Most cruisers visit the west side of Great Barrier island, especially its famous Smokehouse Bay We stopped by last season but it was in the midst of a storm and was completely empty. This season we decided to mix it up a bit. We have always wanted to visit the East side of Great Barrier but you have to have just the right weather conditions to anchor in these exposed bays. The weather was in our favor and we headed to Whangapoua also known as Motoroa Point.
Just off NZ’s coast are loads of islands to explore.
After we left Hen and Chickens we saw our window to go to a bay on the east side called Whangapoua Bay. At the North tip of Great Barrier there are these beautiful pinnacles that jet out of the sea to greet you as you pass by.
Based on the satellite charts Whangapoua Bay has a very long 2.4 mile beach that is begging to be walked on! We motor the 40+ nm because the winds were very light and arrive to a gorgeous bay that we have all to ourselves.
A Walk on the Wild Side
This is an absolutely gorgeous beach. Super soft sand and a variety of landscapes. First you have the beautiful, green hillsides, then these rich, green towering evergreens, then flowing sand dunes, and pockets of tiny shells.
These tiny spiral shells were so beautiful. I desperately wanted to collect these beauties. However, I left them there as I was sure they were filled with little critters waiting for the tide.
The beach seems to go on and on and on… We walk from end to end, taking our time and enjoying the beauty of this bay.
The Tragic End to the SS Wairarapa
Despite its beauty, Whangapoua Bay has a very sad history as it is the location of a tragic accident. From the bay you can see the outlines of white picket fencing that mark the mass grave sites. The SS Wairarapa crashed along the rocky entrance causing New Zealand’s third most deadly shipwreck.
Evidently, the captain didn’t respect the weather conditions. He did not slow down or navigate properly causing this horrific disaster where over a hundred people perished. The SS Wairarapa had a tragic ending that is remembered on this beach.
We somberly walk back to our boat and thank the Heavens modern technology has improved so much.
Haratonga Bay
We move a few nautical miles (nm) to a new bay called Haratonga Bay. The sun was out but it was pretty darn chilly so I put on leggings and grabbed my jacket!
Our blog posts run 10-12 weeks behind actual live events. This blog post occurred toward the end of January. We visit a Chicken Anchorage in our last blog post – but did we see any chickens?