Tag Archives: waterfall

Great Barrier Island

We are free!!!  Oh my goodness after almost 3 months in the marina we finally break ourselves free to do some sailing around New Zealand.  We’ve been tied to the dock doing boat projects and meeting with different vendors and have not had a moment to go sailing until now.  We decide to head to Great Barrier island first and if time and weather permits, Mercury Island.

It is a slow motor down the Whangarei River.  We request permission to have the Te Matau a Pohe “Hook Bridge” open so we may pass under.  Still an amazing thing to see!

It is a beautiful day, albeit light wind on the nose.  We raise the main sail and continue on a motor sail as we don’t even have enough wind for the jib.  We pass by the Hen and Chickens Islands.  I just love their names.

Kaikoura Potato Bay

We approached Great Barrier Island and made the last minute decision to go to Smokehouse Bay which is supposed to be a nice boatie/cruiser bay.  However, when we approached we saw that there were close to 30 boats anchored there – so we stopped short and anchored in Kaikoura Bay also known as Potato Bay.  We had this beautiful bay all to ourselves.

We were expecting some ugly winds so we moved the following morning to a new bay.

Wairahi Bay

There were still a lot of boats at Smokehouse Bay so we decided to go to a bay just past it (still in Great Barrier Island).  We arrived to Wairahi Bay with 3 other boats.  Perfect!  From here we can easily visit the other bays within the western side of Great Barrier Island. We hang out in this anchorage for over  a week.  Several other boats joined us in this anchorage, but it is big enough to not feel crowded.

First, we explore the river that feeds into Wairahi Bay.  Matt took the SUP up the river during high and low tide so that he felt comfortable taking the dinghy with me.  It is so cool to be surrounded by hillsides, overhanging trees, and hidden houses. 

I spotted at least 5 hidden “baches” (summer houses) in the trees.

Smokehouse Bay

About 1 mile down from our anchorage is a popular spot called Smokehouse Bay.  It is a place created for locals and cruisers/boaties.  This as the anchorage that was incredibly busy when we first arrived. However, the weather changed which made this a very uncomfortable anchorage so everyone cleared out when we visited.  This is a shot during low tide (top) and high tide (bottom).

The facilities in this bay were provided by the late Eric Webster and his many friends.  Locals and cruisers maintain the property and equipment.  The Weber family placed Smokehouse Bay under the protection of the Queen National Trust as an open space covenant for the public whilst remaining in private ownership.

A massive rain storm destroyed Smokehouse Bay in November 2005.  Everything was covered in mud and debris and it took over a year to rebuild the facilities.

What can you enjoy at Smokehouse Bay?

  • Pizza Oven
  • Smokehouse (perfect for smoking fresh catch)
  • Grills
  • Laundry hand crank basins and clothes lines
  • (2) showers including 1 that offers hot water from a wood burning stove
  • Free book trade library
  • Toilets
  • Outdoor seating area around a bonfire
  • Great hikes on the 5 hectres (50 acres)

We enjoyed the entire bay to ourselves because it was inclement weather and all the boats left for a more protected anchorage.  We hiked to the summit and had excellent views of the bay.

Port Fitzroy

The most populated bay in Great Barrier Island is Port Fitzroy.  It is where you can get fuel and some supplies.  Super cute little town with a market, library, visitor center, and burger joint.  The town is the top photo.

There are two great hikes in this bay.  One starts from the center of town and leads you to a beautiful waterfall and the other is across the bay and leads you to a spectacular crows-nest view.

We decide to do the waterfall hike first, since we were already in town and it is only a 40minute hike to the falls.  But it is straight up.   First, you clean your shoes with a spray and scrub…then off you go down the path.

About 40-minutes, 300+ stairs, and 1.5 miles  later we arrive at the triple waterfall.

We take a moment to enjoy the beauty around us, dip our toes in (its freezing), and head back.

Next we take our dinghy across the bay and leave it at the dock (red arrow).  We then hike to the valley (green arrow on right), up to the peak and back down to the dock.  Super good hike.

At the top of the peak is a swing bridge that leads you to a 600-year old Kauri tree.  Once at the tree, you can climb up to the crows-nest to get a spectacular view of the bay.

As we make our way back down the hill we take a turn off to Sunset Rock.  I bet this would be wonderful to watch the sunset…

All in all we hiked 10.5 kilometers or 6.5 miles.  We were a bit bushed when we got back to the boat.

Historic Floods

We ended up spending a little more time in Great Barrier due to bad weather.  Lucky for us we were tucked away in the perfect anchorage for inclement weather.  Evidently this is a once in 50 year flood and yet it happened twice within a week!

Everything was flooded including the airport, grocery stores, and busses!

And of course the streets and highways.

We weather the second storm at a different bay called Karaka Bay at Great Barrier.   This was the calm before the storm.

Some more beautiful photos from Karaka Bay

I just love the stunning motus, rock formations, and islands.

Our friends captured us heading up the river, n our way back to the marina.

Events from this blog occurred in late January 2023.  Our blog posts run 6-8 weeks behind actual events.  Don’t miss our last blog where we explore the Lost Springs.

Hakatea Bay with Peneque

Hakatea Bay – Daniel’s Bay

Hakatea Bay also known as “Daniel’s Bay” is just around the corner from the main village of Taihoe in Nuku Hiva.  But it might as well be another island as it is so different.  There are about 10-12 people that live in this little piece of paradise.  A small white sandy beach is surrounded by towering mountains that glitter in the sun.  It was so hard to capture on camera, but the trees were truly golden against the deep black crevices of the hillside. 

The top photo is of one side of the bay, the center is the golden hillside and the bottom is the actual palm tree lined beach where the locals live.

Hakatea Bay = Daniel's Bay

Hakatea Bay = Daniel’s Bay

There is no dinghy landing so we had to get creative with “Sweetie.”  The first time we went to shore we dragged her on the beach.  Always a challenge as she is heavy and has a 25hp outboard on the stern which makes it even more difficult.  We had Wayne and a fender which helped.  Basically, we slipped the round fender under the dinghy and rolled it under Sweetie to get her up the sand dune. 

Beauty of Daniel’s Bay

We were blown away by how unique and beautiful this village is. Tropical flowers, plants and trees line the single dirt road from the beach to each house.  Tons and tons of fruit trees are all around, pomplemouse, avocado, mango, lemon, breadfruit, noni and more.

Hike to waterfall in Daniel;s Bay

Hike to waterfall in Daniel;s Bay

There is a freshwater stream that runs along the “town” that enables them to bring their boats in during high tide.  A super small, but efficient church, a cemetery on the hillside and very practical homes.

Daniel's Bay village

Daniel’s Bay village

Each home had a sign indicating the address of the inhabitant.  Either carved in stone or etched in a piece of wood.

Local plot claims

Local plot claims

Waterfall Hike

Daniel’s Bay (Hakatea Bay) is known for the tallest waterfall in French Polynesia.  The locals told us that the falls would be “dry” because it is summertime.  However, it is still a pretty nature walk so we forged ahead.  The trail continued down the main dirt road lined with beautiful and colorful flora and fauna.  At one point, it looked like it was covered in snow from the pods that fell and littered the walkway with white fuzz.

One road in Daniel's Bay

One road in Daniel’s Bay

The road turned into forest and became more of a small path.  Lots of rocks, boulders and ruins could be found here.  You could certainly find remnants of an old village which was fascinating.

Ruins along the path to the waterfall

Ruins along the path to the waterfall

After 1.5 hours we arrived at the “waterfall” or what I like to call a “trickle fall” since there was truly very little water coming down the mountain.  It sure was pretty and we could imagine how breathtaking it was.

Hakatea Bay Waterfall

Hakatea Bay Waterfall

At the bottom of the “falls” is a fresh water pool, but it was stagnant and not too appealing.  However, when you turned your back to the falls you were surrounded by lush greenery and mountains.

Just a couple of posers

Just a couple of posers

Hike to Waterfall in Hakaui was 6 miles, 15,838 steps and up 14 floors.  A good workout.

Lunch Local Style

On the way to the waterfall, we ran into Kua and Tieki who are known for their tasty cuisine.  We told them we would be back for lunch around noon.  Matt and Wayne are part goat and practically ran up and back from the falls.  We finished the hike in just over 3 hours so we had time to kill before lunch.

When we arrived, two other cruisers were seated under the awning and little table was set up in their garden for Matt, Wayne and I.  It so pretty to be in the middle of the fruit trees, flowers and plants.  They grilled lobster for me and goat for the boys.  It was pretty darn tasty and not bad for a total of $40.

Lunch with Teiki and Kua

Lunch with Teiki and Kua

Beach Walk

We needed to walk off our large lunch so we took the dinghy to a neighboring beach.  We found lots of crabs and had fun playing with a rather large one and a stick.  The poor thing must have been traumatized because he hid in my footprint after we left.

Beach walk and crab friends

Beach walk and crab friends

To our great surprise, our neighbors from Ua Pou, Peneque showed up and anchored next to us.  They were the super nice French people who heled us out and never squawked at us for bumping fenders for 3 weeks during the festival.

Hakatea Bay with Peneque

Hakatea Bay with Peneque

Escapades with the Lembergers

The Lemberger Escapades

A jammed packed 3-day weekend full of frolicking under waterfalls, a zip line tour, beaches, parks, monkeys, and crazy escapades with our good friends John, Missy, and Carl.  They happened to visit over Costa Rica’s Independence weekend celebrations and during one of their biggest, organized labor strikes.

Most of the major cities have road blocks preventing passage to and from the main road.  It caused massive delays and problems for those traveling in the country.  They open the road blocks for 15 minutes every two hours.  Luckily, it only delayed our guests 75 minutes, but it still made it a 4.5 hour bus ride.

For those of you interested in reading about the strike: Costa Rica Shaken by rare and unruly unrest, labor strike, Celebrity Cruise Cancels Arrival due o Labor Strikes, & Local Publication: Tico Times Reports No End in Sight

Fortunately, Quepos decided to move forward with the Independence Day celebrations despite the strike.  Missy, Carl and I walked around town while Matt and John took luggage up to the apartment.

We caught the very electrifying Luz de la Noche (light of the night) parade where kids make all sorts of artwork then decorate them with lights.  If you look closely, you can see a giant ship, a marlin, a house, and many other creative designs.

Quepos Independence Day Night Parade

Quepos Independence Day Night Parade

MANUEL ANTONIO NATIONAL PARK

We got up early, made a light breakfast and headed to Manuel Antonio National Park. My nature loving friends had a field day with all of the local flora, fauna, and natural habitats.

Manuel Antonio Estates with John, Missy, Carl

Manuel Antonio Estates with John, Missy, Carl

Of course, the monkeys put on a fabulous show for all spectators. Their escapades were enjoyed by all!  If you look closely, the monkey in the lower left corner has a baby on nursing, we think she was only a few weeks old.  Also, check out the faces of John, Missy, and Carl as the monkey family approached them – pretty funny.

Monkey Madness at the Park

Monkey Madness at the Park

We even got to witness a thieving raccoon trying to steal some lunch.  That would be the photos below Matt and Missy showing off their coco logo (they didn’t steal that) 🙂

Coco Loco with Matt and Missy

Coco Loco with Matt and Missy

It was a big exercise day, we climbed 48 floors and walked 17,000 steps which is 7.1 miles.

ZIP LINING ESCAPADES

Carl talked us all into going on a zipline tour.  And not just any tour, but the longest zipline in Central America with El Santuario Canopy Adventure Tours.  Flying over 3.6 kilometers across 10 zip lines that are both above and through the tree canopies.  We ascended 14 tree platforms, climbed up airstairs, scrambled over 6 hanging bridges, and rappelled down a tree.

It was a fabulous adventure!  We were all impressed with all of their amazing safety measures, professional guides, and beauty of the entire experience.

Crazy air-stairs, bridges, and walkways built into the tree canopies.

Zipline Tours with airstairs, bridges, and more

Zipline Tours with airstairs, bridges, and more

After we all got suited up, we joined the other 18 people on our tour.  It sounds like a huge tour, but we only saw the other people at the water stops, otherwise it flowed really nicely.  Look carefully to see John, Missy, and Carl flying through the air.

Getting ready for our zipline tour

Getting ready for our zipline tour

A little craziness ensured.  Carl decided to go upside down on one zip.  Matt and Missy both needed to be hauled in on the longest zip – they focused on enjoying the scenery instead of tuck and roll 😊

Zipline Craziness

Zipline Craziness

The super cool thing about this tour is that we did not have to worry about anything, including stopping.  They have a proprietary mechanism that stops all participants at the platform.  Takes a lot of relief off of you when all you have to do is hold on and enjoy the ride.

LITTLE TOURISTY PICS

We always find time to take a few touristy photos.

John, Missy, and Carl around Quepos

John, Missy, and Carl around Quepos

BAHIA COCAL

We took another long walk to the small fishing village just outside town.  Then, we hopped on the ferry to Bahia Cocal and walked the beach.  It was a great hunting expedition for sea treasures.  Top photo with Lemberger’s in front of ferry dock.

Bahia Cocal and a Long Walk on the Beach

Bahia Cocal and a Long Walk on the Beach

Another full day of exercise with 51 floors climbed, and 12,120 steps walked or 4.8 miles total.

HIKE TO WATERFALL

We were hoping to send John, Missy and Carl on the Monkey Mangrove Tour with Chino, but because of the strike, the roads were closed.  So, plan B was a hike to the Manuel Antonio Estates waterfall.

Our gated community at Manuel Antonio Estates consists of 9 apartments and about 15 homes.  Each are independently owned and used as rental properties.

As you can see from the map below, the apartments are on the opposite side of the waterfall.  We walked up and down many steep streets before arriving at the end of the road.  We made a left at the large dirt pile and an immediate right at the first water run off which leads down to the “cascada” or waterfall.

Manuel Antonio Estates Property Waterfall

Manuel Antonio Estates Property Waterfall

We had the place to ourselves for the first hour and enjoyed frolicking in the refreshing water.

As we were about to leave, 3 people arrived and showed Carl and Missy a hidden ledge under the falls where you can stand and get the perfect photo.

Manuel Antonio Estates Waterfall Hike

Manuel Antonio Estates Waterfall Hike

On property, 83 floors, 11, 989 steps, 4.9 miles

There were these super cool walking palms that we saw on our zip line tour.  Our guide told us that the palm tree is constantly striving for sunlight.  They grow new roots in the direction of where they want to go and then let the back roots die off so they can move.

Walking Palms

Walking Palms

We had such an amazing time with John, Missy and Carl.  Wonderful stories made, lots of laughter shared, good food, and long-lasting memories.  It is desperately hard to put into words how much it meant to have them visit us in Costa Rica, thank you from the bottom of our hearts!