Rocky Bay Dip, Great Mercury Island

Graveyard Bay, Whangaparapara, Great Barrier Island

Another harbour on Great Barrier Island is Whangaparapara.  It is further south than Port Fitzroy, and quite a bit smaller.  Deep anchorages meant that a lot of chain has to be put out.. (and those cats swing around a lot!) 

 

We explored around Whangaparapara and had a great time snorkelling, and even watching a couple of dolphins rubbing on the anchor warp of a neighbouring yacht.  We caught up with our friend Dougal and his friend Jock who was always saying "I'm SO excited!" ....  We even enjoyed another lovely smoked fish meal!

 

 View from Graveyard Bay, Whangaparapara

 

 Muscle Man!

 

 Dougal, Jock "Mr I'm Sooooo Excited!!" and Craig on Expedition Whangaparapara

 

 

Let's "Google it..."...um...who gets service here?

"Can you keep an eye out for sharks Mum?"

 

Paper, Sissors, Rock!..."ah, Chop!!"

 

 

A swing with a view at Great Barrier Lodge 

 

More exploring....determined!

 

And success!!  Even a transformer came for dinner!

Smokehouse Bay, Port Fitzroy, Great Barrier Island

It's been a long time since I have been to Smokehouse Bay (I think I was about 12 or 13) so it was great to see it hadn't changed much! We enjoyed playing on the beach, doing the laundry, swinging on the swing, going for a bushwalk and then having a HOT SHOWER!  

Laundry with a view!

The kids loved doing the washing 'old style'.

 The best clothesline view in the world!

 What do you do with a mussel bouy?  Make a swing of course!

Freya and I going for a bushwalk.

Bone Hunting, Great Mercury Island

Walking over the hill from Mercury Cove with our friends Dot and Mike we found this lovely rocky beach that had all sorts of stuff!! Blake found some "old bones" that he thought he might investigate where they came from.

 

 

 

"

Maybe we can take this back to Poppa and he can use it for an aeroplane?

 

I might just take these back to the boat.....

 

And this one is from a big dinosaur....

 

 

Our good friends Dot & Mike, enjoying watching the others gather a load of stuff!

 

 

 

Corallie Bay, Great Mercury Island

A walk over the hill at Great Mercury Island brings you to Corallie Bay, which as you can see is stunning!  We watched people on the trimaran closest to the beach try and catch a squid...it was very entertaining and in the end the squid won!