The weather was looking a bit grey as we drove through the Karangahake Gorge on the way to Thames. We had a technician organised for the following morning at Kopu just short of Thames to check why we couldn't get our heater to work on board. I had tried a number of places in Tauranga but they either weren't keen to take it on or there was a ten day waiting period before they could get a chance to look at it. So we stopped overnight at the golf club parking area and met the technician at 9am the following morning. Unfortunately after checking everything he still hadn't come up with a solution. He was very knowledgeable and put in a fair amount of time but couldn't come up with a reason why it wouldn't keep going. Well we weren't going home again so we thought we would just persevere and keep trying to start it if we needed it.
You wouldn't believe it but again I was starting to develop another infection in my leg so decided to get it checked before we headed up the coast. All the doctors were too busy so we ended up at the hospital in Thames. They decided to put a intraveinous antibiotic in to me which took about an hour and a half and gave me a prescription for two more antibiotics for ten days. So hopefully that would keep me out of trouble and we could just carry on with our trip.
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| Waiomu Bay. Thames Coast. |
That night we stayed at the reserve at Waiomu on the Thames coast. It was a lovely spot with the sea right there and Pohutukawas spread through the reserve. The weather still wasn't great with a few showers going through but very little wind.
Next morning despite the doctor saying I should stay close for a few days we decided to take off for Coromandel town. It's quite a windy narrow road along the Thames coast but very picturesque. With the rig on, as long as you didn't rush things it was all very comfortable.
We reached Coromandel and found the NZMCA park which has a driveway right beside the BP service station. The grass areas were very wet after the rain so I backed it off the end of the metal area onto a slightly raised area of grass which was quite firm and dry. We unhitched and had a bit of lunch then went for a drive. First we went up past Papa Aroha for a look. The sea was fairly settled looking out to the many islands off shore. Then we came back and went through town and along to Long Bay. There is a motor camp there but you can drive in and use the public picnic areas and the boat ramp. A very pretty spot with a lovely sheltered bay.
The next afternoon I came back here with the kayak and paddled out for a fish. I ended up at a mussel farm quite a way out and the wind was rising but first cast I hooked a very good fish. It was stripping a fair bit of line from my reel but being inexperienced with kayaks in mussel farms it was all to come unglued rather quickly. The pull from the fish dragged the kayak into the mussel ropes and then straight across the ropes into the next open area. Unfortunately the fish was still on the other side and proceeded to wrap the line around the ropes. That was curtains for the line and freedom for the fish. It was starting to get late and the wind was up a bit so I started paddling back but stopped for a quick fish on the way. I managed to catch quite a nice snapper so wasn't going back totally empty handed.
The next morning dawned fine so I took the kayak around to Oamaru Bay and paddled out past the first island to the closest mussel farm. I wasn't getting much action on the softbaits so I grabbed some mussels from the bouys and started using those for bait. Straight away I hooked up on a good fish but again I ended up tangled in the lines with no fish. Bugger. I think I'm going to need a bit more practice in these mussel farms.
Coromandel is a quaint little town that hardly seems to have changed since I was a kid. I grew up in Thames and got to know the Coromandel Peninsula well in my early years. Our family was always into camping and the outdoors and both sides of the peninsula became our playground. Coromandel itself seems more geared up for the summer tourist trade as a number of the businesses close over the winter months. Of course the mussel industry has grown and Coromandel mussels have made a big name for themselves. It must be the biggest employer in the area. There are also a number of large oyster farms here as well. I couldn't resist calling into the smoked mussel shop by the BP and sampling some of their yummy smoked chilli mussels and smoked garlic mussels. Recommended.
The plan was to carry on north of Colville to Fantail Bay and then onto Port Jackson and Fletcher bay. We packed up after 2 days in Coromandel and followed the road to Fantail Bay.
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| Picturesque Fantail Bay. |
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| A peek along the bay. |
Rounding the last corner and pulling into the DOC camp at Fantail Bay I felt a strong feeling of nostalgia as my family had spent many weeks here when we were growing up. This was one of our favourite places to camp for the summer holidays and it held many happy memories. Of course in those days it wasn't a DOC camp. Back then you could find an open area of ground anywhere along the coast and just stop and put your tent up. There was only one other campsite occupied by a guy and his son who were hoping to get out for a fish the next morning.
By the time we had got set up it was quite late in the day. There was a bit of a breeze out on the water but the forecast for the next 3 or 4 days was great. I have always loved a rocky coastline, much more than the sandy beaches most people seem to prefer. I love scrambling over the rocks looking into the cracks and crevices and checking out all the little rock pools to see what they contain. So it wasn't long and I was doing just that and remembering these same pools and channels where the tide came through. There was a channel out of the main surge where my brothers and I used to snorkel and hunt octopus so we would have bait for the next days snapper fishing. It was starting to get dark so back to camp and look forward to what the next day would bring.
The next morning dawned fine with very little wind. I wasn't to know at the time but it was to stay like that for the next 4 days. Magic. The neighbours headed out in their small tinnie for a fish and I had decided to wait for it to warm up a bit and the tide to recede and then I would go for a spearfish. When we were here all those years ago we found there was a good number of butterfish living in the kelp forest just off the shore. They were vegetarians so weren't interested in taking a bait so if you wanted butterfish on your plate you had get in and spear them. I was quite impatient to get in and have a look as I wondered if these fish had survived over the years or weather they had been fished out.
The sea was calm and the water surprisingly clear as I put the jacket half of my 7mm wetsuit on. I find putting a full 7mm wetsuit on when you are free diving is too bulky and you need more weight to get down. I don't find it too cold to have my legs exposed but I'm usually only in for about an hour and a half. The first area I checked out I wasn't seeing much although there were a number of paua on the rocks but all of them undersized. They just don't seem to grow to a legel size up here. The kelp forrest was looking thick and in great order and as I cruised along I started to spot a number of butterfish. There were quite a few large rock structures with thick kelp around the edges and the butterfish were hanging around these. I had bought a new hand spear or hawaian sling as they are known. It was fibreglass and had a good weight to it so it wasn't long and I had three nice butterfish for dinner. I spent a bit of time just looking around and I was very happy to see that there were butterfish here from juveniles about 4 inches long to large mature fish and in very good numbers.
I was starting to get the shakes so it was time to get out. Butterfish have a very firm white flesh and are excellent table fish so after a change into dry clothes and a hot cup of coffee I got the filleting done. I was looking forward to getting them into the pan.
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| Lovely butterfish fillets. |
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| Butterfish with fins extended. |
Later in the day I got the kayak out and paddled out on a flat sea to see if there were any snapper around. The guy next to us had only caught 4 that morning and was packing up and heading home. Initially I wasn't getting much action until the evening change of light then they came on the bite. I caught 6 snapper and kept 3 and had a very enjoyable fish. Paddling back to shore on dusk the sun was a golden orb disappearing on the horizon and the last few strokes into the lovely sheltered bay I felt what a lovely country we live in.
Over the next few days it was more of the same. We were having to get a bit inventive on different ways to serve fish. I made ceviche or kokoda or as we know it raw fish. Depends weather you are eating French, Japanese, or Kiwi. We had fish in just flour, or breadcrumbs,then batter, and even in a currie. An Australian couple from Adelaide stayed a night and they received a few fillets as well. They had hired a camper and were looking around the north island for a month.
The weather was just perfect so I was making the most of the spearfishing and kayaking. Also the morning walks along the cliff faces were spectacular looking down into the clear water around the rocks and kelp.
But eventually the weather took a turn for the worst so we hopped in the ute and went for a look at Port Jackson. There is a large DOC camp there right on the beach all well set out. A bit of surf was rolling in. It is a sandy beach with rocky headlands but getting out in the kayak I would be wet before I got through the waves. Not a great prospect this time of year. We carried on and had a look at Fletcher Bay at the end of the road. Again another DOC camp only about 7 kms further on from Port Jackson. Again a very pretty spot with a nice camp. But we figured we might as well stay at Fantail as we had the shelter and everything else we needed right there. All these camps are virtually empty this time of year. Guess it's always nicer on a fine sunny summer day but you can still have a great time in these places in the cooler months.
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| A few snaps for dinner. |
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| Fantail Bay DOC camp. |
The next day we went over the other side of the peninsula and had a look at Port Charles then Sandy Bay and Stoney Bay. All very nice places all though the weather we were experiencing wasn't really presenting them in a good light. Heading back to Fantail Bay almost felt like coming home. I think we are going to be coming back here quite a bit over the next few years. The next day we had decided to move on so I was up and in the water by 8am for a last go at the butterfish. The visibility was very poor after all the rough weather but I managed to surprise a couple of them and we had fish for tea again. We packed up slowly and about lunch time hit the road back to Coromandel. The plan being to take the BlackJack road over to Kuaotunu were we could stay at our friend Johns section for a couple of days.
