North Island, New Zealand

My journey through New Zealand's North Island in Google Maps (web browser) and in

Bay of Islands Sailing Week

After cruising the beautiful Bay of Islands, Great Barrier Island and the Hauraki Gulf, I return to Opua, where I spent my first few weeks in New Zealand. I have been invited to join Kevin and Paul on their sports boat Titan for the Bay of Islands Sailing Week – 4 days of racing for over 100 boats in different classes. Strong winds made for exhilarating rides in these fast sports boats and I’m impressed how stable we could slalom around competitors, which lost control of their boats. It has been great and tiring racing – or were it the parties? Looking at the all-out racing catamarans, I’ve been happy not to have raced Blue Bie; even more after learning that one has capsized and one holed by a spectator boat!

Waitangi Day

The next weekend was reserved for some culture: It was Waitangi Day; commemorating the signing of the contract of between the whites and the Maoris in 1840. It was the fairest of all the colonial contracts, but unfortunately broken over and over again by the white settlers, leading to tension still today as in all the other ex-colonies. It’s mostly the Maoris celebrating in Waitangi and there were only handful of crafts on the water observing the war canoe racing – most of them foreign cruising yachts. Not entirely surprising, if one knows that there has often been (Maori) violence on Waitangi Day. Overall, it’s a very interesting, but slightly disturbing experience.

North Island road trip

Renting a car and borrowing a tent, I’m exploring the center of the North Island not without first stopping in Auckland, visiting the Auckland Museum and Shauna and Dave. In the harbor I can witness the America’s Cup catamarans – 45 feet long and flying a hull in less than 10kn of breeze. I erect my tent in a camp site in Waitomo, where I’m black-water rafting the glow worm caves. This sounds more impressive than the actual gliding through the caves on car tires.

One could spend a week alone in Rotorua with its many outdoor attractions. I’m more attracted by its active volcanic area with bubbling mud pools, colorful lakes full of minerals, hot springs, baths and streams powering a whole region. Probably the highlight is the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, a breathtaking and breathtakingly beautiful 7 hour hike over 3 volcanoes. I’m the most surprised by a ridge, where hot steam is moistening the ground. You would think the outlet would be down in the valley floor. I can’t refuse the challenge to go white-water rafting the Whangapapa River, it’s definitely more fun and challenge than black-water rafting.

Sail testing

I’m not too keen to visit the cities on the coast and head earlier than planned via Coromandel back to the Bay of Islands. The new mainsail and genoa are ready for test sailing and I’m impressed how well they stand. I’m looking forward to take them through their paces in the coming months.