More Great Barrier

As mentioned in my last post, we had hoped to get to a few more islands before heading back north. Weather forced us to head from Whangamata to Great Barrier for two overnights and then across to Marsden Cove.

First a few shots leaving Whangamata – just about 1 to 1 so know telephoto here. Nothing dangerous but certainly interesting.

Now to great Barrier. I thought we would be bored since we have been there a bunch. Not so. We snuggled up in Forestry Bay to wait out the gale plus blow – a very nice hidey hole.

While not ideal, we put the dink in next morning and went touring. We went to Sven and his wife’s (I think Tracey) Manuka and Kanuka operation. Very interesting and well worth the visit. He harvests something like 2 tons of manuka and kanuka to make a variety of healing products – the smell is delightful.

Lest you think this is easy, the terrain is steep and it takes 2 days to harvest enough to put in to his cooker to distill out one or two liters of the essential oil. Here are some pics of the plants operation including the “cooker distiller”.

After visiting, we went for a “walk”. Joe went well ahead of us and did the whole thing – we were content to get near the top – maybe four or five hundred feet above the bay.

Back at the boat, we went off for mussels – big mistake with the winds but we did get enough for a nice dinner.

Just at dusk, some folks we had met in the morning and given a boat tour to showed up with three nice snapper. Plan is to smoke them for breakfast – Joe brought a great smoker with some Manuka wood – now how good a day is that (despite some tired legs).

Who says you can’t have fun in a gale!

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