Les Marsh Outdoor Adventures: Les Marsh Outdoor Adventures

Readers will know that, due to my relocation from Cairns (Tropical Far North Queensland) to Matakana / Sandspit (North Auckland) in December, I penned my new Facebook pages and titled it Les Marsh Fishing NZ!

But a lot has changed since then...what started out as a brand new "fishing adventure" has turned into something much, much more exciting! You see, we bought a yacht!

And a real beauty she is too!
Shadow, a Townson 32 is a classic, a wonderful little kauri hull sailing vessel that has, in such a short time, totally changed the focus of my outdoor activities. Sure I still love my fishing, and with a burning passion too - but Shadow has enabled Debbie & I to go on so many "Outdoor Adventures" that I could only have dreamt about back in Cairns. From cruising the relatively sheltered waters of the immediate Sandspit area, the Kawau Island group, the Hauraki Gulf and just after our arrival, the internationally famous, Bay of Islands region to out north. It certainly has been a adventure...and we have only scratched the surface!

Shadow - Port Fitzroy, Great Barrier Island

But last week, Easter week, was something really special!

All my Aussie mates and family keep asking if Debbie and I are coping with the weather (read cold) over here. But every Kiwi keeps telling us that we have had the best summer in decades. The weather had been really quite amazing...and I don't use that word lightly in this regard. Generally it has been quite warm, 24 - 26C most days with cool nights, just right to get a good nights sleep. Yes, we have a had some unsettled weather come through from time to time, but the fronts move across such a small land mass very quickly and in a day or so, its back to beautiful sunny skies and light winds - perfect for sailing.

With the weather forecast for Easter showing a massive big high sitting right across the country and fabulous weather assured, the Sandspit Yacht Club (SYC) decided to hold its annual regatta to Great Barrier Island. This massive high, rocky and mountainous island sits some 60ks to our east (90km NE of Auckland) and is only accessible in relative comfort, and safety, in good weather patterns. (With an area of 285 square kilometres (110 sq mi) it is the sixth-largest island of New Zealand and fourth-largest in the main chain)

Such good weather however, can also mean relatively light winds, and with predictions for Good Friday of only 3-4 knots from the North, Debbie and I made a hasty decision (and I mean like at 1:00pm - "lets go!") to head off early. We packed food, drinks, clothes and fishing gear in record time; made several trips in our tender from our landing in Sandspit Harbour / Tongue Farm and at 3.30pm we putted down the channel and out into Kawau Bay. It was exactly 4.00pm when we hoisted the sails and set course for GBI. (Note - coming from Cairns, that name just does not seem right to me...every time I hear it or read it, I think of the Great Barrier Reef!)

Conditions were just perfect. A comfortable 12 - 15 knot north / north easter gave us excellent sailing conditions and after clearing the mainland channel, we were zooming along at 7 knots.

Looking back towards Sandspit / Kawau Island

I just love sailing!

There is something magical about cutting across the sea in a beautifully crafted vessel, the hull hissing through the deep blue water; being at the mercy of the winds and waves and mother nature. I can stand for hours, tiller in hand, scanning the horizon for any signs of our intended destination, carefully adjusting our course as successive waves and wind variations play with us like a toy. Land marks come and go, distant islands "grow" in stature as we near from afar, draw level and then slip silently past - and in the yellow glow of an almost full moon - our intended destination looms on the darken horizon. You know what I mean?

Night Sailing - heading to Great Barrier Island

It was two very stoked adventurer's that dropped the pick at precisely 10pm in the sheltered waters of Bowling Alley Bay. We had made it. It was an awesome ride, made even more spectacular by that brilliant moon. The tall dark headlands of the bay stood sentinel like over our little Shadow...we were safe.

We awoke next morning to a brilliant sunny day...weather predictions were spot on and the rest of the Sandspit crew would have a relatively slower trip across in the day light. As it turned out many of the following yachts had to motor / sail across the 60 odd ks of ocean to GBI. We had certainly made the right decision to venture out Thursday night.

The SYC had arranged this sail as a regatta, not a race...the calm and tricky winds meant that may vessels would make it across "as best they could", but planned to meet that evening for a beach BBQ on the shores of Kaiarara Bay. Debbie and I spend the best part of the day sailing up the inside of the island, around the many rocks and small islands that dot this rugged coast. Entering Man of War Passage at approx. 2.00pm, Debbie by now had become quite adventurous! "Lets sail right through it" she exclaimed..."Is that wise?" I very conservatively replied. And sure enough we grew some balls and sailed right through this very narrow passage to the relative open waters of Port Fitzroy. It truly was exciting! (Note - check the map hereabouts for confirmation of our boldness)

Entering Man Of War Passage

Kaiarara Bay - Good Friday

Forest walk

It was one very happy and friendly group that gathered on the beach that evening. In all 9 yachts had made the crossing in various vessels and under differing modes of "power". We were happy and it showed. There was plenty of laughter and back slapping as stories were told of crossing past, old friends shared food and wine and new ones became more familiar. And then someone (who shall remain nameless) opened her mouth and said something like..."that bottle of Appleby's Rum, I didn't bring it across as I don't know what to do with it?" We all roared with laughter, you what? She never lived that down for the rest of the trip....fancy not knowing what to do with a superb bottle of rum on a sailing trip. The evening was so good that we decided to do it all again the following evening, but this time we would meet at Smoke House Bay instead.

Members & Friends - Sandspit Yacht Club

Vessels went their separate ways for the day, some sailed, some fished, some just stayed put at anchor and just relaxed...but we all met up again as planned. It was another fabulous night in a very memorable setting. Smoke House Bay is an amazing facility set up around 1960 by Eric Webster, an Auckland electrical contractor, and gradually improved over time. The bathhouse, complete with library and a swap corner and associated BBQs, wash tubs, wringers and (yep!) the good old rotary clothes line (embedded in the rocks) are continually maintained with input from yacht clubs and the public. Use it, and keep it clean, is the motto here.

Safe anchorage - Smoke House Bay

Sunday dawned with another spectacular sunrise over the mountains...the early morning rays lighting up the amphitheatre like basin we had anchored up in for the night. Nagle Cove was another stunning place and we came back to her on our last night too.

Nagle Cove

The Easter break was almost over...for some...but we had other ideas! After a hastily held meeting, Bruce and Glenys of Arctic Lady ( a lovely Moody 42) and Debbie and I, decided that as the weather was continuing to be soooooo good, we would take the very rare opportunity to head out to the eastern side of the Island. Having the company of another much larger, ocean going yacht, was surety and I'm sure that Bruce and Glenys felt likewise about Shadow. I should also mention that they had their daughter Janelle, and her friend Brooke, with them. I have never seen so many Easter eggs in my life...the treasure hunt certainly a highlight of their trip. (I never knew that a yacht had so many hiding places)

As we cruised up the western side of GBI, heading for the notorious Miners Head and Needles Point, Debbie read from a history book of the island an recounted the tragic events when 121 lives were lost when the Union Steam Ship Company steamer Wairarapa struck Miners Head, on the northern tip of Great Barrier Island, on 29th Oct 1894. It as an eerie feeling as we sailed past this rugged coast...we stayed well clear of the rocks and marvelled at the sheer drop off of the cliff faces on this weather beaten and barren section of GBI. It must have been horrendous on that black, fateful night!

Notorious Miners Head

Needles Point - Northern end of GBI

Arid Island (quite an enigma really) loomed in the distance, and a down wind beat soon had us entering a very narrow entrance to another magic little sheltered bay. Little did we know however, that under these prevailing conditions, Shadow would rock and roll "all night long" (just like the song)...she was even doing 360's on the anchor, such was the confusion of wind and tide and swell. But we putted to shore to explore the magic of its little beach. Debbie was in her element, scanning the different coloured rocks for all sorts of variations, pink and green and grey and brown, grey rocks with black and white stripes, cream rocks with all sorts of colour imbedded into the conglomerate - one marvelled at just how all of this had occurred. The power of mother earth becoming quite evident here.

Entering Arid Island cove

So after a rather uncomfortable, sleepless night...one wonders at how many "things" can make a different night piercing sound while trying to rest. The creak of a stay, the flap of a sail cover, the groan of an anchor rope - but the best of all is that bloody BANG of the boom! I was grumpy!

Ghosts of the past - Arid Island, now DOC lands

Our anchorage - Arid Island

We pulled anchor and headed west to the main Island. It was a brilliant little sail and in no time flat we were anchoring up in Whangapoua Bay. Now this was my favourite. Although very beautiful, the west side bays encountered on this trip all had very sharp / hard rock faces with little or no sand. This beach however was a 3.5k long strip of magnificent white sandy beach washed by crystal clear waves rolling in from the vivid blue ocean. It was a picture! We loved it!

Whangapoua Beach

Arid Island from Whangapoua Beach

Here too lay a little piece of that tragic past, two fenced burial plots marked the resting place of some poor souls who lost their lives in the ship accident. A sombre reminder of how life is so precious...live it. We were!

We all headed off and walked that beach. It was a fantastic walk, a long walk and the exercise did us all much good. Next morning would be the start of our journey home.

Another glorious sunrise greeted us...the weather gods smiled on us again.
We upped anchor and headed south across the huge bay...gentle swells caressing the white sandy beach and we explored another hidden cove at Harataonga Bay. Stopping for a quick fish on the southern side of Arid Island and then off we sailed to round the Needles and back down the west side to Nagle Cove for the night. We were going home tomorrow!

Sunrise - Whangapoua Bay

Thursday dawned like all the rest...perfect!
But the reason for ending this journey of discovery was simple. The weather was expected to turn quite nasty on Friday with a Southerly change to sweep across the mainland and whip up squally 25knot winds. Not ideal for a beat across 60ks of open ocean in a 32 footer! So Bruce, Glenys and the kids & Debbie and I, said a sad farewell to the magnificent Great Barrier Island. We had achieved so much, seen so many wonderful places, walked through rainforest and across high sand dunes. Fished and dined and drank and socialised...is this what they call LIFE...or FUN!

Man it was good...what an adventure!

Note - The journey home was a little disappointing. The predicted 20 knot westerly did not eventuate, or it just died out after lunch, so after rounding the northern end of Little Barrier Island (yes, there is another one) we were forced to start the Yanmah and motor home. Such a shame after such an awesome journey...an amazing Outdoor Adventure.

PS - We did get a little bit of fishing in on the way however. As we cruised up the Kawau Channel, fish were crashing the surface all around us. The temptation was too great, so out went a little silver metal slice on one of my rods. In about 10 minutes trolling along we hooked up and landed three lovely Kahawai. Yep, I still love my fishing too!