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New Zealand has a multi-cultural population with British descendants
sharing 2 small islands with Maoris, Pacific islanders, and Asians deep in the
South Pacific.
Nestled on the northeast coast of New Zealand,  Opua
in the Bay of Islands is the first and last stop for most cruisers.
Check-in facilities are convenient, provisioning is satisfactory, and some
cruisers never venture south. Tight agricultural rules mean that most
vegetables and all meats are confiscated and destroyed - so plan ahead. There are many anchorages around the 20 or so islands in this protected bay.
The
town of Russell, one-time capital of NZ, hosts a huge collection of local yachts
over the Christmas/New Year's holidays and nearby Keri-Keri is a prolific
citrus-growing area with a cute town and shops. Some of the stops on the way
south to Auckland include:
- Many anchorages including Whangaruru, Omaha Bay, and Kawau Island
- Whangarei, 15 miles up the Whangarei river, a major cyclone season spot
for cruisers with shopping and restaurants a short walk from the downtown
marina, and a spirit of camaraderie among the cruisers.
- Gulf Harbour Marina on the Whangaparoa peninsula with all yacht services,
large hardstand area but a long way from civilization and thus a car is
almost essential.
See our New Zealand
Destination Information
The largest city in NZ with 1,000,000 people also
has the largest population of Polynesians in the world. With the
futuristic Sky Tower and a restored waterfront around the America's Cup Village,
Auckland is a modern city with all of the amenities a cruiser would want.
Four major marinas, numerous small ones and private moorings insure that there are
lots of places to stay during the S Pacific cyclone season. Chandleries
abound and marine trades of all types: sailmakers, riggers, canvas and cushion
makers, etc. One downside is that a car is usually required to get around - all
marinas are relatively inaccessible. We decided to refill our sailing kitty,
found work in the computer software industry, stayed 3� years and became Kiwis!
Although immigration rules favor the young, well-educated, and well-heeled, we
managed to squeak by. Nearby beaches provide an outlet from the
daily work pressures including Piha and Muruwai Beach on the west coast. When NZ
won the America's Cup in San Diego the country went wild - a parade on the main
street brought 10% of the country's population together to cheer Peter Blake
(later Sir Peter) and his crew on Queen St. We were among them! Yachting
is a big sport in NZ, so we would like to share a few images from our stay.
For more information, please check out the Auckland
City Destination.
With Cape Reinga at the north and 'windy' Wellington at the south of
this 800 km island, the climate varies from sub-tropical in the Bay of Islands to ski country
on the
slopes of Mt. Ruapehu. Sitting on the boundary of 2 tectonic plates,
evidence abounds: hot springs at Rotorua, Mt Ruapehu's recent eruptions, and
Lake Taupo (remnant of a huge volcanic explosion). The island is covered
with forests, cattle and sheep stations, and many small towns. Off the
west coast near Plymouth lie large gas reserves which provide resources for electrical
power generation. Wellington, the capital, on the south tip is more
cultivated than its big brother to the north. We took a tour on the Wanganui
River and watched beautiful scenery and birds as we drifted on a slow boat with
friendly tour guide.
With a small van, we toured all around the South Island - it has an amazing
variety of scenery, from sheltered bays in the Marlborough Sounds to steep Fjords
in Milford Sound. The highlights were the lush rain forests of the West
Coast, Franz Joseph and Fox glaciers that approached the sea, Queenstown with
its great views and tourist attractions, 50 knot squalls on Milford Sound, vast
sheep herds, and the many churches of Christchurch. In the south we
crossed the straits to Stewart Island for a couple of days with their prolific
bird-life. Some of the scenes we saw along the way:
After 3 � years in New Zealand, we headed north to 'the
islands'
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