Whangaroa Race 25th Jan (Waitangi to Whangaroa)

Whangaroa Harbour is a beautiful and massive fjord-like harbour, 35 miles up the coast from the Bay of Islands - a scenic cruise (albeit through bumpy seas) past rocky coastline, long exposed beaches and through the gorgeous Cavalli Islands. We raced up there in six hours and came triumphantly last (well, we were on an old cruiser with only three crew, one of whom didn't have a clue what she was doing tum te tum but she learnt a lot I'm told). On the sail back down I swam in the Cavallis a matter of miles from the spot where a record-breaking Bronzie had been caught the previous day in the mouth of the harbour; I couldn't shift the idea of shark-infested murky waters, so my heart had more of a workout than my body. No good photos as it was a bit rough, but finally I've captured some of the infamous New Zealand mail boxes.