Mangonui

Hi everyone,

After a month in Whangaroa we needed to reprovision.  We had two choices - a very expensive taxi ride to the nearby town of Kaeo or a 20nm sail to the town of Mangonui.  We chose the latter.

Mangonui Pub

We had a good sail from Whangaroa to Manganui.  Mostly a broad reach in light-moderate SE winds.

Track

Departing Whangaroa Harbour

Approaching Mangonui

Anchored in the river

We arrived at about 1400.  By 1500 we were dinking ashore.  It took three round trips to take all the provisions back aboard.  After that we had fish & chips with the crew of sv Masterplan.

Main dinghy dock

Supermarket

The following day we explored the town and walked to Coopers Beach to get some exercise.  It's a nice beach and has a bigger supermarket than Mangonui.  We'd found just about everything we needed in Mangonui and it'd be hard work carrying it back from Coopers Beach.

Alternate dinghy dock

Back in Mangonui we had a nice fish'n'chips lunch at the pub and went for a walk S out of town to explore.  Then to the Postmistress bar for a final round of drinks.

The pub's macaw

Nice eateries

Nice beer

That evening a light N wind came in and we didn't sleep well.  The anchorage is well protected apart from N-NW winds.  Very good holding in 6m over mud.  The following morning we sailed back to Whangaroa.  A light airs beat out of the bay followed by a beam reach.

Track

Sailing back to Whangaroa

Back in Whangaroa we anchored for a couple of nights.  With a windy and rainy weather outlook we booked into the marina, this time for a week.  There we can to get ashore for walks, have showers, do our laundry and enjoy the Game Fishing Club.

Still hoping for a weather window to take us 'over the top' and S to South Island.

Trust all's well where you are!