito Bay. We found out why our spot was so uncomfortable as we were pushed around by 2m+ swells on our way across. Vela came up from downstairs with a peeved look on her face - she had slept through the coffee run and was woken up when a wave rolled her out of bed... Whoops!

    After about 45 minutes of motoring, we pulled into Opito Bay. The eastern end was pretty well sheltered from the Southeasterly swell, so we decided to anchor up for the day.

    Now that we were settled, Nathan got stuck into his work, making round two of coffees (round one for Vela) and whipping up a big batch of pancakes to appease the crowd.

    After breakfast, it was time to check out the underwater life. We suited up and took the full contingent over to the reef with the paddleboard and dinghy. Almost immediately after jumping in, a massive school of kahawai streamed past. Big schools like this can be confusing and difficult to pick a target, but Nathan managed to plug a nice mid-sized kahawai (the bigger one he was lining turned away at the last second, prompting a change in target).

    Nathan then spent a bit of time playing with some snapper (the legal ones seem to hang out just out of range) and goat fish (popped two to have for dinner later). Vela, Jamie and David found the reef drop off and were playing with the rock cod and big red moki. They even found a pufferfish to check out!

    When Nathan swam over to them, there was a big splash and disturbed water around his dive float, signalling there was likely another shark hanging around us. Vela took the spear gun for a bit, attempting to shoot a rock cod, but only managing to spear a poor unsuspecting rock. It looked a bit tough to steam with the goat fish and kahawai so we left the rock where it was.

    Jamie then reported he had spotted the shark which was hanging around. Another big bronzy. Nathan also spotted it shortly after, hanging around the dive float. It looked to be in a calm state, cruising around investigating what was going on in his reef, but we decided it was time to head back to Starling regardless.

    Once back on board, we spent the rest of the day paddleboarding and chilling out before Vela smashed it again with another delicious dinner of goat fish and kahawai.    Read more

  • Cruising NZ
    Bacon and eggs for breakfast
    1Jamie in his happy placeThis weekend's teamTime for some cool clouds!There's a bit of wind out there1Cloud of the day - looks like a stingrayMuddy estuary water meets the "clean" waterCool little yacht, highly rate the colour choiceEpic cliffs for tonight's view

    Back to Whitianga

    March 11, 2024 in New Zealand ⋅ 🌬 23 °C

    After a relaxing night at Opito Bay, it was time to figure out how to get everyone back to their day jobs. A feed of bacon and eggs for breakfast before we pulled up the anchor and headed back to Mercury Bay. We pulled some sails out briefly, but when faced with a 25kt headwind once we were around the corner, we took the easy option and started up the engine.

    We made a pit stop at Waitaia Bay for a snorkel. Nathan found another crayfish and pulled him out of his crack, but he was a bit small so we released him after showing him to the kids. The water was a bit murky, making it difficult to shoot any fish, but we did see a couple of eagle rays and an octopus hanging out on the reef.

    We made our way back to Whitianga and delivered Jamie, Dave, Ash and the kids back to shore with all their gear before heading over to Maramaratotara Bay to spend the night. The views of the cliffs out the back of the boat were pretty spectacular, and both Vela and Nathan decided they were big fans of this yacht on a mooring (which we think was an Elliott 10.5).

    Vela made a simple (but always delicious) dinner of pork meat balls in a tomato broth to keep our bellies from grumbling.    Read more

  • Cruising NZ
    Passing the rocks at the northern edge of Mercury Bay
    Cool cliffs with interesting strata north of Mercury BayClouds looking out towards Great MercuryApproaching Kennedy BayYum Korean noodles for dinner!Cloud time!Cloud time!Cloud time!Cloud time!Cloud time!

    Whitianga to Kennedy Bay

    March 13, 2024 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    We're on the move again!

    Unfortunately, we are now in the twilight of our sailing adventure, with only two more weeks before we hang up our sailing boots and return to life on land. This means we need to start getting Starling back to Auckland.

    We made the first jump along the Coromandel Peninsula with a four hour motor sail to Kennedy Bay. Unfortunately when we arrived we found we had an issue with the water maker. So until further notice we're drinking bottled water and on high water conservation. We have at least 100L in the tanks and plenty of bottled water, so not code red at this stage.

    Fingers crossed the issue can be sorted, otherwise we'll need to find somewhere to fill our tanks, or make a quick pit stop in Westhaven before returning to the islands of the Hauraki Gulf.

    Vela made a fantastic Korean noodle soup with pork ribs and potatoes for dinner, and Nathan spent a bit of time cloud watching before bed.    Read more

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