Sunday 2 January Great Barrier Island

NZ boaters are busy bees. Anchors come up early and for the rest of the day, until sunset at 8.30pm, there was a stream of comings, goings and passing bys. Fishing lines were in the water, divers were in the water looking for an elusive scallop, canoes paddling around, dinghies with tiny outboard motors (think kitchen whisk) or rowing, brave hearts swimming. Everyone busy making the most of their holiday time. Compare this to the more laid back attitude of long term cruisers who may get to a port or anchorage and stay there a week, a month, or a year (SY Beach House, Grenada)

Taking our lead from the natives we did move – a mile around the corner to Fiztroy harbour. With the big outboard on the dink we went ashore at the wharf and found the 'big' town; a diesel station, the island library and health centre, a grocery, a visitor information hut,a bar and rubbish and recycling facility. The nice lady at the info hut gave us maps of the walks and suggested the best route to reach the summit of Mt Hiramataki / Mt Hobson beginning from the next bay. 
OK back to Jackster and weigh anchor bound for the next bay a mile away. Kaiaraara Bay is big. There were over 60 boats in there with room for another 40 and flat calm. After dinner we were sitting in the cockpit chatting and spotted a classic shark fin gliding past. We later learned this was a bronze whaler shark which are common, and not aggressive. He might have been looking for duck dinner. We'd been visited by a pair of brown teals, an endangered species which breed here.