Oruruhoe Bay (Bay of Islands)

[Kyle]From Russell, we had a very pleasant sail through the Bay of Islands to Oruruhoe Bay, just across the channel from Urupukapuka Island, where we had so recently enjoyed our evening with the Cruiser’s Festival. We were enjoying the views so much along the way that we deliberately slowed to a crawl so we would have more time to enjoy them. We anchored in the small bay amidst clusters of rocks that encircled it and protected it from any swell whatsoever.

The views were almost too pretty to bear. From our spot, we could see almost the whole Bay of Islands. The craggy rocks in the foreground were backed by small islets covered in tufts of trees. Beyond them across the water were rolling hills of green pastureland dotted with big shade trees fanning their boughs over wide shadows. Looking further still, the mountains in the distance rose up to sharp peaks capped with a layer of thick conifers. The whole place smelled of pine and eucalyptus. It was a lovely anchorage to just sit and watch the sun set.

A little too overcast for the photos to do this area justice