www.sailbayofislands.com
We are enjoying the good end-of-summer weather here in the Bay of Islands. With the busy season winding down, the last few trips have been very relaxed and we even enjoyed having the Motorua Island anchorage all to ourselves one night. For those who like to get away from the crowds, the end of March and April are a really good time to be travelling in New Zealand; the weather is still fantastic, kids are back to school, and holiday-makers are back to work. It’s truly a magical time to be captivated by the beauty of Northland’s natural wonders.Jan, one of our guests has posted his experiences of the Freewind overnight trip on his blog (in English and German). To read and see the short video clip, open Jan’s blog and scroll down the page.
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| View on Oneroa Bay (Long Beach) from Freewind | Motorua Island anchorage (Army Bay) |
Farewell the Bay Belle
| This week, the Bay of Islands farewelled one of the most well-known vessels in the Bay, the ferry Bay Belle, which has been transporting passengers in the Bay for over 50 years. The boat started her career on the Cream Trip taking provisions and passengers to the islands of the Bay, and later became the Paihia – Russell ferry, where she has served continuously until this week. The Bay Belle is retiring and has been sold, to be replaced by a new aluminium ferry, named the Bay Belle II. The farewell event was also an opportunity for the Bay of Islands community to pay tribute to another grand lady, although for 85-year old Jane Taylor the title “old lady” does not sit well. In fact, the first woman skipper for Fullers Bay of Islands, Jane, with her daughter Tammy, had the honours of taking the wheel and steering the Bay Belle on her last trip from Paihia to Russell. Tammy is continuing the long tradition and is also a skipper with Fullers Great Sights, one of many female skippers who have followed in the footsteps of Jane Taylor. Visitors to the Bay of Islands will no doubt notice the dominance of lady skippers amongst the Fullers Great Sights vessels (passenger and vehicle ferries and the various tour boats). We’ll miss you, Belle, and we salute you, Jane Taylor! |  The Bay Belle - retiring after more than 50 years of service in the Bay of Islands |
| Read more here. |
Quote of the week:
“The Sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever.”- Jacques Cousteau
