We didn't want to leave Begonia unattended in this, we didn't really feel like kayaking in it either, and we both knew we weren't going to sleep well tonight if we stayed here.
Okay, the next plan was to go down the coast a bit to Whangaihe Bay, which is deeply indented, shallower (thus needing a smaller patch of water for anchoring), and protected by a line of rocky islets that will hopefully reduce the swell inside to tolerable levels.
That's pretty much how it worked out. The only downside was that we needed to push through a few miles of bashing directly upwind and up-wave to get there. It was not a fun trip and Begonia arrived encrusted in salt from all the flying sea spray on the way.
Inside the little bay, it was a different world. Thirty-knot winds in the open sea were reduced to single-digits and the associated rough seas became a gentle rocking. That is so much better! It was so nice, in fact, that we decided to get the kayak out after all and have a paddle as far out as we could tolerate before retreating to the safety of the cove.
As we were deploying the kayak, a helicopter flew low overhead and landed on the adjacent private property. Then the occupants got out for lunch at the picnic table and a walk on the beach before alighting again. I suspect it was one of the longer-duration sightseeing tours from Paihia that included a lunch stop at what was supposed to be a secluded cove, provided no boats show up to ruin (or is it improve?) the view.
Enjoying the calm in Whangaihe Bay
More dreadful weather was moving in later in the week, which meant we would need to keep moving if we were going to be able to enjoy any of the short window of actual nice weather that was on its way.
Since we knew in advance this time that open sea headwinds were coming, we were better prepared than we had been the day before. We came booming out of the protection of Whangaihe Bay with double-reefed sails already pulling hard. The sail took several tacks, which covered over twice the straight-line distance, but was much more comfortable, due to the stabilizing effect of the sails and the waves not being directly head-on.
We finally set anchor in the lee of Motukawanui Island as the only boat in Papatara Bay. Another week of Winter was on the way again, but we did have enough time to hike to Motukawanui's summit, and then take the long way back to Begonia in the kayak, before repeating the routine of Maryanne diving inside while I lash down the kayak in a free shower/laundry cycle. We both agree that our ‘Summer', which has been predominantly spent dodging and re-dodging weather, with only the minority of our time spent out and about doing touristy things, is starting to get a little tedious. We like New Zealand very much, but find ourselves increasingly pining for the reliable warmth of the tropics.
Making the most of a rare sunny day to take a walk (Motukawanui Island Track)
Anchored in Papatara Bay, Motukawanui Island, Cavalli Island Group
[Maryanne]We've been monitoring the weather for an ideal departure window, to leave well in time before our visas expire, so all our planning for the last weeks has been with this in mind (no luck so far). We will depart from Opua, so (even without an obvious depature window) we'll make our way there next to be ready. Opua isn't very far south, but south we go.
Anchorage location Whangaihe Bay >> On google maps
Anchorage location Papatara Bay, Motukawanui Island, Cavalli Island Group >> On google maps
No comments:
Post a Comment