Hauraki Gulf

Thank you to Boating NZ Magazine for this article!

Around the Gulf in 8 days

Christmas was around the corner and we still didn’t have firm plans for a cruise over the New Year when my old mate Ed Adlam turned up and reminded me that I had invited him for a sail sometime. So it was natural that we decided to do a quick circuit of the Hauraki Gulf as a way of showing him what cruising was about for us Auckland folk. Ed was keen to get to Great Barrier Island and I agreed, but told him that the wind would largely determine our best sailing direction and resultant destinations, and that might exclude the Barrier. We had only eight days so we wouldn’t be staying anywhere, so this article is less about the places, and more a short photo tour of some of the main destinations of the Gulf.

Tiritiri Matangi and Kawau

We headed for Kawau two days after Christmas in a 20-knot south-westerly. Ed had never been to Tiri so we decided to have a look, hoping that the reef off Hobbs Bay would provide enough shelter for a short stop. Fortunately we were able to tuck in there OK. The loop walk around the magical island of Tiri is one of the great conservation walks. We went anti-clockwise, along the Wattle Track and up to the lighthouse, shadowed by a kokako that kept calling and following us. We couldn’t see it until we paused at a drinking trough; he chased the tui and bellbirds away and took possession for himself, even posing for photos! There was plenty of other bird action, with many tui chasing each other around, saddlebacks close to the tracks, and good sightings of the many other bird species found here. The boat was rolling quite a lot when we returned and we lost no time in setting out for Kawau, a two-hour trip in a boisterous south-westerly. Ed was amazed at the transition from rolly seas to placid calm as we swung around Momona Point and into Bon Accord, where we stopped at Mansion House Bay.  Our one full day at Kawau was spent visiting the Mansion House (entry $4), which was interesting as always, then Ladies Bay, and then the Lookout. From there we went down to the old mine and pump station for a fascinating glimpse of local history, then back up to the ridge for the easy walk down the Redwood Track to Two House Bay. This track seems to be largely ignored by visitors, most of whom go up to the Lookout from Mansion House grounds and return the same way, but you won’t get lost on the Redwood Track, and it’s much more pleasant than the coastal road back to Mansion House grounds, with good views into Mansion House Bay. We finished the day with dinner at Kawau Yacht Club. It felt like there were 300 orders for dinner, with ours being numbers 299 and 300, but we spent a very pleasant hour or so outside on the jetty with an ale, admiring the sunset while awaiting our call. The staff did inform us of the delay and it was great service. All good! The forecast was for north-west winds next morning, easing around midday; that was clearly our weather window to sail across to Barrier, and we decided to leave early.

Out to Great Barrier

We left around 6.30am and noted around a dozen other yachts had decided to do the same. We had an easy reach across the Gulf, with our course to Fitzroy taking us close by Little Barrier Island. The extensive wind shadow cast by Little Barrier and a lightening breeze saw us motoring the last three miles. Ed was really wowed by the Man O’ War Passage with its steep, bush-clad shoreline and less than 100 metres width. We just had to visit Smokehouse Bay, which was absolutely chokka with craft of all description all the way along the shoreline, before returning to the very settled and picture-perfect Oneura Bay at “Fitzroy Harbour is blessed with many wonderfully scenic inlets…” the entrance to the Man O’ War Passage for the night.

Oneura – also known as ‘Red Cliffs Cove’ – has a delightful stream at its head with several freshwater pools so we took a relaxing, early morning walk up to it. Fitzroy Harbour is blessed with many wonderfully scenic inlets and we decided to have lunch at my own favourite – Kiwiriki Bay – with its picturesque islets at the entrance. From there we motored around to Warren’s (Forestry) Bay and took a walk up the track at the head of the bay to the waterfalls. We met several folks on the track who were returning, still shivering from their swims – no freshwater dipping for this old bloke though! From there we walked up the track and across to Port Fitzroy.

There were many kaka around this year, with plenty of chatter and screeching from the pohutukawa. We noted with regret that we were a week early for the famous Musselfest. The south-westerly was building, with gusts reaching 40 knots, and there was plenty of overnight action with a number of inflatables being flipped. The trick in these conditions is to remove your outboard motor before it is submerged, and to tie the dinghy very close up to your transom. Next morning we motored through the narrow Port Abercrombie entrance and stopped at Bradshaw Cove on the north side of Kaikoura Island, an attractive cove with red and yellow cliffs and reddish sand. We walked over the island and took in the great views overlooking Man O’ War Passage. If the dominant bird around Port Fitzroy seemed to be the kaka, then on Kaikoura kingfishers were most obvious. There were seemingly dozens. We left this sheltered anchorage to stay overnight at Karaka Bay at the eastern head of Port Abercrombie, mainly for the sunset, as these can be spectacular from this area, and it was. We didn’t even notice the new year!

Next day we set out for Tryphena in fresh, south-west conditions. The north-facing bay in Rangiahua Island offered a sheltered stopping place so we anchored there briefly. This bay was very colourful with its red-yellow cliffs and sand, and turquoise water. With the wind on the beam we had an easy sail to Tryphena and Ed helmed all the way, enjoying the chance to use his new sailing skills. Tryphena isn’t the most sheltered harbour in a south-wester, and we had to decide whether the north or south arms offered the better anchorage. The forecast was for a north-westerly shift next morning so we opted for the north side – Puriri Bay. After anchoring we took a nice long walk around to Mulberry Cove. I must say the colours in the waters of the bay seen from Puriri Bay Rd were simply fantastic. This is a great walk if you enjoy the colour of coastal scenery; the browns and golds of the foreshore contrast beautifully with the emerald and turquoise of the bay, and the view is framed by many pohutukawa and other trees. As a bonus you’ll come across pateke (brown teal), kereru (native pigeon), tui, kingfisher and kaka. The only problem is that there is no path, and the walker needs to repeatedly step off the road for passing traffic!

Next day we decided to take a much shorter walk to Mulberry Cove by first motoring to the south side of the harbour. We anchored at Taylors Bay, which was well sheltered in the still-prevailing south-westerly. We wanted to head to Waiheke or the Coromandel Peninsula but intended to wait for the predicted north-westerly change. That gave us a few hours in the morning to amble across to Mulberry Cove, where we stopped for a meat pie and a beer. We figured it was time to eat a whole lot less healthily just once, and it was good fun! The rock wall layout of the store at Mulberry Cove is so quirky and it’s a delight just being there.

Down to the Bottom End – Waiheke

The north-west breeze had filled in by early afternoon and we departed. It was forecast 25 knots the following day so we decided to forget Coromandel this time and head directly to the Bottom End. What a sail, fresh reaching down the Coromandel Coast then bearing away to the Bottom End. Ed would have been happy to take the helm for the entire leg but when I let him know that we were in fora six-hour sail he was happy to do hourly steering watches. We arrived in the evening to the most glorious sunset we had seen so far. The wind was still blowing north-west so we elected to anchor overnight at Opopo Bay, but changed that to Huse Bay when we saw that Opopo was full. Next morning the breeze was very light, though forecast to rise again by afternoon,so we elected to use the settled conditions and go to the small bay on the north of Pakatoa. It’s very beautiful and a great swimming spot on this privately owned island – and visitors should be aware that they are not welcome above the high water mark due to too many cases of vandalism and theft for the current owner to be more welcoming. A shame. Visitors to this bay should be aware that the reef at the north-west end of the beach extends well north of the rock that is the only visible fragment at high water. The forecast for the next day was for north-west, increasing to 20 knots with rain ahead of a front, then changing to south-west with showers. We decided to head back for home and left next morningwell-reefed, ahead of the front. It did mean that we had some gusty weather with poor visibility, but Ed was keen to experience the full gamut of conditions that boaties encounter. It cleared beautifully as we approached the Waitemata, once more giving us a good sail that saw us just laying through and up the inner harbour in sparkling sunshine. This is not the sort of cruise that you would want to do with children, as there was lots of sailing and relatively little time ashore, but Ed was keen to see the Gulf so we travelled a lot, and by slotting in to the weather windows, we were able to ensure pretty good sailing conditions.

Hauraki highlights

In the first of our new series exploring New Zealand’s best anchorages, Auckland biochemist Tom Mulvey takes a visiting Canadian student to Rakino and Rangitoto Islands in the inner Hauraki Gulf.

A wonderful feature of the Hauraki Gulf is the great number of anchorages. Any wind direction, any strength, summer or winter, there are possies where you can snuggle down for the night. And many are much more than anchorages, being destinations in their own right.

In this series we are going to have a look at a number of anchorages – their advantages in different wind directions and weather conditions, their approaches, any hazards, the holding, shore facilities and so on.

Many of the closer bays of the inner Hauraki Gulf are particularly suited to weekend or day trips, especially in winter when the daylight hours are shorter. So when our visiting student Charlotte dreamily looked out over the harbour from our place of work in Auckland City and mused, “I’d just love to be out there sailing…” it didn’t take me long to extend an invitation for the following weekend. I also rounded up my son Ben, who is proficient on the boat.

We decided to leave on the Friday afternoon, as it would be dark by 6pm. The forecast was promising – a light southerly, building around the middle of the day to around 15 knots south-east. We thought maybe we’d motor down the harbour until the breeze built, then we’d have a nice slide up to Rakino Island to Woody Bay – the premier inner-Gulf destination. This plan would suit the boat batteries and ensure that we made good progress – important when it was going to be dark so early.

I introduced my crew to each other and we set out from Westhaven around 1pm. Sure enough, there was very little wind and it was right on the nose so we pushed the button and let the Yanmar do the work. Charlotte quickly accepted my offer of the tiller and that freed me up to keep a sharp lookout around the harbour.

The first section demands plenty of attention, with the Birkenhead or Devonport ferries likely to loom up from ahead (or astern) very quickly. This late in the season, there are fewer launches from West Harbour or kayakers, wind surfers, fizz boats and large power boats that are the norm in summer.

We headed towards Devonport, being careful to give the wharf a wide clearance, as there are usually fishers there with their lines flung well out. Past Devonport it is less congested but the mooring area off Torpedo Bay is a potential hazard, with the outer moorings a possible problem.

I noticed that Charlotte always turned to present port bow to approaching boats and seemed altogether pretty competent on the helm. She told us about her childhood in Canada where she sailed small boats with her family before going to Aberdeen University to study medicine, where she now lived. Our Auckland sailing in winter was definitely going to be different from Scotland in mid-summer! Warmer, maybe?

Heading out from the harbour, there are two routes to Rakino – the north side of Rangitoto, or the south (inside). Both are about 11 miles and either is good; the decision on which to take is driven by the wind direction and the tide. In this case it was nearly half tide and it was pouring into the Rangitoto Channel. That meant we took the inside, which would be more interesting for our overseas visitor too, sailing through the Motuihe Channel with islands on both sides.

Clear of North Head, I felt I could go 
below to boil the kettle for a cuppa. Charlotte produced goodies to accompany the drink and my assumptions about guests bringing plenty of tucker were holding up. While eating, drinking and yakking in the cockpit, it is easy to miss Ilyamana Beacon and we were less than 200 metres away when we picked it up somewhat to starboard. There followed a small swing away from the shoreline and we cleared nicely. It never ceases to amaze me how many boats pass inside it, including deep-keel yachts at low water!

The next turning point was Emu Pt off Motutapu Island, well marked with a pole beacon. About now the breeze filled in and we hoisted both sails for a reach up the Motutapu shoreline. Yachties always enjoy the quiet of sailing but I do worry sometimes at the state of our batteries, which get a lot less charging than they should but are still expected to provide all the power required for running the boat.

Woody Bay
Rakino Island came into view. The dominant feature of the western profile is the Three Sisters, conical-shaped rocks that define the southern end of West Bay. We rounded the point between West and Woody Bay and slipped into the stunner that is Woody Bay, by far the prettiest destination in the inner Hauraki Gulf in easterly conditions. In summer, dozens of fizz boats are drawn up on the beaches, anchored yachts and launches fill the bay, with adults and children swimming, kayaking and walking across the point
to West Bay.

But this time there were no other boats and the serenity was awesome. We had to go well in to escape the rolling chop, as the breeze had come in quite fresh and was still in the south. The bay offers good shelter from south to east through to north-east, with very good holding on thick mud/sand, but the little beach on the south side can be a trap for keelboats. Anchor within 150 metres there and you can become the most recent discoverer of the isolated rocks off the beach!

Sunset was surprisingly spectacular considering the day had been largely clear, a few wispy clouds spreading a golden cloak over the western horizon. This bay is renowned for its stunning sunsets, particularly in summer and is referred to by some as ‘Sunset Bay’.

Islington Bay

We decided to head down to Islington Bay the following day, as Rangitoto is a great experience for an overseas student. A young, recently-forested volcano, ‘Rangi’ is New Zealand’s newest land mass. Its wild basaltic landscape has largely escaped human management, and it’s proximate to a totally contrasting landscape – Motutapu Island – with its sedimentary rocks and mainly pastoral rolling hills.

A light easterly breeze saw us reaching down the Motutapu shoreline (Charlotte still on the helm) and we could see right into Station and Mullet Bays, both good bolt holes if the wind should come up into Woody during the night. Home Bay is also great, albeit a little further at 3½ miles from Woody. One hazard to guard against coming into Home Bay from the north is the reef off its northern point. This extends well out and it’s worth giving it wide clearance. But once around here, good holding can be found anywhere in the bay.

We slid into serene Islington Bay, where we anchored off the concrete ramp on the Rangitoto shore. It’s a good possie, but over on the Motutapu side there is only a thin layer of mud over papa rock, offering very poor holding. The temptation to anchor in the lee of the cliffs in easterly conditions can be strong, but is likely to lead to a quick drag!

After lunch and a good yak, we were off to the ramp in the inflatable for a walk along the fantastic landscape of volcanic Rangitoto. We headed first to Gardners Gap to show Charlotte some typical New Zealand baches, giving a potted history of their destruction and the survival of the few remaining. This spot was very warm with its own little micro-climate and we admired that Jin – the escaped otter – had swum her way here from Auckland Zoo the previous winter. After a month of freedom she was caught here in a trap.

Finally we were off to the summit. Matching the pace of two youngsters in their 20s could have been a bit of a challenge but they kept it reasonably-paced. I improved the odds by walking on the right side of the road and only mentioning just before we turned off that my side had the shade – Ben and Charlotte had the sun, which actually became significant as we continued up the increasingly steep slope. Age and cunning matches youth and enthusiasm again!

We turned off the main road, onto the track through the bush to the lava caves. This is very beautiful and highly recommended to those doing this walk. It takes longer to get to the summit, but the way is shaded, soft underfoot and offers panoramic views out towards the Rangitoto Channel. Charlotte was a bit diffident about going into the caves, but when we tried to spook her further by telling her about cave wetas, she wasn’t fazed at all. Turned out she didn’t have the faintest idea what a weta was. Sigh!

So the caves were fun but it is recommended that a torch be used, at least in the longest cave which is pitch-black for much of its length.

We pressed on to the summit, with wooden steps helping us up the last and steepest section. Volcanoes like Rangitoto are called shield volcanoes and have gentle slopes over much of their surface where the liquid basalt flowed. Their active life finishes when the central cores block and there is a final period of explosive activity, with lava being flung high into the sky and piling up to create the summit. The steps make it much easier.

The view was panoramic. Under an azure sky that seemed to go forever, Tiritiri Matangi and Kawau Islands were in plain view to the north. Across the sweep of the horizon, Little Barrier Island showed clearly, then Great Barrier Island and around to Cape Colville where the Moehau Range at the end of the Coromandel Peninsula was visible, smoky against a pale blue horizon. To the west, you could see all of the upper harbour, the Waitakere Ranges, the Manukau Harbour and the Manukau Heads. No wonder Rangitoto is so iconic for Aucklanders – it is visible from practically everywhere.

The walk back took us down the main track. The loose gravel makes it quite slippery in parts and both Ben and Charlotte skidded and almost fell, so I was sharing some advice on how to find the non-skiddy bits when I landed on my butt! Mmmm…

Back on the boat, it was time for dinner before we headed off. The wind was still in the east at about 12 knots. Heading back to Auckland we’d be flat off – potentially a slightly awkward point of sailing.

Charlotte was on the helm yet again (strange, that) while I hoisted the main and unfurled the genoa. While I could have poled out, that would have involved me going forward and clipping the pole onto the mast and sheet, and that seemed too much effort, so we gybed the main over to port and left the genoa sheeted on the starboard side.

If you sail with the wind just on the starboard quarter, the genny will fill and draw nicely, but it requires constant attention on the part of the helmsman. As I wasn’t steering, I didn’t think that would be too much to ask, but I did tell Charlotte  what was required. Inevitably the light breeze swung a little further to our 
starboard side and the genny collapsed.
Charlotte’s eyes widened – mine narrowed, as did my lips! She gently eased the boat off to port, being careful not to gybe the main; the genny filled once more and she lifted the bow, but not so far that the genny would fold again. Wow… the girl was good.

The breeze gradually filled and we had a glorious sail into the sunset with the city ahead and the Sky Tower our steering mark. Approaching North Head again, the breeze had freshened and come further onto our starboard beam. We brought the genny around to port for a great reach home. We even furled some in to improve our visibility coming up the harbour – that really matters.

On the marina once more, we sat around the table, dining on leftovers with a Sauvignon Blanc and counting ourselves wonderfully fortunate to have left from the heart of this large city for a totally different world of limpid bays, basalt landscapes and pohutukawa forest, and then returned, all within a day and a half.
It is great to be alive!

Woody Bay
Where:    North-west side of Rakino, inner Hauraki Gulf
Features:  Clear water, golden sandy beaches, good walks, safe for family activities, spectacular sunsets

Approaches:      Clear close to both points, north and south
Best wind:      North east to east to south. Need to be aware of  possible wind shifts to the west during the night when the easiest retreat is Waikalabubu Bay
Holding:    Good on mud
Hazards:  Some rocks on the south side off the beach

Islington Bay
Where:  Between Rangitoto and Mototapu, south side
Features:  Good walks to either Rangitoto’s summit, across Motutapu, or short walk to the wharf area and Gardners Gap. Good shoreline exploring at low tide
Approaches:      Keep clear of shallow if approaching from Emu Pt. Keep clear of isolated dangers approaching from west
Best wind:    Any, except strong southerly, but even then shelter can be found close to the Rangi side off the concrete ramp
Holding:  Very good on thick gluey mud, but poor on the Motutapu side
Hazards:  Shallow extends well out from head of bay