{"id":10806,"date":"2024-04-22T19:13:00","date_gmt":"2024-04-22T07:13:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/myblogary.com\/?p=10806"},"modified":"2024-04-28T21:58:37","modified_gmt":"2024-04-28T09:58:37","slug":"chasing-sunsets-islands-and-kiwi-adventures","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/myblogary.com\/index.php\/2024\/04\/22\/chasing-sunsets-islands-and-kiwi-adventures\/","title":{"rendered":"Chasing Sunsets, Islands and Kiwi Adventures (RV Day 9)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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April 22<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Today was our Fullers Hole in the Rock<\/a> boat tour around the Bay of Islands<\/a>. The seas were calm after a windy night so it made for a pleasant journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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There are 144 islands in the Bay of Islands, known as the \u201cwinterless North\u201d due to its mild winters. In 2006, the Bay of Islands was found to have the second bluest sky in the world after Rio de Janeiro.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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We first sailed to Motuarohia (island of the beloved) or Robertson Island. Captain James Cook anchored his boat, The Endeavor, off this island with twin lagoons when he visited the Bay of Islands in 1769. He took shelter here for 10 days and gave it the name the Bay of Islands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Secluded beaches<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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And islands<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Our skipper, Kate, took the boat out into the Pacific Ocean and steered us towards Piercy Island, aka Hole in the Rock (also known as Motu K\u014dkako), the tour\u2019s namesake. We floated just off the point of Cape Brett to check out the lighthouse. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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And then we continued out further to explore Piercy Island.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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At the northern tip of Cape Brett, Piercy Island is of great cultural significance to the Ngapuhi tribe. It was the landing place of the canoe Tunui-a-rangi before it sailed to Whang\u0101rei, the town where we did our cultural Tu Tika M\u0101ori tour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Made of limestone, the 60 foot hole in the rock passage was initially created by a fault line, and later eroded by wind and waves. Kate debated on whether she was going to take the boat through the opening, and after a few minutes decided the wind, tide, swell and lack of divers was in our favor, and she forged ahead. Collectively, the passengers on the boat held their breath as she expertly maneuvered through the arch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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