Game fishing, camping, good company.

Jocelyn and I did get to the Coromandel again.  We started off at the NZMCA camp in Coromandel township.  It was a tight squeeze trying to find a slot to back into, as there was a rally going on with a BOP caravanners group staying there.  So we only stayed one night and we headed north to Fantail Bay.  The weather was a bit blustery with a disturbed sea but it is always with a sense of anticipation I travel the skinny northern Coromandel roads to our favourite campsites.  We got to Fantail Bay DOC camp to find quite a few campers already in residence. But amazingly our favourite site was vacant.
   It doesn't take long for us to set up nowadays and it wasn't long and we were getting to know our neighbours.  As it turned out they were a very social bunch and some of them had been there a fair while. John in the site next to us had been there for 3 months.  He was a very interesting character. In his early 80s, he had been coming to Fantail Bay in the summer months for years.  He had taken on the job of cleaning the facilities every morning and was always at the big Puriri tree by 5pm for happy hour. He had also written 2 books which he gave to us to read while we were there.  One was about his farming life with his late wife and the other about an overland trip through Africa they did together when he was 58.  Some of the hardships they endured made for very interesting reading.
  Happy hour in this camp had taken on a new meaning.  Everyone gathered under the big Puriri tree by 5pm, [sometimes 4 pm] for drinks and eats.  One lady Anna made a different variety of fritter every night for tasting.  We had oyster, tuatua, kina, sardine and water cress, and mussel.  The kina ones were my favourite.  Then one night a wild roast pork was cooked and everyone contributed with veggies  and sauces and gravy.  It was a great feast enjoyed by us all with very entertaining company.
  Some of the campers had only intended to stay for a couple of days but got on so well with everyone and enjoyed happy hour so much they ended up staying a week.

Happy hour under the puriri tree.

  It was still a bit windy but early morning there was quite a settled period so I managed to get in the water and spear a few butterfish. A lot of the campers had never eaten butterfish so I cooked up a taste for everyone and presented it at happy hour to good reviews. A few of the blokes went out in their small boats and kayaks for a fish with mixed success.
  Jocelyn and I took the bikes for a couple of good rides back along the coast.  It is a very pretty ride as you are peddling along right by the sea.
  The time had come to head back to Whitianga as I was meeting Ken, Mick, and Lance to fish the game fishing Nationals for a week on board Papillon.  Jocelyn was heading to Auckland to stay with sister Joan for a week and they had planned a number of activities to enjoy.  On the Friday evening the crew all arrived at the boat with mountains of essential gear to load.  Jocelyn and I had done a big grocery shop that afternoon and had already loaded fridges and cupboards to bursting point.  By the time everything was onboard it was getting late into the evening and starting to get dark.  The engines were fired up and the lines cast off and with a last goodbye to Jocelyn, Papillons bow moved out into the current of the channel.  The plan was to go straight out to the Mercs. and anchor up for the night, then we would have a good early start in the morning to head north.
  We arrived in homestead bay at the Mercs about 10.30pm, after following the GPS and keeping an eye on the radar for traffic or obstructions.  It can be quite unnerving travelling at night on a boat just following your instruments but the more you do it the more relaxed you will become.  Ken has a fair bit of experience on bigger boats now but you never stop learning.
  After getting the anchor set it was time to get a feed going and to have a beer.  In the mean time we got the big spotlight going at the back of the boat and caught the piper coming into the light. After a while I noticed a couple of squid coming in so I attached a squid jig to my line and ended up landing about 8 of these tasty morsels. The anticipation emanating from all of us at the start of an adventure like this was very noticable.  Tomorrow we would head out wide behind the Mercs then point the boat north.  We had a big area to cover over the next few days to end up north of the Bay of Islands.
  By mid day on Saturday we were a long way off shore trolling lures. Game fishing is a bit of a waiting game but nowadays we can improve our chances a lot by doing a number of different things.  First up is marking areas where we have had success in the past.  Often fish will be in those same areas year after year.  You can also get surface temperature charts through the internet that will indicate where pelagic fish are likely to be.  The warmer the water the higher the likelihood of finding fish. Also the old tried and true method of keeping your eyes open and looking for signs, be it birds working baitfish, free jumping marlin, or even something unusual floating on the surface of the ocean, like large clumps of weed or floating logs, as often fish will be under these objects.
  By mid afternoon we were out behind great Barrier, still heading north.  Mick had spotted a free jumping marlin but after working the area we had seen nothing else.  About an hour later there was a huge splash  about 10 metres off the port side and we were treated to the sight of a huge manta ray broaching another three times.  It was leaping right out of the water and landing on it's back with a mighty splash.  Game fishing can be boring but you do get to see some amazing things that you otherwise wouldn't get to see.  I was with Ken a few years back out behind the Mercs. when we were lucky enough to see a huge leatherback turtle cross in front of the bow and power away off to the side of the boat.  This was no ordinary fish pond specimen.  It looked to be about the size of a mini car and it was swimming at an incredible speed.  It had a large bow wave coming from the front of it's large shell and as it went passed it lifted it's football sized head and had a good look at us as it went past.  No one on board had ever seen anything like that before and it really made our day.
   It was starting to get late in the day so our plan was to head into Fitzroy harbour on Great Barrier for the night.  We were well on the way in and we had all given up the idea of hooking anything significant for the day.  I had gone into the galley and was whipping up some crackers and cheese nibbles and we had all stopped bothering to watch the lures.  Nek minute, a reel started screaming and I dropped everything and ran out into the cockpit. The reel went quiet and I was thinking what the hells going on here when the shotgun lure right out the back was grabbed and that reel started to lose line at a great rate of knots.
   Looking up I was surprised to see a marlin tail walking out the back and heading off into the distance.  Mick and I had set up all the harnesses to fit either him or Lance as we had decided one of them  could take the first fish.  I had started to get the other lures in when Lance came down and I told him to grab the rod but he told me it was my turn on the rod.  Mick was on the helm so he was busy.  This wasn't what we had planned but anyway I ended up on the rod.  By the time the rest of the gear was in I had settled into the chair and had plenty of weight on.
  This was the first time I had tackled a marlin from a game chair.  Usually we were in a stand up harness.  I found the chair very comfortable although Mick had Papillon in reverse backing up fast on the fish so I had a fair bit of water pouring in the back and sometimes crashing over my head.  It wasn't long and I had the fish to the back of the boat and Ken grabbed the leader.  I backed off the drag and set the rod in the holder.

Awesome striped marlin.

coming to the boat. A real thrill.

  By this time Lance had taken a video and now had the fish by the bill and the hook out.  I got out on the marlin board and took over from Lance and we got a few photos.  We held the marlin along side the boat while moving forward so the water could pass through it's gills and revive it while it rested, then after a few more photos I released the bill and it swum away unharmed.  I found again what a great thrill and almost an honour it is to catch or even see one of these beautiful fish.
  High fives all round and speculation on our achievement. It was a striped marlin we estimated in the vicinity of 120 kgs.  It had taken about 25 minutes to get it to the back of the boat. What a great start to our trip. And time would show that it was lucky I ended up on the rod when I did as my fortunes were to change in the near future.
  It was a happy crew that anchored in Port Fitzroy that evening and a few rums were consumed in celebration.
  Next morning the boat was pointed north again and it was a long but uneventful day working our way to the Cavalli Islands north of the Bay Of Islands.  By the time we rounded the northern end of the Cavallis it was into the evening.  We stopped and caught a few snapper for dinner then went into a sheltered bay to anchor for the night.  The wind had risen and the forecast wasn't great for the next couple of days.  We had a good feed of Kens pan fried snapper and spuds with a few drinks to wash it down, but everyone was pretty tired after a long day on the water and we hit the sack pretty early.
  The next morning the weather wasn't great so the decision was made to have an easy day with a bit of spearfishing and some  snapper fishing.  Lance is a bit of a legend as a spear fisherman.  He has proved he has what it takes to take on some very impressive pelagics with a large sailfish and a 40kg dogtooth tuna to his name.  Today he was to have a look for a kingi and at one spot Ken dropped him on a seamount and within a few minutes we spotted him struggling with a very feisty kingfish wrapped in his arms.  After backing the boat up to him I helped him haul it on board.

Lance's nice kingfish.

 After this we decided to see if we could find some handy crayfish.  Ken dropped us handy to a reef and Lance went one way and I went the other.  It was a very beautiful place to dive but unfortunately neither of us found any sign of crays, so the decision was made to head for Whangaroa Harbour and refuel and top up the water tanks.
  After my dive I was feeling a bit chilled so while fuelling the boat I went down to the galley and made some sandwiches for the crew for lunch, although by then it was mid afternoon.  After fuelling we went around to a bay in the harbour where there is a water tap on a buoy where visiting boats can top up their water tanks.   There is an honesty box there for a $5.00 donation for this service.  While getting this set up I was really starting to get the shakes so I took myself off to a bunk for a bit of a lie down.  The boys finished with the water and anchored up for the night.  I was hoping I didn't have anything serious wrong with me but through the afternoon  I seemed to be deteriorating a bit.  I was trying to stay out of the guys way but with Lance being a doctor he was showing a bit of concern.
   I had been looking forward to this trip for so long and felt we had only just got started so when Ken  said they thought I should get checked at the hospital I wasn't very receptive to the idea.   I probably should have done as they said but leaving the boat was going to be a last resort for me. But unfortunately by 10.30pm the time had come when I had to agree with them and they up anchored and called the ambulance to meet them at Whangaroa wharf.
   Sorry guys for making it such a late night for you but I was not a happy camper having to leave the boat so early in the trip.  By the time the ambulance reached Bay Of Islands Hospital in Kawakawa I was shaking uncontrollably and obviously had another case of cellulitis, this time showing up on my left arm.  So I spent the next 5 days looking at a hospital wall while the boys went back out fishing and ended up catching another 3 marlin.  I also ruined Jocelyns time with Joan in Auckland as she came up to keep an eye on me and make sure I was ok. Ken and the boys stayed in touch by phone and kept me informed with where they were and how the fishing was going.
  While in hospital I received a call from Dave and Donna Logan who were camping at Puriri Bay which is one of our very favourite spots.  Along with the call came some impressive photos of 6 and 8kg snapper caught from their kayaks.  So after getting the ok to leave the hospital We got straight on the road back to Whitianga.  We arrived about 6.30pm after a 7 hour drive and got the washing done and the rig all set for travel, then at 4.30 am we were back on the road heading back up to Puriri Bay. The traffic was light so we made good time and arrived around 11.30 am and set up on a site right by the water.

Must be happy hour again at Puriri.

Lovely Whangamumu bay.A good walk to the old whaling station.

Jocelyn and Donna by the old boiler at Whangamumu.

  The weather was lovely and Dave and Donna welcomed us enthusiastically with stories of large fish and seafood meals every night.  This place is an amazing piece of NZ paradise, with a lovely sheltered bay and good fishing right on your doorstep.  The next few days we enjoyed immensely with great company from Dave and Donna and fishing , swimming and snorkelling every day. All the campers got on well around us and most of them had small blow up boats or tinnies to go out and get a feed of fish.
  Unfortunately the time came for Dave and Donna to head back to Omokoroa and get set for going back to work.  We were sad to see them go but I think we will all be back here at a future time to meet up and repeat our great time at Puriri Bay.

 Jocelyn and I stayed a few more days then decided to head to Whangarei and empty the tanks and stock up with groceries.
 After this we moved to Otemure Bay and battened down the hatches for 5 or 6 days of stormy weather.  Hopefully Jocelyn will still talk to me after Iv'e been shut in the rig for 5 days.

A couple of good Puriri Bay fish.

Gracies holiday time up north.

The next big event on the calendar for us was the wedding of Sam and Cam at Pauanui.  Sam is Vicki's daughter who lives in Adelaide.  We travelled to Pauanui and booked into the very nice Puka Park Hotel. The rooms are set into the bush and have a nice sense of privacy and are very well appointed. It feels like a little bit of luxury.  The family and friends arrived in dribs and drabs and we all headed down the beach where the ceremony was to take place.  The sun was shining with a small breeze that helped to keep things from getting too hot and there was a real feel of relaxation with a very laid back ceremony.  Cam and Sam's young son Ollie was almost the star of the show with a reading from one of his favourite books.  After the ceremony it was back to the hotel for drinks, lovely canapés and then onto the reception. What a lovely relaxed wedding it turned out to be and everyone enjoyed themselves immensely.  The only small hiccup was when Jocelyn decided to head back to her room and got geographically confused.  After about half an hour of trekking through the bush tracks she stumbled upon some helpful staff who took her over to the other side of the complex and back to our room.

A special day for Cam and Sam and young Ollie.

  Gracie was due to be picked up so we were off to Heidi's again and I travelled over to Rotorua to pick her up.  She had been having a great time with her other grandparents Brian and Sue. Was great to get Grace and Luca together as living in different islands opportunities are limited.

James, Grace and Luca all playing with dollies.

We decided to spend a few days at Lake Rerewhakaitu as Gracie loves to swim.  There were quite a few people in the camp but we found a nice spot right close to the water.  I think over the next 4 days Grace hardly managed to get dry.  I was sure she was going to grow fins. She loved swimming out to the pontoon off shore and jumping off.  She finds it very easy to make friends with her happy nature and with swimming and kayaking it was a great place to be.   We would also put the snorkelling gear on and we would swim around the edge of the reeds and surprise all the small schools of fish.  We even found where a koura had outgrown its shell and left the old husk on the lake bottom.
  John and Margot came out for a day with Michelle and Nathan and brought some of their fresh home made bread,  What a treat that was.  Big crusty loaves straight from the bread maker.Yum.  John brought the boat and we went for a fish.  We caught 2 or 3 nice fish but let them go as we had plenty to eat.  The wind seemed to get up most days but it seemed to be the case right around the country this summer season.

Set up at Lake Rerewhakaitu.

 Next we were back to Heidi's for one night then we went to Omokoroa for two nights.  We caught up with our old neighbours again as Grace had got to know Beans and Glynn Bakewells two girls Sarah and Holly.    They had holidayed over christmas in Kaikoura and had spent a bit of time with Rod and Catherine.  Rod took them hunting and Sarah managed to shoot her first deer and Holly shot her first goat.
  While in town we took Grace to spend her Christmas vouchers then we were back to the rig and packed up and off to lake Aniwhenua.  This lake is in Galatea and is a hydro lake.  Many years ago I used to fish this lake and regularly caught trout up to 10lbs. There is a free camping area at the end of the lake by the dam.  It is managed, developed and funded by the locals.  It is a very beautiful wee spot and I recommend it to anyone to enjoy for a few days.  There is a boat ramp and toilets on site and you can catch a trout right from the beach there.
  The lake itself is quite narrow with all species of waterfowl and there is a lot of weed in sections of the lake that can make navigation a bit of a challenge.  We camped in a flat spot close to the water and later in the day the Bakewell clan arrived to spend a couple of days with us.  The kayaks came out and the swimming togs and in no time everyone was having heaps of fun.  In the evening the cards came out and we all demolished Beans at gin rummy.
  There was a bit of drama on the last night as the wind and rain had arrived.  Grace and Holly were in the small tent under the goose neck of the rig.  The rain was dripping off the gutter driving Holly crazy so Beans hopped in Holly's bed and Holly jumped back into their camper.  Then the wind got up and flattened the tent over onto Gracies face which woke her up.  In the meantime Beans was going crazy with the noise from the gutter dropping the water in ever increasing and diminishing crescendos on to the fly of the tent.  Gracie was getting frightened and wanted to come into the rig onto her bed, so Beans got her up and grabbed a handful of bedding and took it inside leaving Gracie with a small torch. She then managed to get her long hair stuck in the zip of the tent. Beans came back and gave the zip a bit of a rip which produced a howl from Grace.  Beans being almost totally blind with any detail in close new the task was too much in the wind and rain so rummaged around in our drawers and found a pair of scissors.  A few snips and she was free.   Apparently there was a fair racket going on with the door slamming in the wind and a lot of backward and forward with bedding scissors and people setting up beds. Finally it was all organised and Gracie was back in her own bed settling down to sleep.  Jocelyn and I were blissfully unaware of all this drama and managed to sleep through the lot.  It was rather unsettling to hear all of this in the morning.

Lake Aniwhenua

  Never mind we all survived the night.  Next day was still raining and we were off to Ngongotaha NZMCA camp.  Jocelyns sister Jenny and Stan had arrived from Aussie for a couple of days to visit with a sick friend and we caught up with them at John and Margots.  Gracie was straight into their pool while we had a nice dinner and a catch up.  We caught up with Jenny and Stan  again the next morning at Ngonataha for a coffee before they were to fly out later in the day.  We then packed up to head for Miranda to stay a night as Gracie was to fly out of Auckland the next day and back home to Kaikoura.  As she still wasn't sick of swimming we took her to the Miranda hot pools for another swim then back to the beach.  We had had such a lovely time with Grace and it makes you feel how important it is to stay in contact with all the members of your family no matter where they are around the country.  After our sad farewells we were back to Omokoroa as we had a house inspection with our tenant the next day.  We stayed at Bill and Liz's across the road.  The house inspection went great with not only the house looking immaculate but the grounds as well.  Very reassuring.  The next night we had a great BBQ with our neighbours and most of us drunk a bit much but it was good to stay in touch with them all.
  While in Tauranga we had a moment of madness and called into the bike barn just for a look.  We came out with a brand new bike each.  Jocelyns old bike was on it's last legs and I had never owned a bike before so this was a first for me.

The new bikes

Mick being greedy with 3 at a time.

  I was soon to be taking grandson James into the Ureweras so we moved to Rotorua again and stayed at Mick and Chris's place at Hamurana.  We parked the rig on the front paddock and the next day Mick and I  and mate Rob were off fishing while Jocelyn went to the Rotorua A+P show. We had a lovely day out on the boat catching 10 good bluenose and 15 terakihi.  Jocelyn enjoyed her day at the show as well.

A good bluenose

 We had 2  very enjoyable nights with Mick and Chris then we moved to Ngongotaha again and got packed for the Urewera trip.  It was an early start to Ruatahuna with James's gran Sue coming with us to drive the ute back and then come and pick us up again.  I had been having a fair bit of trouble with arthritis in my feet and right ankle lately so I was a bit anxious how I would go carrying a pack.  Lucky I had young James with me as he eased my load by carrying more in his pack.  It seems things have come full circle as it doesn't seem that long ago he wasn't able to carry a full load.  Mate Beans was with us as well and we were all keen to get in there and get camp set up.  I struggled with pain on my first day but by day three surprisingly things had improved.  Anyway we got to our camping spot and got set up then had a quick feed, then started off down the creek.  Not far on Beans decided to head up a small side creek and have a look.  We hadn't separated for much more than 10 minutes when we heard a shot.  We found out later he had walked down a small gut and back up to a log which he looked over to see antlers swivelling around in the ferns.  The stag was sitting down about 6 metres away never to get up again.  A great start to the trip.

Beans young fat stag.

  James and I climbed up to a small clearing I new about and from there sidled around through the bush about 250 metres up from the stream.  A very pretty area but not a lot of sign of deer.  We ended up dropping back to the creek and and heading down stream to a lookout I knew of up to the right.  We arrived and dropped our daypacks and looked up to the faces across the watershed and straight away James spotted a deer.  Through the binos it looked like a hind and we are not happy shooting hinds this time of year as they may have a youngster with them.  We don't want a young deer starving to death on our conscience if you shoot it's mother.
  Anyway we ended up watching this deer for a couple of hours as it fed around the faces opposite.  We had come to the conclusion it didn't have a  fawn with it and we now thought it was a well grown yearling which would be great venison.  James settled in for the long shot.  Probably around 350 metres.  I had the binos on it when James fired.  Unfortunately it looked like the bullet strike was behind and high.  The deer was obviously untouched and didn't hang around too long.  This was a surprising result as James is now an experienced rifleman.  I suggested the scope might be out on the rifle but James reckoned he had shot a deer very recently and there was no problem.  So we put it down to bad luck which was to prove a mistake at a later date.
  We arrived back to camp around 6pm and had a quick brew and a snack then crossed the creek and climbed up to the meat safe clearing.  We sat till dark watching the clearing with no result which was a bit surprising as this clearing usually produced a deer.  We found later that someone had put a stag head into a manuka tree in the middle of the clearing and it was rotting away creating a very unpleasant odor right around the clearing.  I think this was why the deer were't visiting here.
  We ended up having another two enjoyable days in the Ureweras but didn't add to our tally.  James had 2 shots at a close deer and found his scope was definitely out by quite a margin.  So we should have taken the time to resight his scope in. And I had spotted a deer on a face that wouldn't quite present itself for a shot just before dark on the last night. But that didn't seem to matter much as we were still enjoying our time in the bush.

  When we got back to civilisation James was to head back south to Kaikoura as his summer job with Bidfood had come to an end.  I met up with Jocelyn back at Ngongotaha who had been giving her new bike a bit of a work out while I had been gone. And Beans was back to work as well.
  After a day to sort a bit of gear we were off back to Whitianga and had another weekend out with Ken and Vicki on Papillon.  We spent some time at the Mercs and did try to head out for a marlin at one stage but the forecasters got it a bit wrong and Jocelyn started to suffer with sea sickness.  So we headed back in and spent a lazy weekend on board and caught a few nice snapper mornings and evenings.

Just another happy doggy photo.

Sunset at the Mercs

When we got back we caught up with the Blyths who were camping down on the Harbourside Camp.   Their friends Mark and Robin were also there. Another lovely summer seafood bbq was enjoyed with great weather and great company.
  Next we were to head to Coromandel and Fantail bay but I suffered another setback.  I awoke about midnight with my heart doing lots of weird things sometimes racing to over 200 beats a minute and leaping all over the place. Unfortunately I can't remember any erotic dreams that may have set that off and Jocelyn was fast asleep beside me.  The old 111 call went in and I ended up getting carted off to Thames Hospital in the ambulance in the early hours.  The following evening I was sedated and they put the paddles on and gave me a shock that jumped my heart back into normal rhythm.  So I have 3 days of lazing around then I can drive again so  Coro here we come then on the 17th I am back to jump back on Kens boat for a week to fish the game fishing nationals probably in the far north,  while Jocelyn heads to Auckland to stay with sister Joan.  Will let you know how the fishing went.

Summer fun.

Prior to christmas Jocelyn and I decided to head back to Coromandel for a few days.  We pulled into the MCA camp right in town.  While there I had the kayak off and tried a bit of fishing but without much luck initially.
  Henry and Deb Blyth gave us a call and said they had a few days off and were going to come up.   So they arrived and Henry and I took the kayaks out again.  This time I caught quite a good kingi but I didn't have a measure on board so as I wasn't sure about it reaching 75cms I let it go.  But I followed that with a couple of large kahawai and Henry caught a nice snapper so we had plenty for a feed.
  Next day we left Coromandel and went to Waikawau Bay on the eastern side of the peninsula.  There is a large DOC camp there with park like grounds and nice trees for shade.  Henry had bought his little inflatable boat with a small outboard motor and it turned out to be just the thing to get us out to some good snorkelling spots.  We put the boat in at Little Bay and travelled around the coastline a bit then got geared up and jumped in.  There were lots of butterfish around and the water was very clear so I had 6 or 7  on the string in no time.
  On the way back we checked out another spot and found a rock with lots of large mussels,so I was back over the side and collected about 40 for dinner.  Yum.  Rolled in flour and fried on the bbq.  Hard to beat.

Henry Deb and Jocelyn at Waikawau.

   We also went for a look at Tuateawa which is a bit further around the coast.   This was another of the places our family used to camp when we were still very young.  So I had memories of good times spent here long ago. The water wasn't as clear here but I found a small octopus camouflaged on the sea floor.  I thought initially it was dead and rotting on the bottom but I dived down and picked it up and it came to life.  I find them amazing creatures.
 

  We found Waikawau to be another lovely Kiwi camping spot.  It has a nice long sandy beach with safe swimming and if you want to fish and dive, there are handy places to get access to the water.  Though apparently it is chaos over christmas so for us we would wait for the quieter times.
  Next stop we travelled back to Omokoroa for yet another expensive trip to the dentist.  We stayed with our neighbours Bill and Liz.  Parked up on their lawn.  Was great to catch up again with a bbq and some beers and wines.  Beans and Glynn from down the road came up as well and we all had a very nice evening. Then a few days at Heidi and Pauls before christmas day.
  The family seems to have exploded all over the country now so christmas day the numbers are dwindling.  This year we were off to John and Margots on Christmas eve and the plan was to head over to Whitianga boxing day morning to jump on the boat with Ken,Vicki and James for a couple of days at the Mercury Islands.
  We had a lovely day for christmas with the traditional big meal of turkey, ham, new potatoes,  and then trifle and custard etc.  There were only 7 of us with John and Margot, Michelle and Nathan, Maureen and us.  John and Margots vege garden looks stunning and we enjoyed the fruits of it on the table with the new potatoes and salads so fresh and tasty.
 Jocelyn and I headed back to Heidi's in the evening with the intension of getting up at 4 am to head to Whitianga, but arriving at Papamoa I was feeling quite fresh and awake so we decided to get on the road straight away.  The plan was to avoid the madness of the Auckland traffic heading to the Coromandel Peninsula on Boxing Day.  After a quick stop at Omokoroa dump station to empty the tanks we left at about 9pm.  The roads got emptier as the time got later and we arrived in Whitianga about 11.10pm.  Ken and James were still up but ready for bed so after a quick g'day and goodnight,we hit the sack.

James and Jess.

Jess and Bailey. Ship dogs.

  Next morning we loaded Papillon with food and water or if you were not too keen on the water there was the odd bottle of beer or wine.  There were also lots of fishing and diving gear bags and boxes to be loaded into the holds.  It wasn't long and we were heading out of the waterways and moving along the channel on our way to the sea.  It was a lovely trip out to the Mercs.  There are a lot of Islands out around Mercury Bay and it is really a boaties paradise.  In summer the game fish come in close and all year you can target snapper , kingis or many other fish for the table.  Also there is plenty to keep the divers occupied with good numbers of crayfish spots and in season plenty of scallop beds to harvest.
  As soon as we got to Home Bay at Great Mercury Island the skipper suggested now would be a good time for me to get wet and supplement the larder with some tasty scallops. It had been awhile since I had the tanks on but it wasn't long and I was over the side and on the bottom.  It was only about 13 metres deep and the water was clear.  There were good numbers of scallops spread through the sand and bits of weed and it wasn't long and I was ascending with a bag full.
   After the dive we moved back around the point to a spot that looked good for spearfishing.  James was keen to get in and spear some north island butterfish.  After anchoring we winched the small inflatable off the bow and Ken took us over to a likely spot and dropped us off. It wasn't long and we found a spot with plenty of the target species. I had one on my string out the back and another one on my spear when I felt a sharp pull on my line.  Looking back to my float I saw a large sealion ripping my butterfish off my line. I wasn't too worried as seals are meant to be friendly cuddly critters aye.  I was in the process of taking the other butterfish off my spear when the bugger came straight in and aggressively ripped the fish out of my hands.
  This sealion was very large and showed no fear of us at all.  It downed the butterfish in one gulp and then came straight back in at me and was right in my face. I was having to push it away with my spear while backing up on to a handy rock.  It was so close I was looking straight into its mouth and it had lots of very large teeth.  I ended up giving it a few good jabs with my spear tip to keep it away then it shot over to check out James.  I had warned James about what was going on and he was half out of the water by a rock and ended up trying to beat it off with his speargun. This sealion didn't intend giving up.  By this time Ken had figured out something was up back at Papillon so he jumped into the dinghy and came over and rescued us.
  After a settling of the nerves and a quick coffee we were back in the water but heading for the other side of the bay away from the not too friendly sealion. We had a really nice evening on board with a calm anchorage and next morning we went back to see if the sealion had gone.  We new there were lots of butterfish here so James geared up and I was the boatman.  Straight away he was on to fish and ended up with 7 good fish and no sign of that pesky seal. Then it was back to the mooring in the waterways.
  Dane and Laurie had arrived for a few days and Ken,Vicki and James  were back to work. Dane had brought his boat and we ended up doing some snorkelling and Dane had a short wakeboard but the conditions weren't that great. We had a very pleasant few days then Ken rang and said they had some days off and we were to head to sea again.  Jocelyn bought some supplies and stocked the boat and we said bye to Dane and Laurie and were off to the Mercs again.

Barrier snapper

  We arrived just before dark at the Mercs and had a pleasant evening and night.  Then the next morning a decision was made to go to Great Barrier.  The seas were calm and it was a stunning day with the boat cruising along about 13 knots.  We came across a pod of common dolphins who came straight in and rode the wake off the bow.  Then about an hour later a few bottlenose dolphins came and did the same.  The bottlenose dolphins are really impressive as they are huge. The adults must weigh in excess of 300kgs.  You never get sick of watching them ride the pressure wave.

Dolphins riding the bow.

Jocelyn in the crows nest.

  About half way along the Barrier we stopped for a fish off a headland and first cast with a softbait I landed a good snapper. Then a slightly smaller one then Ken landed a really good one around the 10lb mark.  So we had plenty of fish for dinner.
  Over the next couple of days we had a great time. No pressure.  A fair bit of lazing around, a bit of exploring, and some lovely evenings on board with great food, some bevies and good company.  Unfortunately Vicki got one of her bad migraines and was out of action for a while.  Not what you want on your precious holiday time.
  With one day to go we headed back to the mercs for the night.  One the way we came across some large mackerel smashing up the surface, so in went the softbaits and we had 4 in the bin.  Back at the Mercs I was chucked in again to get more scallops and after another successful dive we headed around to a calm cove to anchor up.  Friends of Ken and Vicki's were also anchored there and arrangements made for them to come aboard for dinner later.
  Seeing as guests were coming I decided to grab the spear and see if I could get some fish for the menu.  It was a very pretty place to snorkel with lots of kelp and large boulders pushing up from the bottom. All sorts of reef fish swimming around and jack mackerel grouped together in large shoals.  I decided to go out to the headland which was probably about 250 metres from the boat as there is usually a current there and you will find more fish there.  Sure enough the butterfish were there in good numbers so it wasn't long and I had 5 on the string. Normally that would be enough but seeing as we had 2 extra people for dinner I thought a couple more would be good.  When I spear a fish I always grab it quickly and icki it with a sharp spike straight down into its head.  This kills the fish straight away so not only ends any suffering to the fish it hopefully helps lesson the chances of predators arriving to a distressed fish struggling in the water.
  There were plenty of butters around so I quickly had another to add to my string then another one popped out of the kelp and I had him on the end of my spear.  That was seven and I thought great thats enough.  Just as I pulled the fish out of the kelp a movement over  to my left pulled my gaze around and there about 4 metres away a huge bronze whaler shark cruised gracefully past me.  It was hard to drag my eyes away.
   Underwater they look just amazing, but also very scary.  I was only in about 4 metres of water and I had a number of rocks quite handy so I wasn't panicking.  I had obviously pushed my luck with how many fish I had put on my string and it had attracted the sharks attention.  I clambered up onto a nearby rock and by this time the bronze was onto my string and thrashing around ripping a fish off.  First thing I did was rip out my knife and cut the string, then I couldn't be dragged back into the water.  Next I grabbed the string and hauled it in and surprisingly only one fish was missing.
   The shark was not happy to see his dinner disappear and was tearing around in the shallow water trying to find them again.  Its hard to judge a sharks size but this one would probably weigh between 200 and 250kgs.  I heard a shout and looked over and there was a guy in a small inflatable.  He said he had seen the shark thrashing around my buoy and thought I was getting eaten.  He was relieved when he saw me up on the rock.  I was also relieved as I wasn't too keen to get back in the water and swim back to the boat.
     So I hitched a ride with him and left the shark still circling around looking for those butterfish.  I left a couple of the bigger fish with my rescuer for his dinner.  So I guess the moral of the story is don't be greedy.  I only ended up with 4 butterfish after the shark took one and I gave 2 to the boatman.  With the scallops we had 4 was plenty.  The senses of these predators is what they survive on and staying in with lots of dead fish on a string line is asking for a visit.
  We had a great evening on board papillon with guests Phil and Louie and next morning we weighed anchor early and were off back to Whitianga.
 

Looking from the crows nest to the bow of Papillon.

A bag of tasty scallops

 

Decisions to be made.

We arrived back in Omokoroa and backed the rig up the drive to spend some time on maintenance at the house.  The tenants had moved into their newly built home in bethlehem and we had some decisions to make regarding continuing to rent or to sell and take advantage of the real estate boom in the Tauranga area.
  It was disappointing to find cleaning obviously wasn't a priority when the tenants left.  Luckily everything had been photographed on them moving in so we had the evidence that they had to adhere to.  Cleaners were employed to do the basics and Jocelyn and I knuckled under and did the rest.  We were to get stuck in over the next 10 days and the house and grounds had a major make over.  At the end of it we were both happy that we had the place back where we would be happy to live there ourselves.

  The next thing was a real brain strain.   What to do with the property?  One day we decided we were definitely selling and the next we were going to rent again.  We got three different agents in for advice and did a bit of research ourselves.  In the end we decided we would rent it out again.  We didn't advertise.  We heard of two different people that might be interested and approached them.  It turned out that both of them wanted it so we had to decide who,  and in the end went with a tenant that I new back in my farming days.  So hopefully everything goes well.
   We moved out of Omokoroa and back to Mclaren Falls to brother Kens place as they had sold their property and needed a hand to pack and clean.  But before helping with that  Jocelyn was off to Aussie with granddaughter Monique and Vicki,  while I was off into the Ureweras for 5 days hunting the wily red deer. I hadn't been back into our family spot in the Ureweras since before my operation so this would be the first time I had had to carry a heavy pack since then.  Still I was really looking forward to it and the morning finally arrived and myself,  Mick and Beans arrived at Sue and Brians in Rotorua.  Sue was to be our taxi driver again as in this day and age unfortunately you can't leave a vehicle unattended on the side of the road anymore.  I must admit the old legs were starting to go a bit wobbly by the time I reached our campsite.  But we had taken it slow and steady and we soon had the camp shipshape and a brew on.  It was great to see the camp in such good repair and all of our gear that we leave down there was still where it had been hidden.  It was such a great feeling to be back.

Mick by the Happy Valley waterfall.

Beans wolfing down a bacon buttie after a big day.

 I took a bit of a spill on my first hunt and tumbled head over heels down a steep face.  Lucky I crashed into a tree which stopped my rapid unplanned descent.  Unfortunately I had a pretty decent cut to my head where I had banged it on a sharp rock.  There was a lot of blood streaming down my face but I managed to stem the flow after about ten minutes.  I also had a very tender hip where the tree had impacted me but luckily stopped my fall.  It was only about an hour to dark so I carried on hunting but didn't see any animals.
  Back in camp the others had had a quiet hunt as well with nothing being seen.  The next day was also quiet but Mick and I saw a hind move into the bush but it was a fair way off and not worth a shot.  The next morning Beans got on the scoreboard with a yearling stag and it was to prove his day as he shot two more deer after a good hunt into some of our old spots.  Mick and I had a great hunt down stream seeing a lot of sign but no animals.
  Sunday morning came around and Beans was heading out so he loaded up early and we waved him off before 7am.   He had a fair bit of meat on board and his mate was arriving at 10am to pick him up out at the road.  This should have left him plenty of time but as I found out later on he strayed off the track and couldn't find it again so he ended up staggering out onto the road about 4 1/2 hours later.

Our last nights fly camp.

 Mick and I decided we would shift camp closer to the road so we made our way up the creek.  Just before we got to first camp we dropped our packs and climbed up towards a clearing I new about.  We were nearly there and I heard  a bit of a rustle in the scrub and a little ginger and white pig popped out and checked us out.  He did a couple of little grunts and trotted off back into the bush.  Then we saw him moving up ahead of us and he had two little black friends with him.  Mick and I carried on up to the clearing trying to keep quiet in case a deer was out feeding.  Just as we came onto the clearing the 3 little pigs appeared at the bottom and moved out into the open.  Mick and I were in full view and over the next 20 minutes we were entertained by these little characters as they fed and grunted and played.  Occasionally one would approach us for a closer look and come within about 5 metres of us then it would turn tail and scamper off grunting and squealing .  We found them so entertaining and this little interlude was the highlight of our trip.  Unfortunately we had left the camera in the packs back at the creek.
   After picking up the packs again we carried on and set up a new camp at our initial entry to the stream we hunt on.  We had an interesting afternoon hunt and saw plenty of sign but as the evening approached I took Mick up to what we called our meat safe clearing.   This is where we come if we want some more meat to take out with us.   And again it didn't let us down as a nice spiker came out to feed around 6.30pm.  Mick took the shot and it wasn't long and we were loading legs of venison into our packs for the short trek back to camp.  Next day it was back to civilisation.

The meat safe clearing.

Micks spiker.

    Jocelyn had a great time with Monique over in Aussie.  Spending time with Jenny and Stan is now always a treat as we don't get to see them as often as we would like.
   After she arrived back we spent the next ten days helping out Ken and Vicki and then loaded the truck and moved them down to Papamoa to their previous rental property.
  After this we had a few days to spare before I had to show up at court for jury duty.  So we decided a few days at lake Rerewhakaitu might be nice.  The DOC camp on Ash Pit road was looking a bit neglected.  It definitely needed a mower going over it and the toilets were overdue for the sucker truck.  Nevertheless it is still a very pretty place.  We were getting a fair bit of wind with a few good showers thrown in but it was getting warmer when the sun was out.  I even got a bit of sunburn one afternoon.  John and Margot came out for dinner one night too.
  One afternoon we were sitting in the sun reading and we noticed a ute and caravan drive past our site.  They then did a U turn and went down the other end about 150 metres away and set up camp.  We didn't think much more of it and a bit later on I decided to chuck the togs on and go for a swim then I wouldn't need a shower later on haha.  About half an hour later we see this couple coming our way and realised it was Henry and Debbie Blyth.  The last time we had met up with them we had been camping on the beach at Kaikoura.  They said they had been looking our way for a while wondering if it was us and when I went swimming Henry thought he recognised me but wasn't sure.  In the end curiosity got the better of them so they came for a look.
  It was a really nice surprise so we ended up having a very pleasant evening.  I had a lamb roast cooking on the webber so we all got together for a few drinks and a good meal and a good catch up.  Henry and I always have plenty to talk about as he is just as keen as I on the outdoors and hunting and gathering.
   I had been out in the kayak a bit chasing the trout with mixed success.  Casting with a fly I found the fishing hard,  but trolling with a small smelt lure was proving successful.  Henry also had his kayak and tried a bit of fishing.  We moved to their caravan for dinner the next night and met up with another couple who were parked near to them.  They had spent a lot of time as caretakers of a number of the DOC camps around the country and seemed to really enjoy it.  They said they get to meet a lot of really nice people from all around the world and stay for free at some spectacular places.  Maybe at a later date Jocelyn and I might be ready to give that a go.
  Next day was pack up day and we headed back to Omokoroa and parked down at the reserve in the boat trailer park.  We were lucky enough to score an afternoon baby sitting lovely Luca Saturday afternoon and we picked her up and collected James as well as he was starting work for Ken Monday morning.  Back out to Omokoroa we had a great day spoiling the two grandkids especially Luca who just loved going down that slide in the park.  Jocelyn's mum came out for the afternoon also.

See ya. I'm off to kindy.

Luca and James.

  Sunday night the big earthquake struck Kaikoura and Monday morning on the news we were watching in shock.  Having Rod,   Catherine and Gracie on the farm there we were very concerned.  We couldn't get through on the phones and the news reports were going over things again and again and getting Jocelyn really wound up.  I was due to show up for jury duty at 9am so rolled up at the courthouse on time and found my name drawn in the first 30 jurors.  At the first recess I approached the staff saying I needed to keep my phone turned on as I had family in Kaikoura.  At this news they pulled my name out of the next ballot and told me to take off.  They were very good and I was extremely happy to get back to Jocelyn and support her as she was getting pretty upset.  Luckily not long after this we heard from nephew Sean that he had found out from neighbours that Rod. Catherine and Gracie were fine.  They had got through the main shake well, with minimal damage to them or their buildings.  But they did find it a terrifying experience with the house shaking like crazy and things crashing to the floor around them.
  So after a couple of days waiting around to make sure our Kaikoura family were going to get by alright we packed the rig and headed off to Fantail Bay.   We really enjoyed Fantail again but the first week was so windy there was no fishing or snorkelling.   We got to know some more campers quite well but a lot of the time the camp was still virtually empty.  At last the wind eased and we had 4 beautiful days. I was in the water with the spear and straight away got 5 butterfish.  The next day in the kayak produced a couple of nice snapper and also some more snorkelling so there was enough fish for us and the neighbours.

Fish back on the menu.

 On the last day I jumped in and shot 6 butterfish to take away with us and then it was off to Whitianga to drop the rig off at Ken and Vicki's new section on the waterways.  Then off to Tauranga as the next morning Ken, Mick and I were bringing Kens boat up the coast to Whitianga to park it at his new section.
   We had a smooth trip up the coast and the boat performed well. Vicki and Jocelyn were there to meet us and we celebrated with a few bevies that evening.  So next we will probably head back over the hill to Coromandel again for a few days.
 

Papillon arriving at her new home.

An excellent time up North.

  We had been having a lovely time at Otamure Bay but we decided we had better move on and check out some other spots.  We hitched up the rig and headed off towards Bland Bay on the Russell road.  It took us about an hour and a half with the rig on and we drove through Bland Bay itself and climbed up the hill and over into Puriri Bay which is another DOC camp right on the beach.  There were two other campers there, both from Tauranga and travelling together.  One of them had a 5th wheeler as well.

Waterside at Puriri Bay.

   We set up about 5 metres from the water and felt right at home from the start.  This is my sort of place.  It was very sheltered so it was great for getting the kayak out for a fish.  The facilities were well maintained and were being managed by Craig and Paulette who were running the Otamure camp. The camp was situated inside the Whangaruru harbour so there was no swell but it didn't take long for me to find out there were some nice fish to be caught very handy to camp. Also the rocks at either end of the bay were absolutely covered in oysters by the thousands so they received a few visits by me while we were there.
   The weather was starting to get a bit milder as well so it was really nice to get the chairs out and sit out in the sun in front of the rig. But as you know I can't sit around for too long without getting bored so I was into the kayak with a softbait tied on and off up the harbour where there were a few gannets diving.  It wasn't long and I had the first snapper on board and then over the next hour or so I had a lot of fun with fish on and at least 3 good fish lost after the hook pulled.  There were some very good sized snapper out here in the shallow water.
 And on day two we were entertained by a pod of orca who came in on the tide to feed.   They spent 3 or 4 hours cruising the upper reaches then came back down on the ebb tide. There were 2 large males with the high dorsals and were very impressive to watch when they surfaced to breath.

Quality table fish.

They don't come much fresher.

 Over the next few days I really enjoyed the fishing.  The fish were sometimes hard to find or they weren't biting but then out of the blue you would get a strike that would turn the kayak and have you being towed at a good speed through the harbour. Being so shallow, the snapper didn't have any depth to fight in so they just took off and towed you. It was great fun.  And the bonus being we always had fish to eat and I supplied the other campers as well.  Jocelyn also came out for a few paddles and saw a few snapper landed while we were out there.  I never could leave my rod behind.
 

Getting to like my kayak.

Hard fighting snapper.

  The camp itself is very picturesque with a fair bit of wildlife thrown in to the mix.  There were rabbits everywhere.  A short 20 metre walk to the loo you could see 7 or 8 rabbits.  Also there were quail and ducks almost under your feet and the seagulls would wake you every morning with their squabbling. And there were tuis all through the bush as the kowhai trees were in flower. Also after a day of rain the beautiful white clematis flowers appeared all through the bush.  With the bright yellow of the kowhai then the white spray of the  clematis it was visually spectacular.
 

A small clematis.

The lovely kowhai.

  There is two good walks you can access from the camp.  The first one I did was when I already had plenty of fish in the fridge and the neighbours fridge as well so I couldn't really go fishing.  It was a lovely bush walk that started off through farm land then climbed up through the bush to the other side of the peninsula.  I arrived at a cliff top overlooking a lovely bay with the waves breaking on the rocks below.  Then the track headed off up a series of steps through the bush and climbed up to a high point then back around onto the farm again and back to camp.     Probably about an hour and a half all up.  I did this track twice more over the next few days and then Jocelyn joined me and we did the other one around to the Bland Bay lookout which also took about an hour and a half.
   We really enjoyed Puriri Bay but after about ten days, the last couple with a fair bit of rain we decided to move on again.  We continued on the road to Russell then turned off and took the ferry over to Opua.  It cost $35.00 all up for the ute and rig for the short crossing but it saves a lot of driving.  After following the road to Paihia we decided to stop for a late breakfast or early lunch.  Paihia is a pretty little town very much set up for the tourist trade.  The Bay Of Islands have so much to offer with the sandy beaches,  islands dotted every where you look and just the natural beauty of the area.  There are all sorts of tours to take on water or land and of course there is Waitangi, where a lot of our early history stems from.
  Jocelyn and I carried on to Kerikeri where we set up by the RSA for a while.  We met another couple there with a 5th wheeler who had just bought a section in Paihia to build on.  Pete was a builder so he was going to be busy for a while and probably not going to be travelling much.
    The next day dawned fine so we decided to head back to Waitangi and have a look around the treaty grounds.   We ended up joining a guided tour for $20.00 each which we found very informative and entertaining.  The weather was great with the sun shining and the outlook from the treaty grounds is amazing, looking out over the bay towards Russell and the islands further out.   You could feel the history of the place even though we are a relatively young country, and the more information we took in the more we could feel it.  After the tour around the grounds we went back in and went into the museum which we also found very interesting and informative.  Arriving back in Kerikeri we both thought we had had a good day.

The flag pole at Waitangi.Russellin the background.

Jocelyn outside the Waka shelter.

    From Kerikeri we decided to cross over to the west coast and go and look at some real big kauri trees.  We were't to be disappointed.  First we travelled down the Hokianga through Opononi and Omapere heading for the Waipoua Forest and eventually  onto the Kaipara Harbour district at Matakohe.  We first hauled up at Opononi and had lunch and a coffee on the side of the road.  The harbour here is beautiful looking across the water at the huge white sand dunes.  Opononi was made famous in the summer of 1955-56 when a friendly dolphin arrived to swim with the children in the shallows of the harbour.   This dolphin appeared every day right through the summer and was called Opo by the hoards of visitors attracted to the area.   Sadly it wasn't to last as  at the end of summer Opo was found dead on one of the beaches along the bay.

Opononi

   After lunch we went for a walk along the harbour then back in the truck and off to see Tane Mahuta in Waipoua Forest.   This famous kauri tree is a few minutes walk in from the main road and it is such a majestic sight.  I'm sure I could sit for an hour and just stare at this tree in wonder.  Stately only begins to describe this monolith.  It is estimated to be around 1200 years old and stands around 52 metres tall with a girth of around 14 metres.  Just amazing.

Tane Mahuta.

  After this we were keen to see more so we went to Trounson Kauri Park to stay the night which is a small Doc camp about 8 kms off the main road.  The book says not suitable for large vehicles but the locals reckoned she'd be fine so off we went.  When we got there it was just angle parking for vans and motorhomes but we got inventive and managed to squeeze in across ways at one end and hope not too many other campers arrived.  There is a loop track leading into the bush from the camp and after we set the camp up I headed off for a walk.  It wasn't long and I was coming across very impressive trees that had obviously been around a long time.  Not far in there is a tree there that is considered the oldest in New Zealand at approximately 2000 years old.  We were to find out later that there were older and larger ones around in earlier times but they were now gone.
   Trounson Park apparently has around 40 pairs of brown kiwi living in it's environs so you can go for night walks and see if any can be seen.   It was raining when I left the camper later that night and after about an hour and a half of  sneaking quietly along with the red filter on my torch I had seen nothing although I may have heard a couple moving around.  It was quite hard to see through the undergrowth in some areas.   I was up early and off for another walk and later before we left Jocelyn came for a walk  as well.   Kauri dieback disease is a real problem in these forests and is killing a large number of trees.  Steps are being taken to protect the kauri but time will tell how effective these steps will be.
   When we left Trounson park the plan was to head to Matakohe and check out the Kauri museum there.   But about 8kms down the road we stopped for a look at a business selling all sorts of kauri products from bowls to sculptures and then a room full of very high end furniture that was just stunning.  The prices were right up there too and out of our price range but really lovely.

Stunning sculpture at kauri museumAdd caption

Joc inside a kauri stump.

   So back on the road again and we arrived at Matakohe around 3pm.  It cost $25.00 each to enter the museum but we were told we could overnight out in the parking lot as we would need more time in the morning to cover everything inside.  And we could get back in on the same ticket.   The whole museum was fascinating and we were buzzing after our 3 hours that afternoon.  It covers a lot of history of the early days of milling and gum digging and the hard men who worked back in that era.  The trees themselves were highlighted in many ways and also a lot of the early families who settled in these areas and made a harsh living either from the farms or the bush.
  We were parked right outside the door so we settled back in with a wine and a beer and got the webber out and cooked a couple of nice steaks with a lovely salad and had a very pleasant evening.  Next morning I was up early and wandered through the cemetery across the road, and met a lot of the names I had been reading about in the museum.  After breakfast we were back inside again and wandered around for another hour and a half.
   We got back on the road again and headed across to leigh and booked into the Whangateau camping ground for one night.  This is a pretty little camp right on the estuary although it was raining again.  The facilities were first class and immaculately maintained.  The plan was for me to go snorkeling at Goat Island marine reserve.  The weather wasn't great but I expected to get wet anyway so away we went.  The snorkeling turned out really good although the visibility wasn't great.  I was being escorted around the bay by a group of nice size snapper and then you would see a large shape appear out of the gloom and a snapper I would estimate around 25lb would be cruising across in front of you.  Red moki were everywhere and when I dived down I found a number of large crayfish in the cracks and crevices.  All totally safe being a reserve.  Sometimes it's nice to just look.   Next it was off to Auckland to meet up with Dane and Laurie for dinner as the next day Dane turned 34 years of age.  We had a lovely evening catching up and seeing all the work that they had been doing around their place.
  Well we have had a great trip to Northland and now it's back home to do a bit of work around the house.