Leaving NZ a 3rd time isn’t easy

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Time to head back to the tropics, well past time actually but Mother Nature had her own schedule.

Brrrrr

Saying good bye is never easy, but in sailing it’s till we meet again. Still doesn’t make it any easier after spending nearly more than a year and a half getting to know good people and making great friends in New Zealand. 🇳🇿. Will definitely miss them as this is possibly our last trip to these waters by sailboat.

We left New Zealand on Saturday June 6th with nearly 900 miles to go to New Caledonia. Was a bit bouncy with current and waves trying to keep us from leaving. We knew it was an uphill battle till we got clear of the island. After waiting for a month for a plausible weather window, getting excited and ready, only to realize the window just became a window with shutters this frosted window showed up. Not a crystal clear window, but a workable window.

The winds look good, the seas are bigger than we’d like but they are mostly going the same direction as us, except for the start.

At the last minute another system was showing up in the forecast a week out right between New Caledonia 🇳🇨 and Fiji 🇫🇯 . Ugh! Originally we were to wait so the start wasn’t into the current and waves, but leaving a day earlier added padding to the other end so scramble and push up the and that’s how we ended up out here.

Afternoon start, not much time to get sea legs before darkness set in.

Last NZ sunset

In search for baguettes,

Ocean Days and Starry Nights: Passage NZ to New Cal

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After patiently waiting (and occasionally refreshing weather models like it’s a full-time job), we are finally ready to start our passage from New Zealand to New Caledonia.

A good weather window has opened, and it’s time to go make use of it—heading out for 6–7 days of beautiful ocean sailing, starry nights, and the kind of quiet horizon that reminds you why you came to sea in the first place.

We’ve paused our scheduled blog posts for the duration of the passage.

Instead, Matt will be doing some “live blogging” along the way—real-time updates from the motion, the miles, and whatever the ocean decides to serve up.

Scheduled posts will resume on 16 June 2026, once we’re back in range of reliable internet (and slightly more stable footing).

In the meantime, you can follow our journey by heading to our website homepage, clicking “Current Location”, and then following the PredictWind link to track our progress across the blue.

Thank you for the continued support, messages, and encouragement—it means a lot to have you following along with our adventures aboard Sugar Shack.

Fair winds, and see you on the other side of the ocean.

Whangaroa’s Beauty and Protection

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Our main purpose for coming to Whangaroa was to find protection from Cyclone Vaianu (see post).  We were super pleased with the outcome and our safety after the cyclone.  Now it was time to go exploring.

Whangaroa is filled with dozens of anchorages and bays.  You can find protection from the wind from any direction and still have a beautiful view.  Lots of mountains and hillsides covered in trees, bush, and scrub.

Unfortunately for us, we were here after multiple storms so the waters were a milk chocolate brown. 

The soil from the mountains run down through the rivers and into the bays.  This gives the water its Hershey’s  color.  Eventually, the brown water will leave through the pass and clear up to its beautiful blue. 

Whangaroa Harbor after Cyclone Vaianu

Whangaroa Harbor after Cyclone Vaianu

One morning we had a particularly foggy morning which delivered some amazing drone shots!

Whangaroa Town

The Whangaroa town is very, very small.  The Whangaroa Sport Fishing Club and marina are the main focal point.  They have a restaurant and bar that serve pretty tasty food.

There is a town hall which also serves as the church, a huge recycling and trash center, and the Marin Whangaroa (hotel and eatery).  

Locals will drive 8km to the next town for a small grocery store or 30 minutes to Keri Keri where there is a large grocery store.

Trekking in Whangaroa

We visited Whangaroa in 2024 and had the pleasure of doing two fun but challenging hikes. See this post which has photos of Whangaroa’s much prettier water here.

We decided to replicate both hikes – because, why not.

The Duke’s Nose hike was a muddy mess but a good hike.  See the blog post “The Duke’s Runny Nose” for this adventure.

St. Paul’s Track

Explorers named it St. Paul’s rock because of its domelike structure which resembles St. Paul’s Cathedral. 

It is a relatively easy, short, but steep trek up to the top.

It took us less than 1 hour return to climb the 213m elevation.

St. Paul’s Rock track is a short but rather steep trail.  You walk along a dirt path which can be muddy after a rain storm (which is when we visited).  

Starting at the Whangaroa Sport Fishing Club, you turn left on the main road and then right on Old Hospital Road. 

You walk the road for about 10 minutes before turning right at the Kings view lodge where you climb over the fence (see stairs right photo).

The trail winds through manuka bush, through open fields, and between massive boulders where you use chains to climb.

D.O.C (Department of Conservation) has dug foot holes on the steep parts. 

In addition, they added a chain on the last 30 meters to help you climb the rock.

We were rewarded with spectacular views of Whangaroa Harbor once we reached the top.

Protecting Whangaroa

NZ installed a 6-inch gun in 1942 at Whangaroa Harbor.  Next to it was a bunker.

However, by the end of 1943 the gun had been removed and the land sold.

As you can see, it is now used as a seating area with a picnic table.

Whangaroa is a truly beautiful place to anchor and enjoy.

We feel so blessed to be able to enjoy the protection of the bays during Cyclone Vaianu.

Find the St. Paul’s Trek on No Foreign Land.

We were in Whangaroa for a week during the first part of April 2026.