CRUISING DAY

RATHER excited today!

We are doing this:

ABOVE:  I don't know how well you can read the map... but basically we are leaving Paihia on a boat and heading out to the Bay of Islands... going around most of them, visiting the famous 'Hole in the Rock', having lunch on an island somewhere, then getting dropped off on Russell Island.

We could come all the way back to Paihia on the cruise boat, but are opting to stay on Russell Island for a couple of hours before catching a free ferry back to Paihia.

I am anticipating an awesome day!
Fingers crossed we have lovely weather like yesterday.

Catch you later!

ONWARD...
Before we head out... I did some captions and yakkity yak on yesterday's post, if you are inclined to pop back to it.
We are heading off very soon, walking down to the ferry... shouldn't take long from our motel.

It's another stunning day out there, we have been so very lucky with the weather!

DOLPHINS....Everywhere!!!
Freezing cold... but amazing.

Just had a delicious BBQ lunch on some island... now we have a little time to look around before we head over to Russell.

ABOVE AND BELOW:  Our boat coming into dock this morning.

 ABOVE: First stop was Russell, where we picked up the 4th crew member.

 ABOVE: Looking back towards Paihia from Russell.   It rained on our way out, but quickly stopped.
But, it was BLOODY COLD!  

 ABOVE:  I was so glad I'd thought to buy a warm hat before we left shore.  I needed it... not exactly flattering, but fuck being cold.
Geez, it wasn't even a blue hat!

 ABOVE: Some random views on our way out to sea.
There was another cruise boat out ahead of us, and they found dolphins, so we cruised on out there to see them too:

 ABOVE: It's incredibly hard to photograph moving dolphins!
These ones were very rarely seen New Zealand Common Dolphins... so we were lucky to see them.
There were HEAPS of them, and lots of baby ones too.

I did get a video or two as well... but can't show them yet as my laptop won't download them.

 ABOVE:  This is Bird ROCK.
As the captain of the boat explained... an island is different from a ROCK ...
An Island is surrounded by water, it has either moss/grass or trees growing on it... SO IT'S AN ISLAND.
No moss/grass or trees and it's a ROCK.
He was very emphatic about that!

On Bird ROCK was quite a few fur seals.
They winter over there, so once again, we were very lucky to see them there.

 ABOVE:  Bird ROCK is covered in guano, so when we got down wind from it... we got a nose full of a very strong sulfuric smell!

After Bird ROCK... we went over to The Hole in The Rock.
As there was a very strong S/W wind blowing, we couldn't go inside... I could see why!  It was very rough.
The photos don't actually show how choppy it was though.

 ABOVE:  Motukokako Island.

ABOVE: It didn't upset me at all that we couldn't go inside.. it was just amazing to be THERE.

 ABOVE:  This is a huge boil/swarm of little fish at the surface, trying to get away from bigger fish underneath.  The birds were having a wonderful meal too.

 ABOVE:  Our scrumptious lunch at Otehei Bay, Urupukapuka Island.

 ABOVE: Yep, we are THERE.  lol

 ABOVE: Stew looking every inch the tourist.  We had to wear the lanyards on Urupukapuka Island so we could all be accounted for when we got back on the boat.

ABOVE: Beautiful Otehei Bay, Urupukapuka.

We decided NOT to get off at Russell... I was frozen to the bone and just wanted to get back and warm up.

Which I did.  I climbed into bed and spent two hours warming up!  Oh I might have had a nap too.  *smiles*

We have been on the 'go' for days!  Such fun though.  It's been the BEST TIME in such a long time.

I might have 'shaggers' hip too. ha ha ha!!!  TMI?

*snigger*

We went out for dinner tonight.  It was lovely.

Time to sign off ... long trip home tomorrow.