SV True North

 We anchored off the long dock in Tolaga Bay.  The dock is said to be the second longest in New Zealand and is one of the two tourist attractions of the area.   True North anchored off the Tolaga Bay dock The view from the centre of the dock to the end.  The dock is unsafe out from this point and closed to access from here. The view from the middle of the dock back to the shore. The other attraction is a hike up the peninsula to Cooks Cove where Captain Cook anchored for about a week to resupply during one of his voyages.  We headed out to climb the steps up to a Māori sculpture and then to a lookout over Cooks Cove. Cooks Cove from the sheep / cattle pasture After the lookout we descended many more steps down to a pasture filled with sheep and cattle.  There was a short side trail taking us to a “Hole in the Wall” formation where ocean waves have created an arch. The Tolaga Bay Hole in the Wall After exploring the Hole in the Wall, we continued down throug...

 We anchored under Cape Kidnappers for rest stop before continuing north.  The passage from Wellington had constant winds about 35 knots with gusts up to 45 so we were ready for a break.  The Cape would not normally be a good anchorage but because of the strong southerly winds and ocean swells its orientation and high cliffs provided us good clam shelter. We took a very good hike along the beach east around the point and then up to the top of the cliffs.  There were great views from the cliff top which was also the site of one of the worlds largest gannet colonies.  The breading season for gannets was almost finished so there were only a few chicks left in the colony. The start of our hike along the beach below the cliffs The cliffs looking west True North anchored behind Cape Kidnappers  We spotted an octopus in the shallows while walking along the beach The view towards the cape from the start of our hike We reached the cape before climbing up to the clif...

 We arrived in Wellington May 2 after crossing the notorious Cook Straights from the Tory Channel on the South Island.  We had picked an excellent weather window and the crossing was exciting but uneventful.  Upon arrival we sailed around the harbour a bit looking for a good sheltered anchorage that would provide protection in the current southerly winds and the forecast northerlies over the next few days.  We settled on an anchorage in Evans Bay just off of the yacht club.  There were a lot of moorings but still some room available to drop the hook. True North from the boat ramp dock Evans Bay, Wellington Harbour  The next day we left the dinghy on the nearby boat ramp dock and took a bus into town.  We first visited a chandlery looking for a replacement foot switch for my anchor winch (windless).  The old switch had become difficult to find a spot to press to make the winch pull up the anchor chain.  Unfortunately the chandlery did not stoc...