Tag Archives: new zealand

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.

Pure Comfort at Slipper Island

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Slipper Island is conveniently located half way between Mercury Island and Tauranga.  It was a quick stop in a beautiful bay. 

This island includes rocky reefs, sheltered bays and large fields of seagrass.  It is also a marine protected area that is home to 13 different habitats.

Seagrass meadows support a diverse range of species including juvenile snapper. Other species include horse mussels, scallops, rock lobster as well as sponges and soft corals.

The island is an important breeding site for a range of seabirds.

Slipper Island Anchorages

There are three bays on the east side of the Island. 

The first bay has a small resort called Slipper Island Resort. Guests from the resort can enjoy a private beach, beautiful nature walks and the marine reserve bay.

This bay is about 2nm from South Bay where we anchored.  We skipped this bay as it was pretty exposed to the wind.

The next bay was too small.

The third bay was perfect and aptly called “South Bay.  It is a large protected bay from the north and south winds.  

There is a beautiful sandy beach and with crystal clear waters lapping up the shore.

Ashore is privately owned so we can only walk the beach.  But the beach is enjoyed by lots of locals.

Slipper Island’s History

Approximately 18,000 years ago, when sea levels were over 100 metres lower than present day levels, Slipper Island was connected to the Coromandel by a vast coastal plain.

Sea levels began to rise 7,000 years ago, after which the island was separated from the rest of New Zealand.

During his second voyage to New Zealand in 1728, Captain Cook sailed this coast and renamed Whakahau Slipper Island. Neighbouring Motuhoa was called Shoe Island, because Cook thought they resembled a slipper and a shoe.

Our blog posts run 4-6 weeks behind actual live events.

Find South Bay at Slipper Island on No Foreign Land.

You really don’t want to miss the beautiful photos in our last blog post, “A Hidden Bay at Mercury island.”

We visited this island in early March 2026.

Hanging out with the Farm Animals

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It is so great to return to Whangarei, New Zealand!  We are back in our old stomping grounds, surrounded by wonderful friends in familiar grounds.

During our first few weeks we take the time to visit a variety of farm animals at our friend’s house.

Not sure my friend’s would call these “farm” animals but rather pets.  I will let you decide.

Sharron’s Sheep Sheering

Sharron has grown up around sheep her entire life.  She had a rather large flock a few months ago but ended up giving away her ram and 3 ewes.  Now she has one mother ewe, a young 1 year old ewe and two lambs.

The adorable lambs were about 6 weeks old when I visited.

Today, the two “older” ewes were getting a hair cut.  The two shearers had a fun time trying to capture the rambunctious ewes.  But once they were placed on their back they settled and became super docile!  Strange to watch their transformation.

The shearers start on the older ewe who has been to the salon many times before.  The younger ewe just sits and patiently waits.

Before and after her haircut.  Unfortunately, the wool is no longer worth anything here in NZ.  Too many sheep and too much wool.  Back in the day the wool was worth a lot of money and then over the years it slowly declined.

But at least the sheep are more comfortable in the warmer climates.

It was so much fun for me to see the sheep sheering.  I know it is super run of the mill for Sharron and the shearers, but for me it was a great life experience.

The Greystone Farm

Our friend Rob who owns RH Precision and has done a lot of work for Sugar Shack, invited us to his farm and home.  It is a short 30 minute drive from Whangarei but it feels like it is so much further away.  

There are sweeping, green hillsides, lots of farms, and beautiful ocean views.  Rob and his wife Hannah have a gorgeous octagon type house that has 2 levels and multiple bedrooms.  Simply gorgeous.

Hannah is a lover of everything animal!  She has a wide variety of farm animals (pets) all over the ranch.  Starting at the house she takes care of 2 fish tanks with incredibly unusual fish.

They have a beautiful rottweiler, a German shepherd, 5 guinea pigs and an EMU!  Yep, you read that right.  They have an emu named Wallace whom I got to hand feed. 

Wallace used to have a mate but she passed away.  Not he is happily enjoying his large enclosure to himself.  

Evidently, when one mate dies, the other typically dies shortly after.  But not Wallace.

Rob and Hannah also have 3 feisty donkeys and a retired race horse. All of them incredibly friendly and eager to meet the city girl.

True Farm Animals

Then came the “beef cows.”  Yes, all cows are beef.  But in NZ you name the cow beef cows when they are raised for slaughter (beef) or milk cows or breeding cows.

They had 5 young cows (a few months old) that were fighting for the food dish.  It was super funny watching them push each other around to get to the food.  Politely rude I called it.  I love these farm animals.

My favorite photos are the bottom two right where the one left out cow pokes his head around the others. 

Being a true “city girl” it was great fun to hang out with so many fabulous animals.  I feel so blessed to have met generous friends who share their variety of pets with me.

We were in Whangarei at Sharron and Rob’s house toward the beginning of November 2025.

Our blog posts run 4-6 weeks behind actual live events.

Did you read about our lovely stay at Whangarei, Town Basin Marina – check out the blog post.