Australasia > New Zealand > Other > Great Barrier Island > Articles > How to Hire a Bare Boat

Boats available for journeys around Australia, Tonga, Tahiti and New Zealand. Contact The Moorings at fax + 64 09 402 7546, email: moorings_sthpacres@compuserve.com www.moorings.com Prices vary according to the time of year. Allow about NZ $1000 per day.

Great Escape Yacht Charters + 64 09 402 7143 email info@greatescape.co.nz 20' trailer sailer 4 berth

Charter Link Ltd +64 09 4457114 www.charterlink.co.nz 28' - 45'

Sunsail Yacht Charters +64 09 307 7077 www.sunsail.co.nz

For information on other operators try www.charterguide.co.nz or Paihia Visitor Information Centre +64 09 4027345 visitorinfo@fndc.govt.nz

Best anchorages in the Bay of Islands Roberton Island’s twin lagoons. Army Bay on Moturua Island -- good beach, walking track and snorkeling. Paradise Bay on Urupukapuka Island -- excellent walking track around the island, good beach.

Don’t Miss: Hole-In-The-Rock -- an easy day’s sail, 8 mls from Army Bay. Also good for bird and dolphin watching.

Do Miss: Whale Rock -- between Russell and Auckland. Marked on the chart but has no buoy. The only major accident Moorings has ever had was when one of their fleet hit Whale Rock; but then they were in good company. The first European to hit it was James Cook, and both the Endeavour and the Moorings yacht survived the encounter.

Restaurants Duke of Marlborough, Russell -- oldest hotel in New Zealand with location on the waterfront its main drawcard. Have a sunset drink looking back over Paihia.

The Gables, Russell -- again lovely waterfront location. Colonial style hotel.

Whangaroa Big Gamefish Club -- eat your meal on a large verandah overlooking the marina and harbour. Simple but tasty mains. Open every day during summer, weekends only in winter. Tel: +64 09 4050399.

Best Places to Anchor on a journey to Auckland A one-way trip which takes a minimum of one week, preferably 10-14 days. A one-way journey also includes the cost of delivering the boat back to Opua.

Whangamumu, Cape Brett. Site of old whaling station. Good all-weather anchorage, stop overnight. Distance from Opua 22 mls.

Mimiwhangata -- not all weather anchorage but has wonderful beaches where you can harvest tuatuas if you’re lucky. Good walks around the hills. Distance from Whangamumu 14 mls.

Gulf Harbour -- on the southern side of Whangaparoa. An alternative last night stop, 15 mls south of Kawau and another 15 miles on to Auckland.

Or you can go via Poor Knights islands and view the Rikoriko cave. Landing is prohibited and it’s too steep to anchor but you can swim and snorkel in this rich marine reserve. A day stop only.

Tutukaka marina overnight, 27 mls from Whangamumum, 37 via the poor Knights. Eat at the Pacific-style Schnappa Rock restaurant.

Fitzroy on Great Barrier Island. A long day’s sailing, 50 miles from Tutukaka. Spend a day at Fitzroy.

Tryphena on Great Barrier -- stop overnight.

Kawau Island -- overnight stop, 30 mls from Fitzroy or Tryphena. Visit Mansion House and walk around the island spotting wallabies.

Motuihe Island for the last night, 23 miles from Kawau -- good beaches and anchorages all round the island.

Best Anchorages for a Journey North to Whangaroa. Whangaroa is 32 miles from the Bay of Islands. To appreciate the Bay and do the trip to Whangaroa allow a week. More remote than the journey south. You can do the journey in a day or stop at:

Cavalli Islands for lunch -- 17 mls off the coast and the only place to stop on the way. Is where the Rainbow Warrior is sunk. Nice beaches both stony and sandy.

Whangaroa Harbour -- spend a day here. Can’t sail while here because it is an enclosed harbour. Originally the crater of an extinct volcano. Redolent of the fiords with its narrow entrance and sheer walls but unusual because it is volcanic.

Spend the rest of the time in the Bay of Islands (suggested sites above). Good anchorages on the mainland include Assassination Cove, Opunga Cove, Pareanui Bay and Te Uenga Bay.

Best sunrise Be at the Black Rocks (limited anchorage however) to get the Pacific expanse plus the light on the rocks. Early rising also a must at Oke Bay - once the sun’s over the ridge anyway.

Best sunset: Sunset Beach, of course, at the north end of Motukiekie Passage, eastern side. Also check out Deep Water Cove.

Best kai moana For Mussels make your way to the big rock out from Sunset Beach. It’s tricky to land in the swells - which may be why it’s still loaded.

Scallop-lovers head out to just off Paradise Bay or Rawhiti Passage off Urupukapuka. Tuatua can be found on the first bay on the western side of Motukiekie Passage.

Drift Fishing is best off the shellfish beds in Paroa Bay, off Bateman Island.

Top shop For ice and all supplies plus a herb garden check out the shot at Rawhiti.

Best freshwater shower The waterfall at Oke Bay.

Best shelter Opunga Cove, Honeymoon Bay, Omakiwi Cove (pines ashore) and Waipiro Bay.

And for excitement try the Albert passage between Richards Peninsula and the rock 180m away.

Best on-board diversions for kids Take a shell guide and find shells to match. Do the same with books on native trees, birds or even clouds.

Take a piece of string and a book on tying knots. See what sort of an old salt you’d really make.

Play speed scrabble -- let each player chose 14 letters. Turn them over at the same time. The first person to construct a complete crossword yells stop and then it’s just a matter of adding up all the letter values to find the winner.

Board games, books and music. Make your own if you forget the technology.

Build a fire (real or pretend depending on fire restrictions) and tell stories. Create your own version of a Reader’s Digest real life drama.

And remember: buy the biggest bottle of sunblock you can get your hands on and bring a long-sleeved cotton shirt.

NB: Distances given in nautical miles (about 1.8 km). Boat speed is always measured in knots, which are nautical miles per hour.

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